Saturday, September 14, 2013

Highs -n- Lows Living with the Disease

Saturday, September 13th

Another great day! 
I slept in until around 5:30...such is much better than yesterday when I got up at 3:00... :-)
I am aching, tingling in ny left leg and swollen but so thankful for what I can do...

Yesterday I received an email about Dermatomyositis (DM)
Research...
 
MDA Study Reveals 'Cost of Illness' for ALS, DMD, MMD (DM)
MDA has funded the first-ever study in the U.S. estimating the annual cost of illness in terms of medical costs, nonmedical costs and loss of income for families affected by ALS, DMD and MMD (DM). The study has potential implications for drug development, social and economic policies, and insurance coverage.
 
MMD (DM):
MMD1 (DM1): Abnormalities Found in PKM Enzyme
An abnormality in a muscle enzyme known as pyuruvate kinase (PKM) has been added to the list of things that go wrong in this disease.
 
Study Probes Impact of Early-Onset MMD1 (DM1)
MDA-supported researchers conducted a study of the perceived effects of congenital and childhood-onset type 1 MMD (MMD1, DM1) on those who have the disorders. Communication difficulties and social role limitations were mentioned most often by respondents.

Researchers supported by MDA are studying the underlying mechanisms that cause inflammatory myopathies, such as dermatomyositis (DM).

Several MDA projects are centered around understanding precisely what triggers the immune system to mistakenly attack muscle tissue, with the ultimate goal of stopping this type of attack.

Some MDA-funded researchers are developing cellular models of muscle injury in DM and are screening these models to learn the basic mechanisms by which muscle injury occurs in this disease.

They're paying particular attention to the role of interferons, proteins normally produced by immune system cells in response to a viral infection, in DM. There's evidence that type 1 interferons injure muscle in DM, and the researchers are seeking to identify compounds that prevent such injury.

Other investigators are studying inflammatory myopathies in dogs. They believe these animals may offer insight into the mechanisms by which autoimmunity develops in these diseases in humans.

At the same time, many clinical trials of medications used to modify the immune system are under way in DM.

For more about research in and medical management of DM, see the following stories:

Putting Out the Fire: New treatments bring relief in inflammatory muscle disease, but patience is required

New Directions: Can an immune response be rerouted to treat disease?

Muscular Dystrophy Association — USA
National Headquarters
3300 E. Sunrise Drive
Tucson, AZ 85718
(800) 572-1717

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Today's Bible Study

Unity in the Body of Christ

Read | Ephesians 2:11-22

A great deal of friction and enmity is generated by those who see themselves as superior to others by virtue of their race, religion, or social status. Such attitudes destroy peace between individuals, communities, and even nations. The early church confronted this problem when it addressed the status of non-Jewish believers. These Gentiles had been excluded from the commonwealth of Israel with all its privileges and covenants, so it was easy to view them as second-class citizens in the church despite their faith in Jesus. Even after Pentecost and the outpouring of the Spirit, the old ways of thinking were hard to abandon.

The apostle Paul spoke to this very problem in Ephesus when he said, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:13-14).

Today there continue to be many dividing walls between people. Human nature is no different in the modern age than it was in the first century: power, pride, and privilege still dominate in the kingdom of darkness. Unfortunately, many dividing walls also exist in the Christian community. Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ is just as powerful today in “mak[ing] the two into one new man, thus establishing peace” (v. 15). It doesn’t matter what the barriers are—we can overcome them by recognizing that we all have our access to the Father through the same Spirit (v. 18).

Another great day!

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