SCIENCE Nearsighted people ca " CastlaSit News December 13, 1987 Wonder drug to combat WINNIPEG (CP) — A potential wonder drug that can reduce tissue damage caused by everything from radiation to rheumatoid arthritis is being developed by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and the Winnipeg Rh Institute. ‘The drug is based on the enzyme superoxide dis- mutase, which is found naturally in cells and tissues that depend on oxygen, said Abram Petkau, director of medical biophysics at AECL’s research facility at Pinawa, Man. Petkau said that while the drug has not yet been approved by Health and Welfare Canada for general use, doctors are encouraged by results so far. believe it should be tried on radiation therapy patients undergoing treatment for cancers, Petkau said. Superoxide dismatase was first isolated in 1933, but it wasn't until 1969 that two scientists from Duke University in North Carolina discovered that the protein or enzyme attacked a form of oxygen called a free radical, which can destroy cells, he said. ATOMS CHARGED Radicals are groups of atoms that have an electrical charge and behave as though they were a single atom. Petkau, who has been experimenting with the protein since the 1960s, said the drug has been used successfully in Stockholm and Milan to treat cancer radiation therapy. of patients who've suffered tissue damage caused by Because of possible wide-ranging applications — after a nuclear aceident — the drug must undergo years of clinical trials radiation being eyed on patients before it's approved for use on a regular basis, said Albert Friesen, director of the Rh Institute. The institute is a non-profit research company involved in manufacturing the drug. “The potential has been known to a few people for many, many years — the enzyme’s been around for a long time,” Friesen said in an interview. The problem, he said, has been to prove how effective it is. ‘The enzyme, which is injected into the body, has only a short life-span as the body is quick to break it down, he noted. PROBLEMS COMPLEX He also said that because all the illnesses the drug is purported to help are very complex, it has been difficult to calculate dosage and how often it should be given. ‘The Rh Institute is putting the finishing touches on its application to the federal government to submit the drug to clinical testing. One test will examine the effectiveness of the drug in preventing tissue damage caused by radiation therapy to cancer victims. The second will be on newborns who have been on oxygen ventilators for long periods of time. He said early indications have shown superoxide dis- mutase can be used to help infants who suffer lung damage caused by the ventilators’ excessive oxygen, which produces free radicals. Tests conducted at the Johns Hopkins Medical itution in ‘ have indi peroxide dis- mutase can help prevent tissue damage that occurs after organs have been deprived of blood and necessary oxygen. McGill doctors shelve operation MONTREAL (CP) — A some patients preliminary i ‘y new that was expected to bring relief for Parkinson's disease sufferers has been shelved by a McGill University medical team. The controversial opera- tion was planned for this fall by McGill surgeons ‘and in- volves the i i f known signs of imp’ muscular control, less trembling and shaking of arms and legs, reduced stiffness and better balance. Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder which causes muscular rigidity and trem- ors. There are about 50,000 ff of the di- cells from the adrenal gland into the brain. The procedure was pio- neered by two Mexican neurosurgeons and has been performed by 10 medical teams on 76 people around the world, Neurosurgeons at 20 medical centres around the globe plan to continue or begin the implants. But some doctors and re- searchers say more experi- ments on aminals are needed and they worry that there has been improper prepar- ation of adrenal cells by clinicians who may not fully understand the complex pro- cedure. Reports of several deaths and a variety of compli- cations, including pneumonia and worsening conditions after surgery, also helped prompt the end of plans to attempt the procedure in Montreal. “The surgery requires fur- ther study,” said Dr. Albert Aguayo, a Montreal General Hospital expert in the central nervous system and cell replacement and a member of the McGill team. “We don't know if it is beneficial to man. We shouldn't embark locally until better procedures become available.” ~ The operation has given sease in Canada and about 500,000 in the United States. Gerald Bjornson, president of the Montreal chapter of the Parkinson’s Foundation of Canada, said he was dis- appointed but understood McGill's position. “I would want to see more results about how the pro- cedure should be done,” he said. Neil Cashman, a specialist in cell cultures at the Mon- treal Neurological Institute, would like to see better-con- trolled studies in humans and wants standard measure- ments to determine whether patients improve after sur- gery. “Some improvements may occur because patients are taken off drugs prior to the surgery and then put back on them after surgery. We know from experience that with this kind of drug holiday in Parkinson's patients, some temporarily improve.” The Mexican neurosur- geons, Ignacio Madrazo and Rene Drucker-Colin at La Raza and Humana hospitals in Mexico City, say they will soon announce details of the world’s first implant in a human brain involving brain cells from aborted fetuses. They hope to conduct the procedure this winter. Dealer No. 7724 (across from Waneta Plaza) 368-3377 CASTLE TIRE (1977) LTD. SALES & SERVICE 365-7145 1050 Columbia, Castlegar == K & A TIRES LTD. For all your tire needs! Also specializing in brakes and shocks. 1507 Columbie Ave. 4SADGESTONE con 365-2955 may be CHICAGO (AP) — While vision could be a sign of high intelligence, say researchers who studied myopic Israeli raeli military recruits, ages 17 to 19, and discovered a link between nearsighted- ness and high IQs and years of education. “There can be no doubt about the reality of the cor- relation between myopia and intellectual performance,” wrote Drs. ner and Michael Belkin. Still, they wrote, the “cause and effect relationship is not clear.” The researchers, writing in the current issue of the American Medical Associa- tion's Archives of Ophthal- mology, said 15.8 per cent, or 24,924, of the recruits were myopic in both eyes, or un- able to see long distances. The entire study group took standard verbal and written exams and the doc- tors found: e Among the recuits who had an IQ of 128 or higher, 217.3 per cent were near- smarter sighted. An IQ of 100 is av- erage. © Only eight per cent with an IQ of 80 or below were nearsighted. with the number of years of education. However, fewer years of schooling did not necessarily mean low IQs among near- sighted males. Schedule! ! Watch for Our Next Ad for Our Entertainment CHRISTMAS HOURS Christmas Day . . . Qpen 12. Noon - 6 p.m. Regular Hours. . . Duririg Holidays HI ARROW RESTAURANT WILL BE CLOSED . .. CHRISTMAS DAY & BOXING DAY — OPEN... NEW YEAR'S DAY . . . (SMORG) — 651- 18th Street Castlegar 365-7282 Shell invites you to GET INTO THE GAMES Get your Shell Olympic Winter Games Television Factbook Shett gives you a wealth of Olympic knowledge in one book. The Shell Olympic Winter Games Television Factbook. Eighty pages packed with information including Olympic insights, trivia and statistics. It’s yours for just $1.99* and that’s a great value, available only at Shell. 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