RE: Letter to a researcher at University of Texas...any input welcome

[Guest guest]

FYI, I wrote awhile back to Dr. Micci and her colleague Dr.

Pasricha, who has done important work in achalasia including

development of the use of botox for achalasia. I got the

following reply from Dr. Micci in 3/06:

" Our group, headed by Dr. Pankaj Jay Pasricha, is working on

developing a therapy for achalasia using stem cell therapy. We

have recently published the article you mentioned in the journal

Gastroenterology and it represents the first report showing

potential functional effect of stem cells in the gut. We have

started by injecting stem cells in the stomach because it is

easiliy accesible in the experimental animal (mouse). We are

however aiming at further studying the potential of stem cell

therapy in different animal models and in different regions of

the gut.

Unfortunately, althiugh our data is very promising, we are still

a long way from clinical applications. In the mean time, Dr.

Pasricha has shown that local injections of Botulinum toxin A in

the esophagus can help alleviate the sympotms of achalasia and

temporally treat this debilitating disease. I would reccomend

that you contact Dr. Pasricha directly (jpasrich@...) to get

more information on this therapy.

Please, let me know if you have further questions. "

Best Regards

-Adelaide Micci, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

University of Texas Medical Branch

Galveston, Texas 77555

phone: 409-747-3085

fax: 409-747-3084

and the following from Dr. Pasricha in 5/06:

" Thanks for your email and words of encouragement. Indeed,

this project was initiated by my desire to find a real cure for

achalasia so I am very pleased to see that even our animal

experiments

have heartened the patients with this disorder, even though we

have

miles to go before clinical trials.

" We are in the process of applying to the NIH for a renewal of

our grant

which we hope to submit by July this year. In this, we will

extend our

observations for stem cell transplantation in animals with

inflammation

in the enteric nervous system, a situation that more closely

mimics

achalasia than the first animal model that we used.

" These studies, if funded, will hopefully provide the basis for

testing

in humans. Of note, StemCells Inc, a California bases company

has

received FDA approval to try human neural stem cell

transplantation for

Batten disease in humans (this is a rare neurological disorder).

We have

worked with this company and tested their human cells in animals.

" We are also working on approaches to try and make bone marrow

and other

cell types become neural stem cells.

" Finally, I sincerely hope that our research will inspire other

investigators to take up the cause as well, since this certainly

cannot

be done by one group alone.

" Thanks once again for your encouragement and in turn, stay with

hope.

Best regards "

P Jay Pasricha

Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Bassel and Frances Blanton Distinguished Professor of Internal

Medicine

Professor of Neuroscience & Cell Biology and Biomedical

Engineering

University of Texas Medical Branch

4.106 McCullough Building

301 University Boulevard

Galveston TX 77555-0764

Phone: 409 747 3082

Fax: 409 772 4789

I also heard the following from Dr. Pasricha in 6/06, but then I

didn't ask him again to find out if they got funded. I wrote to

the National Institutes of Health, asking them to support Drs.

Pasricha and Micci's research, but I didn't get the impression

that NIH puts any weight on such letters. (They sent me back a

thick packet of information about how they make funding

decisions.)

" Also, thanks very much for your support for our research. We are

planning on submission the request for renewal of our grant at

the end

of this month. The peer review process takes another few months

and we

will find out if we are going to be " fundable " perhaps in

September/October. "

Please let the list know if you find out anything.

-- in PA

Letter to a researcher at University of

Texas...any input welcome

> Dear Dr. -Adelaide Micci-

> I found your name and contact information on a

> site

> for people with Achalasia. The article about you states that

> you are

> researching gastrointestinal motility disorders. I am writing

> to ask

> if this includes Achalasia and to see if you have any insights

> you

> can offer regarding this disorder. Also, I am wanting to know

> if you

> know of anyone in the Seattle area who may be doing any similar

> research? Are you looking for any of us to use in your

> research to

> help you gather information and data regarding our experiences

> and

> anything else we could possibly offer to this research. I

> would be

> willing to do whatever I can that might be of use to you. Is

> your

> research funded by any person or organization? Maybe having

> access

> to our group could be useful to you and anyone else involved in

> the

> research. It is obvious to me that there is a great lack of

> information and research since it is classified as a rare

> disorder,

> and therefore there are few studies. I keep thinking that

> maybe

> there could be a cooperative research venture between yourself

> and

> the University of Washington Medical School, and perhaps other

> major

> universities around the world. Perhaps I'm being idealistic,

> but I'm

> also very hopeful. Please let me know what might be of help to

> you

> and vice versa.

>

> I appreciate your time.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Jan, and all,

I would still be interested in knowing what Dr Micci has to say as it's been awhile since 's letter.

I wrote to Dr. Pasricha a few months ago to his email at UTMB to get his ideas on something not related to research, but he emailed me back from Stanford as he is no longer in Texas, so I don't know if he is heading the research project anymore. Dr Pasricha used to come into the group and I believe he posted a few times, but this was quite some time ago. It is possible that we have researchers lurking here....I would imagine so since we are such an active and informative group.

Jan, please let us know Dr Micci's response!

Sandi

From: achalasia [mailto:achalasia ] On Behalf Of Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 5:28 AMachalasia Subject: Re: Letter to a researcher at University of Texas...any input welcome

FYI, I wrote awhile back to Dr. Micci and her colleague Dr. Pasricha, who has done important work in achalasia including development of the use of botox for achalasia. I got the following reply from Dr. Micci in 3/06:"Our group, headed by Dr. Pankaj Jay Pasricha, is working on developing a therapy for achalasia using stem cell therapy. We have recently published the article you mentioned in the journal Gastroenterology and it represents the first report showing potential functional effect of stem cells in the gut. We have started by injecting stem cells in the stomach because it is easiliy accesible in the experimental animal (mouse). We are however aiming at further studying the potential of stem cell therapy in different animal models and in different regions of the gut.Unfortunately, althiugh our data is very promising, we are still a long way from clinical applications. In the mean time, Dr. Pasricha has shown that local injections of Botulinum toxin A in the esophagus can help alleviate the sympotms of achalasia and temporally treat this debilitating disease. I would reccomend that you contact Dr. Pasricha directly (jpasrichutmb (DOT) edu) to get more information on this therapy.Please, let me know if you have further questions."Best Regards-Adelaide Micci, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, Texas 77555phone: 409-747-3085fax: 409-747-3084and the following from Dr. Pasricha in 5/06:"Thanks for your email and words of encouragement. Indeed,this project was initiated by my desire to find a real cure forachalasia so I am very pleased to see that even our animal experimentshave heartened the patients with this disorder, even though we havemiles to go before clinical trials."We are in the process of applying to the NIH for a renewal of our grantwhich we hope to submit by July this year. In this, we will extend ourobservations for stem cell transplantation in animals with inflammationin the enteric nervous system, a situation that more closely mimicsachalasia than the first animal model that we used."These studies, if funded, will hopefully provide the basis for testingin humans. Of note, StemCells Inc, a California bases company hasreceived FDA approval to try human neural stem cell transplantation forBatten disease in humans (this is a rare neurological disorder). We haveworked with this company and tested their human cells in animals."We are also working on approaches to try and make bone marrow and othercell types become neural stem cells."Finally, I sincerely hope that our research will inspire otherinvestigators to take up the cause as well, since this certainly cannotbe done by one group alone."Thanks once again for your encouragement and in turn, stay with hope.Best regards"P Jay PasrichaChief, Division of Gastroenterology and HepatologyBassel and Frances Blanton Distinguished Professor of Internal MedicineProfessor of Neuroscience & Cell Biology and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Texas Medical Branch4.106 McCullough Building301 University BoulevardGalveston TX 77555-0764Phone: 409 747 3082Fax: 409 772 4789I also heard the following from Dr. Pasricha in 6/06, but then I didn't ask him again to find out if they got funded. I wrote to the National Institutes of Health, asking them to support Drs. Pasricha and Micci's research, but I didn't get the impression that NIH puts any weight on such letters. (They sent me back a thick packet of information about how they make funding decisions.)"Also, thanks very much for your support for our research. We areplanning on submission the request for renewal of our grant at the endof this month. The peer review process takes another few months and wewill find out if we are going to be "fundable" perhaps inSeptember/October."Please let the list know if you find out anything.-- in PA Letter to a researcher at University of Texas...any input welcome> Dear Dr. -Adelaide Micci-> I found your name and contact information on a > site> for people with Achalasia. The article about you states that > you are> researching gastrointestinal motility disorders. I am writing > to ask> if this includes Achalasia and to see if you have any insights > you> can offer regarding this disorder. Also, I am wanting to know > if you> know of anyone in the Seattle area who may be doing any similar> research? Are you looking for any of us to use in your > research to> help you gather information and data regarding our experiences > and> anything else we could possibly offer to this research. I > would be> willing to do whatever I can that might be of use to you. Is > your> research funded by any person or organization? Maybe having > access> to our group could be useful to you and anyone else involved in > the> research. It is obvious to me that there is a great lack of> information and research since it is classified as a rare > disorder,> and therefore there are few studies. I keep thinking that > maybe> there could be a cooperative research venture between yourself > and> the University of Washington Medical School, and perhaps other > major> universities around the world. Perhaps I'm being idealistic, > but I'm> also very hopeful. Please let me know what might be of help to > you> and vice versa.>> I appreciate your time.>>>