New Study

[Guest guest]

Dr. Gershwin and Bowlus Dr. Bowlus of University of

California, are starting a new study of PSC and PBC. Dr. Bowlus

is seeking participants who have PSC. If you wish to donate a little

blood for this project, please call Mia at . Appointments

for blood sample donations will be made for the following three Tuesday

mornings: March 10, March 17, and March 24. If you want to donate blood

but are not available on those dates, please call Mia and she will try

to arrange another time. The location for the blood draw will be

University of California, Medical Center

TICON I Building

2000 Stockton Blvd. Suite 100

Sacramento, CA 95817

They do not have funding for collecting blood at other locations. So

participant must be able to travel to Sacramento.

Dr. Bowlus is looking for people who are over 18, have a medical

diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis and have not had a

transplant. Participants must be pre-transplant because this is a study

of the immune systems.

T-cells are part of our immune system. Different T-cells have

specialized receptors to match specific antigens. Dr. Bowlus and Dr.

Gershwin will study T-cells in PSC and PBC patients to see if their

blood shows a high concentration of T-cells with the same receptors.

The goal of the study is to see if there is correlation between certain

types of T-cells and PBC and PSC.

I think this is particularly important research because if they identify

a specific type of T-cell that is especially concentrated in PSC

patients they will be one big step closer to finding the cause and maybe

the cure of PSC.

I know most of you cannot travel to Sacramento but I am trying to reach

as many people as possible. If you know a Dr. who is working with PSC

research maybe he or she could coordinate with Dr. Bowlus.

(Sacramento) dx PSC and UC 2001