First stem cells transplant

The first patient with dry age-related macular degeneration has received stem cells transplants in a clinical trial. 

"This trial signifies an exciting extension of our on-going clinical research with neural stem cells from disorders of the brain and spinal cord to now include the eye," said Stephen Huhn, a StemCells vice president.

Click here to read more.

Lohas Meridian Exercise

Our last event of the year is an introductory workshop on how to practice meridian exercises!

LOHAS Meridian Exercise is a simple an effective technique to lift up the spirit and improve our vitality within minutes.

Meridians are energy pathways, a system or networking of invisible bodily energy (qi) channels that run and recharge the body’s energy fields . If there is a blockage or disrupted flow of qi and blood in the meridians, or an excessive or insufficient qi and blood in the meridians, we may fall sick.

LOHAS Meridian Exercise uses simple exercise, breathing and stretching, mind-body-emotion techniques to help us clear any blockage and balance the flow of qi and blood in the meridians, calm the emotions and thereby alleviate common health problems and achieve total wellness for our mind and body and prevent us from falling sick easily.

In the Introductory Workshop led by trainer Mr. Lim Peng Tatt, participants will learn useful and effective meridian basic routine for total well being. Participants will also learn many useful and vital points of meridian and their benefits. Mr. Lim will also suggest the lifestyle that enhances the meridians and recommend simple techniques that take less than a minute or two to improve our meridians.

Date: Nov 24, 2012 (Sat)

Time: 10am to 11.30am

Venue: Beacon LOHAS Training Centre at 11 Sims Drive #03-04A, S'pore 387385

This event is free for MDS members. Please register for the event by calling Anne at 6238-7387 or e-mail Sharon at alleyes@singnet.com.sg

More pics from AMD Week

More photos from the launch of the AMD Awareness Week on September 22 at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. 

The pictures are of MDS Exco members Sharon Siddique and Anny Leow with AMD Alliance International CEO Narinder Sharma and Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, the guest of honour at the event. 

Eat Green, Breathe Clean, See Well

MDS again participated in the launch of the AMD Awareness Week organized at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital last Saturday. The theme this year is “prevention”, and the tagline (which we should all take to heart) is “Eat Green, Breathe Clean, See Well”.

The week was launched at the KTPH Auditorium, with Sharon Siddique and Anny Leow representing MDS. We received a partner plaque from Mr Liak Teng Lit, Group CEO of Alexandra Health System.

One of the most interesting morning presentations was an introduction to the initiatives of the Guide Dogs Association. They are beginning a new programme called “Eye” Live Independently, to promote skills for safe and independent living.

MDS hosted an afternoon session, which was attended by 100 or so participants. The session included short presentations on topics of interest: Food for your Eyes, Prevention of Falls, and tips on overcoming the psychological impact of AMD diagnosis. This was followed by a cooking demonstration, featuring Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

Two of the afternoon’s activities were especially memorable for MDS. First was the opportunity to hear Mr Narindar Sharma, CEO of AMD Alliance International. MDS is a member of AMDAI, and, because of the time zones, Narindar noted that Singapore was the first to “launch” the AMD Week worldwide!

Secondly, Dr Ken Fong, from Malaysia, has just published a VERY interesting book called “Food for Your Eyes”. It fills a much-needed gap for Asian recipes using Asian ingredients. It is written and tested by Dr Fong and his wife, who is a dietitian. Call MDS at 62387387 if you are interested in purchasing a copy.

Dr Fong has generously presented MDS with two complimentary copies of the book, which we intend to give away “lucky draw” style at our MDS outing in November.

Finally, a last piece of good news. Soo Mien, Anny, Kym and Sharon (from Exco) attended the afternoon presentations, and we managed to chat with many attendees who expressed an interest in MDS. We gave away over 150 brochures, so we will hope that this will translate into new members.

AMDAI supplement

Check out the supplement produced by the AMD Alliance International in The Times of London newspaper. Quite a few interesting articles. 

Click here to read it. 

International AMD Awareness Week

International AMD Awareness Week launches a two year program raising awareness of AMD, its risk factors and its prevention. 

Click here to see a list of resources which may be used by patients, care-givers, patient organisations, and those wishing to minimise the risk for themselves and loved ones of suffering from this debilitating condition.

Singapore's AMD Awareness Week is held in conjunction with the International AMD Awareness Week. The Singapore event will be launched on Sept 22 and MDS is a partner in the annual event. 

Go to our website for more details. 

Can we ever cure blindness?

A 46-year-old man called Miikka spotted a simple spelling mistake. A group of scientists had misspelled his name as Mika. He told them as much, and they responded with delight. Why? It was the clearest evidence yet that Miikka, who had been blind for many years, might be able to see again. 

This miracle is thanks to a pioneering chip implanted in his retina. Just as cochlear implants have restored hearing to people once considered deaf, devices like this are being developed that can restore sight to the blind.

Miikka suffers from a particular form of blindness called retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease that gradually destroys the light-detecting cells of the retina. As the cells die, a person’s field of view begins to collapse from the edges. Miikka’s case was so advanced that he could only sense the direction of a bright light, and he needed a cane to get around.

Click here to read more of this interesting and comprehensive article in Discover magazine on the various experiments being undertaken to try to find a cure for blindness. The points raised were touched on our speaker Mandeep Singh in a MDS event earlier this month.