----- Original Message ----- From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 8:26 PM Subject: News To share across the Everyone in Visually Impaired Community
> > Dear People, > > I am a researcher of a newly established Foundation of learning research > in Chess, a Researcher in Chess based learning practices from India > I have been closely working with few blind students over last one year > to develop a chess based project that will potentially use the Visually > Impaired with sighted Students and improve the ability of the sighted > students. > > The Concept was built into full-fledged experiments with differently > impaired students, where we experimentally showed that sighted students > could improve playing chess with the analysis of Visually Impaired. > > I have recently, submitted these results to an international Conference > at University of Aberdeen, Scotland and will currently be presenting the > paper on 30 August,2007. > > I am hoping that I would have some people helping me continuing Research > on a larger group. Presently, I was able to reach few visually impaired > chess players to prove my Concept. However, with the success of this > model, visually impaired students can identify a way to get into schools > to synergize the development with Sighted. > > I hope this mail reaches as many organizations, to help me develop into > a Full fledged project, where I would be able to offer some service to > this society. > > Where we can synergize and strengthen the Society with the Visually > Impaired equally contributing to the development. > > > With regards, > > Malola Prasath T S, > > > > I am copying my Abstract of the paper: > > Synergies of Analysis of Visually Impaired with Synthesis of Thought > Processes in Chess > > Malola Prasath T S Radha Raghavan Malola Priya S IM Sundarajan Kidambi > > Foundation for Learning Research in Chess, India > 42/7 Janakiraman Street, West Mambalam, Chennai, India- 600017 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Abstract: > > Synergies of Analysis of Visually Impaired with Synthesis of thought > processes in chess > > > We focus on how blind students can connect to chess discussion, in > almost the same exposure time, as with any other chess learners, given a > fairly enough complex position while analyzing a position which has > clear learning goals. > > We identified our teaching goals in chess is to facilitate interactions > among normal students and blind students on the problem solving fronts. > We expected the blind student to share their thoughts on spatial > reasoning and the color complexity property of the current position, in > a dialogue form, which conventional chess players have can not always > trace back to original position during very deep thought processes. This > will help conventional students to project their ideas behind generating > new position to the features observable by the blind students without > any biases and the same time visually impaired students are guided to > verify and validate such thought processes. This synergy effect is well > aligned with the goals of the learning chess in a more co-operative way > without affecting the style of a player. However, the same process with > chess players trying to analyze similar positions with one of them just > forced to observe structural features of chess have failed more times > due to the fact that chess would be uninteresting in such case and > secondly due to conflicts in the style of playing. > > We have deployed such a system in a blind school, where young chess > learners are made to interact well with the visually impaired chess > students without a sense of fear that their thought processes are > shared. This helps the chess players to develop open-mindedness to share > the learning with other students of their same age groups. We hope that > in future, such mechanisms will be useful to connect students to blind > students to bring social awareness in student community. > > Key Words: Learning goals, synergy, interaction, spatial reasoning in > chess, though processes. > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 7:12 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: BlindNews Digest, Vol 39, Issue 8 > > Send BlindNews mailing list submissions to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://blindprogramming.com/mailman/listinfo/blindnews_blindprogramming. > com > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of BlindNews digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Blind students assert place in science. (BlindNews Mailing List) > 2. Camp gives opportunity. (BlindNews Mailing List) > 3. India: Engineering college for the visually-challenged. > (BlindNews Mailing List) > 4. Blind school undergoing $100 million renovation. > (BlindNews Mailing List) > 5. Generous with his time and his art (BlindNews Mailing List) > 6. Sens Time By Touch Clock For The Blind Is Sexy And Round. > (BlindNews Mailing List) > 7. Reasons For Severe Blindness Illluminated. > (BlindNews Mailing List) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 22:57:56 -0700 > From: BlindNews Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Blind students assert place in science. > To: "Blind News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Blind students assert place in science. > > > Jason Flanagan and Aleksandra Robinson, The Examiner > Baltimore Examiner - Baltimore,MD,USA > 2007-08-04. > > > BALTIMORE - > > A group of students was working on a tactile GPS system to help them > "see." > > "It's equipped with a touch screen, so that someone totally blind can > use > it," said Jim Baker, 15, of West Valley, N.Y. "They could actually feel > the > directions to where they're going." > > Jim joined high school students nationwide for Youth Slam, organized by > the > National Federation of the Blind to encourage blind students to > participate > in science and engineering activities. > > "A lot of times, [blind students] are not even allowed to perform > laboratory > experiments, because their teachers believe, falsely, that it's too > dangerous," said Christopher Danielson, spokesman for the organization > based > in Baltimore City. > > "They're often discouraged from pursuing careers in science, technology, > > engineering and math." > > Students, which took place between Tuesday and Friday at Johns Hopkins > University in the city, explored such topics as astronomy, computer > science > and windmills. > > Youth Slam ended with a rally featuring blind students and a one-mile > march > from Rash Field in the Inner Harbor to the foundation's headquarters on > Johnson Street. > > "We want people to know that we can get around without a guide, and not > be > scared of us just because we carry a cane," said Chelesa Henrici, 15, of > > Mulliken, Mich., echoing the theme of blind independence. > > Dozens of students, dressed in white T-shirts and yellow bandanas, spoke > > about being discriminated against just because they can't see. > > "I'm a smart person, but they put me in special education classes just > because I'm blind," said Katie Glecker, 15, of Tucson, Ariz. "It's time > to > show people that the blind can be independent, too." > > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > http://www.examiner.com/printa-863146~Blind_students_assert_place_in_sci > ence.html?cid=tool-print-top > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 23:08:39 -0700 > From: BlindNews Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Camp gives opportunity. > To: "Blind News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Camp gives opportunity. > > > > By Amy Donaldson > Deseret Morning News > Deseret News - Salt Lake City,UT,USA > > > SANDY - Pain was a small price to pay for the thrill of competing > in > sports that Casey Scoffield rarely has the chance to even try. > > Scoffield, whose blindness was caused by his premature birth, and > about 20 other visually impaired youths spent the week learning the > rules > for and skills involved in judo, wrestling, track and field, swimming, > tandem biking and goalball, a sport that is part of the Paralympics. The > > teens said it is an opportunity they relish. > > "I almost begged to do wrestling and judo," Scoffield said. "This > is > my world. This is where I'm at home." > > Rod Price has watched his son Quinn participate in the different > activities this week and said the best part of the camp is seeing the > participants grow more confident while they learn valuable social > skills. > > "There are girls and boys that come here, and because they've > never > participated in activities like this, they're kind of submissive," said > Price, who is from Smithfield. "They learn different skills, and if > someone > were to attack them, they now have skills to use to try and fight and > get > away. ... Every one of these kids got more confident. At the beginning > they're unsure and shy, but by the end of the week, they're all > comfortable > and participating." > > Quinn said he enjoyed judo and wrestling the most, although he'll > likely only continue to participate in goalball. > > "They're hard work, but it's fun," Quinn Price said of wrestling. > "We > go at it pretty good." > > Peter Ashton, 15, said he enjoys judo most, but both boys spend > most > of their time reading or playing on the computer. > > "We're both pretty sore," said Ashton, who attends Timpview High. > "It's been fun." > > Organizers of the weeklong camp, which includes outings to movies > and > amusement parks, said they hope the experience gives new opportunities > to > blind children while helping them understand they may not be as limited > as > they think. > > "Blind children simply do not have the same opportunities to > participate in the typical summer camps for youths such as football and > basketball camps," said Tony Jepson, sports camp director, in a press > release. "The UFB Sports Camp gives blind youths a chance to develop > skills > and compete in several sports despite their blindness. This is the only > chance they have to attend a specialized local camp like this." > > In addition to offering students a chance to be active in new > ways, > the camp teaches their coaches a thing or two. > > "I love to do this," said Aron Engberg, who taught wrestling all > week. > "Wrestling is a great sport for the visually impaired ... and teaching > them > has really been about the same (as teaching athletes with sight). I do > it > because I'm selfish. It's really fun." > > The students had the chance to learn from some of the best in Adam > > Blackburn, currently ranked number two in his division by USA judo, and > Chris Dodds, silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. > > Scoffield earned more than the chance to participate in sports he > loves this week. He earned the respect of those who watched him compete. > > After suffering a couple of hard falls, he was asked if he wanted to > quit. > He didn't even consider it. > > "If you're blind, you're going to have to take some chances," > Scoffield said. "That's just the way it works." > > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ? 2007 Deseret News Publishing Company > > > http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,695197736,00.html > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 23:13:42 -0700 > From: BlindNews Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: India: Engineering college for the visually-challenged. > To: "Blind News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Engineering college for the visually-challenged. > > > Frontline - India > August 6, 2007. > > > Hyderabad, Aug. 6 (PTI): In the first experiment of its kind in the > country, > a charitable organisation here plans to set up an engineering college > for > the blind with special software to enable them to pursue studies. > > The Devnar Foundation for the Blind, which runs a reputed school for the > > less privileged in the city, has applied to BITS, Pilani for affiliation > for > the proposed college, said its chairman A Saibaba Goud. > > "We are confident of getting affiliation from them and if we don't, we > will > approach another institution like the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological > University. But I am 100 per cent confident that our proposal will be > accepted by some university or institution," he said. > > Goud said the idea of setting up the college came up when he found that > many > visually challenged students of Devnar School aspired to "make it big in > > life". > > "Blind students are in no way inferior to others. Many of them are very > sharp and hard working. In the old days, they would want to be telephone > > operators or to get similar jobs," he said. > > "But now they aspire to become software professionals and to be at par > with > other youngsters in a software hub like Hyderabad." > > Goud cited the example of two students -- Nagababu and Pavan -- who were > > selected by software giant Wipro. > > Nagababu was recruited by the company after completing his engineering > from > Vijayawada, while Pavan, though selected by the firm after completing a > course at a polytechnic, chose to pursue engineering instead. > > Goud said the students of Devnar School are taught how to operate > computers > from Class VI and are able to browse the internet by the time they come > to > Class IX. > > "This education is imparted using the latest computers and a special > software called Jaws which converts a personal computer into a talking > computer for the visually challenged children who learn mostly by > sound," he > said. > > The ability to operate a computer would make the students confident of > pursuing an engineering course, he said. > > The Devnar School was adjudged the country's best school for students > with > disabilities in 2002 and has also won a President's award. > > Goud said the Devnar Foundation planned to restrict the intake of > students > for the engineering college to 40-50 a year and to select them on merit. > > Information technology will be the main specialisation offered in the > proposed institution. > > "If the students are good, then they will be able to pick things up > fast," > he said. > > > http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/004200708060341.htm > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 23:20:20 -0700 > From: BlindNews Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Blind school undergoing $100 million renovation. > To: "Blind News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Blind school undergoing $100 million renovation. > > > By: Kendra Mendez > News 8 Austin - Austin,TX,USA > 8/4/2007. > > > The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Central Austin > will > get a state-of-the-art campus thanks to multiple state bonds totaling > about > $100 million. > > Many of the school's buildings are around 90 years old and in need of > serious renovations. After serving 17 years as superintendent for the > school, Phil Hatlen is excited for the change that's ahead. > > "We have buildings whose indoor air quality is so bad that teachers > can't > work in them," he said. > > The $100 million will be used for new school buildings, renovations and > landscaping. > > "It's a lot of money, but I think the state legislature really > recognized > the need for an aging campus, which is 91 years old and that these > buildings > have completely outgrown their usefulness," superintendent Bill > Daughtery > said. > > They're already breaking ground on several projects and construction is > scheduled to be finished in five years. > > The area around campus will be completely transformed into a square for > extracurricular activities. It will have a dining hall, an indoor pool > and a > fine arts center. > > Upgrades also include constructions of eight additional live-in dorms. > Six > students will live in each room, which are all equipped for special > needs. > > "You can slide under the burners. You can slide under the sink. The door > to > the oven opens sideways for folks in wheelchairs," Hatlen said. > > TSBVI funds > > The Texas School for the Blind is undergoing a $100 million renovation > under > a new superintendent. > > Teachers come from across the world to learn about programs and > curriculums > at TSBVI. > > "When they come in the future they're going to see the best, most > state-of-the-art physical facility in the country," Hatlen said. > > Hatlen is retiring as superintendent and Daughtery will begin serving > this > fall. He's a native Austinite who spent the past 14 years working at the > > Kansas State School for the Blind. > > "I'm leaving the school in very good hands and as of today, I'm happy," > Hatlen said. > > Copyright ?2007TWEAN News Channel of Austin, L.P. d.b.a. News 8 Austin. > > > http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=189634&SecID=2 > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 23:26:47 -0700 > From: BlindNews Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Generous with his time and his art > To: "Blind News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Generous with his time and his art > By Susan Chaityn Lebovits, > Globe Correspondent > Boston Globe - United States > Boston.com > August 5, 2007. > > > Andrai Whitted has a history of helping. He's shared his strength with > the > weak and his sight with the blind. > > Whitted spent a year in Ireland working as an aide in a men's homeless > shelter and seven years at the Perkins School for the Blind in > Watertown. > Last month, he opened Artbeat, an 1,800-square-foot store and art studio > in > the town's center. It sells supplies for knitting, scrapbooks, and other > > artistic pursuits and offers children and adults who have bought the > supplies instruction in mediums such as painting, decoupage, and > doll-making. There are also art kits to work on at home. > > As the father of three, Whitted knows the challenges that today's > technology > has imposed on nurturing a child's imagination, where an empty canvas > can > feel a lot more threatening than a computer filled with aliens. He hopes > to > encourage creativity in the relaxed, casual environment, where shelves > are > lined with glass jars of colored beads, odd-shaped ceramic tiles, and > wood > boxes waiting to be brought to life. > > Tables and chairs are set off to the side of the store as well as > outside on > the brick patio. On a recent Thursday morning, Tina Schaper and her > daughter > Elie, 5, worked on a mosaic dolphin together, carefully arranging the > precut, brightly colored ceramic tiles. The two had driven from Sharon, > because, Schaper said, "there's no place like this around us." > > Whitted, 32, opened Artbeat with a business partner who has known him > since > the day he was born -- his mother, Jan Whitted of Cambridge. She is the > person behind the original Artbeat in Arlington, which opened in 1996. > > For years, Andrai Whitted has gained gratification from watching people > learn new skills and achieve a sense of accomplishment. But it wasn't > until > he dropped out of college in 1992 that he unearthed his own calling. > > Also the son of poet Mark Pawlak, a professor at the University of > Massachusetts, Whitted grew up in Cambridge, where he was surrounded by > an > eclectic group of people and frequently accompanied his father to > readings. > He also spent a lot of time in the arts, primarily illustration. > > "When he was young, he would draw things from the bottom up," Jan > Whitted > said. "He'd draw the feet first, instead of the head; I realized that's > how > he saw things, because he was small." > > After graduating from high school, Whitted chose Tufts University over > art > school. But after one semester, he decided school wasn't his thing and > he > dropped out. > > His first job was with the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, > for > which he did door-to-door fund-raising. "I wasn't really very good at > that," > he acknowledged. His next stop was Harvard Square, where he worked for > the > former Be-Bop Burrito. > > After two years in the fast-food lane, Whitted got the travel bug and > spent > months in research. He narrowed it down to a kibbutz in Israel or a > place > called the Simon Community of Ireland, a federation that provides > services > and support to the homeless. He was offered a job with Simon Community > and > sent to Cork, where he worked in a shelter for the elderly. He dispensed > > medication, kept track of all the residents' pensions, cleaned, and > physically took care of the men who were too old or handicapped to care > for > themselves. > > Whitted said most of his clients were male alcoholics in their 70s who > would > get their pension money, and with a walker in tow, drink it away in a > single > day. "They'd come home depressed and do the same thing the following > week," > Whitted said. The purpose of the home, he said, was to give the men a > safe > place to live and not to intervene or preach, as they would wind up back > on > the streets. > > Whitted recalled some of the things that occurred when the men returned > under the influence. > > "Some would become violent and fight with each other. We actually had to > > have all the knives in the house locked away because one guy, named > Leonard, > would threaten to hurt himself," Whitted said. Another man spent his > days > chain-smoking in an old chair next to the fireplace. "He would just > throw > the cigarette butts in the direction of the fireplace," Whitted said. > "There > were burn marks all over the rug, and, on occasion, he would > [accidentally] > light himself on fire." They kept a fire extinguisher behind him. > > Whitted said he really enjoyed the work and his time time with his > co-workers, others in their 20s, who hailed from across Europe. But > after a > year, he became homesick and returned to Massachusetts. > > "Andrai came back saying, 'I want to do the kind of work I did in > Ireland; I > want to continue to have that feeling that I had there,' " his mother > said. > > Whitted soon landed at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, > first > as a program aide, and later as an assistant house parent. He worked in > the > Deafblind Program for people with multiple handicaps teaching daily > living > skills and proper social interaction. > > During the seven years he worked at the Perkins, he met his wife, > Virginia, > a native of Argentina who also taught there. They have three children > between the ages of 4 months and 7 years. > > Whitted said he and his mother had been looking to open another store > and, > when they learned of Franklin's downtown revitalization, they thought it > > would be a good match. So, in June, they opened the store, where > projects > start at $10 for sand painting and run up to $20 for a mosaic wall > hanging. > > "The kids who come in here are appreciative and have a really good > experience," Whitted said. "I can offer instruction, interact with them, > and > they leave with having learned something. I feel that people are really > empowered by that." > > Andrai Whitted will present a free talk and demonstration on nature > journaling with your family at 4 p.m. Aug. 26. Learn about nature > printing, > stamp carving, letterboxing, and simple sketching techniques. For more > on > Artbeat, visit artbeatonline.com or call 508-528-5001. > > Suggestions for People items may be sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ? Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. > > > http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/05/generous_with_his_t > ime_and_his_art/?page=full > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 6 > Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 23:36:28 -0700 > From: BlindNews Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Sens Time By Touch Clock For The Blind Is Sexy And Round. > To: "Blind News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Sens Time By Touch Clock For The Blind Is Sexy And Round. > > > Gizmodo.com - Budapest,Hungary > SUN AUG 5 2007. > > Swatch develops some awesome concepts and this is no exception. Designed > by > Arnaud Lapierre, it is a high fashion clock for the blind called Sens > Time > by Touch. Though there are many solutions for time keeping for the > visually > impaired, this concept goes a long way to push for style and > functionality. > > The clock has a Braille twelve-hour marker on its outermost surface and > this > serves as the main calibration point for time keeping. The device > consists > in total of three concentric circles; the two closest to the exterior > are > ceramic and the furthest inset is clear plastic. The time is revealed by > > hedistance the twelve-hour marker is from the second ceramic ring, the > plastic ring is used to set the alarm using the same principal. > > We love the fact that the design is elegant and not butt ugly-like most > time > keeping gadgets for the blind tend to be. In fact, we like the > presentation > of it so much we would love to have one of these up on our desk, because > if > there is anything we love more than warm, sweet, syrup filled macaroons, > > it's enigmatic, ceramic timepieces. > > > http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/touch-me/sens-time-by-touch-clock-for-the-bli > nd-is-sexy-and-round-286138.php > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 7 > Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2007 00:13:15 -0700 > From: BlindNews Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Reasons For Severe Blindness Illluminated. > To: "Blind News" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > Reasons For Severe Blindness Illluminated. > > > Science Daily (press release) - USA > Monday, August 06, 2007. > > > People suffering from a severe retinal disease will sooner or later lose > > their eyesight considerably or even become completely blind. > > Those affected, family members, researchers and doctors hope that this > fate > might be avoided one day by a better understanding of the reasons for > this > disease. Coordinated by the geneticist Ronald Roepman from Nijemegen, an > > important step has now been made in this direction by an international > research team with the participation of the GSF - National Research > Center > for Environment and Health: they identified a further gene for the > inherited > retinal disease Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) and discovered first > evidences how it functions. > > This represents new opportunities for gene therapy, which especially for > > LCA, is considered as very promising since the disease is caused by a > single > mutation. > > LCA causes blindness very early on - often shortly after or within a few > > months of birth. The disease can be caused through a single mutation in > different genes; with the newly discovered LCA5 gene, ten > disease-causing > genes had been identified so far which are responsible for approx. 60 % > of > all LCA diseases. "All these deficiencies lead in the end to the same > symptoms, however, in order to treat the disease efficiently with the > individual patient, it is important to know which gene mutation occurred > in > the specific case and what it causes", underlines Dr. Marius Ueffing > (GSF > Institute for Human Genetics), who leads the project at GSF. > > The LCA5 gene encodes the lebercilin, a so far unknown protein. Through > proteomic methods, Ueffing's team could demonstrate that lebercilin > specifically interacts with other proteins which play a role in the > protein > transport in the cells. Thus the scientists concluded that lebercilin is > > relevant for the protein transport within the optical cell: as shown by > electro-microscopic pictures, within the optical cell described as the > photoreceptor, lebercilin binds the most to the so-called cilium, the > connection point between the interior and exterior segments of the > photoreceptor. > > Through this "molecular transport belt", the optical crimson must be > also > transported into the exterior segment of the optical cell. The light > reception takes place exactly here. If the lebercilin synthesis is > disturbed, the already used optical crimson in the exterior segment > cannot > be replaced anymore and the eyesight is lost, according to the > researchers' > hypothesis. > > Very similar transport processes also play a role in other body parts, > e.g. > in the kidneys. Lebercilin is part of a complex network of proteins > which > controls ciliary transport processes, or directly take part in them. > Disruptions in the cooperation of such molecular networks at the protein > > interaction level often build the molecular basis of diseases. In the > case > of ciliary diseases (ciliopathies), the restricted functionalities of > cilium > cause deafness, blindness or even severe syndrome diseases. LCA is > therefore > a good model which also enables to gain more knowledge over other > difficultly treatable diseases in the long term. > > LCA itself is so far incurable. However, patients and doctors set their > hopes high on gene therapy: since each type of LCA is caused by the > mutation > of a single gene, the affected persons could be helped by exchanging > this > gene. Such a LCA gene therapy has been already successfully implemented > for > dogs who naturally suffer from LCA: the treated dogs regained their > permanent eyesight due to this therapy. A clinical study of twelve > human > patients is currently being carried out at a large-scale London hospital > > with encouraging results. If these findings prove to be withstandable, > there > will also be gene therapy available for LCA5 gene deficiencies in five > to > ten years time, says Ueffing. "The affected persons urge for a faster > procedure" underlines Ueffing, "but researchers and doctors assume a big > > responsibility concerning the development and implementation of gene > therapies. Therefore, very high safety standards must be set in this > field." > > Reference: "Mutations in LCA5, encoding the ciliary protein lebercilin, > cause Leber congenital amaurosis"; Anneke I den Hollander, Robert K > Koenekoop, Moin D Mohamed, Heleen H Arts, Karsten Boldt, Katherine V > Towns, > Tina Sedmak, Monika Beer, Kerstin Nagel-Wolfrum, Martin McKibbin, > Sharola > Dharmaraj, Irma Lopez, Lenka Ivings, Grange A Williams, Kelly Springell, > C > Geoff Woods, Hussain Jafri, Yasmin Rashid, Tim M Strom, Bert van der > Zwaag, > Ilse Gosens, Ferry F J Kersten, Erwin van Wijk, Joris A Veltman, Marijke > N > Zonneveld, Sylvia E C van Beersum, Irene H Maumenee, Uwe Wolfrum, > Michael E > Cheetham, Marius Ueffing, Frans P M Cremers, Chris F Inglehearn & Ronald > > Roepman; Nature Genetics Jul; 39(7) 2007:889-95; Nature Genetics advance > > online publication Published online: 3 June 2007; doi:10.1038/ng2066 > > Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by GSF - > National Research Center for Environment and Health. > > > http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806104038.htm > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > BlindNews mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://blindprogramming.com/mailman/listinfo/blindnews_blindprogramming. > com > > > End of BlindNews Digest, Vol 39, Issue 8 > **************************************** > > DISCLAIMER: > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > The contents of this e-mail and any attachment(s) are confidential and > intended for the named recipient(s) only. > It shall not attach any liability on the originator or HCL or its > affiliates. 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