Research
Donations For St. Anthony’s Clinical Research Goals
Clinical research is one of the core interests at St. Anthony’s Research and Education Institute. Currently, there are several projects that St. Anthony’s is in need of your help to fund.
DonateJuvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
JRA, or Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, is a physiologically complex, chronic childhood autoimmune–related inflammatory disease of unknown etiology.
Most treatment for autoimmune inflammatory-related diseases involves very strong antiinflamatory compounds. These drugs, often steroids, need to be taken in high doses and often for years. Theses drugs carry the risk of serious and long-term side effects—especially when taken by children as young as two-years of age. It was therefore imperative that a substance, capable of treating the inflammation without side effects be found.
In 2011-2012 a small scale hospital study proved the efficacy of the nutritional supplement Kre-Celazine® in its ability to reduce/eliminate joint and soft tissue inflammation related to the knee, ankle, and foot, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand areas, in children diagnosed with one of the following subtypes – pauciarticular, polyarticular, systemic onset, of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). As a result, Kre-Celazine® earned Orphan Drug status in 2013 for this condition. However, a larger study is needed before the FDA will finally grant medical approval for this supplement to be introduced and used as a medical treatment for JRA.
Most treatment for autoimmune inflammatory-related diseases involves very strong antiinflamatory compounds. These drugs, often steroids, need to be taken in high doses and often for years. Theses drugs carry the risk of serious and long-term side effects—especially when taken by children as young as two-years of age. It was therefore imperative that a substance, capable of treating the inflammation without side effects be found.
In 2011-2012 a small scale hospital study proved the efficacy of the nutritional supplement Kre-Celazine® in its ability to reduce/eliminate joint and soft tissue inflammation related to the knee, ankle, and foot, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand areas, in children diagnosed with one of the following subtypes – pauciarticular, polyarticular, systemic onset, of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). As a result, Kre-Celazine® earned Orphan Drug status in 2013 for this condition. However, a larger study is needed before the FDA will finally grant medical approval for this supplement to be introduced and used as a medical treatment for JRA.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)
DMD is a lethal, X-linked, recessive muscle disease resulting from a defect in the DMD gene that codes for the protein dystrophin. This protein defect impacts skeletal and heart muscles, as well as nerve cells in the brain. Each year, approximately 400 and 600 boys in the USA are born with this genetic condition. Although it is almost exclusively inherited by boys through female carriers, females may be affected in very rare cases as well.
DMD causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting which becomes noticeable by age three to four. By age eleven to thirteen, most DMD children are in a wheelchair. The disease quickly progresses, usually leading to death by age twenty-five from heart and lung disorders.
St. Anthony’s would like to sponsor a clinical DMD trial with a known novel therapeutic compound that is expected to target the multifaceted inflammatory cascade attacking the muscle fibers and the surrounding extra cellular matrix through the cell membrane. While not a cure, if successful, this therapeutic compound could function as a ‘bridge’ until a curative therapy is available for these children.
DMD causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting which becomes noticeable by age three to four. By age eleven to thirteen, most DMD children are in a wheelchair. The disease quickly progresses, usually leading to death by age twenty-five from heart and lung disorders.
St. Anthony’s would like to sponsor a clinical DMD trial with a known novel therapeutic compound that is expected to target the multifaceted inflammatory cascade attacking the muscle fibers and the surrounding extra cellular matrix through the cell membrane. While not a cure, if successful, this therapeutic compound could function as a ‘bridge’ until a curative therapy is available for these children.
Low-T – Healthy Men, Age 60 And Over
Testosterone level decreases with age in men (at about 10% every decade after age 30). When testosterone decreases, the male gender appears to suffer more than women do from the physiological effects which appear to be associated with a decrease in this hormone.
According to statistics, at least 20% of men age 60 and older are affected by low-T. That number rises to 50% by age 80.
A few case studies have given us evidence that underlying inflammation plays an important role in further reducing available testosterone.
St. Anthony’s would like to go forward and sponsor an expanded trial of two natural compounds – one to reduce or eliminate underlying inflammation, and the second, to boost testosterone in otherwise healthy men over the age of 60 with abnormally low testosterone levels.
According to statistics, at least 20% of men age 60 and older are affected by low-T. That number rises to 50% by age 80.
A few case studies have given us evidence that underlying inflammation plays an important role in further reducing available testosterone.
St. Anthony’s would like to go forward and sponsor an expanded trial of two natural compounds – one to reduce or eliminate underlying inflammation, and the second, to boost testosterone in otherwise healthy men over the age of 60 with abnormally low testosterone levels.
A Designer Sugar For Blood Glucose Control In Pre-Diabetics And Type II Diabetes (Non-Dependent)
In an earlier clinical study, preliminary evidence suggests that a special ‘designer sugar’ has the ability to suppress sugar spikes and leads to potential reductions in overall glucose levels, in Type 2 diabetics and pre-diabetics.
In order to generate additional evidentiary support for the use of this novel oral product as a potential glycemic stabilization product and for use in controlling long term glucose levels in Type 2 diabetics and pre-diabetics; St. Anthony’s would like to sponsor an expanded study.
This study would build upon previous work and recruit a larger population of pre- and Type 2 diabetes (non-dependent) in an extended trial.
In order to generate additional evidentiary support for the use of this novel oral product as a potential glycemic stabilization product and for use in controlling long term glucose levels in Type 2 diabetics and pre-diabetics; St. Anthony’s would like to sponsor an expanded study.
This study would build upon previous work and recruit a larger population of pre- and Type 2 diabetes (non-dependent) in an extended trial.
Targeted Gene Activation
St. Anthony’s has made a firm commitment to supporting quality products that have minimal to no side effects for the treatment of rare conditions.
By sponsoring pre-clinical trials that engage in gene analysis, St. Anthony’s is attempting to further the understanding of the mechanism of function for these compounds that purport to have an effect on certain disease conditions, such as MS and MD, Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and more.
By sponsoring pre-clinical trials that engage in gene analysis, St. Anthony’s is attempting to further the understanding of the mechanism of function for these compounds that purport to have an effect on certain disease conditions, such as MS and MD, Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and more.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Immune-Mediated Disease
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, debilitating, neurodegenerative and inflammatory disease, which involves an abnormal reaction of the body’s own immune system against the Central Nervous System (CNS). Many immune cells are believed to be involved in the disease as they attack the myelin sheath, a fatty substance that surrounds, protects and insulates nerve fibers and nerve cells.
The damaged myelin sheath causes scar tissue and lesions to form which will interfere in the communication between the brain and the rest of the body, thus producing a variety of symptoms. To this day, no one understands what causes the initiation of MS in otherwise healthy people. There is no way to predict who will develop the disease since the etiology of MS is still unknown.
St. Anthony’s would like to sponsor a clinical MS trial with recently developed, novel therapeutic compound that is expected to target the multifaceted inflammatory cascade that afflicts people with MS.
The damaged myelin sheath causes scar tissue and lesions to form which will interfere in the communication between the brain and the rest of the body, thus producing a variety of symptoms. To this day, no one understands what causes the initiation of MS in otherwise healthy people. There is no way to predict who will develop the disease since the etiology of MS is still unknown.
St. Anthony’s would like to sponsor a clinical MS trial with recently developed, novel therapeutic compound that is expected to target the multifaceted inflammatory cascade that afflicts people with MS.
