The weekend started at 5pm on Friday evening with each attending countries
Patient Group (22 countries in total attending) giving a PowerPoint
demonstration (or just a talk in the case of Scotland as we are such a new
group with no data as yet) about the problems they experience, what they
know about Alpha numbers and known statistics.
I noted that Ireland stated that they had 2 Zamira trials which were
double blind that they have positive feelings about.
I spoke to Larry Warren and he advised me that the PowerPoint
presentations would be published on the Alfa Europe web site
(http://www.alfaeurope.org/). This site is not yet fully functional and
only has a front page which contains links to member countries web sites.
I have spoken with Andrew Deans in Scotland and I believe he will be
organising for the Saltire Flag to link to the Alpha1 Awareness Site
(Andrew Willis' site). I am sure when the presentations are published you
will find some of the statistics interesting.
From the Patient Group presentations it became glaringly apparent that all
countries are suffering from the same problems as us for example the lack
of awareness of Alpha1 and lack of further research funding. It was also
apparent from the weekend that COPD is gaining a lot of press and funding
and perhaps we could tap into that, for example the Asthma Foundations may
be able to give us money to boost our own funds for the charity.
All of the following is based solely upon my notes. Lin will be scanning
and forwarding to the group printed abstracts from the program which
details what each person spoke about in more detail and more accurately
that we can explain which I am sure you will find informative and
interesting.
Maurizio Luisetti from Italy gave a talk about Where we are, Where we are
going to. He said that the S gene was born some 15,000 years ago and the
Z mutation between 2-
studies currently underway looking for a secondary gene responsible for
lung decline.
This session finished at about 9pm when we went for dinner. After dinner
it was time for bed as we were to start again at 9am on Saturday morning.
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz
Saturday started obviously with breakfast (and lots of tea for Lin!).
John Walsh from Miami began the day with his presentation on Patients
Empowerment. I am again hoping that you will be able to review his
PowerPoint presentation but even more so that the video of his
presentation will be made available as it really drove home to me that we
have to be responsible for our own wellbeing. I will endeavour to obtain
a copy of this video for the group.
Francesco Callea from Italy then spoke about Pathogenesis of Liver Injury
in Alpha1 -
medical. One thing I found surprising was that Liver damage does not
occur with either S or Nul.
Claudio Tantucci spoke about The Assessment of Lung Function again from
Italy and again over my head. It was at times difficult with the Italian
accent and the medical content.
Then David Lomas (whom so many have mentioned on this site) spoke. What a
lovely man.he certainly came down to our level and his presentation was
both informative and amusing. He spoke about the Pathogenesis of Lung
Disease. My understanding of what he said is that they care concentrating
and working on getting the Antitrypsin out of the liver so that it is
therefore able to protect the lung. Once the Antitrypsin is out of the
liver they will then need to find a way to stabilise it for the lungs.
They have data to support that this can work using mice and test tubes but
it is as yet a Hypothesis in that nobody else has agreed that their data
is accurate. He retires in 22 years and he is hopeful for something good
by then and would anticipate a cure in 40 years if he is right. He
dedicated his presentation to Robin Muskett.
Eeva Piitulainen from Sweden spoke about the Natural History of AAT
deficiency in the Childhood -
statistics on a study which was started back in the 70's.
Niels Seersholm from Denmark -
stated that there was only an increased risk of liver disease for MZ -
if you didn't smoke no increased risk of lung disease.
The answer to a question raised is -
be the US foundation as I heard of 3 groups called this during the
weekend!) is funding some Stem Cell research into liver disease.
Robert Stockley from ADAPT said that the repair of lungs was working in
rats. In October 2008 we will see the results of the current trial. We
should take antibiotics at the first sign of infection to prevent damage
to the lungs.
Mark Brantly from the USA told us about aerosolized trials of which there
a number underway currently which he is excited about and we should have
the results of these in about 3.5 years. With regard to Gene Therapy they
are looking at an Adeno Associated Virus -
results yet in AAT levels but they are about to start trialling higher
doses.
My Conclusion
On the whole the weekend made me aware that there are many Alpha1 Patient
Groups throughout the world all working towards the same goals but
reinventing the wheel. We need to raise awareness of Alpha1 and find,
what was called at the conference, the "C Word" -
centre of all of our hearts a CURE!
It was stated at the conference that awareness needed to be raised at a
medical level to ensure that other Alpha's are diagnosed early to ensure
that they can make the necessary lifestyle changes which will reduce the
damage to their lungs substantially. In the absence of a cure this is
critical to our wellbeing.
We also need to make the Health Authorities, Common Aim Groups and
Government more aware so that we can obtain better funding and awareness
to help the medical professionals who are committed and able to progress
the essential objective of working towards the C word. It may perhaps be
considered somewhat selfish but I know what I would prefer the medical
profession to be concentrating on -
awareness! So anything we can do to help with the awareness is surely of
benefit to us, our children and Alpha1 friends and cousins.
Having spoken with Andrew Deans and expressed my views on this he is in
agreement that the Scottish Patient Group (when we get going) should be
closely linked to both the Yahoo Group by way of Patient Support but also
to the Alpha1 Awareness Charity Group. I also hope that we can find a way
for these 2 groups (plus Scotland) to work closely together to achieve
'win win' targets and realise benefits for all.
As I understand it the Yahoo Group Funds go mainly towards funding
flowers/cards/etc for those of us who are in hospital and to subsidise the
Group Meetings. Could this not be included as an aim of the charity too
perhaps widening to include others in the Adapt Patient Group? Surely if
we raise funds from the Yahoo Group these could go into one big pot
meaning we reach the target level required to achieve and maintain
Charitable Status. On this note Lin and I spoke with a chap from Baxter
over dinner on Saturday night and took the bull by the horns and asked for
a donation.perhaps cheeky.but "if your not fast your last" as they say
here in Scotland. He initially said he had no funds but cornered Lin the
following morning saying he may be able to find a couple of hundred to
assist.every little counts!
We should share information and resources and try to work together as one
team. One focused army with a common aim is surely more powerful and
would have more presence and influence than lots of smaller armies all
working independently. I hope that a common approach will go some way to
achieving our objectives on a National level and with the help of the
European Groups being co-
Best wishes
Karen
Dundee
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Alpha 1 Congress Report Rome 2007
