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Greetings Families,
I am very excited to report Breakthrough Research published in today's
Journal of Clinical Investigation
for PANDAS-PANS children. Thank you Drs.
Dritan Agalliu
, Neuroscientist, Columbia U. and Pat Cleary, Microbiologist, Univ. of Minn.
Below you will find a link to the JCI manuscript as well as a video created by Drs. Agalliu and Cleary to further clarify their important research paper.
Parents a special note to you: Please know that PNetwork's (your) donations and collaboration efforts helped launch this important project. Be Proud!
Read below to learn how strep bacteria induces change in T-cells, alters tissue of tonsils and impacts the brain.
My hope is this paper will open the minds of pediatricians, infectious disease, immunology and neurology to our children.
Next, we have a story of a brave young man, Noah Schamberger, and his story of onset and now his current efforts to heal. This child and his desire to share his life with us is why PANDAS Network continues to fight for awareness. Please read the story and his personal remarks.
Thank you for standing with us in the fight for Awareness, Insurance Coverage and Recognition of the medical community.
Sincerely, Diana Pohlman, Exec. Dir. PANDAS Network
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 Breakthrough in the Neuroscience of PANDAS/PANS Mechanisms
This major project in Basic Science (the cornerstone for future research) has been four years in the making and required tremendous collaboration efforts between Columbia U., Univ. of Minn. and Georgetown U. Dr. Dritan Agalliu's lab initiated this neuroscience project to look carefully at how the blood brain barrier (BBB) of PANDAS children can be breached. It was discovered that repeat strep infections do inspire a change in helper T-cell activity which negatively impacts the BBB.
Tonsil samples of over two dozen children and analysis which involved the Georgetown Team, Drs. Earl Harley, Otolaryngology and Beth Latimer, Neurology, was also included in this project. It was found the tonsil tissue of the PANDAS children also contained similar T-cell traits.
The implications are big for our children and other autoimmune mediated diseases of the central nervous system. PANDAS Network members Diana Pohlman and Amy Smith were able to visit the Columbia laboratory in NYC. Agalliu's team is sincere and wants to continue to expand on these
discoveries including: how other infections may cross the BBB with or without strep exposures, does human sera from PANDAS children induce the same response and much more. Thank you Researchers for this important work!
Click HERE for the JCI Manuscript and Video
  
Left Photo
Dr. Dritan Agalliu (left)
Assistant Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology (in Neurology and Pharmacology)
Maryann Platt, B.S. (right)
Graduate student in Neurobiology and Behavior
Dr. Tyler Cutforth (rear)
Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Neurology
Center Photo
Dr. Dritan Agalliu's Laboratory Team, Dept. of Neurology
Right Photo
Diana Pohlman,
E.D. and Amy Smith, NP and
PN Board Member
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Believe Necklace with "New"
Garnet Charm
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Support
PANDAS Network!
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Noah, age 10, His Message to Parents/Doctors!
A strong young man, Noah Schamberger, age 10, asked PNetwork to share his story and his fight to heal from PANDAS. He got a strep infection in August 2014 and he changed overnight ---- tics, anxiety and OCD. His mother says "It was like our child disappeared overnight and only a shell of himself remained."
Our website, the one THIS COMMUNITY keeps up and running, helped the Schamberger's find an answer. They have a doctor now through PNetwork that will heal his symptoms. For Awareness Day Noah created a t-shirt (seen above) and sold it, on his own, raising $500 for PNetwork.
HERE IS NOAH'S MESSAGE to the WORLD:
"I want to share this picture because I want to show what PANDAS really looks like.
 Most people don't see this side because I try really hard to hold it together when I'm not home. Home is my safe place. I cry a lot and I don't know why. My neck hurts all the time because of my tics. Sometimes I laugh for no reason. I can't remember things that I used to know and I can't focus. I am always tired. I am always anxious. I get ulcers in my mouth that won't heal for months. Some days I feel like I don't want to be alive anymore. Everyone always says I look fine, but I'm not. PANDAS has taken my childhood from me and I don't want anyone else to have to go through this. Please help spread awareness."
Thank you Schamberger Family and Noah - for sharing your difficult story. On behalf of every parent/researcher/doctor of PNetwork we stand fully behind you and your family as you heal. In 2016 - we will keep spreading awareness. We will never give up.
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May your days be filled with peace, hope,
and joy this holiday season.
As always, thank you for your
loyalty, and support.
Sincerely,
PANDAS Network
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