PANDAS Network Newsletter - September 14, 2019

EARLY BIRD EXTENDED to Friday, SEPTEMBER 20th

General Public - Families Day Oct 6, Sun 8:00-5:30 Review and Expert Discussion of Strep Virulence and Potential Impact on PANDAS-PANS-AE Children. See important new strep strain research from Lancet, Sept. 10, 2019 Treatment trends and immune mechanisms. Tonsil and Adenoid To Remove or Not to Remove? New Findings Antibiotic, IVIG and Rituxan Treatment Psychological Affects, How to Cope, and Young Adult Onset New Research of Effects on Immune System FREE! Attendees of Day 2 participate in Saturday evening Tibetan Sound Bath meditation, reflection and friendship gathering. Medical Professionals Only CME Units Oct 5, Saturday Georgetown MedStar (Medstar Link Here) SHARE THE BROCHURE with a local nurse, doctor, psychiatrist !

How can one's own immune system get into the brain & create damage? Strep and its impact

We are very pleased to announce that our conference will present, Maryann Platt, the Agalliu Lab's latest PhD Candidate. She is the FIRST DOCTORAL CANDIDATE to FOCUS on Basal Ganglia Encephalitis aka "pandas." Maryann will explain important research discoveries she has made that benefit our children. By using live strep bacteria to induce streptococcus based encephalitis, BGE, she has shown BGE is autoimmune in nature . This underscores the ability of our bodies own T- cells to incite neuroinflammation and explains why immunotherapy treatments for patients are needed. PANDAS Network families have been donors and enthusiastic supporters of the Agalliu Lab and we appreciate their ongoing efforts to identify genetic factors and investigation of human sera of BGE children.

New strain of bacteria responsible for scarlet fever reaching record high    The Telegraph Sept 10, 2019

Detection of new lineage representatives outside the UK underlines a need for global surveillance (Lancet.com Sept 10 2019) Scientists have discovered a new strain of bacteria fueling an unprecedented  rise in cases of scarlet fever , which can also cause sepsis. It corresponded to an increase of invasive, virulent strep cases in the UK. 19,000 cases of scarlet fever occurred in 2016, the most since 1967. The childhood disease, which used to kill thousands in Victorian times, has increased in recent years, reaching a 50-year high in 2016.   New research by Imperial College London has found that a new strain of streptococcus (Strep A) is behind the trends, and is also linked to  the deadly condition sepsis .   THE ORIGINAL LANCET Sept 10, 2019 Study

Dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of children with PANDAS and PANS