University Daily Kansan / Monday, March 6, 1989
Nation/World
7
Muscular dystrophy treatment tested
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - An experimental treatment for the most severe form of muscular dystrophy has worked in mice in two new studies, and tests in human patients may begin this summer, scientists
"This is the most exciting approach for human therapy that, in my opinion, has ever come along." said Donald Wood, director of research for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
"We basically have the first step toward a potential to do therapeutics. It looks promising," said Louis Kunkel, co-author of one of the studies.
sald Lomb's maker, co-author of one in the studies. The mice belonged to a strain that lacked a protein called dystrophin in the muscles. In humans, that defect causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common and severe form of muscular dystrophy.
After the mice were treated, parts of muscle began to produce the protein.
Duchene muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that strikes boys almost exclusively, appearing in about one in every 3,500 male infants in the United States. It causes a progressive
weakening and in their early 20s, of voluntary muscles,
most die in their early 20s.
One of the experiments was done by Kunkel and Eric Hoffman of Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Boston, and Terry Partridge and others at the Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School in London.
Their results are "extremely exciting," said Theodore Munsat, professor of neurology and pharmacology at Tufts University Medical School. They say the results are based on New England Medical Center Hospital in Boston.
Similar results appeared in research by George Karpati and his colleagues at the Neuromuscular Research Group of the Montreal Neurological Institute. Both studies were presented at a meeting of muscular dystrophy researchers in Perth, Australia.
Scientists from several nations will meet in June to discuss prospects for testing the approach in human patients, Wood said. He and Karpati said preliminary experiments in a limited number of
patients might begin this summer.
Those studies, focusing on single muscles or a few muscles, could lead to larger human studies. It is too early to say when the experimental procedure could be made available, Wood said.
Kunkel's team, which reported its results recently in the British journal Nature, found that mouse myoblasts fused to muscle fibers in 39 of 70 mice that received injections in a leg muscle.
The experiments with mice involved immature muscle cells called myoblasts, which help repair muscle fibers that have broken because of injury or strenuous exercise.
Researchers injected myoblasts into mice that lacked dystrophin and found that the myoblasts fused with muscle fibers. Once inside a fiber, the myoblasts were able to grow, and allowed the fiber to begin producing dystrophin.
Those fibers produced as much as 30 percent to 40 percent of the normal amount of dystrophin, which would probably be enough to ease muscular symptoms greatly in humans, Kunkel said.
LONDON — The fragile ozone layer blanketing the Earth will continue to deteriorate until the end of the century, even if all ozone-destroying chemicals are banned worldwide topsoil, an American expert said昨日.
120 nations meet to discuss ozone layer
President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya opened the 120-nation conference on the ozone layer. He said all countries had an obligation to protect the atmosphere but that help from the industrial nations to do their part.
Rowland said many of the compounds already released in the atmosphere had not reached the stratosphere, 15 to 25 miles above the earth. But the ozone apart and the liberated chlorine atoms destroy the ozone.
Sherry Rowland, one of the scientists who discovered the harmful effect of compounds known as chlorofluorocarbons, said it would take decades to manage the shield that filters the sun's causing ultraviolet rays.
The compounds also trap heat in
the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect, which could cause major climatic changes, scientists say.
Some of the compounds can last as long as 100 years. They are used in aerosols, refrigeration, air conditioning and fast-food packaging.
The Associated Press
"Even if we had a total ban tomorrow and there were no further emissions, we would expect things to get worse until about the end of the century," said Rowland, over two centuries, "said Rowland, professor of atmospheric chemistry
Korean suicide try blamed on policies
Mot urged all countries that have not yet signed the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which calls for the compound emissions to be cut to half by the year 2000, to "join us in the endeavor to protect our planet."
at the University of California at Irvine.
SEOUL, South Korea — A suicideicide for four girls who took rat poison so their parents could lavish everything on their brother has shocked husbands and raised questions about male juvenileism and the plight of the poor.
Britain's environment secretary, Nicholas Ridley told the conference that six more countries had agreed to abide by the Montreal Protocol — Austria, Hungary, Malaysia, the Philippines, Trinidad and Zambia.
The Associated Press
The girls, ages 6 to 13, were found unconscious Feb. 27 after they took the poison. The youngest died immediately and was said the other three would recover.
Yang Soon-mi, the eldest daughter,
told police the girls made the suicide
pact because they wanted to save
their parents' money and ensure
 their 3-year-old brother would have
the best education possible.
The incident has shocked South Koreans, who have sent toys, dolls and more than $15,000 worth of donations to the cause, the three children of the girls were taken.
A social organization vowed to pay the girls' school expenses through college, and Kim Ok-sook, the wife of President Roh Tae-woo, sent a letter that asked the girls "not to lose hope."
Education in South Korea is free until the end of the sixth grade. The oldest daughter was due to enter seventh grade. Educating four children with no expense, because most Korean women have little hope of finding
Newpaper editorials blamed public policies they said did too little for the poor in a nation of growing prosperity
good jobs in the male-dominated society.
"It's regrettable and shocking that the male-first idea was planted deep inside the minds of such young girls," said Lee Kye-kyung, publisher of the weekly Women's News, advocating advocate of women's rights.
"We still live in a society dominated by men, despite our economic success. This is a typical case that gives us a lesson. It may lead to a movement against prejudice and restrictions on women's rights."
Opposition politician Kim Dae-jung sent the girls' parents at the hospital and said, "I am grief-striken. I feel a great burden as a politician, and I will focus on ways to promote the livelihood of alienated people."
The girls' father, Yang Tae-bun,
44, is a factory worker who supports
the family on the equivalent of $82 a
week. He lives in a small two-room apartment.
An editorial in the Korea Herald said, "The deprivation of these children forced to resort to suicide contrasts sharply with their affluent peers whose whole education is graduated. The kids are often cheerful at posh hotels by expensive feasts."
It said the incident "has turned into a socially and politically explosive issue."
Financial donations to the family included $700 from a grieving father whose daughter was killed when a accident and $1.60 from a first-grader.
China to help Iran's war recovery
The Associated Press
NICOSIA, Cyprus — China pledged yesterday to help Iran recover from its 8-year-old war with Iraq and both nations said they would establish closer ties, Iran's state-run news agencies said.
President Ali Khameenel of Iran met with Deputy Premier Tian Jiyun of China and agreed to increase cooperation, Teheran radio said.
Teheran radio,monitored in Nicosia. said that Khamenei told the
Chinese leader, "The fields of cooperation between our two countries are more than those currently identified, and other fields where we can cooperate must be studied more seriously."
China was one of Iran's major arm-suppliers during the Persian Gulf war with Iraq, when Teheran was virtually isolated by the West and could in an embargo that forced it to look elsewhere for weaponry.
Analysts estimate that Iran's reconstruction programs would cost $200 billion to $500 billion.
Western companies have been trying to move into the Iranian market. But with Iran receding into diplomatic isolation after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's call for killing British writer Salman Rushdie, countries such as China can presumably have a larger chunk of Iranian reconstruction projects.
Venezuela says unrest is under control
The Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela — The government ordered some schools to reopen today and declared that Venezuela had "returned to complete normality" after the bloody riots in decades.
Authorities, however, did not lift a nighttime curfew in the capital or a state of martial law, under which soldiers could search houses without warrants and detain suspects indefinitely without charge.
Isolated gunfire was heard in the capital early yesterday, but there have been no significant disturbances.
In a nationwide television broadcast Saturday night, an aide to President Carlos Andres Perez revised downward the government's tally of the number of dead and wounded from the rioting.
Ramaldo Figueroed said that 246 people were killed — down from Perez's estimate of at least 300. Figueroed said 1,800 were injured, compared to earlier reports of at least 2,000.
No explanation was given for the new figures, which were much lower than newspaper reports putting the death toll as high as 600 and the number of wounded at several thousand.
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It's No Laughing Matter Combatting the Jewish American Princess Stereotype
featuring
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and Writer
7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 7
Big Eight Room,
Kansas Union
Followed by discussion on Stereotypes and Namecalling facilitated by student members of the Student Diversity Task Force.
Sponsored by:
K.U. Hillel, Office of Minimally Invasive Studies Department, Emily Tayler Women's Center, Student Diversity Task Force
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ATTENTION:
GRADUATE STUDENT
ORGANIZATIONS
Graduate Student Council announces Annual Budget Hearings. Budget forms are available at the Graduate Student Council Office. Deadline for filing is March 27,1989.
Any questions, contact Angela Crow at 864-4914
The Student Senate Elections Committee
is accepting applications for all Student Senators.
Applications can be picked up March 3 in the Student Senate office 410 Kansas Union 864-3710.
Application deadline is March 22.