Wednesday, July 05, 2006
TORONTO, July 5 /CNW/ - Tuberous Sclerosis is a life threatening disease that causes tumors to form in all organs of the body. Heart, Kidneys, Lungs, Eyes and Brain. Most individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis experience severe seizures and some kind of neurological damage as well as many other complications. 1 out of 6000 children are born everyday with Tuberous Sclerosis. Research needs to be done in hopes to find a cure. Dr. Xi-Long Zheng a researcher at the University of Calgary has begun a 3 to 4 year project in hopes that he can determine the gene product of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. He hopes to prove that TS tumors are caused by abnormal growth.
Dr. Zheng believes that by identifying the specific cell types that cause the tumors to form on all the different organs will bring hope for cell therapy for individuals living with Tuberous Sclerosis. Dr. Zheng is the only individual in Canada contributing to any kind of research to this disease. TS Canada is a volunteer organization supporting individuals and families affected by Tuberous Sclerosis. TS Canada has been able to assist with funding for this project and is thrilled at the possibilities but TS Canada needs continued support.
For further information:
Karen Shulist, Director/Board Member of TS Canada, kshulist@sympatico.ca , or
Dr. Zheng at xlzheng@ucalgary.ca
