March 19, 2013, Chicago, IL – Global Alopecia Mission today announced Wellness Center USA (OTCQB: WCUI) as a major financial sponsor of its mission to vastly expand research leading to a treatment and cure for alopecia areata, a historically underserved autoimmune disease. GAM’s  2013 Time for a Change awareness campaign highlights this urgent need.

Alopecia Areata, is a poorly understood, recurrent, non-scarring type of hair loss that can affect any hair-bearing area, ranging from small bald patches to complete hair loss over the entire body. Global Alopecia Mission (GAM) is dedicated exclusively to advancing the understanding of alopecia areata through research; the development and testing of effective treatment(s); and finding a cure. Although medically non-life threatening, alopecia areata is associated with other illnesses and disease and can cause tremendous emotional and psychosocial distress in affected patients and their families.

The sponsorship move by Wellness Center USA is in keeping with its corporate philosophy of advancing and developing cutting-edge research and treatments for a variety of previously difficult-to-treat medical conditions and diseases; from cognitive neurological disorders to immune-related dermatological conditions. Wellness Center USA focuses heavily on the development of safe and effective alternative and non-pharmaceutical interventions through its three wholly-owned divisions: CNS Wellness, Psoria-Shield, and its soon-to-launch AminoFactory.com. Wellness Center USA advancements in  cognitive neuroscience and dermatological UV light therapy have been the focus of recent media attention.

Wellness Center USA Inc., is a publicly traded company, creating value for investors, service providers and patients in the healthcare-related industries. The company specializes in the acquisition and development of Healthcare and Alternative Care service businesses that improve life – across North America and other emerging markets.

CNS Wellness and Psoria-Shield “are at the forefront of drug-free treatment for ailments which when treated with drugs, can contribute to a host of potentially serious and undesirable side effects. CNS Wellness has a proven drug-free solution to treat a variety of mental health issues including; severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and autism, utilizing proprietary real-time neuro-feedback and neuro-stimulation training combined with sophisticated QEEG brain mapping and progress monitoring. In use and refined over a six years period, CNS represents a paradigm shift in the way in which medical professionals can treat and address mental health issues. The opportunity to treat mental health problems without the use of drugs, with a proven track record of 65-90%, is enormous…”, said Roland Rich Perry, Managing Director of Institutional Analyst Inc., in providing an analysis of Wellness Center USA’s unique and growing position in the healthcare field.

Wellness Center USA’s Psoria-Shield is the developer of Psoria-Light which has been under evaluation by GAM since 2012 for its potential effectiveness in treating alopecia areata and is detailed in a December report titled A Ray of Hope for Alopecia Areata in PsoriaLight? Psoria-Light is emerging as a leader in the treatment of Psoriasis, Eczema, and Vitiligo by offering a non-pharmaceutical, FDA-cleared treatment option with its patent-pending UV phototherapy technology for those specific conditions.

Global Alopecia Mission Executive Director, Robert Swierski, heralded the enthusiastic support of Wellness Center USA as one of the defining moments of GAM’s efforts to inspire corporate partnerships with like-minded stakeholders in the healthcare and science fields.

GAM Executive Director, Robert Swierski (L) and Wellness Center USA CEO, Andrew Kandalepas

“We are so excited to have the support of Wellness Center USA…not only because of their prominence and leadership in the alternative healthcare science industry, but more specifically, because, like GAM, their goal is to solve problems regardless of where the road takes them. They are willing to look and think outside the box in order to do that. This thinking, which permeates their team, has allowed them to make some impressive advances in their areas of focus… and we look forward to learning from their success,” said Swierski.

Andrew Kandalepas, CEO of Wellness Center USA agreed with Swierski’s assessment, saying that in addition to the general healthcare issues that connect the two groups, it was finally the results-focused philosophy shared by both that led WCUI to back GAM, “WCUI feels that we have a corporate responsibility to support our community, but it should be in a way where we can most help. In the case of GAM, we felt that it was very good fit based on their problem-solving focus and our experience treating autoimmune dermatological issues, including ezcema, vitiligo, and psoriasis, which are closely connected to alopecia areata. While we are not engaged in the treatment of alopecia areata, and Psoria-Light is not approved or cleared for use in such treatment, we intend to evaluate GAM’s report and to futher support the GAM mission and the alopecia areata community in a very well-rounded way.”

GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

Why  Corporations Should Sponsor  Nonprofit Organizations; Looking Beyond the Obvious

By Kyle Klages, Corporate Relations

The value attained from a corporate sponsorship is a two way street that can easily be misunderstood or overlooked. Surely, every “decison making” business person understands the tax benefits of an itemized tax deduction, and is familiar with the warm, fuzzy feeling they get when they donated money to a good cause, but there is something they are missing, through no fault of their own. If they could see through the lens of a Corporate Relations Manager for a nonprofit organization (in my case I work for Global Alopecia Mission) they would see that there is a bigger picture. I’m going to describe why becoming a corporate sponsor has much more value than one may think.

Sure, a specific company could always hire a marketing consultant or firm. But going down that route would be like taking their baby, giving it to a complete stranger and saying “here, go raise my baby”.  There is a saying that “it takes a community to raise a child”, and by becoming a sponsor for a nonprofit (at least with ours), they would be leaving their precious child into the hands of a  community of people with a deep interest in aiding others.  In other words, your company and product would be showcased to and bought from people that support the cause of the organization because human nature is that people like giving back to someone that is helping them. Its like buying from or supporting a friend.

While nonprofits do (at least GAM does) ‘advertise’ your company/product on their website which increases your brand’s exposure, the benefit gained from sponsorship is much, much more valuable; true prestige and recognition of your goodwill toward the community. What marketing or advertisement company can promise that? And remember, word of mouth is the number one way for a company to grow; so when one person following the cause or the organization sees what a great company/product you are because you support a cause they care SO deeply about, they will tell ten more, and each of those ten will tell… well you know the rest.

And it doesn’t stop with followers of the nonprofit either, because people who follow a nonprofit organization that helps them SO much, will tell people outside the cause about your company as well. And when coupled with the benefits from a tax perspective and the good feeling of helping others, it is truly a win-win-win situation.

In my job at GAM, I don’t choose companies at random, or generated by a CRM, as I have done in past sales positions. I handpick companies that will gain from becoming sponsors with us, and from which people who follow our organization and cause would have a deep connection to. Before I give any company the opportunity to gain from our organization and supporters (as you would want from any quality nonprofit organization, I look for quality in a business). The recognition gained from sponsorship transcends an “advertisement” – which most people shut their brain off to immediately – to a “trusted aid” from a “trusted friend.” People connected to the cause (in our case 1.7% – 2% of the population) will almost certainly look into their company and buy their products, and by buying their products, they are also supporting the cause!

If you think that your company could benefit from making lots of new devoted ‘friends’, then I would be love to talk to you. You can email me at kyleklages@gmail.com.

Kyle Klages, GAM Corporate Relations Manager

GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

Adrian Goad, President & CEO of Emerald Essentials, and proud father of an 8 yr old boy with Alopecia Universalis, has partnered with Global Alopecia Mission as a major sponsor.

Emerald Essentials, Inc. was founded with a shared vision to enhance people’s lives – our own, and the lives of others. Our ultimate goal is to help improve how our customers and distributors look and feel by sourcing, formulating and delivering the most outstanding all-natural products in every category line we offer.

“I am very excited to offer GAM my company’s support!  Robert and I share a common mission in life – to help others achieve a better quality of life in both health and happiness,’ said Goad about joining the GAM vision. “I am truly happy that my gift and passion for nutrition and healthcare will now help to financially support an organization driven to help my own son.”

To find out more about their company, visit their sponsor page by clicking here: Emerald Essentials.

GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

Cure of alopecia areata after eradication of Helicobacter pylori: A new association?

Alopecia areata is a disease of the hair follicles, with strong evidence supporting autoimmune etiology. Alopecia areata is frequently associated with immune-mediated diseases with skin manifestations such as psoriasis and lichen planus, or without skin manifestations such as autoimmune thyroiditis and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection is present in around 50% of the world’s population and has been associated with a variety of immune-mediated extra-digestive disorders including autoimmune thyroiditis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and psoriasis.

A case of a 43-year old man with an 8-mo history of alopecia areata of the scalp and beard is presented. The patient was being treated by a dermatologist and had psychiatric support, without any improvement. He had a history of dyspepsia and the urea breath test confirmed H. pylori infection. The patient went into remission from alopecia areata after H. pylori eradication.

If such an association is confirmed by epidemiological studies designed for this purpose, new therapeutic options could be available for these patients, especially in areas where infection with H. pylori is highly prevalent.

For full July, 2011 text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158418/

GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils extracted from plants and other natural resources to modify psychological and physiological health.

In a study conducted over a 7 month interval,  86 patients diagnosed with alopecia areata were separated into a control group and an active group to test the application of essential oils in the treatment of alopecia areata.  The control group massaged carrier oils, jojoba and grapeseed oil, into their scalp for 2 minutes, and then a warm towel was wrapped around the head.  The active group massaged 2 drops of thyme, 3 drops of lavender, 3 drops of rosemary, and 2 drops of cedarwood oil into the scalp, along with the carrier oils.  The application of the oils on the scalp was the same as the control group.

The groups were analyzed at a 3 and 7 month intervals.  The study found that 43% of patients in the active group improved, while 15% of the patients in the control group improved.  It was found that aromatherapy could be a useful treatment for alopecia areata (Hay et al. 1998).

Reference:

Hay, I. Jamieson, M., Ormerod A.  Randomized trial of aromatherapy successful treatment for alopecia areata.  Arch Dermatol. 1998; 1349-1352

http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=189618

GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is among the most highly prevalent human autoimmune diseases, leading to disfiguring hair loss due to the collapse of immune privilege of the hair follicle and subsequent autoimmune attack^1, 2. The genetic basis of AA is largely unknown. From 2008 to 2010 Researchers undertook a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a sample of 1,054 cases and 3,278 controls and identified 139 single nucleotide polymorphisms that are significantly associated with AA (P ≤ 5 × 10⁻⁷).

• ULBP3 acts as a homing beacon for cytotoxic cells that invade and quickly destroy an organ. The ULBP3 is “turned off” in normal control conditions, but in alopecia areata it’s turned on. In its activated state, ULBP3 attracts killer immune cells with a special receptor called NKG2D, which triggers an autoimmune attack.
• Low level expression of ULBP3 existed in the dermal papilla of hair follicles from two unrelated, unaffected individuals. So, even in normal controls (unaffected individuals) there is ULBP3 expression.
• Researchers found massive upregulation of ULBP3 expression in the dermal sheath of hair follicles from two unrelated patients with AA in the early stages of disease.
• Increased inflammatory infiltrate in the dermal sheath of two affected AA hair follicles. The merged image clearly shows infiltration of CD3⁺CD8⁺ (CD3 and CD8 are types of t-lymphocytes or T cells) in the dermal sheath of the AA hair follicle.

An association with genomic regions containing several genes controlling the activation and proliferation of regulatory T cells (T_reg cells), cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4), interleukin (IL)-2/IL-21, IL-2 receptor A (IL-2RA; CD25) and Eos (also known as Ikaros family zinc finger 4; IKZF4), as well as the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region. Association evidence for regions containing genes expressed in the hair follicle itself  also exists (PRDX5 and STX17). A region of strong association resides within the ULBP (cytomegalovirus UL16-binding protein) gene cluster on chromosome 6q25.1, encoding activating ligands of the natural killer cell receptor NKG2D that have not previously been implicated in an autoimmune disease. By probing the role of ULBP3 in disease pathogenesis, it can be seen that expression in lesional scalp from patients with AA is markedly upregulated in the hair follicle dermal sheath during active disease.

This study provides evidence for the involvement of both innate and acquired immunity in the pathogenesis of AA and the he genetic underpinnings of AA, placing it within the context of shared pathways among autoimmune diseases, and implicating a novel disease mechanism, the upregulation of ULBP ligands, in triggering autoimmunity.

via: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v466/n7302/full/nature09114.html

GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

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GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

December 17, 2012 – Global Alopecia Mission volunteers and supporters gathered at Eddie Merlot’s in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire to enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and the electric spirit of accomplishment as GAM officially honored the hard work and dedication of its people in 2012.

The appreciation ceremony was organized by new GAM Global Events Director, Randi Moxi of Moxi, and was complete with beautiful smiling faces, donated giveaways, and stunning red carpet photos provided by Harper Neilson of Eminjayin Productions. Randi Moxi and Asst Executive Director, Lana Becker, emceed the ceremony.

Three year-old GAM inspiration Jacob, Lana’s son, made a guest appearance and stole the spotlight throughout the evening.

14 year old GAM Junior Ambassador and Dare to Be Different founder and anti-bullying advocate, Camille Paddock, was on hand to present a check to GAM that she raised to benefit GAM’s Research Initiative.

Also recognized, though not in attendance, were the substantial contributions of Daniel, Christy & Addison Harris of the A Cure for Addison campaign, and Trailer Park Entertainment, for their GAM video production efforts and generous financial support.

Global Alopecia Mission took advantage of the gathering to share news of its selection of Chicago as its official headquarters location and as the site of its 2013 Research Roundtable conference.

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GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata

By Rob Swierski

We’re all aware of the various ways which we, and our healthcare providers, have approached treating Alopecia Areata.  Medical applications including topical corticosteroids and intralesional corticosteroid injections (ouch!), to prednisone and other anti-inflammatories and even powerful immuno-suppressants.  We talk extensively about the impact of diet, microbiotic therapy, and even lifestyle changes.  Many of us have seen improvement in our AA from treatments in each of these categories.  But as we say time and time again, the reason we are at such a loss for treatment is due to the severe lack of new research and the development of new medical treatments for AA. The same ineffective treatments that were being used 20 and 30 years ago are still the staple treatments today.  We are an enormous population which is highly underserved and under valued.

For that very reason, it’s always exciting to open the debate on new potential advances or treatments. One treatment modality that was largely abandoned due to inconsistent efficacy and carcinogenic safety concerns appears to have been revisited and redesigned  by a company called Psoria-Shield Inc, a subsidiary of the publicly traded Wellness Center USA Inc (OTCQB: WCUI). From what I have seen, their PsoriaLight is showing itself as a serious treatment possibility for Alopecia Areata and deserves a much closer look.

My investigation into this treatment started when I came across this video clip for treatment of AA using “targeted” PUVA:

After viewing the video, I spoke with representatives from Psoria-Shield and they informed me their device, the Psoria-Light, does indeed deliver targeted PUVA and that it had been utilized quite successfully in the treatment of AA.  They made clear this was an “off-label” use, meaning the device was not indicated for use by the FDA to treat AA, but that doctors are free to use the device as they see fit.  I requested more information about the treatment and any data or images they had of the treatment for AA, and they provided me with a written material and images. I was very impressed with the results and immediately questions come to mind, including gaining a precise understanding of: (a) what is “targeted” PUVA, (b) why have we not heard of this previously, (c) what is the rate of success of this newer “targeted” phototherapy and, (d) where can patients seek this treatment?

My biggest question? Is this something we as patients and our healthcare providers should be focusing on as a routine treatment possibility?

In case you are unfamiliar with the topic, “PUVA”, or UVA light administered in combination with a drug called “psoralen”, is not a new treatment.  There are numerous references in clinical literature (see citations at the end of this article) to treatment of AA using PUVA.  Historically, PUVA treatment involved the patient taking a pill containing psoralen followed by exposure to UVA lamps.  Psoralen is modified by the UVA and acts on the cells and immune system in a variety of ways which are still not fully understood (more on the activity of psoralen in a later blog).  What is known is that PUVA favorably acts on the auto-immune, inflammatory characteristics which cause AA.  Interestingly, PUVA has been utilized for treatment of other auto-immune disorders of the skin including psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo.

PUVA treatments of old are classified as “non-targeted”.  Non-targeted refers to lower-dosage administration of, in this case, UVA light to healthy and unhealthy skin.  The light source emits light such that an entire region of skin is illuminated at the same time.  “Targeted” UV phototherapy refers to administration of higher-dosage UV light, only to affected tissue.  In the case of the Psoria-Light, UVA is administered to an area of roughly 4 cm².  Each “dosage” of UVA light administered (via a handpiece) only to the AA skin itself, sparring the unaffected area.  Each dosage lasts just a few seconds, and the handpiece is then moved to the next small area of skin whereupon another dosage is issued.  The treatment is built out in blocks, so the total treatment time lasts a few minutes depending on how much alopecia surface area is treated.  The total lifetime dosage of UVA from Psoria-Light is far less than with non-targeted PUVA (discussed below) so is much safer from a UV radiation / skin cancer perspective.  Psoria-Shield also advocates the doctor use a topical psoralen, spread only on the affected skin, instead of a systemic psoralen (pill), which further improves patient safety.

PUVA was abandoned in the case of AA in medicine as the results were inconsistent and efficacy difficult to demonstrate.  There are today no FDA approved medical devices for the treatment of AA.  The reasons behind this are several.  For one, taking psoralen systemically, via a pill, sensitizes the entire body to UV light.  The UVA administered to the patients was via lamps that potentially could expose the entire body’s skin to UVA.  Over many treatments, around 250 exposures or a certain total amount of UVA, patients’ risk of skin cancer increased dramatically.  Secondly, the studies in the literature were largely uncontrolled regarding light source radiation pattern (many different lamp sources), the UV spectrum of the light source (polychromatic, or having many different wavelength peaks) was inconsistent meaning the UVA light sources were essentially different, the psoralen drugs were different (ingested versus topical, and different formulations of the psoralen), and the total UVA exposure was different.  The studies demonstrate varying clinical success, from excellent (full hair restoration) to minimal or no success.

Psoria-Light uses the latest UV LEDs to deliver the UV light.  The LEDs produce “mono-chromatic” light, meaning a single peak wavelength of light is delivered to the patient.  Variations in light source quality, with poly-chromatic light sources, are overcome.  Psoria-Light appears to be the only device in the US that can deliver the treatment.  The results I’ve seen are very promising.

So why haven’t we heard of this previously? Because the treatment is new to the market.  The Psoria-Light isn’t cleared for use for Alopecia Areata by the FDA, so the company is not permitted to market the treatment in the case of AA.  And, even though the company reports that the device has been in use for most of 2012 in clinics, their full scale introduction will not begin until Q1 of 2013.

When asked about their desire to make the treatment routinely available for AA patients, the company did say that they intend to pursue clinical research for AA for the Psoria-Light and a subsequent FDA approval.

Not only do we approve, but GAM intends to follow their progress closely. We have offered to present their AA trial candidate selection process to our membership when they are ready; and GAM has already extended an invitation  to our 2013 Research Roundtable to the PsoriaShield/PsoriaLight science team. No stones left unturned here!

On a cautionary note, not all AA patients are certain to respond to PUVA treatment. But for those of us who have generally shown some improvement using corticosteroids or prednisone, the targeted PUVA treatment is a plausible and very promising possibility.

So, is this something we need to be asking for and having our doctors look into further? Let me know…comment or email me at rob.swierski@gammail.org

GAM - Research, Treat, Cure Alopecia Areata