Janice Cori Cobb's Page

Dear Janice,

There is an enormous interest in traying to prevent progression of diabetic nephropathy after the process has started, Current treatment include ace inhibitors and anfiotensin receptor blockers as well as aldosterone inhibitors. Unfortunatelly the benefits are only mild and the process persists and eventually the affected individuals reach end stage renal disease. The patogenic factors start with hyperglycemia which appears to triger other factors including maladaptative changes in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system which in turn also starts and chain reaction that translates in intracellular signal transduction that stimulates fibrosis by stimulating several growth factors including connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). There has been preclinical studies that have shown that inhibition of this CTGF could prevent progression of diabetic nephropathy. There is a monoclonal antibody which inhibits the CTGF and prevents progression of renal disease.

Best regards,
Mario

Dear Janice,

Unfortunately my proposal did not get funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation but there are other institutions that I could apply. My focus has been developing a "Community Health Worker" curriculum and training program, providing consultation and treatments to patients referred by the community clinics in the Washington Metropolitan area, and also I carrying on clinical trial for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (endothelin inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies to fibrogen growth factor, and antioxidants). I thank you for your support and I will keep you informed about these issues.

Best regards,

Mario

Thank you I look forward to meeting with you as well. Kelley will not be able to join us today, I hope that is okay.

Hi Janice...
Happy WKD for u too....It was so much fun on this day,as I spread the knowledge I have to the people around me.Guess what some of them don't even realize there were such an event as WKD.Definately it was a great pleasure for me to share info on how to take care of health especially kidney with my friends.Hope more and more people will aware the importance of keeping up healthy lifestyle.

God Bless....!!!

Janice,

Thank you for your confidence. Would like to send a research proposal, but I cannot send it to this portal. I would like you to become a member in the Scientific Committee at DPKC. The forms could be sent to you via email or by mail. Our e-mail is: diabeteskidneycare@verizon.net. I hope that we together we could transform DPKC into a dynamic and productive organization.

Thank you again for your help.

Mario

Dear Janice,

Thank you for your kind words and for being a role model to students and friends and for your ideas about how to promote healthy lifestyle. Also thank you for the WKD shirt. Everyone at DPKC wants to take it home. I will keep it as a remainder of your friendship and your participation on our cause. We are a young organization and our goals and objectives are directed to solving a critical problem in our health as a society, and the realization that just being aware of the problem might not be enough to prevent the obesity-diabetes epidemic that could cripple even more our deficient health care system. That is why we need to work beyond the personal level—beyond I’m OK you are OK— at the community level and change the factors that promote unhealthy behaviors with the ones that promote healthy ones. We believe that this can be done using social marketing, determining the barriers and facilitators of change, and bringing everybody together into a campaign designed to promote healthy lifestyle in all areas of our society. We are living in the cross-road in America’s destiny and we need to take a road that we could make us healthier.

I am writing projects to improve diabetes treatment in clinics in Maryland. If you could take a look to I will appreciate. Also, DPKC would be happy to work in a project you might want to write.

Thank you again,

Mario

Hi Janice...
Sorry for the late reply...thanks for wishes in my page..God Bless!!

Hello cobb..! Thank you so much for your comments. well, extremely sorry for my delay reply. apparently i am back to my sugery place(India) for my medical review. Regarding the WKD in my country. i just collected data's which i want to raise awarness via media( both papers and broadcasting). Since our group got many members but they are not committed. i just stick within myself which i mean i will do my best to raise awarness via meida for the first time in my country. This year, it will be the small programme. After that i will be heading towards government for my project discussion. Lets see how it works. I'll fully prepare with much confidence for my project which government will be impressed. I will let you know whats happining with my project.

Dear Janice,
It is true that there are many other kidney disorders besides diabetes mellitus that we are not paying attention; many of them are related to medications like non-steroidal anti inflammatory medications, resulting in analgesic induced nephropathy, or to antibiotics resulting in interstitial nephritis. Nephrogenic DI mostly due to lithium therapy was usually disregarded as important cause of renal dysfunction. Even in medical practice the kidneys play a sub serving role and we are complacent to sacrifice for the possible benefit of other organs. Certainly, in the US the prevalence of NDI could be considered a “rare disease” (about 200,000 in the US), if we compare with the incidence of diabetes mellitus of 1.6 million in 2007 and prevalence of 17 million, with an additional 5.6 million undiagnosed, and an additional 57 million with prediabetes (who could become diabetic if they do not change their life style). Currently, 50% of patients on hemodialysis suffer from diabetic kidney disease; you can imagine the magnitude the problem in terms of expenses, loss of productivity, on top of a health system that not cost-effective. This problem will have an effect on all of us, and we need to mobilize everyone on its own social circle not only to making them aware of the problem but also promoting healthy lifestyles.
Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts.