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November, 2000
Dear Friends,
We send you our warmest holiday season greetings. There
is much to tell about this past year's activities. Our small
foundation has formed strong alliances in the past year.
Our ability to help those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) has been amplified and we are moving forward in
both our research and education missions. Yet there is still
much to do and we are counting on your support!
The proudest moment in PERF's 14-year history occurred last August.
The occasion was the establishment of the Alvin Grancell-Mary
Burns Chair in the Rehabilitative Sciences. This step is
so important because it assures that PERF's research activities
will have a permanent home. An alliance with the Harbor-UCLA
Research and Education Institute (REI) has been agreed upon.
They will administer this Chair, which will fund the activities
of a research scientist in perpetuity, allowing him or her to
devote full time to rehabilitation research. Please take
a look at the enclosed report that REI has composed. It
contains interviews with Mary Burns, Alvin Grancell and Dr. Rich
Casaburi (who, it is planned, will be the first occupant of the
Chair) on the occasion of the establishment of the Chair.
But our work is not over.
To date, the major funding for this project has come from the generous
donation of Alvin Grancell, one of the founding members of PERF.
Scores of supporters of PERF have stepped forward to add to the
Chair fund (both Rich Casaburi and Mary Burns have
contributed to the cause with sizable donations). But, since
the funds disbursed to actively support the Chair can only come
from interest on the Chair fund (so that the principal is never
touched), more money needs to be collected before the Chair can
be fully activated. We are hoping for your continuing generous
support of this, our most important project.
The reason why the Harbor-UCLA REI is a perfect place to establish
the Chair in the Rehabilitation Sciences is the existence of the
Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, a 4000 square foot building
on the Harbor-UCLA campus in Torrance, California. Under
the direction of Dr. Rich Casaburi, this facility has geared up
its activities in the past year. Among the achievements:
·
Studies have been performed to demonstrate the value
of oxygen therapy in facilitating the ability to exercise.
New, lightweight devices are being tested which will make it easier
for those with COPD to increase their activities. A major
research project has just been started to determine whether all
COPD patients should receive oxygen while they take part in pulmonary
rehabilitation.
·
Drugs to build muscles and, thereby, improve strength
are being investigated. A large study comparing testosterone
administration to that of strength-building exercises in men with
COPD is almost completed. An investigation of an orally
administered testosterone-like drug is underway. A study
that will determine whether women with COPD benefit from testosterone
supplementation is in the planning stages. An appetite-stimulating drug has been found effective in increasing
the body weight of underweight COPD patients.
·
New and better bronchodilator drugs are being investigated.
We are working with the pharmaceutical industry to bring these
drugs to market.
·
The lessons learned in pulmonary rehabilitation
are being applied to other diseases. Improved ways to rehabilitate
patients with AIDS, kidney failure, prostate cancer and the frail
elderly are being sought.
·
Doctors are being trained in rehabilitation.
In the past year, three scientists from abroad have come to the
Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center for training. Six
pulmonary medicine trainees at Harbor-UCLA have gained exposure
to rehabilitation science.
·
The Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center has started
to serve as a focus for area pulmonary rehabilitation professionals.
A "Rehabilitation Consortium" has been established in
conjunction with the California Society for Pulmonary Rehabilitation
and regular meetings are being held.
·
PERF members continue to be active in spreading
the word locally, nationally and internationally. Dr. Brian
Tiep, Dr. Rich Casaburi and I have spoken at many major scientific
meetings, including ones in Italy, Japan, Israel, Spain, Denmark,
England and Iceland (yes, Iceland!) in the past year. Exciting
recent developments have been Rich Casaburi's election as Pulmonary
Physician representative to the American Association of Cardiovascular
and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the approval of a
symposium chaired by Brian Tiep and Rich Casaburi titled "Advances
in Oxygen Therapy" that will be presented at the American
Thoracic Society meeting next Spring.
·
The Second Wind newsletter continues to publish
monthly - we never run out of interesting information to pass along. Our website
is at www.perf2ndwind.org and it contains a wealth
of information for both patients and rehabilitation specialists.
Through it all, PERF runs a lean operation. Our only
overhead costs are the basics: telephone, printing, postage, Internet, etc.
All members of
the PERF Board of Directors donate their time. An office
and secretarial
help are also donated. No one is paid. PERF operates
totally from donations of time and money.
Please write your check today. Make it as generous
as possible. We are counting on your support.
Have a wonderful holiday season.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas L. Petty, M.D.
Professor of Medicine
University of Colorado and Rush University, Chicago
Board of Directors, Pulmonary Education and Research Foundation
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