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Who's At Risk For Catching The Flu?
According to Flu.gov, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, people with weakened immune systems are at high risk for flu complications if they get sick. Some types of arthritis and certain arthritis medications can weaken your immune system, putting you at greater risk of getting seriously sick if you get the flu.
Learn more about why having arthritis and other related conditions may put you at higher risk for getting the flu by visiting the Arthritis & the Flu section of Flu.gov.
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NIH Scientists Uncover How Immune Cells Sense Who They Are
 Scientists at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, have demonstrated that DNA previously thought to be "junk" plays a critical role in immune system response. The team's findings were published in Cell and may lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of immune-related disorders. Read more... Click here to read more research news.
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SRF Legacy Society Member Spotlight
Clinton "Clint" Ternstrom
Clint was born in Seattle on August 26, 1917--just four months after the U.S. entered World War I. At the age of three his family relocated to the Los Angeles area where he was raised, built a life, married his wife Marion and raised a family. In 1934, during hard the times of the Depression, Clint was awarded a partial scholarship to USC. He majored in architecture, a career he loved and later used his skills to build a home for his wife and children. While at USC, treatments for a serious illness left him without funds to continue his education. Generous and unexpected support from USC's finance department made an 'arrangement' that allowed him to remain in school. Clint was profoundly influenced by this act of kindness and vowed to help others financially if ever possible. In his later years, he helped establish USC's Architectural Guild and several endowments that have provided valuable funding for many students at his beloved School of Architecture. In addition to a successful architectural career, Clint was honored to serve as a commissioner on the Board of Urban Planning in Southern California for several years. He also traveled abroad many times to Southeast Asia, volunteering his time and talents through the non-profit International Executive Service Corps (IESC). In his 'golden years', Clint enjoyed volunteering at the Getty Museum.
Marion, Clint's wife of 56 years was diagnosed with scleroderma and battled the disease for nearly 23 years before ultimately succumbing to complications. To honor her courageous struggle as well continue his vow to philanthropy, Clint set up the Marion Ternstrom Scleroderma Endowment at the Scleroderma Research Foundation. He continued to add to the fund for nearly 10 years and established an estate plan to ensure life-saving research would continue in Marion's memory long after his own passing. Clint passed away from natural causes on August 15, 2012, just two weeks prior to his 95th birthday. He is survived by his son Tim, daughter Margo, and son-in-law Art Watanabe. The SRF is deeply grateful to Clinton Ternstrom for his commitment to improving the lives of scleroderma patients. If you would like to learn more about the SRF Legacy Society please visit our site or contact Amy Hewitt at 800.441.CURE. |
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Medical Research and the "Fiscal Cliff"
With much discussion over "Sequestration" also known as the "Fiscal Cliff", the SRF shares an article from Science published online from summer 2012. The article provides some very simple facts about cuts to U.S. science budgets, and more specifically the National Institutes of Health, the largest funder of scleroderma related research. Sequestration will take effect if Congress does not reach an agreement by January 2, 2013. To learn more, read the Science article here.
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