Q&A on the News
Q: The AJC Sports section recently reported that former Georgia football player and assistant coach Frank Orgel has been flying to Mexico for treatment of motor neuron disease. Why isn't he receiving treatment in the U.S.?
-- Michelle Hutchinson, Marietta
A: There is no cure or standard treatment for motor neuron disease in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. Many types of stem cell treatments have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, leading people to seek treatment in other countries, including Mexico, China and India. The FDA requires evidence that a medical approach is both safe and effective before it approves its use, Dr. David Owens and Dr. Naomi Kleitman, program directors with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, wrote in an e-mail to Q&A on the News. A clinical trial at Emory University in Atlanta is evaluating the safety of transplanted neural stem cells in patients with a type of motor neuron disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), they said.
Q: What is the status of Steve Perry, the longtime singer for Journey, and will he tour again?
-- Don White, Atlanta
A: Steve Perry, in an interview with Planet Rock (www.planetrock.com) on Feb. 3, said he isn't recording but is writing new material, and he misses performing live. Perry and Journey split in 1998.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
