Author Interviews, Immunotherapy, Prostate Cancer / 16.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26176" align="alignleft" width="96"]Julie Graff, M.D. Oncologist specializing in prostate cancer Knight Cancer Institute Oregon Health & Science University Dr. Julie Graff[/caption] Julie Graff, M.D. Oncologist specializing in prostate cancer Knight Cancer Institute Oregon Health & Science University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Men with metastatic prostate cancer that is not responding to second-line androgen receptor blockade (such as enzalutamide) have a very limited life expectancy. We found that adding immunotherapy to enzalutamide in men whose prostate cancer is no longer responding to enzalutamide could exert a very strong anti-cancer effect. Previous experience with this type of immunotherapy in prostate cancer patients suggested this type immunotherapy does not work in patients with prostate cancer. What we have found will lead to more studies of this agent.
Author Interviews, Cancer, Cancer Research, Lung Cancer / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26169" align="alignleft" width="170"]Jan Marie Eberth, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Deputy Director, SC Rural Health Research Center Core Faculty, Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program Arnold School of Public Health University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 Dr. Jan Marie Eberth[/caption] Jan Marie Eberth, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Deputy Director, SC Rural Health Research Center Core Faculty, Statewide Cancer Prevention and Control Program Arnold School of Public Health University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Large, randomized clinical trials have shown that chest x-rays do not reduce mortality from lung cancer. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening, however, was shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by 20% in the National Lung Screening Trial. The most significant risk of LDCT screening is the high rate of false-positives (about 25%), which subsequent studies have shown can be reduced by using new nodule management criteria such as Lung-RADS. Less than half of the physicians surveyed in our study reported reduced lung cancer mortality as a benefit of LDCT screening. Many also reported concerns about radiation exposure (50%) and unnecessary follow-up procedures (88%) as risks. Since the majority of family physicians surveyed did not know that organizations such as the US Preventive Services Task Force or National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommend high-risk individuals receive annual LDCT screening, it is not surprising that some family physicians would continue to order a chest x-ray for screening, despite the lack of scientific evidence. Similarly, only 36% of physicians reported that high-risk patients should be screened annually (vs. every 6 months, 2 years, or 3 years).
Author Interviews, Education, Health Care Systems, Outcomes & Safety / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26186" align="alignleft" width="142"]Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD PhD Cardiothoracic surgeon Associate professor of surgery and assistant professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Columbus, OH Dr. Moffatt-Bruce[/caption] Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD PhD Cardiothoracic surgeon Associate professor of surgery and assistant professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Columbus, OH MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Crew Resource Management (CRM), a training for all health care providers, including doctors, nurses, staff and students, focusing on team communication, leadership, and decision-making practices, was implemented throughout a large academic health system - across eight departments spanning three hospitals and two campuses. All those in the health system, inclusive of those that took the training, took a survey measuring perceptions of workplace patient safety culture both before CRM implementation and about 2 years after. Safety culture was significantly improved after Crew Resource Management training, with the strongest effects in participant perception of teamwork and communication. This study was the first health-system wide CRM implementation reported in the literature.
Author Interviews, Education, Memory, Neurological Disorders / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26161" align="alignleft" width="200"]Kalipada Pahan, Ph.D Floyd A. Davis, M.D., Endowed Chair of Neurology Professor, Departments of Neurological Sciences, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Rush University Medical Center VA Scientist Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Chicago, IL 60612 Dr. Kalipada Pahan[/caption] Kalipada Pahan, Ph.D Floyd A. Davis, M.D., Endowed Chair of Neurology Professor, Departments of Neurological Sciences, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Rush University Medical Center VA Scientist, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Chicago, IL 60612 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Individual difference in learning and educational performance is a global issue. In many cases between two students of the same background studying in the same class, one turns out to be a poor learner and does worse than the other academically. Little is known on what changes occur in the brain of poor learners and how to improve performance in poor learners. Here, we have demonstrated that cinnamon, a common food spice and flavoring material, converts poor learning mice to good learners. Results of the study were recently published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology.
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Neurological Disorders / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26157" align="alignleft" width="135"]Aleksey G. Kazantsev, PhD Associate Professor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School Drug Discovery Laboratory MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Aleksey Kazantsev[/caption] Aleksey G. Kazantsev, PhD Associate Professor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School Drug Discovery Laboratory MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There is no cure (disease modify therapy) for any neurodegenerative disorders (ND), most common Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s or orphan like Huntington’s diseases. Numerous studies show that the pathologies of neurodegenerative diseases at molecular levels are similar but highly complex. No single neurodegenerative mechanism has emerged as predominant, slowing a development of efficient therapy. While gene and cell-based therapeutic approaches are still evolving, we relay on discovery of small molecule drugs as essentially the only strategy with approved track record in human subjects. However, so far a traditional approach of targeting single cellular pathway was unsuccessful for CNS drug development. The current study demonstrated a novel approach of using small molecule with multiple putative neuroprotective activities, which is essentially a combinatorial approach to use compound distinct activities to ameliorate/bock/prevent not one, but a few neurodegenerative pathways.
Aging, Author Interviews / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Martin Piskacek Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: From genome-wide expression analyses, the B lymphocytes avoid the aging until 60 years of age. We did not found any gene expression differences between young (30-45 years) and early aged healthy donors (50-60 years). Our results demonstrate the potential of hematopoietic stem cells to generate uncompromised B lymphocytes in early elderly. These are very encouraging findings for general health, because the immunity maintenance does not seem to need artificial intervention to keep B lymphocytes uncompromised in the early elderly.
Author Interviews, Weight Research / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Xiang Gao, PhD State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study Model Animal Research Center Nanjing Biomedical Research Institute and the Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development Nanjing University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Duodenum-jejunum gastric bypass (DJB) surgery has been used to treat morbid diabetic patients. However, neither the suitability among patients nor the mechanisms of this surgical treatment is well understood. Our research is based on a new mouse strain named Timo as type 2 diabetes model caused by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) deficiency. We hope to figure out whether DJB surgery can reverse the metabolic defects in this type of diabetes. If yes, what is the possible mechanisms. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? Response: Our research showed that duodenum-jejunum gastric bypass surgery could cure diabetes of genetic (mutation) origin. We also showed that the alteration of gut microflora abundance and improved metabolism preceded the inflammation alleviation and BDNF protein levels increase after DJB surgery.
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Microbiome, Rheumatology / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26144" align="alignleft" width="166"]Veena Taneja, Ph.D Immunologist Mayo Clinic Rochester MN Dr. Veena Taneja[/caption] Veena Taneja, Ph.D Immunologist Mayo Clinic Rochester MN MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Gut bacteria have been suggested to be involved in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. We used new technology to sequence the bacteria in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and first degree relatives and healthy individuals. We found that patients had lower diversity of bacteria than healthy individuals and the composition of the gut microbiota differed between patients and healthy people. We could identify some bacteria that have expanded in patients though those are generally observed with low numbers in healthy individuals. We could define certain metabolic signatures that associated with microbial profile. For the first time, we could show a direct link between the arthritis-associated bacteria we identified and enhancement of arthritis using a mice carrying the RA-susceptible HLA gene.
Author Interviews, Toxin Research / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof Bernard M Y Cheung and co-authors MBBChir, PhD(Cantab), FRCP, FRCPE Sun Chieh Yeh Heart Foundation Professor in Cardiovascular Therapeutics Department of Medicine University of Hong Kong Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Lead is toxic even at low levels and affects neurodevelopment in children. There has been a long-term effort in the US to reduce exposure to lead in the environment. We analyzed the trend in blood lead levels in the US, using data on 63890 Americans who took part in the National Health Nutrition and Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2014.
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Diabetes, Nutrition, PLoS, Weight Research / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Qi Sun Sc.D, M.D., M.M.S. Dr. Geng Zong, Ph.D., a research fellow Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath Boston MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There is growing trend of eating meal prepared out of home in many countries. For example, energy intake from out-of-home meals has increased from less than 10% in mid 60s to over 30% in 2005-2008 among Americans, and average time spent on cooking has decreased by one third. In the meantime, the prevalence of diabetes and obesity of this country keep on growing. In the current study, we followed nearly 100 thousands middle-aged men and women for 26 years. In 1986, we asked people how often their lunch and dinner were prepared at home per week, which will be 14 meals in maximum, and updated this information during follow-up. We found men and women with 11-14 meals prepared at home per week had 14% lower risk of diabetes compared to those had 6 or less meals prepared at home. If we look at lunch and dinner separately, people with 5 or more lunch prepared at home per week had 9% lower risk of diabetes, and those with 5 or more dinner prepared at home had 15% lower risk of diabetes compared to the group who had 2 or less than lunch or dinner at home per week. We further investigated whether people with more meals prepared at home had lower risk of obesity or weight gain in our study. In the first eight years of follow-up, participants with 11-14 meals prepared at home had 14% lower risk of developing obesity compared to people had 0-6 meals prepared at home. For men, these people had 1.2kg less weight gain, and for women they had 0.3 kg less weight gain. Furthermore, we found potential impact of having meals at home and risk of diabetes became weaker. This suggest that weight gain could be one gearwheel that links eating meals prepared at home and diabetes risk.
Author Interviews, Geriatrics, JAMA, Surgical Research / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26055" align="alignleft" width="120"]Julia Berian, MD, MS ACS Clinical Research Scholar American College of Surgeons Chicago, IL 60611 Dr. Julia Berian,[/caption] Julia Berian, MD, MS ACS Clinical Research Scholar American College of Surgeons Chicago, IL 60611 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The US population is rapidly aging and older adults consume a disproportionate share of operations. Older adults experience a high rate of postoperative complications, which can affect quality of life. In this study, function, mobility and living situation are considered together as independent living. The study examined a large surgical database for the occurrence of loss of independence (defined as a decline in function or mobility, or increased care needs in one's living situation) and its relationship to traditional outcomes such as readmission and death after the time of discharge. Patients included in the study were age 65 or older and underwent an inpatient surgical operation. Loss of independence was assessed at the time of discharge. Readmission and death-after-discharge were assessed up to 30 days postoperatively.
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Pain Research / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26123" align="alignleft" width="133"]Romy Lauche, PhD Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) Faculty of Health | University of Technology Sydney Dr. Romy Lauche[/caption] Romy Lauche, PhD Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) Faculty of Health | University of Technology Sydney MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Many people are affected by persistent or recurrent neck pain. So far the only intervention with real benefit is exercise therapy, independent of the type of exercise used. Despite the fact that musculoskeletal disorders including back and neck pain have been found predictive of Tai Chi use, no study to date has investigated its potential in the treatment of chronic non-specific neck pain. Our study found that 12 weeks of Tai Chi significantly reduced neck pain intensity, and improved quality of life, however no differences were found between Tai Chi and conventional neck exercises. Both interventions were well tolerated, and participants were satisfied with either intervention.
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Lancet, Weight Research / 15.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26066" align="alignleft" width="103"]Dr. Shilpa Bhupathiraju, PhD Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dr. Shilpa Bhupathiraju[/caption] Dr. Shilpa Bhupathiraju, PhD Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We wanted to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality across major global regions. In doing so, we wanted to take into account important methodological limitations which plagued prior reports of BMI and mortality. One such limitation is reverse causality where a low body weight is the result of an underlying illness rather than the cause. Another major problem is confounding due to smoking where smokers have lower body weights than non-smokers but have much higher mortality rates. Therefore, to obtain an unbiased association between BMI and mortality, our primary pre-specified analysis was restricted to never smokers and those who had no existing chronic diseases at the start of the study. In this group, we found that those with a BMI of 22.5-<25 kg/m2 (considered a healthy weight range) had the lowest mortality risk during the time they were followed. The risk of mortality increased significantly with excess body weight. A BMI of 25-<27.5 kg/m2 (in the overweight range) was associated with a 7% higher risk of premature death; BMI of 27.5-<30 kg/m2 (also in the overweight range) was associated with a 20% higher risk; a BMI of 30.0-<35.0 kg/m2 was associated with a 45% higher risk; a BMI of 35.0-<40.0 kg/m2 was associated with a 94% higher risk; and a BMI of 40.0-<60.0 kg/m2 was associated with a nearly 3-fold risk. In general, we found that the association of excess body weight with mortality was greater in younger than older people and in men than women. Most importantly, the associations were broadly consistent in the major global regions we examined, including Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, East Asia, and South Asia.
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Opiods, Pain Research, Thromboembolism / 14.07.2016

[caption id="attachment_26111" align="alignleft" width="125"]Brian Meshkin Founder and CEO of Proove Biosciences Brian Meshkin[/caption] MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Brian Meshkin Founder and CEO of Proove Biosciences Editor’s note: Proove Biosciences, Inc introduced three new evidence-based tests to support better clinical decision-making for difficult-to-treat conditions that are influenced by genetics. These conditions include substance abuse, fibromyalgia and venous thromboembolism. The tests are especially relevant in light of the House of Representatives passing the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (CARA) bill on July 8, 2016 to combat the opioid epidemic. MedicalResearch.com: Would you update our readers on the significance and implications of the CARA Act? What is the role of genetics in addiction? What is the background for the Proove Addiction™ Profile? How does it aid in addiction management? Response: CARA is a national piece of legislation to expand access to treatment for drug overdoses and addiction. It also includes some other provisions meant to help address the opioid epidemic. However, there are some serious implications. First, it does not contain any funding, so it is a bit of a “Potemkin Village”. It is also a bit of a façade because it does not address 50% of the equation. According to the definition of addiction from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the National Institutes of Drug Abuse (NIDA), about half of substance abuse is due to genetic factors. If you are studying for a test and ignoring half of the material, chances are you are not going to do well on the test. As doctors are confronted with the challenges of objectively assessing pain and knowing which patients are at risk for abuse, they must consider genetics. The Proove Opioid Risk test combines genetic markers and phenotypic variables into an algorithm to effectively identify patients at low, moderate and high risk for opioid abuse. By knowing this information, a physician can make better decisions about opioids. For low risk patients, a physician can safely prescribe and a patient does not need to fear the opioid prescription they are given – as this is about 50% of the population. For those at moderate risk, a physician can use a greater level of vigilance to monitor those patients with abuse-deterrent formulations, regular urine drug screens, opioid contracts, and other tools to monitor their use. For the small number of patients – less than 10% - that are at high risk, a physician can use alternative forms of pain relief such as interventional procedures or non-opioid analgesics to provide the needed relief to patients. The Proove Addiction Profile builds on this commitment, by providing genetic data points related to other disorders, such as addictions to alcohol, heroin, cocaine and others. Unfortunately, many patients who screen positive for aberrant behavior, such as having an illicit drug in their urine, are often discharged from care by their doctor. This just gets them lost in the system. By running the Proove Addiction Profile in addition to a urine drug screen, a doctor can better understand the genetic factors associated with the aberrant behavior and refer the troubled patient to an addiction specialist for treatment.
Author Interviews, Pharmacology / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26107" align="alignleft" width="151"]M. N. V. Ravi Kumar PhD Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy Dr. M. N. V. Ravi Kumar[/caption] M. N. V. Ravi Kumar PhD Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Texas A&M Rangel College of Pharmacy MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The use of ligands for receptor-mediated drug delivery offers potential for improving both the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals. Research to date, however, has yet to overcome some of the significant challenges of targeted drug delivery, one of which is competitive affinity with endogenous ligands. This competition for the receptor binding site can impair both natural cell processes and uptake of the drug complex across the cell wall. This article presents a unique, non-competitive active transport strategy for crossing the intestinal barrier. Gambogic acid (GA), as a ligand, was coupled with a polymer called poly(lactic-co--glycolic acid) (PLGA) that in turn can encapsulate drugs forming nanosystems to bind to transferrin receptors within the intestinal wall, which facilitated active gut barrier crossing. The study results show peak plasma concentrations of Cyclosporine A (CsA) in orally dosed rodents at 6 hours with the GA-ladened nanosystems vs 24 hours without GA. Additionally, brain concentrations of CsA are twice as high dosing with PLGA-GA NS compared with PLGA-NS (without GA).
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, CT Scanning, McGill, MRI, Nature / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26102" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr. Yasser Iturria Medina PhD Post-doctoral fellow Montreal Neurological Institute Dr. Y. M. Medina[/caption] Dr. Yasser Iturria Medina PhD Post-doctoral fellow Montreal Neurological Institute MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We used over 200 peripheral molecular biomarkers, five different neuroimaging modalities and cognitive/clinical measurements to detect spatiotemporal abnormalities in subjects with dementia or with mild signs of cognitive deterioration. By means of a mathematical framework, we reordered all the biomarkers/descriptors considered, according to how much they change during the disease process. The results suggested that, contrary as suggested by more traditional clinical analyses, there are multiple early signs of neurodegeneration, at the molecular level and at the brain’s macroscopic and cognitive state. In particular, we observed notable early signs of generalized vascular dysregulation, which may be supporting the vascular hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease. However, we still need to perform deeper analyzes, in order to clarify the complex causal mechanisms that trigger the disease.
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Endocrinology, Hormone Therapy, Mayo Clinic, Menopause / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26098" align="alignleft" width="125"]Kejal Kantarci, M.D. M.S. Professor of Radiology Division of Neuroradiology Dr. Kejal Kantarci[/caption] Kejal Kantarci, M.D. M.S. Professor of Radiology Division of Neuroradiology MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: A rapid decline in estrogen with menopause may be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease risk in women. This study was conducted in newly postmenopausal women who received 17β-Estradiol via a skin patch or conjugated equine estrogen orally or placebo. Those who received 17β-Estradiol patch had reduced β-amyloid deposits, the plaques found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, three years after the end of the hormone therapies. In the study, women with APOE e4 — one form of the most common gene associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease — who received the 17β-Estradiol patch had lower levels of β-amyloid deposits than those who received placebo.
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Geriatrics, Pharmacology / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_24349" align="alignleft" width="200"]Leigh Purvis, MPA Director of Health Services Research AARP Public Policy Institute Ms. Leigh Purvis[/caption] Leigh Purvis, MPA Director of Health Services Research AARP Public Policy Institute Editors’ note: In conjunction with the AARP’s new investigative piece, 'Supplement Pills That Promise Too Much', Leigh Purvis, Director of the AARP Health Services Research program discussed the issue of the proliferation of supplements, often with labels that make extraordinary health benefit claims. MedicalResearch.com: How many Americans use nutritional supplements? How big is the business of supplements? Response: Supplements are very popular in the United States. This is particularly true for older adults. A recent study found that the proportion of older adults using supplements increased from 52 percent in 2005 to 64 percent in 2011, and the share using multiple supplements grew by nearly 50 percent. According to the National Institutes of Health, American spent an estimated $36.7 billion on dietary supplements in 2014.
Author Interviews, Compliance, Hospital Readmissions / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26091" align="alignleft" width="200"]Jennifer Polinski, Senior Director Enterprise Evaluation and Population Health Analytics CVS Health Woonsocket, Rhode Island Jennifer Polinski[/caption] Jennifer Polinski, Senior Director Enterprise Evaluation and Population Health Analytics CVS Health Woonsocket, Rhode Island MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Unnecessary and often preventable hospital readmissions are a growing and costly issue. An estimated one in seven patients discharged from a hospital is readmitted within 30 days, and startlingly, readmissions are associated with more than $41 billion in additional health care costs per year. In addition, evidence suggests that approximately 66 percent of hospital readmissions are the result of adverse health events related to medication non-adherence.
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, Chemotherapy, Parkinson's / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26087" align="alignleft" width="133"]Charbel Moussa MD. PhD Assistant Professor of Neurology Director- Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism Clinical Research Director- National Parkinson's Foundation Center for Excellence Translational Neurotherapeutics Program Department of Neurology Georgetown University Medical Center Washington DC. Dr. Charbel Moussa[/caption] Charbel Moussa MD. PhD Assistant Professor of Neurology Director- Laboratory for Dementia and Parkinsonism Clinical Research Director- National Parkinson's Foundation Center for Excellence Translational Neurotherapeutics Program Department of Neurology Georgetown University Medical Center Washington DC. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We conducted a pilot open label proof-of-concept study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Nilotinib in participants with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) with dementia (PDD) or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Our primary objective is to demonstrate that low oral daily doses of 150mg or 300mg Nilotinib (compared to 600-800mg in cancer) are safe and tolerated. Our secondary objectives are that Nilotinib will cross the blood brain barier and may inhibit cerebral spinal fluid Abl. Based on preclinical data we also hypothesized that Nilotinib will increase DA levels. Motor and cognitive functions were also measured as exploratory clinical outcomes. Other exploratory outcomes are that Nilotinib may alter PD-related CSF biomarkers DJ-1 and α-synuclein. As most participants in this study had dementia we also explored the effects of Nilotinib on Alzheimer's Disease-related CSF biomarkers, including Aβ40 and Aβ42, total tau and phosphorylated tau (p-tau).
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Orthopedics / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Marcos Muñoz Jimenez University of Jaén MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Barefoot running has become very popular in recent years and remains a hotly debated topic among runners. The debate about the pros and cons of barefoot running is current. Many coaches consider barefoot training to have an effect on muscle strength and to be important for performance and for preventing injuries. The main objective of this study is to determine what changes in foot strike, inversion-eversion and foot rotation are produced after a 12-week programme of barefoot running with progressive volume at the end of the athletes daily training session. Our data support that a 12-week programme of barefoot running training, applied by progressively increasing the volume of barefoot running, causes significant changes to foot strike patterns with a tendency towards midfoot strike, regardless of running speed.
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, CMAJ, Pain Research / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_25902" align="alignleft" width="150"]Jason Busse PhD Department of Anesthesia Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON Dr. Jason Busse[/caption] Jason Busse PhD Department of Anesthesia Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics McMaster University Hamilton, ON MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Persistent pain after breast cancer surgery affects up to 60% of patients. Early identification of those at higher risk could help inform optimal management. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to explore factors associated with persistent pain among women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer. We found that development of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery was associated with younger age, radiotherapy, axillary lymph node dissection, greater acute postoperative pain and preoperative pain. Axillary lymph node dissection increases the absolute risk of persistent pain by 21%, and provides the only high yield target for a modifiable risk factor to prevent the development of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery.
Author Interviews, CT Scanning, Heart Disease / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26076" align="alignleft" width="150"]Dr Maksymilian P. Opolski Department of Interventional Cardiology and Angiology Institute of Cardiology Warsaw, Poland Dr. Maksymilian Opolski[/caption] Dr Maksymilian P. Opolski Department of Interventional Cardiology and Angiology Institute of Cardiology Warsaw, Poland MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Valvular heart disease (VHD) that requires surgery is increasingly encountered in industrialized countries. Of particular interest, the presence of concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with VHD is related to worse clinical outcomes, and various clinical studies suggested that combined valve and bypass surgery reduces early and late mortality. Consequently, in the majority of such patients, pre-operative evaluation for coronary artery disease (CAD) with invasive coronary angiography is recommended. However, provided that most patients with valvular heart disease are found to have no significant coronary stenoses, coronary computed tomography angiography (coronary CTA) appears as an extremely appealing noninvasive alternative to invasive coronary angiography for exclusion of significant CAD. This is further justified when the risks of angiography outweigh its benefits (e.g. in cases of aortic dissection or aortic vegetation).
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Diabetes / 13.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26082" align="alignleft" width="159"]Iliana Lega, MD, FRCPC Assistant Professor Department of Medicine and a Clinician Scientist University of Toronto Dr-Iliana-Lega[/caption] Iliana Lega, MD, FRCPC Assistant Professor Department of Medicine and a Clinician Scientist University of Toronto MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Diabetes and cancer share a variety of risk factors that predispose individuals to both conditions. However the exact mechanism of this relationship is unclear. Our study examined differences in cancer diagnosis at different time points around a diagnosis of diabetes. We found two interesting trends. First, people with diabetes have the highest risk for cancer in the first 3 months following a diagnosis of diabetes. Second, we found that people with diabetes are also more likely to have had cancer even prior to being diagnosed with diabetes.
Author Interviews, Metabolic Syndrome / 12.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ilaria Cavallari, MD Department of Cardiovascular Sciences University Campus Bio-Medico Roma, Italy MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Obesity is a well-known risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, more than the amount of adipose tissue, its function plays important roles in the development of CVD. Distribution of adiposity, evaluated by measuring body circumferences, is related to adipose dysfunction. Wrist circumference has been recently associated with insulin-resistance and diabetes. Therefore, body circumferences, wrist circumference in particular, are candidate easy and fast markers of cardiovascular risk, beyond the classical body mass index (BMI).
Author Interviews, Fertility, HPV, OBGYNE, STD / 12.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26136" align="alignleft" width="149"]Dejan R. Nonato, MD, PhD Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health School of Medicine Federal University of Goiás Goiânia, GO, Brazil Dr. Dejan Nonato[/caption] Dejan R. Nonato, MD, PhD Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health School of Medicine Federal University of Goiás Goiânia, GO, Brazil MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) share the same route of sexual transmission and possess similar risk factors, indicating that co-infection may act synergistically in the induction of epithelial cell abnormalities.
Author Interviews, MRI, Weight Research / 12.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26058" align="alignleft" width="160"]Guido Camps, MSc PhD candidate Wageningen University and Research Centre The Netherlands Guido Camps[/caption] Guido Camps, MSc PhD candidate Wageningen University and Research Centre The Netherlands Editor's note:  The researcher would like readers to be aware that this work is preliminary and has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The background was that we wanted to study gastric distension with actual food. Because using different foods would also change the caloric content, we added water. We wanted to see if we could measure both the stomach and the brain, and what the added distension would feel like to the subjects and what brain effects we could see.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, PLoS, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 12.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26052" align="alignleft" width="128"]Matthew James O'Brien MD Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Dr. Matthew James O'Brien[/caption] Matthew James O'Brien MD Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In October 2015, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released new diabetes screening guidelines. This government-supported expert group recommended screening asymptomatic adults who are 40-70 years old and overweight or obese for diabetes. Recent population trends show that racial/ethnic minorities develop diabetes at younger ages and lower weights than whites. Therefore, we sought to determine whether these screening criteria may fail to identify racial/ethnic minorities or other high-risk population subgroups. Our study population was 50,515 patients from federally-funded community health centers, which serve large numbers of minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals.
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Diabetologia / 12.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Fraser W Gibb MBChB PhD FRCP Edin Consultant Physician / Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer Edinburgh Centre for Endocrinology & DiabetesDr Fraser W Gibb MBChB PhD FRCP Edin Consultant Physician / Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer Edinburgh Centre for Endocrinology & Diabetes MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We know that diabetic ketoacidosis is associated with a low risk of death in those admitted to hospital but we did not know what the risk of death was in the months and years following discharge from hospital. We have found that recurrent DKA admissions (more than 5 in a lifetime) are associated with a greater than 1 in 5 risk of death in the following three years compared to a 1 in 20 risk for those with only a single DKA. Recurrent DKA is more common in younger, more socially disadvantaged people.
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Genetic Research / 12.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26042" align="alignleft" width="150"]Ana I. Vazquez PhD Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Dr. Ana I. Vazquez[/caption] Ana I. Vazquez PhD Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Precise predictions of whether a tumor is likely to spread would help clinicians and patients choose the best course of treatment. But current methods fall short of the precision needed. We tested whether breast cancer survival predictions could be improved by profiling primary tumor samples with genomic technologies. We found that predictions based on clinical information, such as cancer stage and subtype, improve when they incorporate comprehensive data on which genes are active in tumor samples compared to non-cancerous tissues from the same patient. This is also true for genome-wide methylation data, which maps the parts of the DNA that carry molecular "tags" that influence gene activation. If developed for use in the clinic, our approach could spare some patients from unneeded chemotherapy.