Author Interviews, Cannabis, Orthopedics / 20.07.2015

Yankel Gabet, DMD, PhD Department of Anatomy and Anthropology Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv IsraelMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Yankel Gabet, DMD, PhD Department of Anatomy and Anthropology Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Gabet: Cannabis affects the body via specific components that are able to binding to receptors in the brain and other tissues. The components include the well-known ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the major constituents of cannabis. The cannabinoid receptors in our body are activated by several molecules (‘endocannabinoids’) synthesized by different sorts of cells under specific conditions. These receptors can be activated by synthetic compounds (cannabinoid ligands) as well as by natural cannabis. The effect of endocannabinoids in bone metabolism has been studied before but this study is the first report on the actions of natural THC and CDB in bone fracture healing. This is particularly important in light of the high incidence of both cannabis use and bone fractures; it is likely that many patients suffering from bone fractures consume cannabis that may have beneficial or adverse effects on the healing process. Another important point is that the non-psychogenic CDB is enough to promote bone healing, so there is no need to be exposed to the euphoric effects of cannabis/THC to get the beneficial functions of CBD on bone. (You can buy cbd oil online to help with other conditions as well such as fibromyalgia and diabetes.) If you are interested in learning more about CBD/THC and its products there are places online where you can find information, for example, from an online cbd store, a CBD Blog and other resources. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Sexual Health / 20.07.2015

Dr. Alan J. Gow PhD, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsS, FHEA Associate Professor in Psychology School of Life Sciences Heriot-Watt University EdinburghMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Alan J. Gow PhD, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsS, FHEA Associate Professor in Psychology School of Life Sciences Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Taylor-Jane Flynn, who conducted the research is a recent graduate in psychology from Heriot-Watt, and is about to commence postgraduate training in Counseling Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Gow: We were interested in exploring how sexual behaviours might be associated with quality of life in older adults. Ms. Taylor-Jane Flynn, who led on the research, noted "There is an abundance of research identifying factors that predict better health and well-being in later life, but sex is one that is under researched." We asked our participants to report the frequency with which they engaged in six sexual behaviours from touching or holding hands to sexual intercourse, and then to also rate how important the behaviours were to them. Our results suggested that how often older adults engaged in sexual behaviours was positively associated with the quality of their social relationships. Interestingly, the importance of these sexual behaviours was found to be positively associated with their psychological quality of life. Our recently published research on how sexual behaviours are associated with quality of life in older adults grew from Taylor-Jane’s work with older adults. She reflected "I found my inspiration for this study while working as a Health Care Assistant caring for older adults. In recent years, many of those who opened up to me on a personal level expressed their need and want to have intimacy and companionship in their lives. However, sex has generally been seen as a taboo subject, especially among older adults. Despite this, older adults shared in our conversations that they miss and want to engage in sexual behaviours, whether that be a kiss to intercourse, and for many these behaviours remained an important element in their life." We were therefore keen to use these anecdotal accounts as a foundation for studying sexual behaviours as one of the many and varied determinants of wellbeing. (more…)
Author Interviews, Probiotics, UC Davis / 20.07.2015

Maria L Marco, PhD Associate Professor Department of Food Science & Technology Davis, CA 95616MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Maria L Marco, PhD Associate Professor Department of Food Science & Technology Davis, CA  95616 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Marco: Probiotics encompass certain strains of bacteria and yeast that when administered alive and in sufficient amounts can confer specific health benefits. Probiotics are increasingly added to foods, beverages, and intestinal supplements for delivery to the digestive tract. (Fermented) dairy products are currently the most popular food carriers for probiotic strains in clinical studies and commercial products. Although microorganisms generally respond quickly and adapt to their surrounding environments (e.g. in foods), the importance of the carrier format on probiotic function in vivo has yet to be systematically and mechanistically investigated. To address this need, we performed a couple studies in rodents to (i) examine whether probiotic Lactobacillus casei produces different proteins during low temperature (refrigeration) incubation in milk and (ii) measure whether incubation in milk is required for L. casei protection against inflammation. We found by shot-gun proteomics that L. casei does adapt for growth and survival in milk by producing a variety of (extra)cellular proteins, even at low-temperatures used to store dairy products prior to consumption. Such exposure of L. casei to milk was also essential for reducing the severity of disease in a mouse model of Ulcerative Colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by continuous inflammation in the large intestine. Consuming milk alone also provided some protection against weight loss and intestinal inflammation in the Ulcerative Colitis mouse model but was not as effective as L. casei and milk in combination. Lastly, the importance of dairy for L. casei in preventing Ulcerative Colitis was confirmed by our findings that L. casei mutants lacking the capacity to synthesize proteins which are selectively produced during low-temperature incubation in milk were also impaired in preventing inflammatory responses in the intestine. (more…)
Author Interviews, BMJ, Nutrition, Weight Research / 20.07.2015

Fumiaki Imamura Ph.D. MRC Epidemiology Unit University of CambridgeMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Fumiaki Imamura Ph.D. MRC Epidemiology Unit University of Cambridge Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Imamura: Soft drink consumption is associated with risk of diabetes, but whether or not the association persists after controlling for obesity status is not known. Diet drinks and fruit juice may be good alternatives to soft drinks. However, while obese individuals may consume diet drinks or fruit juice instead of sugar-sweetened soft drinks, evidence was weak to determine whether or not consuming these beverages is associated with risk of diabetes. (more…)
Author Interviews, OBGYNE, Weight Research / 20.07.2015

Maya Tabet, MS Graduate Research Assistant Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice Department of Epidemiology St. Louis, MO 63104MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Maya Tabet, MS Graduate Research Assistant Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice Department of Epidemiology St. Louis, MO 63104 MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Response: The majority of women in the U.S. have an unhealthy weight before they start pregnancy, most of them being overweight or obese. It is well-known that having an unhealthy weight before pregnancy increases the likelihood of having adverse outcomes for the mother and baby. However, this study is the first to examine the likelihood of adverse outcomes in a second pregnancy among women who had an unhealthy weight before a first pregnancy that had no complications. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings? Response: Our study involved 121,049 women in Missouri who delivered their first 2 singleton pregnancies between 1989 and 2005. Findings revealed that women who were underweight before a first uncomplicated pregnancy had a 20% increased likelihood of having a shorter gestation and a 40% increased likelihood of having a small baby for gestational age in the second pregnancy, as compared to women who had a healthy weight before their first pregnancy. Also, women who were obese before a first uncomplicated pregnancy had a 55% increased likelihood of having a large baby for gestational age, a 156% increased likelihood of having preeclampsia, and an 85% increased likelihood of having a cesarean delivery. Babies born to these women also had a 37% increased likelihood of dying in the first 28 days of their life. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer / 20.07.2015

Niels de Jonge, Ph.D Head of the Innovative Electron Microscopy group German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg University of FreiburgMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Niels de Jonge, Ph.D Head of the Innovative Electron Microscopy group German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg University of Freiburg Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: HER2 membrane proteins play a special role in certain types of breast cancer: amplified levels of HER2 drive unrestricted cell growth. HER2-tailored antibody-based therapeutics aim to prevent cancer cell growth. However, two-thirds of HER2 positive breast cancer patients develop resistance against HER2-targeting drugs. The reason for this is not yet understood. We now found out, that HER2 dimers appeared to be absent from a small sub-population of resting SKBR3 breast cancer cells. This small subpopulation may have self-renewing properties that are resistant to HER2-antibody therapy and thus able to seed new tumor growth. (more…)
Author Interviews, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 20.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Francesco Acciai, Aggie J Noah and Glenn Firebaugh Department of Sociology Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Response: Life expectancy in the United States varies greatly by race. Asian–Americans enjoy the greatest longevity, with a nearly 8 year mortality advantage on whites. This advantage can derive from two separate processes. One, from a more favorable allocation of causes of death (incidence effect); i.e. from the fact that Asians tend to die of causes that strike on average at older ages while avoiding causes of death that afflict the young. Two, they can die of the same causes of death, but at an older age (age effect). By using the age-incidence decomposition method we are able to distinguish and quantify these contributions to the 7.8 year gap in life expectancy between Asians and whites. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings? Response: Nearly 90% (or 6.9 years) of this gap is attributable to the fact that Asians tend to outlive whites regardless of the cause of death (age effect). The causes that contribute the most to the gap are heart disease (24%) and cancers (18%). The incidence effect accounts for the remaining 0.9 years of the Asian-white gap in life expectancy. Moreover, sex-specific analyses show that men contribute somewhat more to the gap than women do (55% vs 45%), primarily because Asian–white differences in mortality are greater among men than among women with respect to suicide, traffic accidents and accidental poisoning. (more…)
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Heart Disease, McGill / 20.07.2015

Christopher Labos MD CM, MSc FRCPC Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health McGill University Montreal, Quebec CanadaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christopher Labos MD CM, MSc FRCPC Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health McGill University Montreal, Quebec Canada Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There have been great advances in the field of genetics in recent years. Especially in cardiology, a number of genetic variants have been identified that are associated with cardiovascular disease. But it is not clear how useful these variants are in terms of predicting future evens in patients that have already suffered a myocardial infarction. What we found in our study is that a genetic risk score composed of the 30 most common genetic variants associated with cardiovascular diseases was not useful in predicting recurrent events in the first year after a patient suffered a myocardial infarction. (more…)
Author Interviews, Beth Israel Deaconess, Diabetes, Heart Disease, University of Michigan / 18.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Venkatesh L. Murthy, MD, PhD, FACC, FASNC University of MichiganVenkatesh L. Murthy, MD, PhD, FACC, FASNC University of Michigan Dr. Ravi Shah MD Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centerand Dr. Ravi Shah MD Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center   MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Response: Recent changes recommend statin therapy for cardiovascular risk reduction in an increasingly large number of Americans. Conversely, a number of studies have identified an increased risk of diabetes with statin treatment. Thus, there is increasing need for tools to target statin therapy to those with a favorable risk-benefit profile. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings? Response: In our study, we analyzed data from 3,153 individuals from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who underwent CT scanning at baseline for assessment of calcium score. The CT scans were analyzed to assess liver attenuation as a measure of the amount of liver fat. We demonstrated that high liver fat doubled the risk of diabetes over a median of 9 years of follow-up. Importantly, statin therapy also doubled the risk of diabetes. The two together had an additive effect, even after adjusting for BMI, age, gender, family history of diabetes, waist circumference, lipids, hsCRP and exercise habits. As in prior studies, the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events increased with increasing calcium score, as has previously been shown in MESA and in other studies. We then divided the cohort into six groups based on calcium score (0, 1-100 and >100) and liver fat (low/high). Using published data from meta-analyses of statin trials, we computed the number needed to treat to prevent one hard CVD event for statin therapy. Using data from our study, we computed the number needed to harm to cause one additional case of diabetes from statin therapy. The numbers needed to treat with ranged from 29-40 for calcium score of >100 to 218-252 for calcium score of 0. Conversely, the numbers needed to harm were approximately 63-68 for those with low liver fat versus 22-24 for those with high liver fat. Thus the combination of calcium score and liver fat assessment, from a single standard calcium score scan, allows for physicians to provide better assessment of risk and benefit of statins in discussion with their patients. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology / 17.07.2015

Adam Friedman, MD, FAADAssociate Professor of Dermatology Residency Program Director Director of Translational Research Department of Dermatology George Washington School of Medicine and Health ScienceMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD Associate Professor of Dermatology Residency Program Director Director of Translational Research Department of Dermatology George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Friedman: Given pruritus is not only a hallmark symptom of atopic dermatitis, and in fact is even part of the diagnostic criteria, we sought to evaluate whether factors known to cause itch or inhibit said pruritogens in other disease states are over or under expressed in skin from patients diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. Over the past 10 years considerable attention has been paid to the complexity of the immune dysregulation and plethora of inflammatory and neurogenic factors involved in the activity and progression of this disease. Our study showed significant differences between atopic dermatitis skin and normal skin.  Specifically, we found significantly elevated levels of several well-known components of both the inflammatory and pruritus cascade including interleukin-2, BLT1 (the receptor for leukotriene B4, recently implicated in atopic dermatitis), 5-lipoxygenase and Matrix Metalloproteinase-7.  Interestingly, for the first time to our knowledge, α-2 macroglobulin, a ubiquitous protein found in the skin that binds a host of proteases, growth factors (TGF-b, PDGF, b-NGF) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1b, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8), was found to be significant unregulated in atopic skin. Because it has a known an important role in the modulation of inflammation, as its binding acts to inhibit the majority of these mediators, this overexpression may in fact be a compensatory mechanism for ongoing disease. Importantly, when activated through chloramination by, for example, bleach, it can very effeectively scavenge these pro-inflammatory mediators. Thus leading to the second goal of this study. One of the driving forces for selecting the various "itch or anti-itch factors" is that all can be augmented by hypochlorous acid, which is what bleach disassociates into when mixed with water. Bleach baths have been used for years as an adjuvant to treatment in atopic dermatitis.  When mixed with water, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCL) produces hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a compound stable between pH 3 and 6. HOCl is known to have antimicrobial properties, and therefore it was believed that bleach baths lowered bacterial burden on the skin and prevented and treated localized skin infections and colonization by organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus. Recent studies have found that HOCl intact has potent anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore we sought to expand this data by evaluating whether factors augmented by HOCl are overexposed in atopic dermatitis skin, giving some insight into how bleach bathes or HOCl products may aid in disease and symptom management. (more…)
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Ophthalmology / 17.07.2015

Professor Robert E MacLaren MB ChB DPhil FRCOphth FRCS Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Moorfields Eye Hospital & UCL NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology London, UK.MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Robert E MacLaren MB ChB DPhil FRCOphth FRCS Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Moorfields Eye Hospital & UCL NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Ophthalmology London, UK.
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Prof. MacLaren: The study shows that gene therapy can be used to release a protein in the eye that arrests the development of retinitis pigmentosa, a blinding disease caused by degeneration of the retina. The study was performed in mice which had a similar genetic defect to that found in humans with the disease. The mice also had fluorescent green “glow in the dark” light sensing cells known as cones, which we could see and count by looking into the eye – like counting stars in the night sky. By counting the green fluorescent cones we were able to work out the exact dose of gene therapy needed to keep these cells alive indefinitely. The study was funded by Fight for Sight, a UK charity that supports finding cures for eye diseases. (more…)
Author Interviews, Fertility, Genetic Research, Science / 17.07.2015

Stephen A. Krawetz, Ph.D. Associate Director C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Charlotte B. Failing Professor of Fetal Therapy and Diagnosis, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Stephen A. Krawetz, Ph.D. Associate Director C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Charlotte B. Failing Professor of Fetal Therapy and Diagnosis, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Krawetz: The current study developed over approximately the past 20 years of work in my laboratory.  In the mid 1990s, along with David Miller, we independently discovered that sperm contain RNA.  This was followed by our joint publication in The Lancet that began to describe the RNAs in normal fertile males along with our paper in Nature that showed that RNA was delivered to the oocyte at fertilization.  Following these studies we assessed the ability of RNAs to be used as markers of morphologically abnormal sperm (teratozoospermia).  My laboratory then had the opportunity to explore the complexity of the population of sperm RNAs using Next Generation Sequencing.   We recently began the translation of this work from the bench to bedside which takes us to the current paper in Science Translational Medicine that was a multi-institutional collaborative effort.  Members of the team include Dr. Meritxell Jodar, Edward Sendler, Robert Goodrich, from my laboratory, along with Dr. Clifford L. Librach, Dr. Sergey I. Moskovtsev, and Sonja Swanson - CReATe Fertility Center, University of Toronto; Dr. Russ Hauser -Harvard University and Dr. Michael P. Diamond, Georgia Regents University. Here we tackled the issue of idiopathic infertility, that is, unknown infertility, since the couple appears normal in all respects.  We specifically framed our study as the contribution of the male and female as a couple towards the birth of a healthy child focusing on male idiopathic infertility within the setting of a Reproductive Clinic.  Representative publications from my laboratory that outline this part of my research program appear below. 1)            Jodar, M., Sendler, E., Moskovtsev, S. Librach, C., Goodrich, R., Swanson, S., Hauser, R., Diamond, M. and Krawetz, S.A. (2015) Absence of sperm RNA elements correlates with idiopathic male infertility. Science Translational Medicine, 7(295):295re6. 2)            Sendler, E., Johnson, G.D., Mao, S., Goodrich, R.J., Diamond, M.P., Hauser, R., and Krawetz, S.A. (2013) Stability, Delivery and Functions of Human Sperm RNAs at Fertilization.  Nucleic Acids Research 41:4104-4117. PMID: 23471003 3)            Platts, A.E., Dix, D. J., Chemes, H.E., Thompson, K.E., Goodrich, R., Rockett, J. C., Rawe, V.Y., Quintana, S., Diamond, M.P., Strader, L.F. and Krawetz, S.A. (2007)  Success and failure in human spermatogenesis as revealed by teratozoospermic RNAs.  Human Molecular Genetics. 16:763-773.  PMID: 17327269 4)            Ostermeier, G.C., Miller, D., Huntriss, J.D., Diamond, M.P. and Krawetz, S.A. (2004) Delivering spermatozoan RNA to the oocyte.  Nature 429:154.  PMID: 15141202 5)            Ostermeier, G.C., Dix, D.J., Miller, D., Khatri, P. and Krawetz, S.A. (2002) Spermatozoal RNA profiles of normal fertile men. The Lancet. 360:773-777.  PMID: 12241836 (more…)
Author Interviews, Clots - Coagulation, Heart Disease, JACC / 17.07.2015

Prof. Johan Bosmans Interventional cardiologist University Hospital Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, BelgiumMedical Research Interview with: Prof. Johan Bosmans Interventional cardiologist University Hospital Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Prof. Bosmans : Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become standard of care for patients who cannot undergo surgery. With this, it is important to ensure that the risks associated with TAVR be fully understood, and if possible prevented. Even at this stage of the adoption of TAVR, large trials continue to provide information to the clinician about how to select the right patients to ensure the best possible outcomes. The ADVANCE Study is a prospective, multicenter study that evaluated the use of TAVR in 1015 patients at 44 experienced TAVR centers, which was designed to reflect routine clinical practice. We know that the risk of serious adverse events, such as stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), in post-TAVR patients can vary based on the timing before and after the procedure. A patient’s baseline demographics and medical history can affect their risk of procedure-related events as well as long-term outcomes. The manipulations required crossing the aortic valve and appropriately positioning any type of TAV has been thought to be related to procedural stroke events. Therefore, we performed a multivariable analysis looking for predictors of stroke – or stroke and TIA at 3 unique time periods (periprocedural, early and late) following TAVR. The most striking result from our analyses was that we were not able to identify any predictors of periprocedural (either during the procedure or on the day after) stroke, illustrating this very multifactorial etiology. We were able to show that being female, experiencing acute kidney injury or a major vascular complication positively predicted stroke during the early (2-30 days post procedure) time period. When we combined the outcome of stroke or TIA, we found that a history of prior atrial fibrillation (AF) was also a predictor. The only late predictor (day 31-730 post-procedure) of stroke was a history of coronary artery bypass grafting, which could reflect the patients’ risk of vascular disease. (more…)
Author Interviews, Education, Electronic Records, PLoS, UCSF / 17.07.2015

Dr. Courtney Lyles Ph.D. Assistant Professor UCSF School of MedicineMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Courtney Lyles Ph.D. Assistant Professor UCSF School of Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Lyles: In our commentary (http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001852), we describe the Meaningful Use program sponsored by the federal government to incentivize healthcare systems to implement electronic health records (EHRs).  This Meaningful Use program also includes financial incentives for healthcare systems who can get substantial proportions of their patient population to access their electronic health records – that is, by logging into an online patient portal website to view medical information like lab results or immunization lists or to perform a healthcare task like requesting a medication refill or messaging their provider.  Because there are billions of dollars at stake in this program for EHR implementation, there is a lot of attention on this issue right now.  Many thought leaders are discussing how we can transform healthcare by digitizing medical information and connecting with patients in their everyday life outside of office or hospital visits.  Portals are key to a lot of changes we might make in healthcare delivery in an attempt to increase convenience and satisfaction for patients.  Perhaps most importantly, these online portal websites are also one of the first health technologies that will be relatively uniformly distributed across healthcare settings, from private doctor’s offices to public clinics/hospitals serving vulnerable patient populations. However, our main message is that we in the medical and healthcare fields should be paying more attention to how patients are able to understand and use the information provided through portal websites.  There is a lot of evidence that patients who have lower education/income, are from racial/ethnic minority groups, or have limited health literacy are significantly less likely to use the existing portal websites.  There is also evidence that portal websites are not extremely usable or accessible, which is an additional barrier for those with communication barriers like lower literacy or limited English proficiency.  Therefore, we don’t want widespread EHR implementation to result in only the most well-resourced individuals gaining the potential benefits of portal access. (more…)
Author Interviews, PLoS, Toxin Research, University of Pennsylvania / 17.07.2015

Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr., M.D. Robert L. Mayock and David A. Cooper Professor of Medicine Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division Director, Airways Biology Initiative Deputy Director, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology Adjunct Professor, Wistar Institute Philadelphia, PA 19104-3413MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr., M.D. Robert L. Mayock and David A. Cooper Professor of Medicine Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division Director, Airways Biology Initiative Deputy Director, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology Adjunct Professor, Wistar Institute Philadelphia, PA  19104-3413 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Panettieri: Over the past ten years in the US, unconventional gas and oil drilling (hydraulic fracturing) to generate natural gas has markedly increased.  In areas with hydraulic fracturing, there is a large increase in truck traffic, noise and potential air and water pollution.  Accordingly, residents may experience health consequences from such exposures.  We questioned whether proximity to active wells increases hospitalization rates in residents.  To address this question, we reviewed all hospitalizations in two counties in Pennsylvania, namely, Bradford and Susquehanna Counties, that experienced a meteoric increase in active wells.  In comparison, Wayne County, where there is a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, is demographically identical to Bradford and Susquehanna Counties and served as a control population.  Having examined the 25 most common reasons for admission to the hospital, we determined that cardiovascular hospitalizations as well as neurologic, dermatologic and cancer hospitalizations were associated with living closer to active wells.  These data represent some of the first studies to associate active well drilling with hospitalizations in the United States. (more…)
Author Interviews, BMJ, Clots - Coagulation / 17.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Byung-Joo Park, MD, MPH, PhD Professor Department of Preventive Medicine Seoul National University College of Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Antidepressants and NSAIDs are each thought to increase the risk of abnormal bleeding.  However, previous studies found neither antidepressants nor NSAIDs alone to be associated with an increased risk of intracranial haemorrhage.  Our research found that combined use of NSADIs in antidepressant users showed the increased relative risk of intracranial haemorrhage risk within the initial 30-days of combined use. (more…)
AHRQ, Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care / 17.07.2015

  H. Joanna Jiang, Ph.D. Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: H. Joanna Jiang, Ph.D. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Jiang: A large proportion of health care resources in the United States are consumed by a relatively small number of individuals, who have been dubbed super-utilizers. Approximately 25% of U.S. health care expenses are incurred by 1% of the U.S. population, and 50% of expenses are incurred by 5% of the population. Our study found that across all types of payers of medical care (Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance), super-utilizers on average had approximately 4 times as many hospital stays as other patients, and the 30-day hospital readmission rate for super-utilizers was 4 to 8 times higher than for other patients. Among Medicaid and privately insured patients, super-utilizers had longer hospital stays and higher average hospital costs than other patients. We also found that patients with multiple chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and congestive heart failure, accounted for a greater share of hospital stays among super-utilizers than among other hospitalized patients. Mental health and substance use disorders were among the top 10 principal diagnoses for super-utilizers aged 1 to 64 years regardless of payer. (more…)
Author Interviews, Lancet, Lymphoma / 17.07.2015

MedicalRDr Yeow Tee Goh Department of Haematology Singapore General Hospital Republic of Singaporeesearch.com Interview with: Dr Yeow Tee Goh MBBS Department of Haematology Singapore General Hospital Republic of Singapore Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Goh: Relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma after conventional chemotherapy is associated with a very poor prognosis and there is currently no recommendation on the standard approach to helping these patients. Novel targeted treatments for relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma such as romidepsin, pralatrexate, belinostat, and brentuximab vedotin has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on the results of their Phase II studies. With the exception of the remarkable efficacy of brentuximab vedotin in systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (86% of patients responding to treatment), the efficacy of romidepsin, pralatrexate, and belinostat in relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma is only modest with objective response rates between 25% and 29%. To our knowledge, no other clinical study has reported on the use of novel combination of targeted agents in in relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma. In our study, Of 23 patients assessable for responses, 10 (43%, 95% CI 23–63) patients had an objective response, of which 5 were complete responses. The combined proteasome and histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment shows promising activity for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma. (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Lifestyle & Health / 17.07.2015

Carl "Chip" Lavie MD, FACC FACP, FCCP Medical Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention Director, Exercise Laboratories John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute Professor of Medicine Ochsner Clinical School-UQ School of Medicine Editor-in-Chief, Progress in Cardiovascular DiseasesMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Carl "Chip"  Lavie MD, FACC FACP, FCCP Medical  Director, Cardiac  Rehabilitation and Prevention Director, Exercise Laboratories John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute Professor of Medicine Ochsner Clinical  School-UQ School of Medicine Editor-in-Chief, Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Lavie: This was a review of the literature on this topic.The main findings are that various lifestyle choices, including obesity,  hypertension, metabolic syndrome/diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea , moderate and  high alcohol intakes, and sedentary lifestyle but also very high exercise doses are all associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). (more…)
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Surgical Research, Yale / 17.07.2015

John A. Elefteriades, MD William W.L. Glenn Professor of Surgery Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Director, Aortic Institute at Yale-New Haven Yale University School of MedicineMedicalResearch.com Interview with: John A. Elefteriades, MD William W.L. Glenn Professor of Surgery Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Director, Aortic Institute at Yale-New Haven Yale University School of Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Elefteriades: The race to map the human genome was declared completed in 2003, at a cost of 3 billion dollars for the international collaborative university group and 300 million dollars for Craig Venter at Celera. Whole exome sequencing can now be performed at a cost of only several thousand dollars per individual. So, whole exome sequencing (also called Next Generation Sequencing) can now be applied to understand and treat diseases of many organ systems. In this study, we applied whole exome sequencing to study over 100 patients with thoracic aneurysm. In the late 1990s, both Dr. Diana Milewicz in Texas and our group at Yale had determined that many thoracic aortic aneurysms were genetically transmitted. Dr. Milewicz went on to identify many of the causative mutations. In this study, we were able to look, by whole exome sequencing performed on saliva, for all 21 mutations known to cause thoracic aortic aneurysm--all at one time in one comprehensive genetic test. We were able to protect patients with the most serious discovered mutations by early surgery, the need for which could not otherwise have been apparent.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Obstructive Sleep Apnea / 17.07.2015

Sunil Sharma, M.D Associate professor of pulmonary medicine Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson UniversityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sunil Sharma, M.D Associate professor of pulmonary medicine Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Sharma: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder with significant cardiovascular implications. In this condition the patient may repeatedly quit breathing during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times, leading to loss of oxygen and frequent arousals throughout the night. OSA has been associated with high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and stroke, among other conditions. While overall awareness is improving, the condition is under-recognized in hospitalized patients. Due to multiple co-morbid conditions these patients may be at higher risk for complications. Recent studies have also shown that early recognition of OSA in hospitalized patients may reduce readmission rates. In our study, we used a simple and cost-effective clinical pathway to determine high-risk patients. Of the 149 patient's determined to be high risk by our protocol, 128 (87%) were confirmed with the diagnosis by a polysomnography (gold standard test). Furthermore, data derived from a simple and cost-effective oxygen measuring device (pulse-oximeter) was found to co-relate well with the polysomnography.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Technology / 17.07.2015

Adam Friedman, MD, FAADAssociate Professor of Dermatology Residency Program Director Director of Translational Research Department of Dermatology George Washington School of Medicine and Health ScienceMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD Associate Professor of Dermatology Residency Program Director Director of Translational Research Department of Dermatology George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Friedman: Acne vulgaris is one of the most  common skin disease that affects approximately 40-50 million people in the United States.    Acne’s multifactorial etiology, resulting from a mix of androgen-induced elevations in sebum production, abnormal follicular epithelial desquamation and proliferation, hypercolonization of Propionibacterium acnes and host inflammatory reactions, make treatment often times challenging. In looking at the topical therapeutic armament for Acne Vulgaris, which includes benzoyl peroxide, salicyclic acid, topical antibiotics such as clindamycin, and retinoids, all suffer from various related side effects including irritation, erythema, dryness, peeling and scaling, bacterial resistance, and resulting dyschromia from the associated irritation in patients of darker skin types. These adverse events often serve as major limiting factors influencing patient compliance and ultimately impacting efficacy. Therefore new treatments which target all of the complexities of acne are needed, especially given we have not had anything really new brought to market in years. Here, we looked to biology for the answer. Our bodies generate Nitric Oxide, a diatomic lipid loving gaseous molecule, to perform a broad range of biological activities, including but not limited to killing bacteria/fungi/viruses  and inhibiting inflammation - key elements in Acne. Its action however is very short lived and therefore using Nitric Oxide as a treatment is difficult as one would need a delivery system that would allow for continued and controlled release. Enter nanotechnology. We designed exceedingly small particles (of note, 1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter) which allow for the generation of nitric oxide gas from nitrite salt, and will only release the gas when exposed to moisture over time. The size of the particles also enables them to better interact with their environment, i.e. cells, pathogens, improving their activity as compared to large sized treatments In this study, we showed that the nitric oxide generating/releasing nano particles effectively killed the organism, P. acnes but was not toxic to both human skin cells and a live vertebrae model (embryonic zebra fish). More importantly, we found that the nano particles inhibits the activation of a newly recognized but exceedingly important inflammatory pathway that is directly tied to the formation of an acne lesion, called the NLRP3 inflammasome. Research has shown that our bodies already regulate this pathway with nitric oxide, and therefore once again, we are looking to biology for answers. As opposed to a drug that may only have one target, the nanoparticles inhibited multiple components/elements of the inflammasome pathway, giving some insight into its potential as a treatment for acne as well as other inflammatory diseases. (more…)
Author Interviews / 17.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Patrick O’Neill CASIS Communications Manager and Tara Ruttley Ph.D. NASA Staff Scientist NASA Office of the Chief Scientist Editor’s note: CASIS, the four year old Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, presented an informative update and display at the Biotech Conference 2015, in Philadelphia June 2015. CASIS, the manager of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory, facilitates space-based research for the good of mankind. To accomplish it’s goal of ‘driving scientific inquiry toward developing groundbreaking new technologies and products’, CASIS has at its disposal Seed Money, Expertise, Access to Launch, Administrative Support and Educational Outreach. Mr. O’Neill and Dr. Ruttley spoke with MedicalResearch.com about the work CASIS is doing and the opportunities CASIS is creating for entrepreneurs, educators and scientists. CASIS Laboratory in Space Station               MedicalResearch: Why don’t you tell us a little about the background for CASIS? Response: The mission of NASA is space exploration, while the complementary mission of CASIS is to use ISS (the International Space Station) to better life on earth. CASIS is the non-profit arm of NASA that recruits, selects and manages the scientific research projects conducted on the space station.     (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Nutrition / 16.07.2015

Dr. Vincent L. Cryns MD Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Department of Medicine University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Madison, WisconsinMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Vincent L. Cryns MD Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Department of Medicine University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Madison, Wisconsin Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Cryns: It’s been known for quite some time that many tumors are highly vulnerable to deficiencies in certain amino acids such as methionine, causing tumor cells to stop growing or die. What’s been missing is a molecular explanation for these effects that would allow us incorporate this approach into a rationally designed clinical trial. In our work, we have demonstrated that “starving” triple-negative breast cancer cells of methionine uncovers a “fatal flaw” by increasing the expression of a cell death receptor (TRAIL-R2) that we can activate with a therapeutic antibody to efficiently kill the tumor cells. What’s especially exciting is that we can use a specific diet to metabolically prime cancer cells to respond to a targeted cancer therapy. (more…)
Author Interviews, CDC, Endocrinology, JCEM / 16.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Hubert W. Vesper, PhD Director, Clinical Standardization Programs in the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Co-author, “Measuring Estrogen Exposure and Metabolism: Workshop Recommendations on Clinical Issues” Co-chair of the PATH Steering Committee Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Vesper: Accurate data on estrogen levels are needed to ensure appropriate and effective patient care. Research studies found high inaccuracies among different estrogen tests, especially at low estrogen levels commonly observed in postmenopausal women, men and children. Accurate estrogen measurements can be achieved through standardization. Stakeholders should support standardization efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or alternative strategies to arrive at estrogen measurement methods that are accuracy-based and reliable. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer Research / 16.07.2015

Dr-Haining-Yang MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Haining Yang MD Ph.D Associate Professor Thoracic Oncology Program University of Hawaii Cancer Center University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Yang: Mesothelioma is often caused by asbestos and other carcinogenic mineral fibers.  When these fibers lodge in the pleura, mesothelial cells and macrophages try to phagocytize and eliminate them. However, asbestos is very bio-persistent and cannot be eliminated, which caused cells undergoing programmed necrosis that leads to the release of HMGB1 into the extracellular space.  HMGB1 is a damage-associated molecular pattern molecule (DAMP) that causes inflammation. Asbestos exposure induces HMGB1 release and chronic inflammatory process that overtime may lead to malignancy.  Mesothelioma cells develop out of an environment that is rich in HMGB1 and are often dependent on HMGB1 for their own growth.  In fact, most mesothelioma cells actively secrete HMGB1 extra-cellularly to promote their own tumor growth.  Accordingly HMGB1 levels are high in the serum of mesothelioma patients (reviewed in Yang and Carbone, Clinical Cancer Res 2013).  We tested several anti-inflammatory agents to see if we were able to reduce HMGB1-induced mesothelioma cell growth, and none of them worked except for aspirin, that led us to conduct a series of experiments in vitro and in vivo to test the hypothesis that aspirin inhibits HMGB1 activities, and that by doing so, inhibits mesothelioma growth. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Yang:  We found that aspirin inhibits the growth of human mesothelioma cells in a xenograft model, moreover in vitro experiments demonstrated that this effects was specifically mediated via inhibition of HMGB1 and not via COX2 inhibition.  We propose that the so far enigmatic anticancer activity of aspirin is mediated, at least partially, via inhibition of HMGB1, and that aspirin may help delay the onset of mesothelioma and may help inhibit the growth of mesothelioma. (more…)
CDC, Nutrition / 15.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Latetia V. Moore Ph.D. MSPH Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Moore: For this study, CDC researchers analyzed the average daily fruit and vegetable intake from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) and the percent of each state’s population meeting fruit and vegetable intake recommendations.  BRFSS is the sole source of dietary information (systematic surveillance) for most states. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Moore: Researchers found that in every state less than 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. are consuming enough fruits and about 1 in 10 are consuming enough vegetables. Estimates ranged from 8% meeting fruit recommendations in Tennessee up to 18% in California, and for vegetables from 6% in Mississippi to 13% in California. (more…)
Author Interviews, Compliance, Cost of Health Care, Emergency Care, Primary Care, UCSD / 15.07.2015

Nadereh Pourat, PhD Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Adjunct Professor, UCLA School of Dentistry Director of Research, UCLA Center for Health Policy ResearchMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nadereh Pourat, PhD Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Adjunct Professor, UCLA School of Dentistry Director of Research, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Pourat: We have succeeded to insure most of the uninsured population in the U.S., but now have to figure out how to reduce costs while improving health. We had the opportunity to examine the role of continuity with a primary care provider, which is one of the pathways that looked promising in improving health and reducing costs. We were evaluating a major demonstration program in California called the Health Care Coverage Initiative (HCCI) and one of the participating counties implemented a policy to increase adherence by only paying for visits if patients went to their assigned providers. We examined what happened to patients who always or sometimes adhered to their provider versus those who never adhered. We found that adherence or continuity reduced emergency department use and hospitalizations. This would lead to savings because of the high costs of these services. Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report? Dr. Pourat: The study shows that both patients and clinicians would benefit from continuity with the primary care provider. Clinicians can actually make a difference in helping patients: they can teach patients about self-care and help them manage their conditions better. Patients would benefit from following through with treatment plans and experience less medical error and duplication of services which are potentially harmful. Continuity fosters rapport and trust between patients and providers and can be beneficial to both. (more…)
Author Interviews, Emergency Care, FDA, Opiods, Pharmacology / 15.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christopher M. Jones, Pharm D., M.P.H Senior advisor, Office of Public Health Strategy and Analysis Office of the Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Jones: Opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines are the two most common drug classes involved in prescription drug overdose deaths. In 2010, 75% of prescription drug overdose deaths involved opioid analgesics and 29% involved benzodiazepines. Opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines are also the most common drugs associated with emergency department visits due to nonmedical use of prescription drugs. Combined opioid and benzodiazepine use has been suggested as a risk factor for overdose death. Opioids and benzodiazepines have complex drug interactions and in combination can result in synergistic respiratory depression, but the exact mechanisms by which benzodiazepines worsen opioid-related respiratory depression are not fully understood. Widespread co-use of benzodiazepines and opioids has been documented in both chronic pain and addiction treatment settings. Studies suggest that among patients who receive long-term opioids for chronic non-cancer pain, 40% or more also use benzodiazepines. Among patients who abuse opioids, benzodiazepine abuse also is prevalent, and co-users report using benzodiazepines to enhance opioid intoxication. This study builds on the prior literature by analyzing trends on how the combined use of opioids and benzodiazepines in the U.S. contributes to the serious adverse outcomes of nonmedical use–related ED visits and drug overdose deaths. A better understanding of the consequences of co-use of these medications will help identify at-risk populations, inform prevention efforts, and improve the risk–benefit balance of these medications. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Jones: From 2004 to 2011, the rate of nonmedical use–related Emergency Department visits involving both opioid analgesics and benzodiazepines increased from 11.0 to 34.2 per 100,000 population. During the same period, drug overdose deaths involving both drugs increased from 0.6 to 1.7 per 100,000. Statistically significant increases in Emergency Department visits occurred among males and females, non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics, and all age groups except 12–17-year-olds. For overdose deaths, statistically significant increases were seen in males and female, all three race/ethnicity groups, and all age groups except 12–17-year-olds. Benzodiazepine involvement in opioid analgesic overdose deaths increased each year, increasing from 18% of opioid analgesic overdose deaths in 2004 to 31% in 2011. (more…)