Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Colon Cancer, Erasmus, Sloan Kettering / 03.06.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Frank van Hees MSc Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Ann G. Zauber PhD Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The main finding of our study is that colorectal cancer screening of individuals without previous screening is worthwhile well beyond age 75, which is the recommended age to stop screening in individuals with an adequate screening history. The exact age up to which screening should be considered in unscreened elderly depends on an individual's health status: in healthy individuals screening remains worthwhile up to age 86, whereas in individuals with a severe illness, such as heart failure, screening remains worthwhile up to age 80. (more…)
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Heart Disease, Lancet / 03.06.2014

​MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Eleni Rapsomaniki, PhD The Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research Department of Epidemiology & Public Health University College London London MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Rapsomaniki: Our data shows that hypertension is associated with considerable reduction in CVD-free life expectancy. Based on our estimates a 30-year old with hypertension suffered from CVD 5 years earlier compared to a similarly aged individual with normal blood pressure. We noted substantial heterogeneity in the associations of blood pressure with specific cardiovascular outcomes. For example a 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure was associated with ~40% higher risk of stable angina, and intracerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage but less than 10% increase in risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm. In all age groups from 30 to over 80 people with a systolic blood pressure 90–114 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure of 60–74 mm Hg had the lowest risk of all cardiovascular diseases, and we found no J-shape associations. (more…)
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, OBGYNE / 02.06.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with : Dr. Francesco FiorentinoMedicalResearch.com Interview with : Dr. Francesco Fiorentino CEO and Lab Director ROME - ITALY MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Fiorentino: This study describes findings from first and second of a three-phase strategy to validate the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for comprehensive aneuploidy screening, as a preclinical step toward its routine use in the diagnosis of chromosomal aneuploidy on embryos. The first phase  involved a large preclinical validation study on single cells, and demonstrated that the NGS-based 24-aneuploidy screening protocol was accurate and reliable. The results provided 100% consistency for aneuploid embryo call with array-CGH, the highly validated method of aneuploidy screening. The second phase of the study, instead, focused on the clinical application of the NGS-based protocol for the detection of all chromosomes in embryos. A prospective trial involving analysis of human embryos at the blastocyst stage of development was designed for this purpose, in order to establish similar levels of chromosome-specific NGS copy number assignment concordance compared with 24sure array as those observed in the first phase of the study. Consistency of NGS-based aneuploidy detection was assessed matching the results obtained with array-CGH–based diagnoses, Embryos obtained from 55 consecutive clinical PGS cycles, blindly assessed in parallel with both NGS and array-CGH techniques, displayed 100% concordance for aneuploid embryo call. Consistency obtained during this investigation was similar to those obtained in the first phase of the study that used NGS to examine single cell samples, demonstrating the reliability of the NGS-based method in detection of chromosome aneuploidy also in embryos at blastocyst stage derived from clinical preimplantation genetic screening (PGS)  cycles. The clinical outcomes obtained in this study from preimplantation genetic screening cycles performed with the NGS approach were very encouraging, resulting in a clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer of 63.8% (mean age 38.5+2.1 years) and an ongoing implantation rate of 64.0%, values that are comparable with recent results from other comprehensive chromosome screening approaches. In conclusion, the results achieved in this study demonstrate the reliability of the NGS-based protocol for detection of whole chromosome aneuploidies, mosaicism occurrences and segmental changes in embryos. (more…)
Author Interviews, Lancet, Weight Research / 01.06.2014

Rhonda Stewart Senior Communications Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation  Seattle, WA 98121, USAMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rhonda Stewart Senior Communications Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Seattle, WA 98121, USA MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Globally, obesity has become a public health epidemic. Obesity is affecting not just developed countries, but developing countries as well. Almost one-third of the world’s population, over 2 billion people, are considered to be overweight or obese. Of this group, nearly two-thirds (62%) are in developing countries. If current trends continue, this number will continue to rise. Between 1980 and 2013, the prevalence of overweight or obesity for children and adolescents increased by nearly 50%. This study is the first analysis of global trends on obesity and covers more than 30 years and 188 countries. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer, Cancer Research / 01.06.2014

Recinda L Sherman, MPH, PhD, CTR Program Manager, Data Use & Research North America Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR)MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Recinda L Sherman, MPH, PhD, CTR Program Manager, Data Use & Research North America Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR)   MedicalResearch: What is the context of the study? Dr. Sherman:
  • It has long been known that poverty is associated with adverse health conditions. In general, increasing poverty results in higher disease rates and higher mortality.
  • This study assessed the relationship between poverty and cancer incidence using national cancer data on nearly 3 million tumors from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).
  • Cancer registries do not collect economic information on cancer patients, so we used an area-based social measure: % of persons living below poverty within a census tract. This measure is a proxy for an individual’s economic status and also gives insight into the type of neighborhood in which an individual lives.
(more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Ophthalmology / 01.06.2014

Reed Jost, MS Retina Foundation of the Southwest 9600 N Central Expwy, Suite 200 Dallas, TX 75231MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Reed Jost, MS Retina Foundation of the Southwest 9600 N Central Expwy, Suite 200 Dallas, TX 75231   MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Commercially available automated screening devices assess refractive risk factors, not amblyopia or strabismus, resulting in under-referral of affected children and over-referral of healthy children to pediatric eye care professionals. The Pediatric Vision Scanner is a binocular retinal birefringence scanner that directly detects strabismus and amblyopia by analyzing binocular scans for the presence or absence of birefringence, which is characteristic of steady, bifoveal fixation. We found that the Pediatric Vision Scanner outperformed an automated, refractive error screener (SureSight Autorefractor) in a cohort of 300 patients (2-6 years) tested in a pediatric ophthalmology setting. Compared to the SureSight, the Pediatric Vision Scanner had significantly higher sensitivity and higher specificity in the detection of strabismus and amblyopia. (more…)
Author Interviews, General Medicine, JAMA / 01.06.2014

Dr David A Hanauer MD MS Department of Pediatrics University of Michigan Medical School Ann Arbor, MIMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr David A Hanauer MD MS Department of Pediatrics University of Michigan Medical School Ann Arbor, MI MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study Dr. Hanauer: The main findings of our study were that: (1) Awareness and usage of rating sites for physicians appears to be growing, (2) The public is using these sites to make decisions about selecting (or avoiding) a physician, and (3) The percentage of people leaving ratings is still low (about 5%) suggesting that the results may not be representative of the majority of patient experiences. (more…)
Addiction, Author Interviews, JAMA, Pharmacology / 31.05.2014

Theodore J. Cicero, PhD Professor, Vice Chairman for Research Department of Psychiatry Washington University in St Louis St Louis, MissouriMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Theodore J. Cicero, PhD Professor, Vice Chairman for Research Department of Psychiatry Washington University in St Louis St Louis, Missouri MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Cicero: Heroin users nowadays are predominantly white men and women in their late 20s living outside large urban areas who were first introduced to opioids through prescription drugs compared to the 1960s when heroin users tended to be young urban men whose opioid abuse started with heroin. (more…)
Author Interviews, Endocrinology, JCEM / 31.05.2014

Prof. Stefano Palomba Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro Catanzaro, ItalyMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Stefano Palomba Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro Catanzaro, Italy MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Palomba: Our study demonstrates that simple markers of inflammation, commonly detectable in clinical practice with commercial kits, are significantly modified in women with PCOS during pregnancy and associated at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy in the same population with PCOS. (more…)
Author Interviews, General Medicine / 30.05.2014

Mark A D’Andrea, MD, FACRO University Cancer and Diagnostic Centers Houston, TexasMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Mark A D’Andrea, MD, FACRO University Cancer and Diagnostic Centers Houston, Texas   MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. D’Andrea: Crude oil spills affect the human health through their exposure to the inherent hazardous chemicals such as para-phenols and volatile benzene. Human exposure to crude oil spills is associated with multiple adverse health effects including hematopoietic, hepatic, renal, and pulmonary abnormalities. In this study, we assessed the hematological and liver function indices among the subjects participated in the Gulf oil spill clean-up operations along the coast of Louisiana. The findings were compared with the standardized normal range reference values. We found that over 77% of subjects had WBC counts in the mid range (6 - 10X 103 per mL) while none of the subjects had upper limit of the normal range (11 X 103 per mL). Similar pattern was seen in the platelet counts and BUN levels among the oil spill exposed subjects. Conversely, over 70% of the subjects had creatinine levels toward upper limit of the normal and 23% of subjects had creatinine levels above the upper limit of the normal range (> 1.3 mg per dL). Similarly, hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were toward the upper limit of the normal in more than two-third of the subjects. Aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase levels above the upper limit of normal range (> 40 IU per L) were seen in 15% and 31% of subjects, respectively. Over 80% of subjects had urinary phenol levels more than detectable levels (2 mg per L). (more…)
Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, University of Pittsburgh / 30.05.2014

Yael Schenker, MD, MAS Assistant Professor Division of General Internal Medicine Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA  15213 MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Yael Schenker, MD, MAS Assistant Professor Division of General Internal Medicine Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA  15213 MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?  Dr. Schenker: We analyzed the content of cancer center advertisements placed in top TV and magazine media markets in 2012.  Out of 1427 advertisements that met our initial search criteria, we found 409 unique advertisements that promoted clinical services at 102 cancer centers across the country.  These advertisements promoted cancer treatments (88%) more often than cancer screening (18%) or supportive services (13%).  Provision of information about clinical services was scant. For example, 27% of advertisements mentioned a benefit of advertised services and 2% quantified these benefits.  2% mentioned a risk of advertised services and no advertisements quantified these risks.  5% mentioned costs or insurance coverage and no advertisements mentioned availability under specific insurance plans.  In contrast, use of emotional appeals was frequent (85%).  Emotional appeals commonly evoked hope for survival, focused on treatment advances, used fighting language, and/or evoked fear.  Nearly half of all advertisements included patient testimonials, overwhelmingly focused on stories about survival or cure.  Only 15% of testimonials included a disclaimer (for example, “most patients do not experience these results”) and none described the outcome that a typical patient may expect. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Pediatrics, Pulmonary Disease / 29.05.2014

Susan Wu MD Division of Hospital Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Susan Wu MD Division of Hospital Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Wu: We performed a randomized trial at 2 urban free-standing children's hospitals, comparing inhaled 3% hypertonic saline to 0.9% normal saline in patients under 24 months with bronchiolitis. Patients with prematurity less than 34 weeks, cyanotic heart disease, chronic pulmonary disease, and previous episodes of wheezing or bronchodilator use were excluded. Patients were 4 mL of study medication nebulized up to 3 times in the emergency department; if admitted, patients continued to receive the assigned study medication three times a day until discharge. A total of 408 patients were analyzed. We found that 28.9% of patients treated with hypertonic saline required hospital admission, compared with 42.6% of patients in the normal saline group. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Neurological Disorders, Pediatrics / 29.05.2014

Kimford J. Meador, MD Professor Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences Stanford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA 94305-5235.MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kimford J. Meador, MD Professor Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences Stanford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA 94305-5235. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Meador: Breastfeeding while taking antiepileptic drugs does not appear to pose a risk to the child's development, and in fact the cognitive outcomes were better for those children who were breastfed vs. those were not. (more…)
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Pharmacology / 29.05.2014

MedicalResearch Interview with: Dr. Valeria Pechtner Medical Advisor, Lilly Diabetes MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Pechtner: Used as monotherapy, once-weekly dulaglutide resulted in significant, sustained glycemic lowering, as measured by HbA1c change from baseline. Both the 1.5 mg and the 0.75 mg dose were superior to metformin at the primary endpoint of 26 weeks. At 52 weeks, dulaglutide 1.5 mg continued to demonstrate superiority to metformin, with dulaglutide 0.75 mg showing non-inferiority. In addition, a majority of patients in all arms achieved the American Diabetes Association’s recommended HbA1c target of less than 7 percent, with more patients achieving this goal in the dulaglutide groups at the 26-week endpoint, and more patients achieving the target in the dulaglutide 1.5 mg group at the 52 week timepoint. Additionally, dulaglutide 1.5 mg and metformin resulted in similar weight loss. The tolerability and safety profile was comparable for both medications. (more…)
Author Interviews, Stem Cells / 29.05.2014

Anna Philpott, Ph.D. University of Cambridge, Department of Oncology, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Hills Road Cambridge UK MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Anna Philpott, Ph.D. University of Cambridge, Department of Oncology, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Hills Road Cambridge UK MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Philpott: A group of proteins known as transcription factors that control gene expression regulate production and maturation of nerve cells during embryonic development. Recently, it was found that by adding these proteins to skin cells, they can be reprogrammed to produce nerves, which can then be used to model human conditions such as Parkinsons Disease and Alzheimers. These cells are known as induced neurons, or iN cells. However, this method generates a low number of cells, and those that are produced are not fully functional, which is a requirement in order to be useful models of disease: for example, cortical neurons for stroke, or motor neurons for motor neuron disease.  When cells are dividing, we found that transcription factors are modified by the addition of phosphate molecules, a process known as phosphorylation, and this can limit how well cells convert to mature nerves. By engineering proteins that cannot be modified by phosphate and adding them to human cells, we found we could produce nerve cells that were significantly more mature, and therefore more useful as models for disease such as Alzeheimers and Parkinsons. (more…)
Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, BMJ, Geriatrics / 29.05.2014

Mary W. Carter, Ph.D. Gerontology Program Director Towson University Towson, MD 21252-0001MedicalResearch.com Interview Invitation Mary W. Carter, Ph.D. Gerontology Program Director Towson University Towson, MD 21252-0001 MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Carter: Nearly 1 in 5 older adults experienced at least one severe medical injury during the five-year study period, and more than half of these occurred in an ambulatory care setting (i.e., not in the hospital).  Older adults that were in poorer health and who had greater levels of disability had the greatest risk.  Mortality rates were nearly twice as high among older adults experiencing a medical injury in comparison with otherwise similar older adults not experiencing a medical injury. Among survivors, the impact of medical injury was observed for extended periods of time, reflecting increased medical use and costs associated with medical injury. (more…)
Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Hepatitis - Liver Disease, OBGYNE, Vaccine Studies / 29.05.2014

Ai Kubo, MPH PhD Kaiser Permanente Division of Research 2000 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ai Kubo, MPH PhD Kaiser Permanente Division of Research 2000 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612 MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Kubo: The main findings of the study are three folds: 1)  The CDC guideline works for the majority of infants in preventing vertical transmission, if the immunizations are done according to the recommended schedule. 2) It takes an organized effort to case-manage each mother-infant pairs in order to achieve almost complete immunization rates and very low transmission rates. 3) Highest risk group was mothers with extremely high viral load and e-antigen positivity.  This group of women may benefit from additional therapy to prevent the vertical transmission. However, for others, the risk of transmission is extremely low as long as the infants are immunized according to the guideline. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, General Medicine / 29.05.2014

Alai Tan, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Institute for Translational Science Dept. of Preventive Medicine & Community Health University of Texas Medical BranchMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Alai Tan, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Institute for Translational Science Dept. of Preventive Medicine & Community Health University of Texas Medical Branch MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Tan: We found that substantial proportions of women with limited life expectancy receive screening mammography. The screening rates were higher among women who saw more than one generalist physician and who had more visits to generalist physicians. The screening rates were higher among U.S. hospital referral regions with more primary care physicians, mammography facilities and radiologists. (more…)
Addiction, Author Interviews, JAMA, Neurological Disorders / 28.05.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with Dr. Edythe  D.London PhD Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Dr. Edythe  D.London PhD Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. London: Brain function related to risky decision-making was different in stimulant users  (methamphetamine users) than in healthy control subjects. In healthy controls, activation in the prefrontal cortex (right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) during risk-taking in the laboratory was sensitive to the level of risk. This sensitivity of cortical activation was weaker in stimulant users, who instead had a stronger sensitivity of striatum activation. The groups also differed in circuit-level activity (network activity) when they were not performing a task but were “at rest.”  Stimulant users showed greater connectivity within the mesocorticolimbic system, a target of abused drugs. This connectivity was negatively related to sensitivity in the prefrontal cortex to risk during risky decision-making. In healthy control subjects, connectivity between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and striatum was positively related to sensitivity of prefrontal cortical activation to risk during risky decision-making. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, Hearing Loss, JAMA, Pediatrics / 28.05.2014

William Kronenberger, Ph.D., HSPP Professor and Director, Section of Psychology Acting Vice Chair of Administration Department of Psychiatry Indiana University School of Medicine Riley Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ClinicMedicalResearch.com Interview with: William Kronenberger, Ph.D., HSPP Professor and Director, Section of Psychology Acting Vice Chair of Administration Department of Psychiatry Indiana University School of Medicine Riley Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Kronenberger: The main findings of the study are that children with cochlear implants had two to five times the risk of delays in executive functioning compared to children with normal hearing.  Executive functioning is the ability to regulate and control thinking and behavior in order to focus and achieve goals; it is important for everything from learning to social skills.  The areas of executive functioning that were most affected in children with cochlear implants were working memory, controlled attention, planning, and concept formation.  Approximately one-third to one-half of the sample of children with cochlear implants had at least mild delays in these areas, compared to one-sixth or fewer of the normal-hearing sample.  We think that reduced hearing experience and language delays cause delays in executive functioning to occur at higher rates in children with cochlear implants. (more…)
Anemia, Author Interviews, Kidney Disease, Transfusions / 28.05.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: David T. Gilbertson, Ph.D. Chronic Disease Research Group Center for Observational Research, Amgen, Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA MedicalResearch: What were the main findings of the study? Dr. Gilbertson: Since transfusion avoidance is important in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis, development of a measure of red blood cell transfusion use to assess dialysis facility anemia management is reasonable. Because dialysis facility size varies widely, calculation of a standardized transfusion ratio (STfR) using standard methods is possible, but these methods result in significant instability in estimates for small dialysis facilities. Use of more advanced statistical methods results in standardized transfusion ratio estimates that are considerably more stable and more consistently precise across dialysis facilities of all sizes. (more…)
Author Interviews, HIV, Infections, Lancet / 27.05.2014

Dr. Duncan ChandaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Duncan M. Chanda MD Institute for Medical Research & Training and UNZA-UCLMS Research and Training Project University Teaching Hospital Lusaka, Zambia MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Chanda:  The main findings are that in this cohort of relatively healthy patients, with a median CD4 of 367, ART can be delayed till the end of TB short course chemotherapy without deleterious effects. This differs from studies that looked at cohorts with very low median CD4  ( around 25-150 in most cases) in which early cART was found to reduce mortality and other AIDS defining events.   (more…)
Author Interviews, Mayo Clinic, Pancreatic / 27.05.2014

Dr. Derek Radisky PhD Associate Professor and Consultant Mayo Clinic Cancer CenterMedicalResearch.com Interview with Dr. Derek Radisky PhD Associate Professor and Consultant Mayo Clinic Cancer Center MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?  Dr. Radisky: The study used human tissue biopsies to find that production of matrix metalloproteinse-3 (MMP3)  in pancreatic cancer biopsies was associated with poorer patient prognosis, and showed through transgenic animal and cell culture experiments that this was due to activation of the oncogenic protein Rac1b.  The study thus identifies an MMP3-Rac1b signaling axis that drives pancreatic cancer progression. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, JAMA, Vaccine Studies / 27.05.2014

Scott A. Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, FACS, FCP, FACHE, CPE Chief of Staff, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Associate Dean for Veterans Affairs & Professor of Surgery Wayne State University School of Medicine John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Chief of Staff Detroit, MI 48201MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Scott A. Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, FACS, FCP, FACHE, CPE Chief of Staff, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Associate Dean for Veterans Affairs & Professor of Surgery Wayne State University School of Medicine John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Chief of Staff Detroit, MI 48201 MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Gruber: We successfully addressed the problem of inadequate intracellular delivery of tumor- specific antigens (TSAs) to dendritic cells (DCs) by using synthetic cell-penetrating domains or peptides (CPPs) to create fusion tumor antigens (Ags) that readily penetrate through the plasma membrane. We demonstrated cloning and purification of the TSA melanoma-associated antigen 3 (MAGE-A3) in frame with CPP, producing enhanced cytosolic bioavailability in dendritic cells without altering cell functionality. Further, we showed that recombinant bacterial proteins can be easily engineered to purify large amounts of CPP-MAGE-A3. Use of full-length proteins circumvents the need to define HLA class I allele binding before vaccination and increases the number of epitopes recognized by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) when compared with peptide-pulsed dendritic cells. Finally, the use of proteins rather than plasmids or viral vectors for in vitro dendritic cell vaccine preparation avoids the practical and theoretical safety concerns regarding genomic modification. (more…)
Author Interviews, BMJ, Stroke / 26.05.2014

Michael T. C. Poon, MBChB, BMedSci (Hons) Junior Doctor, Wycombe General Hospital Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, UKMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Michael T. C. Poon, MBChB, BMedSci (Hons) Junior Doctor, Wycombe General Hospital Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, UK   MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Poon: At present, we know that the incidence and one-month case fatality of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) have remained static for the past two decades. However, any trend in long-term survival after ICH is less clear. Survivors face the risks of recurrent ICH as well as ischaemic events in the future. The balance between these risks has particular clinical implication on the decision about restarting antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy after ICH. To address these questions, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether long-term survival after intracerebral haemorrhage has changed over time, and to re-assess the balance between the risks of recurrent ICH and ischaemic events in studies quantifying both of these risks in the same population. The survival rates after ICH at 1 year and 5 years do not appear to have changed over time – 1 year survival was 46% and 5 year survival was 29%. The risk of recurrent ICH may be influenced by the ICH location, with lobar ICH having a higher rate of recurrence. In contrast to the previous systematic review, we found the risk of ischaemic stroke to be at least as high as the risk of recurrent ICH over 3 years after ICH. This reinforces the difficulty that clinicians and patients have in deciding about antithrombotic treatment after ICH. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dermatology, Duke, Pain Research / 26.05.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Seok-Yong Lee, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of BiochemistrySeok-Yong Lee, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Ru-Rong Ji, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor  of Duke University Professor of Anesthesiology  and Neurobiology Chief of Pain ResearchRu-Rong Ji, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor  of Duke University Professor of Anesthesiology  and Neurobiology Chief of Pain Research Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710 MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?

 Answer: We have developed an antibody that can block the pain and itching sensations in mice simultaneously with high efficacy. We would like to point out that our discovery has the potential to be applied to human once the antibody is humanized. Given the high selectivity, general safety profile, and long half-lives of monoclonal antibodies, this method we developed to raise antibodies against therapeutic targets (e.g., ion channels) can have broad applications to other diseases. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, JAMA / 25.05.2014

Dr. Sarah Hawley PhD MPH Associate Professor in the Division of General Medicine University of Michigan Research Investigator, Ann Arbor VA Center of Excellence in Health Services Research & DevelopmentMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Sarah Hawley PhD MPH Associate Professor in the Division of General Medicine University of Michigan Research Investigator, Ann Arbor VA Center of Excellence in Health Services Research & Development   MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Hawley: There are a couple of main findings.
  • First, we found that nearly 20% of women in our population based sample of breast cancer patients reported strongly considering having contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM, which means they had their unaffected breast removed at the same time as the breast with cancer), and about 8% received it. Of those who did receive contralateral prophylactic mastectomy, most (about 70%) did not have a clinical indication for it, which included a positive genetic mutation of BRCA1 or BRCA2 or a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
  • However, most women (90%) who received it reported having a strong amount of worry about the cancer coming back (also called worry about recurrence).
  • We also found that when women had an MRI as part of their diagnostic work-up for breast cancer, they more often received contralateral prophylactic mastectomy than when they did not have an MRI.
(more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease / 25.05.2014

Bríain ó Hartaigh, Ph.D. Assistant Research Professor of Epidemiology Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill Cornell Medical College Belfer Research Building New York, NY 10021MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Bríain ó Hartaigh, Ph.D. Assistant Research Professor of Epidemiology Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill Cornell Medical College Belfer Research Building New York, NY 10021 MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study Dr. Hartaigh: Elevated resting heart rate (RHR) during childhood and midlife are associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. (more…)