The immune system is highly complex. The cast of characters alone required to marshal an immune response to a foreign invader can number in the millions as the body's soldiers, T cells, are called into action. What triggers this complex response begins when T cells and dendritic cells, another type of immune cell, form a kind of molecular embrace, or immunological synapse, to relay information about intruders.
The communication between these immune cells hasn't been well understood because scientists had no suitable techniques to manipulate it. Now that problem has been solved. In a new study scientists at New York University School of Medicine and the University of California, Berkeley, report that they have observed the exchange of information between immune cells that is required to spark a body wide response to infection.
"This is the first time that anyone has been able to physically manipulate the immunological synapse and measure the effect on T cell signaling," says Michael L. Dustin, Ph.D., the Irene Diamond Associate Professor of Immunology and Associate Professor of Pathology at NYU School of Medicine, and one of the lead authors of the study.
The research by Dr. Dustin and Jay T. Groves of University of California, Berkeley, and their colleagues is a fusion of biology and nanotechnology--devices at the molecular scale. The study sheds new light on the workings of T cells, the body's most specific and potent line of defense against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, says Dr. Dustin who is also an investigator in the molecular pathogenesis program at NYU's Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine.
The study, published in the November 18, 2005, issue of Science, reveals how T cells analyze and react to the signals of infection at the immunological synapse.
Every T cell wears a unique molecule, called a T cell antigen receptor, on its surface that it uses to detect pieces of foreign proteins called antigens. These receptors exist in astonishing, and for all practical purposes, unlimited variety--allowing the body to recognize any pathogen it might encounter.
Just as police need evidence of a crime to begin an investigation, T cells must recognize a specific antigen before they start to fight an infection. Dendritic cells constantly scour the body for antigens and present these to T cells for review in the lymph nodes. It is a demanding job. "Just 10 dendritic cells can show viral antigens to over a million T cells in a day," says Dr. Dustin.
Once a T cell's antigen receptor finds an antigen match, the T cell forms an immunological synapse with a dendritic cell through which it queries the dendritic cell for additional information about the antigen and its source in the body. Is the antigen a danger or simply a harmless food protein? The interrogation may last hours, and if the antigen is deemed a threat the T cell starts multiplying, eventually producing thousands of copies of itself. These T cell clones are capable of killing invaders outright and marshaling other cells to destroy them.
In the new study, Gabriele Campi, a graduate student in Dr. Dustin's laboratory, and Kaspar Mossman, a graduate student of Dr. Groves's, created a synthetic dendritic cell using purified antigen and adhesion molecules (molecules that the cell can grip) in a thin fluid coating on a glass surface. In prior studies the antigen was free to move over the entire glass surface, but in this study they set up miniscule chrome barriers, allowing them to modify the pattern of T-cell antigen receptor clusters in the immunological synapse.
Previous research has shown that T cell receptors cluster in a bull's eye-pattern at the interface between the T cell and the synthetic dendritic cell but the significance of this arrangement has been unknown. Thanks to the chrome barriers, Dr. Dustin and his colleagues discovered that the T cell receptor signal is strongest when they are physically held in the outer ring of the bull's eye rather than the center.
"We locked the receptors in the periphery and saw enhanced signaling over a prolonged period of time. It was quite a surprise," says Dr. Dustin. Researchers had speculated that the concentrated bull's eye structure somehow allowed T cells to maintain their state of activation. But the new work shows that it is actually the outer edge of immunological synapse that boosts activation, not the center.
Dr. Dustin's group is now conducting additional experiments to see if dendritic cells actively present proteins to T cells in patterns that stimulate the periphery of the bull's eye in the immunological synapse, using molecular organization to provide information about the precise nature of the threat associated with the antigen.
Pam McDonnell
Pamela.McDonnellnyumc
New York University Medical Center and School of Medicine
med.nyu.edu
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понедельник, 12 сентября 2011 г.
Small World Explored By Big Book: Stuart Lindsay's Guide To Nanoscience
Stuart Lindsay, Arizona State University Regents' professor and director of the Biodesign Institute's Center for Single Molecule Biophysics, has just released the first comprehensive guide to a tiny world a million times smaller than a single grain of sand. Introduction to Nanoscience (published by Oxford University Press) provides readers with an overview of an emerging discipline which has in recent years, produced remarkable achievements in areas as varied as DNA sequencing, molecular machinery, nanocrystals and microscopy.
In discussing the impetus for the book, Lindsay notes that his far-flung research has always been coupled with a passion for teaching biophysical concepts to talented students. Introduction to Nanoscience also offers researchers worldwide a first-of-its kind, all-inclusive treatment of nanoscience. The book integrates several disciplines and spans basic quantum phenomena, tools of the trade, and nanoscale applications. In the course of this overview, Lindsay returns again and again to the theme of emergent behavior - how minute fluctuations at the nanoscale level can result in the appearance of striking, often unanticipated new phenomena.
The book is an outgrowth of professor Lindsay's lectures in nanoscience, refined over many years, with invaluable input from his students. Oxford University Press learned of the course and, believing it would make a fine resource, requested that Lindsay assemble the material into a book.
"What is so striking," Lindsay insists, "is that events occurring at the nanoscale have implications for chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, engineering, you name it." Nonetheless, the nanorealm lacked a textbook that could draw together the field's disparate elements. "It's sort of remarkable that the knowledge was not there in a collected way. I put together a course that was very comprehensive, starting with physics and ending with biology," he says.
Given the breakneck pace of scientific advance, particularly in nanoscience, Lindsay faced a daunting challenge. "I knew that some current issues in the field would become obsolete by the time my fingers left the keyboard." Hoping to produce a work that could remain relevant, Lindsay chose to include a wealth of fundamental principles that would be broadly applicable, regardless of the novel conditions students were likely to encounter in the future.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I (The Basics) is a self-contained introduction to quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and chemical kinetics, requiring only basic college calculus. Part II (The Tools) covers microscopy, single molecule manipulation and measurement, nanofabrication and self-assembly. Part III (Applications) covers electrons in nanostructures, molecular electronics, nano-materials and nanobiology. "If you wander around the lab," Lindsay says, "you'll see dog-eared copies of the Xeroxed version of the book at students' desks - it's really a compendium of everything I think they need to know in nanoscience."
Life in the nanoworld can be disconcerting to the uninitiated, so distinct are its workings compared with conditions of everyday experience. A nanometer is roughly 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Chance fluctuations dominate the scene and, as Lindsay stresses, provide vital raw material on which Darwinian selective processes operate. "The more I study the components of biology, the more I would say that fluctuations aren't just a nuisance to be lived with - they actually are the story of biology."
This leitmotif runs throughout the book, uniting many distinct areas of nanoscience. One such startling illustration of this central theme occurs near the end of the text, where Lindsay reviews important research into neural development in the fruit fly. Random fluctuations in gene expression and splicing serve to shuffle the genetic deck to produce an enormous number of variants of sticky-ended proteins, which are essential for proper neural assembly. When the number of these splicing variants in a particular gene was reduced from roughly 30,000 to 20,000, the creatures were unable to form proper brains. "The evolution of a neural network in a brain involves the interaction between an incredibly diverse and randomly put together Darwinian dice throw of neural connections and an environment acting selectively on the results," Lindsay says.
Introduction to Nanoscience is a vital contribution to one of the most dynamic fields, geared toward inspiring a new type of young investigator - one steeped in a multidisciplinary scientific culture. "This differently trained and diverse group of talented young people are not only going to produce scientific breakthroughs in their own rights," Lindsay says, "they're also the people who are going to start the next generation of companies that generate wealth and drive the national economy and they're going to create new things with their brains because they've learned new ways to think."
Richard Harth
Biodesign Institute science writer
Introduction to Nanoscience, by Stuart Lindsay
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Pap/Cdr edition (December 20, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199544212
ISBN-13: 978-0199544219
Source:
Joe Caspermeyer
Arizona State University
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In discussing the impetus for the book, Lindsay notes that his far-flung research has always been coupled with a passion for teaching biophysical concepts to talented students. Introduction to Nanoscience also offers researchers worldwide a first-of-its kind, all-inclusive treatment of nanoscience. The book integrates several disciplines and spans basic quantum phenomena, tools of the trade, and nanoscale applications. In the course of this overview, Lindsay returns again and again to the theme of emergent behavior - how minute fluctuations at the nanoscale level can result in the appearance of striking, often unanticipated new phenomena.
The book is an outgrowth of professor Lindsay's lectures in nanoscience, refined over many years, with invaluable input from his students. Oxford University Press learned of the course and, believing it would make a fine resource, requested that Lindsay assemble the material into a book.
"What is so striking," Lindsay insists, "is that events occurring at the nanoscale have implications for chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, engineering, you name it." Nonetheless, the nanorealm lacked a textbook that could draw together the field's disparate elements. "It's sort of remarkable that the knowledge was not there in a collected way. I put together a course that was very comprehensive, starting with physics and ending with biology," he says.
Given the breakneck pace of scientific advance, particularly in nanoscience, Lindsay faced a daunting challenge. "I knew that some current issues in the field would become obsolete by the time my fingers left the keyboard." Hoping to produce a work that could remain relevant, Lindsay chose to include a wealth of fundamental principles that would be broadly applicable, regardless of the novel conditions students were likely to encounter in the future.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I (The Basics) is a self-contained introduction to quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and chemical kinetics, requiring only basic college calculus. Part II (The Tools) covers microscopy, single molecule manipulation and measurement, nanofabrication and self-assembly. Part III (Applications) covers electrons in nanostructures, molecular electronics, nano-materials and nanobiology. "If you wander around the lab," Lindsay says, "you'll see dog-eared copies of the Xeroxed version of the book at students' desks - it's really a compendium of everything I think they need to know in nanoscience."
Life in the nanoworld can be disconcerting to the uninitiated, so distinct are its workings compared with conditions of everyday experience. A nanometer is roughly 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Chance fluctuations dominate the scene and, as Lindsay stresses, provide vital raw material on which Darwinian selective processes operate. "The more I study the components of biology, the more I would say that fluctuations aren't just a nuisance to be lived with - they actually are the story of biology."
This leitmotif runs throughout the book, uniting many distinct areas of nanoscience. One such startling illustration of this central theme occurs near the end of the text, where Lindsay reviews important research into neural development in the fruit fly. Random fluctuations in gene expression and splicing serve to shuffle the genetic deck to produce an enormous number of variants of sticky-ended proteins, which are essential for proper neural assembly. When the number of these splicing variants in a particular gene was reduced from roughly 30,000 to 20,000, the creatures were unable to form proper brains. "The evolution of a neural network in a brain involves the interaction between an incredibly diverse and randomly put together Darwinian dice throw of neural connections and an environment acting selectively on the results," Lindsay says.
Introduction to Nanoscience is a vital contribution to one of the most dynamic fields, geared toward inspiring a new type of young investigator - one steeped in a multidisciplinary scientific culture. "This differently trained and diverse group of talented young people are not only going to produce scientific breakthroughs in their own rights," Lindsay says, "they're also the people who are going to start the next generation of companies that generate wealth and drive the national economy and they're going to create new things with their brains because they've learned new ways to think."
Richard Harth
Biodesign Institute science writer
Introduction to Nanoscience, by Stuart Lindsay
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Pap/Cdr edition (December 20, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199544212
ISBN-13: 978-0199544219
Source:
Joe Caspermeyer
Arizona State University
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Information Relevant To HIV-1 Vaccine Strategies Generated By Non-Human Primate Study
Monkeys repeatedly immunized with a particular form the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein generated antibodies capable of neutralizing diverse strains of HIV-1, according to a paper published online in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on August 2.
Antibodies in the blood of monkeys immunized with a HIV-1 envelope trimer neutralized a broader variety of HIV-1 strains than antibodies in the blood of humans immunized with an HIV-1 envelope monomer during the VAX04 phase III clinical trial.
However, the immunized monkeys showed only weak protection against subsequent rectal infection with a simian HIV virus. This weak protection may be due to the fact that neutralizing antibody titers were at least 1,000-fold lower in rectal and vaginal tissues than in the blood.
These findings suggest that methods to boost neutralizing antibody abundance in rectal and vaginal tissues might be needed to better prevent HIV-1 transmission.
Source:
Rita Sullivan
Rockefeller University Press
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Antibodies in the blood of monkeys immunized with a HIV-1 envelope trimer neutralized a broader variety of HIV-1 strains than antibodies in the blood of humans immunized with an HIV-1 envelope monomer during the VAX04 phase III clinical trial.
However, the immunized monkeys showed only weak protection against subsequent rectal infection with a simian HIV virus. This weak protection may be due to the fact that neutralizing antibody titers were at least 1,000-fold lower in rectal and vaginal tissues than in the blood.
These findings suggest that methods to boost neutralizing antibody abundance in rectal and vaginal tissues might be needed to better prevent HIV-1 transmission.
Source:
Rita Sullivan
Rockefeller University Press
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House Will Take 'Major Step' Toward Comprehensive Health Care Reform In 2009, Speaker Pelosi Spokesperson Says
House Democrats will "take a major step" toward comprehensive health care reform in 2009, and lawmakers already have taken "incremental steps" to expand coverage, a spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wrote in an e-mail on Monday, The Hill reports. According to The Hill, Pelosi spokesperson Brendan Daly issued the statement to clarify recent comments by House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) that appeared to lower expectations for health care reform this year.
In an interview on Sunday with C-SPAN, Clyburn said that while he does not expect health care reform legislation to pass Congress this year, he would like to see lawmakers take on the task in an incremental manner, The Hill reports. Clyburn said, "I would much rather see it done that way, incrementally, than to go out and just bite something you can't chew," adding, "We've been down that road. I still remember 1994," when the Clinton administration attempted to overhaul the health care system.
In the e-mail, Daly wrote, "There are some incremental steps that we are taking -- first we did SCHIP, then in our economic recovery package, we have money to help stem the tide of people losing health insurance -- coverage for Medicaid and COBRA. There is also money for quality, health IT, comparative effectiveness and wellness, and money for prevention," adding, "And we will take a major step forward this year to increase the number of people who have health care coverage."
Kristie Greco, a spokesperson for Clyburn, said, "What [Clyburn's] saying is that these steps ... shouldn't be overlooked as important strides" toward health care reform. Clyburn's comments also do not represent the strategy that the House Democratic leadership plans to take to address the issue of health care reform, she noted, adding, "There hasn't been a determination of when that bill will come to the floor in the House or the Senate" (Young, The Hill, 1/26).
In an interview on Sunday with C-SPAN, Clyburn said that while he does not expect health care reform legislation to pass Congress this year, he would like to see lawmakers take on the task in an incremental manner, The Hill reports. Clyburn said, "I would much rather see it done that way, incrementally, than to go out and just bite something you can't chew," adding, "We've been down that road. I still remember 1994," when the Clinton administration attempted to overhaul the health care system.
In the e-mail, Daly wrote, "There are some incremental steps that we are taking -- first we did SCHIP, then in our economic recovery package, we have money to help stem the tide of people losing health insurance -- coverage for Medicaid and COBRA. There is also money for quality, health IT, comparative effectiveness and wellness, and money for prevention," adding, "And we will take a major step forward this year to increase the number of people who have health care coverage."
Kristie Greco, a spokesperson for Clyburn, said, "What [Clyburn's] saying is that these steps ... shouldn't be overlooked as important strides" toward health care reform. Clyburn's comments also do not represent the strategy that the House Democratic leadership plans to take to address the issue of health care reform, she noted, adding, "There hasn't been a determination of when that bill will come to the floor in the House or the Senate" (Young, The Hill, 1/26).
Clinton
Former President Bill Clinton on Monday said that the current economic recession positions President Obama to draw support for the development of a universal health care system, the AP/Raleigh News & Observer reports. In a speech at North Carolina State University, Clinton said that his administration encountered several roadblocks when it tried to overhaul the health care system, including a lack of cooperation from Congress. He said that because of the recession, Obama is free to spend money and political capital, the AP/News & Observer reports. "Frankly, we're spending like crazy so there's no concern about the deficit for the next two or three years," adding, "That's one of the good news is that we can do health care now because we have to grow the economy. We must do it. That's a good thing" (Baker, AP/Raleigh News & Observer, 1/26).
Broadcast Coverage
American Public Media's "Marketplace" on Monday interviewed Health Net CEO Jay Gellert about the health care industry and its support of overhauling the U.S. health care system (Ryssdal, "Marketplace," American Public Media, 1/26).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
© 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Killing Leukemia Stem Cells While They Sleep
In people with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the drug Imatinib has been shown to drive cancer into remission, but the disease often returns when treatment is stopped. New research by UC Irvine scientists indicates that Imatinib could cure CML under certain circumstances if it is taken over a long enough period of time.
Mathematician Natalia Komarova and biologist Dominik Wodarz also developed a tool that eventually could help doctors determine which combination of drugs would be most beneficial to a CML patient, and they determined why, in some cases, Imatinib does not block cancer growth. The results of their study appear Oct. 3 in the journal Public Library of Science ONE.
CML is a quick-progressing cancer that starts in the bone marrow and moves into the blood. The disease proceeds in three stages, the last one characterized by patient survival of only a few months. In 2007, an estimated 4,570 people in the United States will develop CML, and 490 people will die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
The drug Imatinib is a promising cancer treatment because it has few side effects, and it specifically targets cancer cells. In their study, the UCI scientists focused on Imatinib and the behavior of cancerous stem cells. Just as normal stem cells maintain organs and a functioning body, cancer stem cells are thought to maintain cancer growth and are tough to kill with treatment.
Many scientists believe that Imatinib can kill regular cancer cells but not stem cells. When treatment ends, the remaining stem cells can produce more cancer cells, thus exacerbating the disease. According to this view, there is no hope to cure CML.
The UCI scientists, however, believe Imatinib can kill cancerous stem cells but not when the stem cells temporarily stop dividing, a state known as quiescence. All cancerous stem cells have the ability to enter the quiescent state. Evidence indicates that when such sleeping stem cells wake up, Imatinib can kill them.
In their paper, the scientists present a mathematical formula that can calculate how long it would take to kill all of the stem cells and cure the cancer. This length of time -- which could be different for each patient -- is based on how often the cancerous stem cells fall asleep and how quickly they wake up. Once the scientists can test their theory with patients, they will be able to determine how long the cure might take.
"There is evidence that a complete cure is possible. Several patients have been reported to have no symptoms after two months without therapy, which is thought to suggest a complete cure," Komarova said. "This evidence supports our theory. Basically, one has to be on therapy long enough for all of the stem cells to wake up and be killed by the drug."
In addition to sleeping stem cells, another barrier to eradication by Imatinib is that cancer cells can mutate to become unresponsive to certain drugs. Conventional thought is that if sleeping stem cells prolong a cure, other cancer cells will have ample time to mutate and become drug resistant.
The UCI scientists, however, have proved this theory wrong. Their calculations show that mutant cells develop early on, in many cases before the patients know they are sick, and do not develop during the treatment process. Using mathematics, they developed a way to calculate the probability that certain mutations exist in a patient. Based on this, one can determine what course of treatment should be used to overcome the resistance.
"The model requires the number of cancer cells that exist, how fast the cells divide and die, and how fast they go to sleep and wake up," Wodarz said. "Once you have those numbers, you can determine how many drugs to use in combination to make sure drug resistant mutants do not become problems."
This research was supported in part by a National Institutes of Health grant and a Sloan Fellowship.
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,800 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion.
Source: Jennifer Fitzenberger
University of California - Irvine
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Mathematician Natalia Komarova and biologist Dominik Wodarz also developed a tool that eventually could help doctors determine which combination of drugs would be most beneficial to a CML patient, and they determined why, in some cases, Imatinib does not block cancer growth. The results of their study appear Oct. 3 in the journal Public Library of Science ONE.
CML is a quick-progressing cancer that starts in the bone marrow and moves into the blood. The disease proceeds in three stages, the last one characterized by patient survival of only a few months. In 2007, an estimated 4,570 people in the United States will develop CML, and 490 people will die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
The drug Imatinib is a promising cancer treatment because it has few side effects, and it specifically targets cancer cells. In their study, the UCI scientists focused on Imatinib and the behavior of cancerous stem cells. Just as normal stem cells maintain organs and a functioning body, cancer stem cells are thought to maintain cancer growth and are tough to kill with treatment.
Many scientists believe that Imatinib can kill regular cancer cells but not stem cells. When treatment ends, the remaining stem cells can produce more cancer cells, thus exacerbating the disease. According to this view, there is no hope to cure CML.
The UCI scientists, however, believe Imatinib can kill cancerous stem cells but not when the stem cells temporarily stop dividing, a state known as quiescence. All cancerous stem cells have the ability to enter the quiescent state. Evidence indicates that when such sleeping stem cells wake up, Imatinib can kill them.
In their paper, the scientists present a mathematical formula that can calculate how long it would take to kill all of the stem cells and cure the cancer. This length of time -- which could be different for each patient -- is based on how often the cancerous stem cells fall asleep and how quickly they wake up. Once the scientists can test their theory with patients, they will be able to determine how long the cure might take.
"There is evidence that a complete cure is possible. Several patients have been reported to have no symptoms after two months without therapy, which is thought to suggest a complete cure," Komarova said. "This evidence supports our theory. Basically, one has to be on therapy long enough for all of the stem cells to wake up and be killed by the drug."
In addition to sleeping stem cells, another barrier to eradication by Imatinib is that cancer cells can mutate to become unresponsive to certain drugs. Conventional thought is that if sleeping stem cells prolong a cure, other cancer cells will have ample time to mutate and become drug resistant.
The UCI scientists, however, have proved this theory wrong. Their calculations show that mutant cells develop early on, in many cases before the patients know they are sick, and do not develop during the treatment process. Using mathematics, they developed a way to calculate the probability that certain mutations exist in a patient. Based on this, one can determine what course of treatment should be used to overcome the resistance.
"The model requires the number of cancer cells that exist, how fast the cells divide and die, and how fast they go to sleep and wake up," Wodarz said. "Once you have those numbers, you can determine how many drugs to use in combination to make sure drug resistant mutants do not become problems."
This research was supported in part by a National Institutes of Health grant and a Sloan Fellowship.
About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,800 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion.
Source: Jennifer Fitzenberger
University of California - Irvine
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UC Irvine School Of Medicine's Revolutionary IPad Program To Utilize E-Textbooks From Elsevier
Elsevier, publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, announced it will provide four key electronic textbook titles for UC Irvine School of Medicine's new program that gives Apple iPads to its first-year medical students.
Elsevier will provide UCI's incoming medical students with access to Netter: Atlas of Human Anatomy, Gartner: Color Textbook of Histology, Costanzo Physiology and Nussbaum: Thompson & Thompson Genetics in Medicine all through their new iPads.
"We believe a digitally based curriculum is the future of medical education," said Dr. Ralph V. Clayman, dean of the UCI School of Medicine. "Our commitment to provide these students with the best technology platform and content available is shared by Elsevier, which has responded quickly and positively to our request for high-quality e-textbooks accessible through the iPad."
UCI School of Medicine students and faculty will use their iPads to access Student Consult, Elsevier's online portal where students can access full textbooks plus additional interactive content. Student Consult is where UCI med students will find the four e-textbooks selected for the first term courses. Elsevier will work closely with UCI to monitor the use of the content and the iPads.
"UCI is setting the bar high for how medical schools students and professors should be interacting with medical textbooks," said Randy Charles, Managing Director for Elsevier's Global Clinical Reference Group. "We fully support UCI's progressive move and are working hard to make more of our respected medical content available through mobile devices like the iPad and iPhone."
UCI anticipates it will add further Elsevier texts as the school year progresses.
Sources: Elsevier, AlphaGalileo Foundation.
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Elsevier will provide UCI's incoming medical students with access to Netter: Atlas of Human Anatomy, Gartner: Color Textbook of Histology, Costanzo Physiology and Nussbaum: Thompson & Thompson Genetics in Medicine all through their new iPads.
"We believe a digitally based curriculum is the future of medical education," said Dr. Ralph V. Clayman, dean of the UCI School of Medicine. "Our commitment to provide these students with the best technology platform and content available is shared by Elsevier, which has responded quickly and positively to our request for high-quality e-textbooks accessible through the iPad."
UCI School of Medicine students and faculty will use their iPads to access Student Consult, Elsevier's online portal where students can access full textbooks plus additional interactive content. Student Consult is where UCI med students will find the four e-textbooks selected for the first term courses. Elsevier will work closely with UCI to monitor the use of the content and the iPads.
"UCI is setting the bar high for how medical schools students and professors should be interacting with medical textbooks," said Randy Charles, Managing Director for Elsevier's Global Clinical Reference Group. "We fully support UCI's progressive move and are working hard to make more of our respected medical content available through mobile devices like the iPad and iPhone."
UCI anticipates it will add further Elsevier texts as the school year progresses.
Sources: Elsevier, AlphaGalileo Foundation.
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FDA Announces Collaboration With Drugs.com
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it will collaborate with the Web site Drugs to expand access to the FDA's consumer health information.
Drugs seeks to provide patients with information to better manage their own health care and to assist in the reduction of medication errors. It attracts more than 12 million unique visitors each month.
"The FDA's partnership with Drugs means that reliable, useful, and timely health information will be available to an even wider audience," said Beth Martino, the FDA's associate commissioner for external affairs. "Partnerships like this are an important part of the FDA's effort to ensure the public has easy access to reliable, useful information that can help people protect and improve their health."
The FDA's partnership with Drugs will provide consumers with a joint resource on the Drugs site featuring FDA Consumer Update articles, videos, and slideshows. The partnership will also provide access to FDA health information on Drugs's mobile phone platform.
"We are very excited about partnering with the FDA to provide consumers with public health and safety information on our site as well as our mobile phone platform," said Philip Thornton, CEO of Drugs.
The complete terms and components of the partnership with Drugs are described in a Memorandum of Understanding published in the May 26, 2010, Federal Register and available online here.
For more information:
- How to Partner With FDA
- Drugs/FDA partnership Home Page
Source
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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Drugs seeks to provide patients with information to better manage their own health care and to assist in the reduction of medication errors. It attracts more than 12 million unique visitors each month.
"The FDA's partnership with Drugs means that reliable, useful, and timely health information will be available to an even wider audience," said Beth Martino, the FDA's associate commissioner for external affairs. "Partnerships like this are an important part of the FDA's effort to ensure the public has easy access to reliable, useful information that can help people protect and improve their health."
The FDA's partnership with Drugs will provide consumers with a joint resource on the Drugs site featuring FDA Consumer Update articles, videos, and slideshows. The partnership will also provide access to FDA health information on Drugs's mobile phone platform.
"We are very excited about partnering with the FDA to provide consumers with public health and safety information on our site as well as our mobile phone platform," said Philip Thornton, CEO of Drugs.
The complete terms and components of the partnership with Drugs are described in a Memorandum of Understanding published in the May 26, 2010, Federal Register and available online here.
For more information:
- How to Partner With FDA
- Drugs/FDA partnership Home Page
Source
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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Omnicare Takes Legal Action Against Health Insurers, PBMs
Omnicare, a Kentucky-based prescription drug and medical services supplier for nursing homes, has filed civil lawsuits or has begun arbitration hearings in multiple locations nationwide against 16 health insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to obtain $61 million allegedly owed by the companies, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. According to a letter to Omnicare employees from general counsel Mark Kobasuk obtained by the Enquirer, because of "inaccurate data and programming issues" in both the federal government and Medicare prescription drug plans operated by the companies, Omnicare has incurred "inappropriate" copayments and rejected reimbursement claims.
Omnicare has incurred $27 million in inappropriate copays and $34 million in rejected reimbursement claims as of March 31, according to the letter. The letter did not specify the dollar amounts that Omnicare seeks from the individual companies -- which include Aetna, Argus Health Systems, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, CVS Caremark, Cigna, Coventry Health Care, Express Scripts, FLRx, Medco Health Solutions, MedImpact, PharmaCare, Prime Therapeutics, RxSolutions, Sierra Health Plans, WellPoint, and the Ovations and WellCare Medicare prescription drug plans administered by Walgreens Health Initiatives.
Omnicare CEO Joel Gemunder on Tuesday said, "Though CMS ... has acknowledged the debt owed to long-term pharmacies and instructed the prescription drug plans to reconcile and pay these amounts, action here has been very limited." He added that "we are stepping up our efforts with both CMS and prescription drug plans utilizing all means available ... to address these issues and collect the money that is owed to us" (McNair, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/29).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Omnicare has incurred $27 million in inappropriate copays and $34 million in rejected reimbursement claims as of March 31, according to the letter. The letter did not specify the dollar amounts that Omnicare seeks from the individual companies -- which include Aetna, Argus Health Systems, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, CVS Caremark, Cigna, Coventry Health Care, Express Scripts, FLRx, Medco Health Solutions, MedImpact, PharmaCare, Prime Therapeutics, RxSolutions, Sierra Health Plans, WellPoint, and the Ovations and WellCare Medicare prescription drug plans administered by Walgreens Health Initiatives.
Omnicare CEO Joel Gemunder on Tuesday said, "Though CMS ... has acknowledged the debt owed to long-term pharmacies and instructed the prescription drug plans to reconcile and pay these amounts, action here has been very limited." He added that "we are stepping up our efforts with both CMS and prescription drug plans utilizing all means available ... to address these issues and collect the money that is owed to us" (McNair, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/29).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Improving Immune Response To Cancer At Princess Margaret Hospital
A team of scientists at The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research (CFIBCR) at Princess Margaret Hospital and international collaborators have discovered how to trigger an improved immune response to cancer that could be included in new clinical trials that use a patient's own cells to destroy tumours.
The findings, published online in Nature Medicine (DOI: 10.1038/nm.1953), demonstrate the tantalizing potential of immunotherapy in cancer treatment, says principal investigator Dr. Pamela Ohashi, co-director, CFIBCR.
In the lab study, the scientists combined interleukin-7 (IL-7) - a key component of the immune system - with a viral vaccine to improve the ability of the cells of the immune system to attack tumours. The result was clear: The combination boosted immunity to tumours.
"We are extremely excited because our research has revealed the unexpected ways IL-7 works to break down barriers that naturally block the immune response to tumours. This is important because current vaccine approaches for immune therapy induce a response in just 1% to 3% of patients," says Dr. Ohashi, a senior scientist in signaling biology who holds a Canada Research Chair in Autoimmunity and Tumour Immunity. She is also a Professor, University of Toronto, in the Department of Medical Biophysics and Immunology. "
Dr. Tak Mak, co-author and CFIBCR director, says: "The promise of using the body's own defenses to fight cancer is enormous. The day is coming when immunotherapy may help spare cancer patients the toxic side effects of traditional therapies and greatly improve their quality of life while treating the disease. This is why we are planning to expand our immunotherapy research program at PMH." Dr. Mak is also a Professor, University of Toronto, in the Department of Medical Biophysics and Immunology.
This research was also financially supported by grants and fellowships from the Canadian Institute for Health Research, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the Terry Fox Foundation, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Boninchi Foundation (Geneva) and the Irvington Institute with the Cancer Research Institute (New York).
Source:
Jane Finlayson
University Health Network
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The findings, published online in Nature Medicine (DOI: 10.1038/nm.1953), demonstrate the tantalizing potential of immunotherapy in cancer treatment, says principal investigator Dr. Pamela Ohashi, co-director, CFIBCR.
In the lab study, the scientists combined interleukin-7 (IL-7) - a key component of the immune system - with a viral vaccine to improve the ability of the cells of the immune system to attack tumours. The result was clear: The combination boosted immunity to tumours.
"We are extremely excited because our research has revealed the unexpected ways IL-7 works to break down barriers that naturally block the immune response to tumours. This is important because current vaccine approaches for immune therapy induce a response in just 1% to 3% of patients," says Dr. Ohashi, a senior scientist in signaling biology who holds a Canada Research Chair in Autoimmunity and Tumour Immunity. She is also a Professor, University of Toronto, in the Department of Medical Biophysics and Immunology. "
Dr. Tak Mak, co-author and CFIBCR director, says: "The promise of using the body's own defenses to fight cancer is enormous. The day is coming when immunotherapy may help spare cancer patients the toxic side effects of traditional therapies and greatly improve their quality of life while treating the disease. This is why we are planning to expand our immunotherapy research program at PMH." Dr. Mak is also a Professor, University of Toronto, in the Department of Medical Biophysics and Immunology.
This research was also financially supported by grants and fellowships from the Canadian Institute for Health Research, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the Terry Fox Foundation, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Boninchi Foundation (Geneva) and the Irvington Institute with the Cancer Research Institute (New York).
Source:
Jane Finlayson
University Health Network
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Dodd Will Not Replace Kennedy As Senate HELP Committee Chair
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) on Wednesday is expected to announce that he will not replace Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, The Hill reports. Kennedy died last month of brain cancer (Brush et al., The Hill, 9/8).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
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Dodd -- who was the second most senior Democrat on the panel after Kennedy -- led the HELP Committee discussions on its health reform bill while Kennedy was in treatment. Dodd is expected to retain his position as chair of the Senate Banking Committee, sources said (Boles, Wall Street Journal, 9/8).
According to the Washington Post, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) would be the next in line after Dodd to replace Kennedy. The Post reports that multiple sources have indicated that Harkin will accept the position (Kane, Washington Post, 9/9).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
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Dr. David Blumenthal's Plans To Step Down As National Coordinator For Health IT
Statement from HIMSS President and CEO H. Stephen Lieber, CAE
We learned that Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health IT, has decided to return to his previous position at Harvard this spring, leaving behind a legacy of achievement in implementing the President's and Congress' vision of an interoperable healthcare system. Despite pressure from many sides, he has been able to pull resources from across the government and the nation, stick to an extremely aggressive schedule set by law, and begin putting the critical pieces into place to establish a safer and more efficient healthcare system in the U.S. Dr. Blumenthal clearly understood that the on-going healthcare IT transformation must not leave any community behind and he was pleased that many initiatives, including HIMSS Diversity Business Roundtable and HIMSS Latino Initiative, were launched to specifically address this national challenge.
One of Dr. Blumenthal's key successes has been to put together a great team, so I have no doubt that ONC will continue to build upon the progress that has already been made. We look forward to Dr. Blumenthal's joint keynote address with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at HIMSS11 in Orlando on Feb. 23, 2011.
Source:
HIMSS
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We learned that Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health IT, has decided to return to his previous position at Harvard this spring, leaving behind a legacy of achievement in implementing the President's and Congress' vision of an interoperable healthcare system. Despite pressure from many sides, he has been able to pull resources from across the government and the nation, stick to an extremely aggressive schedule set by law, and begin putting the critical pieces into place to establish a safer and more efficient healthcare system in the U.S. Dr. Blumenthal clearly understood that the on-going healthcare IT transformation must not leave any community behind and he was pleased that many initiatives, including HIMSS Diversity Business Roundtable and HIMSS Latino Initiative, were launched to specifically address this national challenge.
One of Dr. Blumenthal's key successes has been to put together a great team, so I have no doubt that ONC will continue to build upon the progress that has already been made. We look forward to Dr. Blumenthal's joint keynote address with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at HIMSS11 in Orlando on Feb. 23, 2011.
Source:
HIMSS
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New Prostate Cancer Technology Saving Lives
JM, a 71 year old business
executive from Tennessee, had a negative biopsy using gray scale ultrasound
despite a PSA of 7.1. The following year, the PSA rose to 11.5 prompting a
second biopsy that was negative despite adding Color Flow Doppler
Ultrasound. At this point, the patient and all doctors in attendance were
frustrated without a clear path to identify a disease process that was
begging to be discovered. JM came to the Diagnostic Center for Disease in
Sarasota, Florida, as he had heard about an exciting new scan offered that
promised to solve his personal dilemma while erasing his fear of the
unknown.
Presently, a new case of Prostate cancer is diagnosed every 3 minutes
while 90 men die from prostate cancer every day. Prostate Biopsy, the "gold
standard" for finding cancer of the prostate is associated with trauma,
infection, bleeding and sampling bias. National statistics show that 10 men
must undergo an ultrasound and biopsy to find 2-3 cancers. Translated
another way, 7-8 men must undergo a procedure that is unnecessary as
documented by a negative biopsy. Moreover, it is well known that a biopsy
of the prostate is associated with the possibility that cancer cells, if
encountered, may be carried outside of the prostate capsule through a
phenomenon called, "needle tracking". Data from Pathologists show that this
phenomenon is real. The problem is compounded when it is realized that
prostate cancer is not just a disease of older men as originally thought
but rather a disease of young men as well. In fact, data from the Detroit
Autopsy Study and Memorial Sloan- Kettering shows 30% of 30 year old men
have prostate cancer.
Given the inability to diagnose prostate cancer using the traditional
system, our attention has turned to imaging to determine the presence or
absence of prostate cancer. Currently data, primarily from Europe, suggests
that prostate cancer detection with MRI-Spectroscopy (MRI-S) has a
sensitivity and specificity in the range of 89-92%. In fact, Peter
Scardino, M.D., Chairman of the Departments of Urology and Surgery at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering has called MRI-S with the 3.0 Tesla magnet, "the
next greatest diagnostic tool for prostate cancer detection". The
Diagnostic Center for Disease, led by Urologist, Ronald E. Wheeler, M.D.,
is using this new imaging technology to assist in finding prostate cancer
in patients like JM where traditional biopsies continue to miss the lesion.
MRI-S evaluates the integrity of prostate tissue through spatial resolution
as well as the biochemical makeup of cells through a spectral analysis.
Together, this technology establishes a "finger-print" of disease when the
PSA is elevated. Once a lesion is identified, a series of targeted biopsies
can be performed, as we localize the disease in question.
Using a parametric approach, the center is utilizing all sequences of
the 3.0 T MRI-S scan including Dynamic Contrast Enhancement with
traditional prostate cancer diagnostic detection markers such as Color Flow
Doppler Ultrasound, PSA & DRE to establish a clear picture of the disease
process present. Interestingly, this technology often times allows
physicians to alter their treatment course when cancer has escaped the
prostate capsule. Furthermore, preliminary data from the Diagnostic Center
for Disease shows that the use of MRI-S coupled with DRE, PSA and
Ultrasound data provides a 75% yield in diagnosing prostate cancer compared
to the traditional 20-30% yield while using blind or random biopsies. Dr.
Wheeler's mission is to provide a comprehensive approach to Prostate
Disease detection that while reproducible, is more patient friendly,
allowing Urologists to improve their diagnostic skills, thereby improving
their patient treatment outcomes.
While using the MRI-S scan as a "road map", JM needed only 5 targeted
biopsies to find the elusive cancer while preventing "needle tracking".
Subsequent pathology showed a Gleason Score of 7 (3+4). According to Dr.
Wheeler, "while many options of treatment remain for JM, he can at least
sleep better knowing the hidden disease that was chasing him had been
found".
Diagnostic Center for Disease
MrisUSA
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executive from Tennessee, had a negative biopsy using gray scale ultrasound
despite a PSA of 7.1. The following year, the PSA rose to 11.5 prompting a
second biopsy that was negative despite adding Color Flow Doppler
Ultrasound. At this point, the patient and all doctors in attendance were
frustrated without a clear path to identify a disease process that was
begging to be discovered. JM came to the Diagnostic Center for Disease in
Sarasota, Florida, as he had heard about an exciting new scan offered that
promised to solve his personal dilemma while erasing his fear of the
unknown.
Presently, a new case of Prostate cancer is diagnosed every 3 minutes
while 90 men die from prostate cancer every day. Prostate Biopsy, the "gold
standard" for finding cancer of the prostate is associated with trauma,
infection, bleeding and sampling bias. National statistics show that 10 men
must undergo an ultrasound and biopsy to find 2-3 cancers. Translated
another way, 7-8 men must undergo a procedure that is unnecessary as
documented by a negative biopsy. Moreover, it is well known that a biopsy
of the prostate is associated with the possibility that cancer cells, if
encountered, may be carried outside of the prostate capsule through a
phenomenon called, "needle tracking". Data from Pathologists show that this
phenomenon is real. The problem is compounded when it is realized that
prostate cancer is not just a disease of older men as originally thought
but rather a disease of young men as well. In fact, data from the Detroit
Autopsy Study and Memorial Sloan- Kettering shows 30% of 30 year old men
have prostate cancer.
Given the inability to diagnose prostate cancer using the traditional
system, our attention has turned to imaging to determine the presence or
absence of prostate cancer. Currently data, primarily from Europe, suggests
that prostate cancer detection with MRI-Spectroscopy (MRI-S) has a
sensitivity and specificity in the range of 89-92%. In fact, Peter
Scardino, M.D., Chairman of the Departments of Urology and Surgery at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering has called MRI-S with the 3.0 Tesla magnet, "the
next greatest diagnostic tool for prostate cancer detection". The
Diagnostic Center for Disease, led by Urologist, Ronald E. Wheeler, M.D.,
is using this new imaging technology to assist in finding prostate cancer
in patients like JM where traditional biopsies continue to miss the lesion.
MRI-S evaluates the integrity of prostate tissue through spatial resolution
as well as the biochemical makeup of cells through a spectral analysis.
Together, this technology establishes a "finger-print" of disease when the
PSA is elevated. Once a lesion is identified, a series of targeted biopsies
can be performed, as we localize the disease in question.
Using a parametric approach, the center is utilizing all sequences of
the 3.0 T MRI-S scan including Dynamic Contrast Enhancement with
traditional prostate cancer diagnostic detection markers such as Color Flow
Doppler Ultrasound, PSA & DRE to establish a clear picture of the disease
process present. Interestingly, this technology often times allows
physicians to alter their treatment course when cancer has escaped the
prostate capsule. Furthermore, preliminary data from the Diagnostic Center
for Disease shows that the use of MRI-S coupled with DRE, PSA and
Ultrasound data provides a 75% yield in diagnosing prostate cancer compared
to the traditional 20-30% yield while using blind or random biopsies. Dr.
Wheeler's mission is to provide a comprehensive approach to Prostate
Disease detection that while reproducible, is more patient friendly,
allowing Urologists to improve their diagnostic skills, thereby improving
their patient treatment outcomes.
While using the MRI-S scan as a "road map", JM needed only 5 targeted
biopsies to find the elusive cancer while preventing "needle tracking".
Subsequent pathology showed a Gleason Score of 7 (3+4). According to Dr.
Wheeler, "while many options of treatment remain for JM, he can at least
sleep better knowing the hidden disease that was chasing him had been
found".
Diagnostic Center for Disease
MrisUSA
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American Lung Association Urges People Living Near Wildfires To Protect Themselves Against Staggering Levels Of Unhealthy Air Pollution
Dangerous air pollution resulting from wildfires poses lethal health hazards to people living and working in the surrounding areas. Residents with respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis and also those with chronic heart disease should take extra precautions during this time and call their physician immediately if problems develop.
"Even those without lung diseases are at risk during this time," said Norman Edelman, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the American Lung Association. "With the rising air pollution levels we are seeing in the affected areas, there is increased risk of coughing and wheezing, asthma attacks, as well as heart attacks and strokes, especially for older adults and outdoor workers. Take special care to protect children. They are more susceptible to smoke, because their respiratory systems are still developing."
The American Lung Association recommends people downwind of fire-stricken areas should stay indoors and avoid breathing heavy smoke or ash filled air. Those living in surrounding areas of the fires should avoid exercising outdoors, particularly if they smell smoke or notice eye or throat irritation. When driving through smoky areas, car windows and vents should be kept closed. Air conditioning should be set to "recirculate" to avoid exposure to unhealthy outside air.
"People with respiratory problems and chronic heart disease are at greatest risk during this time," said Edelman. "Due to the extremely high levels of pollutants, many people may be experiencing increased symptoms and should contact their doctor promptly, especially those using oxygen. People using oxygen are strongly cautioned to not adjust their levels of intake without consulting their doctor first."
Those individuals with asthma are also encouraged to contact their physician regarding any changes in medication that may be needed to cope with smoky conditions. The American Lung Association advises asthma patients who cannot reach their doctor to continue to take their medication and closely follow their asthma action plan as prescribed.
People living near fire-stricken areas are encouraged to stay inside as much as possible, with doors, windows and fireplace dampers shut-with clean air circulating through air conditioners and/or air cleaners. The American Lung Association reminds residents to use the recirculation setting on their home air conditioners to avoid outdoor air contamination, but warns against using whole house fans, which can bring in unfiltered outside air.
Ordinary dust masks, designed to filter out large particles should not be used as they still allow the more dangerous, smaller particles resulting from the fires to pass through. Disposable particle masks available at hardware and home supply stores can better help filter out harmful fine particles. Look for masks labeled "N95" or "P1000" that come with two straps, which can be adjusted to fit tightly on the face. It should be noted that these types of masks can be difficult for people with lung disease to use, so a doctor should be consulted before purchasing.
The volunteer response for clean up has been tremendous and is commended by the American Lung Association. At the same time, the Association advises clean up workers to use caution to protect their lungs. Areas covered in dust and soot should be thoroughly wet prior to clean up as a means to reduce further air pollutants. Workers should wear an N95 mask described above and replace it daily. Areas where asbestos and other hazardous materials are suspected should be avoided.
For more information on how to protect yourself during wildfires, please visit lungusa for timely advice and updates.
About the American Lung Association
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates are currently increasing while other major causes of death are declining. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to lungusa.
American Lung Association
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"Even those without lung diseases are at risk during this time," said Norman Edelman, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the American Lung Association. "With the rising air pollution levels we are seeing in the affected areas, there is increased risk of coughing and wheezing, asthma attacks, as well as heart attacks and strokes, especially for older adults and outdoor workers. Take special care to protect children. They are more susceptible to smoke, because their respiratory systems are still developing."
The American Lung Association recommends people downwind of fire-stricken areas should stay indoors and avoid breathing heavy smoke or ash filled air. Those living in surrounding areas of the fires should avoid exercising outdoors, particularly if they smell smoke or notice eye or throat irritation. When driving through smoky areas, car windows and vents should be kept closed. Air conditioning should be set to "recirculate" to avoid exposure to unhealthy outside air.
"People with respiratory problems and chronic heart disease are at greatest risk during this time," said Edelman. "Due to the extremely high levels of pollutants, many people may be experiencing increased symptoms and should contact their doctor promptly, especially those using oxygen. People using oxygen are strongly cautioned to not adjust their levels of intake without consulting their doctor first."
Those individuals with asthma are also encouraged to contact their physician regarding any changes in medication that may be needed to cope with smoky conditions. The American Lung Association advises asthma patients who cannot reach their doctor to continue to take their medication and closely follow their asthma action plan as prescribed.
People living near fire-stricken areas are encouraged to stay inside as much as possible, with doors, windows and fireplace dampers shut-with clean air circulating through air conditioners and/or air cleaners. The American Lung Association reminds residents to use the recirculation setting on their home air conditioners to avoid outdoor air contamination, but warns against using whole house fans, which can bring in unfiltered outside air.
Ordinary dust masks, designed to filter out large particles should not be used as they still allow the more dangerous, smaller particles resulting from the fires to pass through. Disposable particle masks available at hardware and home supply stores can better help filter out harmful fine particles. Look for masks labeled "N95" or "P1000" that come with two straps, which can be adjusted to fit tightly on the face. It should be noted that these types of masks can be difficult for people with lung disease to use, so a doctor should be consulted before purchasing.
The volunteer response for clean up has been tremendous and is commended by the American Lung Association. At the same time, the Association advises clean up workers to use caution to protect their lungs. Areas covered in dust and soot should be thoroughly wet prior to clean up as a means to reduce further air pollutants. Workers should wear an N95 mask described above and replace it daily. Areas where asbestos and other hazardous materials are suspected should be avoided.
For more information on how to protect yourself during wildfires, please visit lungusa for timely advice and updates.
About the American Lung Association
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates are currently increasing while other major causes of death are declining. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to lungusa.
American Lung Association
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Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing On Health Care Affordability, Chair Kennedy Says U.S. Should Adopt Universal Health Care System
The federal government should implement a program to provide health insurance to all U.S. residents by 2010, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) said at a hearing held by the committee on Wednesday, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (Freking, AP/Houston Chronicle, 1/10). Kennedy proposed a plan that would extend Medicare to all residents and allow them to select from health plans offered to federal lawmakers and the president. According to Kennedy, the plan would save an estimated $380 billion annually through reduced administrative costs, a national electronic health records system and reduced overhead costs. In addition, the plan would reduce costs because residents would receive preventive care for health conditions before they become more serious and expensive to treat, Kennedy said (Johnson, CongressDaily, 1/10). Kennedy said, "The stakes couldn't be higher. Too many trends in health care are going in the wrong direction. Insurance coverage is down. Costs are up, and America is heading to the bottom of the league of major nations in important measures of the quality of care."
Witness Testimony
At the hearing, employer, labor and think tank representatives asked lawmakers to take action to reduce health care costs and the number of uninsured residents. Witnesses also asked lawmakers to fully fund the SCHIP program this year. In addition, some witnesses proposed to eliminate the relationship between employers and health insurance, provide employers with more flexibility to for purchasing pools to reduce health insurance costs, provide consumers with more information on health care quality and compare the effectiveness of the U.S. health care system with the systems of other nations. Service Employees International Union President Andrew Stern, said, "We don't have a problem, we have a crisis. And it's getting worse. The solution is no longer a matter of policy -- but politics." Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said, "Other countries are achieving universal coverage, much lower spending per capita and better health outcomes" (Agnes Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 1/10). Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), ranking member of the committee, said, "My primary interest is to provide health insurance reform for small businesses and working families, and I believe that 1 million more people will be insured if we enacted the (small business health plans)" (AP/Houston Chronicle, 1/10).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Job-Based Health Insurance Unavailable To 5.7 Million Californians
Most Americans receive health insurance coverage through their employer, or through an employed family member's dependent coverage. Yet having a job is no guarantee of coverage, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Using data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the brief's authors found that one-fifth of Californians under age 65 who lived in households with at least one employed family member - or 5.7 million - had no access to job-based health insurance in 2007.
Adults without access to job-based insurance - either their own or a spouse's - had little success in securing other types of coverage. Only one-third obtained had other insurance, either through Medi-Cal benefits (14.1 percent), privately purchased insurance (11.8 percent) or their parent's health plan (7.4 percent). Children fared better, however, largely with the help of public programs. Nearly three-fifths (57.6 percent) of California's children were insured through Medi-Cal or Healthy Families, and an additional 7.5 percent had private insurance. Nevertheless, 21.4 percent of children in the state with parents who did not have access to job-based coverage went without health insurance.
"Public programs are an effective safety net for children without access to job-based coverage, but not their parents," said Shana Alex Lavarreda, lead author and director of health insurance studies at the center. "Expansions of coverage options under the federal waiver and health care reform should provide some relief for millions of Californians who don't have access to job-based coverage."
Among those with no access to job-based insurance, the poor are the largest group. Latinos and employees of small businesses were among the least likely to acquire job-based health insurance.
"The number of uninsured working people revealed by this study is a further example of how the health care system in California is broken," said Dr. Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of the California Endowment, which funded the study. "These numbers should add renewed urgency for lawmakers in California and nationally to implement the federal Affordable Care Act effectively so health coverage is affordable and available to every person in our state."
More than half (57.8 percent) of those who have no access to job-based insurance live in Southern California, with the highest percentage (31.9 percent) residing in Los Angeles County.
Nearly one-third (32.7 percent) of employees working in businesses with fewer than 10 employees lacked job-based coverage.
"California's economy and the health of its residents depend on a more comprehensive approach to health care," said Gary L. Yates, president and CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, which funded the study. "The study clearly shows the vulnerability of many of California's workers and underscores the need to support the health care safety net."
Source:
Gwendolyn Driscoll
University of California - Los Angeles
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Using data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the brief's authors found that one-fifth of Californians under age 65 who lived in households with at least one employed family member - or 5.7 million - had no access to job-based health insurance in 2007.
Adults without access to job-based insurance - either their own or a spouse's - had little success in securing other types of coverage. Only one-third obtained had other insurance, either through Medi-Cal benefits (14.1 percent), privately purchased insurance (11.8 percent) or their parent's health plan (7.4 percent). Children fared better, however, largely with the help of public programs. Nearly three-fifths (57.6 percent) of California's children were insured through Medi-Cal or Healthy Families, and an additional 7.5 percent had private insurance. Nevertheless, 21.4 percent of children in the state with parents who did not have access to job-based coverage went without health insurance.
"Public programs are an effective safety net for children without access to job-based coverage, but not their parents," said Shana Alex Lavarreda, lead author and director of health insurance studies at the center. "Expansions of coverage options under the federal waiver and health care reform should provide some relief for millions of Californians who don't have access to job-based coverage."
Among those with no access to job-based insurance, the poor are the largest group. Latinos and employees of small businesses were among the least likely to acquire job-based health insurance.
"The number of uninsured working people revealed by this study is a further example of how the health care system in California is broken," said Dr. Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of the California Endowment, which funded the study. "These numbers should add renewed urgency for lawmakers in California and nationally to implement the federal Affordable Care Act effectively so health coverage is affordable and available to every person in our state."
More than half (57.8 percent) of those who have no access to job-based insurance live in Southern California, with the highest percentage (31.9 percent) residing in Los Angeles County.
Nearly one-third (32.7 percent) of employees working in businesses with fewer than 10 employees lacked job-based coverage.
"California's economy and the health of its residents depend on a more comprehensive approach to health care," said Gary L. Yates, president and CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, which funded the study. "The study clearly shows the vulnerability of many of California's workers and underscores the need to support the health care safety net."
Source:
Gwendolyn Driscoll
University of California - Los Angeles
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Patients With Higher Drug Co-Payments Discouraged From Starting Treatment
Patients newly diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol are significantly more likely to delay initiating recommended drug treatment if they face higher co-payments for medications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The delay was significant across all conditions, but the impact was largest among patients who had not previously used prescription drugs, according to the study published in the April 27 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
While several studies have established that higher drug co-payments discourage some patients from taking their medications, the new RAND Health study is the first to examine the impact higher out-of-pocket costs have on patients who are beginning drug treatment after being diagnosed with a chronic illnesses.
"Our study clearly shows that out-of-pocket costs reduce patients' willingness to start treatment for their chronic illnesses," said lead author Dr. Matthew D. Solomon, the study's lead author and an adjunct researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "It is indisputable that avoiding treatment for these conditions will lead to higher rates of heart attack and stroke."
The study included 272,474 retirees who received health coverage from their former employers from 1997 to 2002 and were covered by 31 different health plans. Researchers focused on 17,183 people from this group who were newly diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, examining their records to see when they began to fill prescriptions for needed medications.
For each of the conditions, patients who had higher out-of-pocket costs were less likely to start prescription drug therapy compared to other patients in the study. For example, among those newly diagnosed with high blood pressure, those starting drug treatment within a year of diagnosis dropped from 55 percent to 40 percent when their co-payment doubled. After five years, the difference was 82 percent to 66 percent, according to the study.
Similar differences were seen among those diagnosed for the first time with diabetes and high cholesterol, according to researchers. Patients starting drug treatment within a year of diagnosis with high cholesterol dropped from 40 percent to 31 percent when patients' out-of-pocket costs doubled. After five years, the difference was 64 percent to 54 percent. Among patients with diabetes, those starting drug treatment within a year of diagnosis dropped from 46 percent to 40 percent when co-pays doubled. After five years, the difference was 69 percent to 63 percent
"Along with behavioral and lifestyle modification, prescription drug therapy is the cornerstone of management for these diseases," said Solomon, who also is a medical resident at Stanford University. "If left untreated, each of these conditions will increase a person's risk for having a potentially fatal cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke."
The study also showed that patients who had no experience with medications were even less likely to begin recommended drug treatment, an indication that some patients may have a preference against medication use.
Solomon said the new RAND study holds implications for policymakers and insurance officials interested in creating policies to improve medication compliance and raise the quality of care. In addition, it should highlight for physicians the types of patients who may be most likely to ignore recommended drug treatments.
"Epidemiologic studies tell us that we do a terrible job of treating patients with these conditions. Now we know one reason why," Solomon said.
Support for the study was provided by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the California HealthCare Foundation. Other authors of the study are Dana P. Goldman and Geoffrey F. Joyce of RAND, and Dr. Jose J. Escarce of RAND and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Source:
Warren Robak
RAND Corporation
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The delay was significant across all conditions, but the impact was largest among patients who had not previously used prescription drugs, according to the study published in the April 27 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
While several studies have established that higher drug co-payments discourage some patients from taking their medications, the new RAND Health study is the first to examine the impact higher out-of-pocket costs have on patients who are beginning drug treatment after being diagnosed with a chronic illnesses.
"Our study clearly shows that out-of-pocket costs reduce patients' willingness to start treatment for their chronic illnesses," said lead author Dr. Matthew D. Solomon, the study's lead author and an adjunct researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "It is indisputable that avoiding treatment for these conditions will lead to higher rates of heart attack and stroke."
The study included 272,474 retirees who received health coverage from their former employers from 1997 to 2002 and were covered by 31 different health plans. Researchers focused on 17,183 people from this group who were newly diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, examining their records to see when they began to fill prescriptions for needed medications.
For each of the conditions, patients who had higher out-of-pocket costs were less likely to start prescription drug therapy compared to other patients in the study. For example, among those newly diagnosed with high blood pressure, those starting drug treatment within a year of diagnosis dropped from 55 percent to 40 percent when their co-payment doubled. After five years, the difference was 82 percent to 66 percent, according to the study.
Similar differences were seen among those diagnosed for the first time with diabetes and high cholesterol, according to researchers. Patients starting drug treatment within a year of diagnosis with high cholesterol dropped from 40 percent to 31 percent when patients' out-of-pocket costs doubled. After five years, the difference was 64 percent to 54 percent. Among patients with diabetes, those starting drug treatment within a year of diagnosis dropped from 46 percent to 40 percent when co-pays doubled. After five years, the difference was 69 percent to 63 percent
"Along with behavioral and lifestyle modification, prescription drug therapy is the cornerstone of management for these diseases," said Solomon, who also is a medical resident at Stanford University. "If left untreated, each of these conditions will increase a person's risk for having a potentially fatal cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke."
The study also showed that patients who had no experience with medications were even less likely to begin recommended drug treatment, an indication that some patients may have a preference against medication use.
Solomon said the new RAND study holds implications for policymakers and insurance officials interested in creating policies to improve medication compliance and raise the quality of care. In addition, it should highlight for physicians the types of patients who may be most likely to ignore recommended drug treatments.
"Epidemiologic studies tell us that we do a terrible job of treating patients with these conditions. Now we know one reason why," Solomon said.
Support for the study was provided by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the California HealthCare Foundation. Other authors of the study are Dana P. Goldman and Geoffrey F. Joyce of RAND, and Dr. Jose J. Escarce of RAND and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Source:
Warren Robak
RAND Corporation
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Dental Insurance, Caregivers' Preventive Dental Visits Determinants Of Underserved African-American Children Seeing Dentist
Children's dental insurance and caregivers' preventive dental care visits play a significant role as determinants of underserved African American children seeing a dentist, according to a study in this month's Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA).
The objective of the study, according to University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) researchers, was to investigate determinants of dental care visits among young, low-income African American children. They found that children with private dental insurance were five times more likely and children receiving Medicaid were about two times more likely to have visited a dentist than those without dental insurance.
Caregivers' preventive dental visits related to their children seeing dentist
The researchers also found an association between a caregiver's prevention-oriented dental visit and their child seeing a dentist. Caregivers who had had preventive dental visits were five times more likely to have taken their children to a dentist than caregivers who sought dental care only for treatment or not at all.
According to the researchers, this provides an explanation of an earlier finding that free care is not sufficient to eliminate differences in dental care utilization and oral health among underserved children.
"This underscores," the researchers wrote, "the importance of promoting caregivers' preventive behaviors in concert with increasing access to dental care and removing barriers to dental care."
Other determinants included a child's age, current and previous tooth decay, and caregiver's educational level.
In conducting the JADA published study, researchers interviewed a representative sample of low-income African American families in Detroit, assessing their dental visit history, dental insurance status and oral health behaviors. Study participants also received dental examinations, using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System. Of the 1,021 families completing the interview and examination, a subset of the 552 children aged 3 to 5 years (and their primary caregivers) was the focus of this analysis.
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 155,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer and professional products. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at ada.
American Dental Association (ADA)
211 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
United States
ada
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The objective of the study, according to University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) researchers, was to investigate determinants of dental care visits among young, low-income African American children. They found that children with private dental insurance were five times more likely and children receiving Medicaid were about two times more likely to have visited a dentist than those without dental insurance.
Caregivers' preventive dental visits related to their children seeing dentist
The researchers also found an association between a caregiver's prevention-oriented dental visit and their child seeing a dentist. Caregivers who had had preventive dental visits were five times more likely to have taken their children to a dentist than caregivers who sought dental care only for treatment or not at all.
According to the researchers, this provides an explanation of an earlier finding that free care is not sufficient to eliminate differences in dental care utilization and oral health among underserved children.
"This underscores," the researchers wrote, "the importance of promoting caregivers' preventive behaviors in concert with increasing access to dental care and removing barriers to dental care."
Other determinants included a child's age, current and previous tooth decay, and caregiver's educational level.
In conducting the JADA published study, researchers interviewed a representative sample of low-income African American families in Detroit, assessing their dental visit history, dental insurance status and oral health behaviors. Study participants also received dental examinations, using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System. Of the 1,021 families completing the interview and examination, a subset of the 552 children aged 3 to 5 years (and their primary caregivers) was the focus of this analysis.
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 155,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer and professional products. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at ada.
American Dental Association (ADA)
211 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
United States
ada
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Examines Popularity Of High Deductible Health Plans
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday examined "the lagging popularity of high-deductible health plans." According to the Post-Gazette, a recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust showed "little evidence of a dramatic shift toward" health savings accounts that are combined with high-deductible plans (Snowbeck, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/1). The survey finds that about 4% of employees with health insurance in 2006 are enrolled in consumer-driven health plans, such as high-deductible plans that qualify for HSAs or health reimbursement arrangements. About 7% of employers that provided health insurance for employees in 2006 offered consumer-driven health plans, the survey finds. An estimated 2.7 million employees are enrolled in consumer-driven plans in 2006: 1.4 million are enrolled in high-deductible plans with HSAs, compared with about 800,000 in 2005, and 1.3 million are enrolled in HRAs, which is statistically the same as the 1.6 million in 2005, according to the survey (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/27).
Comments
Jon Gabel, vice president for the Center for Studying Health Systems Change, said high-deductible health plans with HSAs can be complicated and risky. Gabel added that employees who enroll in high-deductible health plans with HSAs often have more education, higher incomes and a history of relatively few medical claims. However, America's Health Insurance Plans spokesperson Mohit Ghose said that about one-third of new enrollees in high-deductible health plans with HSAs in the individual or small-group health insurance markets previously lacked health insurance or worked for companies that previously did not offer coverage. Ghose added that high-deductible health plans with HSAs "play an important function" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/1).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Scientists Grow Human Liver Tissue To Be Used For Transplantation
A new study reports on the success of growing human liver cells on resorbable scaffolds made from material similar to surgical sutures. Researchers suggest that this liver tissue could be used in place of donor organs during liver transplantation or during the bridge period until a suitable donor is available for patients with acute liver failure. Findings of this study appear in the February issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
As of January 2011, more than 16,000 Americans are on the waiting list to receive a suitable liver according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Liver cell (hepatocyte) transplantation offers a possible solution in overcoming the organ shortage. In addition, liver cells have excellent regenerative potential making liver cell transplantation a viable therapeutic approach for patients with metabolic defects or fulminant hepatic failure as the native liver is preserved while liver dysfunction may resolve as regeneration occurs.
Dr. Joerg-Matthias Pollok, Head of the Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Cell Transplantation, Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplantation Surgery at the University Medical Center in Hamburg, Germany explains, "Currently isolated liver cells are used for liver cell transplantation, but these cells suffer during cell isolation and cryopreservation, which is one reason there is limited success with this type of transplant procedure." In applying their tissue engineering approach, the German researchers were able to successfully create new liver tissue providing a potential solution to the obstacles challenging liver cell transplantation.
The team isolated liver cells from 12 human liver specimens with a viability of 82%. After a two-day culture period, liver cells formed tightly packed cellular aggregates, called spheroids, and took on a liver-like appearance. Human liver cells were distributed across a three-dimensional porous structure of the polymer scaffolding. From day two to four, the average number of spheroids more than doubled from 18 to 41 per visual field. "Our experimental model represents a promising technique to culture human liver cells and prepare them for transplantation on a biodegradable polymer scaffold into the peritoneal cavity," concluded Dr. Pollok. "Further studies are underway to confirm our results and may ultimately offer viable clinical options for liver cell transplantation in the future."
A related editorial also published in Liver Transplantation this month acknowledges the huge clinical potential for liver cell transplantation. Humphrey Hodgson, M.D., from the UCL Medical School in London wrote that a number of liver cell transplantation approaches have been used in uncontrolled trials, but effective clinical protocols have not yet been established. He noted that while no technique has emerged as a proven clinical approach, the use of human rather than rodent cells as demonstrated by Pollok et al. is an important step in advancing the science behind liver cell transplantation.
Sources: Wiley - Blackwell, AlphaGalileo Foundation.
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As of January 2011, more than 16,000 Americans are on the waiting list to receive a suitable liver according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Liver cell (hepatocyte) transplantation offers a possible solution in overcoming the organ shortage. In addition, liver cells have excellent regenerative potential making liver cell transplantation a viable therapeutic approach for patients with metabolic defects or fulminant hepatic failure as the native liver is preserved while liver dysfunction may resolve as regeneration occurs.
Dr. Joerg-Matthias Pollok, Head of the Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Cell Transplantation, Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplantation Surgery at the University Medical Center in Hamburg, Germany explains, "Currently isolated liver cells are used for liver cell transplantation, but these cells suffer during cell isolation and cryopreservation, which is one reason there is limited success with this type of transplant procedure." In applying their tissue engineering approach, the German researchers were able to successfully create new liver tissue providing a potential solution to the obstacles challenging liver cell transplantation.
The team isolated liver cells from 12 human liver specimens with a viability of 82%. After a two-day culture period, liver cells formed tightly packed cellular aggregates, called spheroids, and took on a liver-like appearance. Human liver cells were distributed across a three-dimensional porous structure of the polymer scaffolding. From day two to four, the average number of spheroids more than doubled from 18 to 41 per visual field. "Our experimental model represents a promising technique to culture human liver cells and prepare them for transplantation on a biodegradable polymer scaffold into the peritoneal cavity," concluded Dr. Pollok. "Further studies are underway to confirm our results and may ultimately offer viable clinical options for liver cell transplantation in the future."
A related editorial also published in Liver Transplantation this month acknowledges the huge clinical potential for liver cell transplantation. Humphrey Hodgson, M.D., from the UCL Medical School in London wrote that a number of liver cell transplantation approaches have been used in uncontrolled trials, but effective clinical protocols have not yet been established. He noted that while no technique has emerged as a proven clinical approach, the use of human rather than rodent cells as demonstrated by Pollok et al. is an important step in advancing the science behind liver cell transplantation.
Sources: Wiley - Blackwell, AlphaGalileo Foundation.
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Hahnemann University Hospital Awarded Certification From The Joint Commission For Ventricular Assist Devices
Hahnemann University Hospital's ventricular assist device program has earned the Gold Seal of Approval(TM) for health care quality. Ventricular assist devices (VAD) are mechanical pumps that allow damaged hearts to continue functioning while patients either await a heart transplant, or for destination therapy when transplant is not a viable option.
"Hahnemann sought accreditation for our VAD program because we wanted to demonstrate our commitment to our patients' safety and quality care," said George Amrom, M.D., chief medical officer of Hahnemann University Hospital. "Ventricular Assist Devices continue to become more sophisticated and allow our patients a treatment option that had not been available to them in the past."
To earn this distinction, a disease management program undergoes an extensive, unannounced, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers every two years. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program's processes, the program's ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.
"This certification means Hahnemann University Hospital does the right things and does them well for ventricular assist device patients," says Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.
The Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at jointcommission.
About Hahnemann University Hospital
Hahnemann University Hospital is a 541-bed academic medical center at Broad and Vine Streets in Philadelphia, Pa. The hospital is a tertiary care institution that specializes in cardiac services, heart failure and transplantation, OB/GYN, orthopedics, medical, surgical and radiation oncology, bone marrow transplantation, renal dialysis and kidney/pancreas/liver transplantation. Hahnemann is recognized by the American Heart Association as a leader in coronary artery disease and heart failure treatments. The hospital performed one of the city's first kidney transplants in 1963 and one of the first bone marrow transplants in 1976. Hahnemann became Philadelphia's first Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center for adults in 1986, and since then has been served by MidAtlantic MedEvac, an aeromedical transport program for critically ill patients. Hahnemann is proud to be the first hospital in Philadelphia to join with The Wellness Community of Philadelphia to offer onsite support and education services to cancer patients and their families. Hahnemann is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. An affiliate of Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital is part of Tenet Pennsylvania, which also includes St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. To learn more about Hahnemann, visit hahnemannhospital.
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"Hahnemann sought accreditation for our VAD program because we wanted to demonstrate our commitment to our patients' safety and quality care," said George Amrom, M.D., chief medical officer of Hahnemann University Hospital. "Ventricular Assist Devices continue to become more sophisticated and allow our patients a treatment option that had not been available to them in the past."
To earn this distinction, a disease management program undergoes an extensive, unannounced, on-site evaluation by a team of Joint Commission reviewers every two years. The program is evaluated against Joint Commission standards through an assessment of a program's processes, the program's ability to evaluate and improve care within its own organization, and interviews with patients and staff.
"This certification means Hahnemann University Hospital does the right things and does them well for ventricular assist device patients," says Jean E. Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, Joint Commission.
The Joint Commission launched its Disease-Specific Care Certification program in 2002. It is the first program of its kind in the country to certify disease management programs. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at jointcommission.
About Hahnemann University Hospital
Hahnemann University Hospital is a 541-bed academic medical center at Broad and Vine Streets in Philadelphia, Pa. The hospital is a tertiary care institution that specializes in cardiac services, heart failure and transplantation, OB/GYN, orthopedics, medical, surgical and radiation oncology, bone marrow transplantation, renal dialysis and kidney/pancreas/liver transplantation. Hahnemann is recognized by the American Heart Association as a leader in coronary artery disease and heart failure treatments. The hospital performed one of the city's first kidney transplants in 1963 and one of the first bone marrow transplants in 1976. Hahnemann became Philadelphia's first Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center for adults in 1986, and since then has been served by MidAtlantic MedEvac, an aeromedical transport program for critically ill patients. Hahnemann is proud to be the first hospital in Philadelphia to join with The Wellness Community of Philadelphia to offer onsite support and education services to cancer patients and their families. Hahnemann is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. An affiliate of Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital is part of Tenet Pennsylvania, which also includes St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. To learn more about Hahnemann, visit hahnemannhospital.
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More Than 25 Percent Of Pediatric 'Emergency' Visits Could Be Replaced ByTelemedicine
A community-wide study in upstate New York found that nearly 28 percent of all visits to the pediatric emergency department could have been replaced with a more cost-effective Internet doctor's "visit," or telemedicine, according to investigators from the University of Rochester Medical Center. The Rochester team presented these findings and more at this year's Pediatric Academic Society Meeting, held n Honolulu, Hawaii.
"We learned that more than one in four local patients are using the pediatric emergency department for non-emergencies," said Kenneth McConnochie, M.D., M.P.H., the study's lead investigator and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester's Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong. "This mismatch of needs and resources is inefficient, costly and impersonal for everyone involved."
McConnochie and colleagues - who direct Health-e-Access, a Rochester-based telemedicine program that provides interactive, Internet-based health care "visits" to diagnose and treat routine childhood symptoms in 19 urban and suburban schools and childcare centers - analyzed data from 2006, tracking all pediatric (younger than 19) visits to the largest emergency department in the city.
Given experience with over 6,000 successfully-managed telemedicine visits that illustrate the extent of technology's capabilities, unique diagnoses from more than 22,000 pediatric ED visits were coded into various categories - first, ailments that virtually always prove manageable by telemedicine, such as ear infections or sore throats; second problems that are usually treatable through telemedicine, but not always, such as asthma attacks; and finally, conditions that were usually beyond the scope of the technology.
Nearly 28 percent of ED visits fell into that first category; had these same problems been handled by telemedicine, this community would have had at least 12,000 fewer ED visits that year.
"This would've not only freed up emergency resources to people who needed them more - it would have afforded smaller co-pays for parents and more timely, personalized care," McConnochie said. (On average, 87 percent of these telemedicine visits are handled by the child's own family pediatrician.)
But parents aren't the only ones who stand to benefit. McConnochie, in related research also being presented at the upcoming meeting, suggests that telemedicine will also serve the ultimate objectives of insurers and the community as well - better quality care at a lower price. Typically, insurers have been wary of embracing the technology, fearing the convenience may lead parents to use medical care more often and drive up costs; but another community study from Rochester suggests the exact opposite - that in the long run, insurers actually would realize cost savings - more than $14 per child per year in that local community.
In that study, researchers analyzed two groups of children that were almost identical - except one had access to their doctor's office, the emergency department, and telemedicine technology for care, and the second had only the first two options. They tracked how often families used services, and which ones.
"We found that the first group of families, which had access to telemedicine for their children, did in fact access care for illness overall nearly 23 percent more often than the second group," McConnochie said.
But since emergency department visits among these children with telemedicine access were nearly 24 percent less common - and since these visits cost about 7-times the cost of a doctor office or telemedicine visit - the telemedicine group ultimately still cost the insurers less per child over the course of a year.
"It's similar to the idea of staying trim by eating healthy. It would be wrong to assume that someone who ate 20 items of food each day - all lean and nutritious - would be less healthy than someone who ate only 12 items - all high-fat, high-calorie, like donuts and fries," he said. "You can see how the logic of only counting food items (or total visits) falls apart. Clearly cost, as well as frequency, plays a role, whether the 'cost' of each unit is measured in calories or dollars."
Source: Becky Jones
University of Rochester Medical Center
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"We learned that more than one in four local patients are using the pediatric emergency department for non-emergencies," said Kenneth McConnochie, M.D., M.P.H., the study's lead investigator and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester's Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong. "This mismatch of needs and resources is inefficient, costly and impersonal for everyone involved."
McConnochie and colleagues - who direct Health-e-Access, a Rochester-based telemedicine program that provides interactive, Internet-based health care "visits" to diagnose and treat routine childhood symptoms in 19 urban and suburban schools and childcare centers - analyzed data from 2006, tracking all pediatric (younger than 19) visits to the largest emergency department in the city.
Given experience with over 6,000 successfully-managed telemedicine visits that illustrate the extent of technology's capabilities, unique diagnoses from more than 22,000 pediatric ED visits were coded into various categories - first, ailments that virtually always prove manageable by telemedicine, such as ear infections or sore throats; second problems that are usually treatable through telemedicine, but not always, such as asthma attacks; and finally, conditions that were usually beyond the scope of the technology.
Nearly 28 percent of ED visits fell into that first category; had these same problems been handled by telemedicine, this community would have had at least 12,000 fewer ED visits that year.
"This would've not only freed up emergency resources to people who needed them more - it would have afforded smaller co-pays for parents and more timely, personalized care," McConnochie said. (On average, 87 percent of these telemedicine visits are handled by the child's own family pediatrician.)
But parents aren't the only ones who stand to benefit. McConnochie, in related research also being presented at the upcoming meeting, suggests that telemedicine will also serve the ultimate objectives of insurers and the community as well - better quality care at a lower price. Typically, insurers have been wary of embracing the technology, fearing the convenience may lead parents to use medical care more often and drive up costs; but another community study from Rochester suggests the exact opposite - that in the long run, insurers actually would realize cost savings - more than $14 per child per year in that local community.
In that study, researchers analyzed two groups of children that were almost identical - except one had access to their doctor's office, the emergency department, and telemedicine technology for care, and the second had only the first two options. They tracked how often families used services, and which ones.
"We found that the first group of families, which had access to telemedicine for their children, did in fact access care for illness overall nearly 23 percent more often than the second group," McConnochie said.
But since emergency department visits among these children with telemedicine access were nearly 24 percent less common - and since these visits cost about 7-times the cost of a doctor office or telemedicine visit - the telemedicine group ultimately still cost the insurers less per child over the course of a year.
"It's similar to the idea of staying trim by eating healthy. It would be wrong to assume that someone who ate 20 items of food each day - all lean and nutritious - would be less healthy than someone who ate only 12 items - all high-fat, high-calorie, like donuts and fries," he said. "You can see how the logic of only counting food items (or total visits) falls apart. Clearly cost, as well as frequency, plays a role, whether the 'cost' of each unit is measured in calories or dollars."
Source: Becky Jones
University of Rochester Medical Center
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Researchers Block Stress Responses In Cancer Surgery Patients To Save Lives
Cancer surgery wreaks havoc on a body's immune system and stress hormones exacerbate the problem. As a result, about half of those who undergo surgery for tumor removal experience a recurrence of cancer in the same region or other parts of the body.
A new clinical approach being developed and tested by Tel Aviv University researchers may be the key to making cancer operations more successful. Prof. Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu, head of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychology, has opened on a new frontier in cancer research: he is recruiting colon cancer patients for a new clinical study which will test a cocktail of drugs to prevent the negative effects of stress responses to surgery. If successful, it will help the immune system maintain its vigor and prevent the occurrence of new tumors.
Prof. Ben-Eliyahu described his method in a recent issue of the Journal of Immunology.
A more competent immune system
Prof. Ben-Eliyahu and other research teams have confirmed that a competent immune system is critical before, during and after surgery for tumor removal. However, stress responses of the body during this period jeopardize immune competence and facilitate tumor metastasis.
Combining two widely-known medications that affect immune and stress responses, Prof. Ben-Eliyahu has developed a formula he hopes will keep an immune system strong and prevent the recurrence of cancer. Already tested in animal models, the compounds will be employed in a clinical trial in Israel, for which Prof. Ben-Eliyahu's team is currently recruiting patients and funds. They hope to have 800 colon cancer patients participate in the trial, due to begin shortly.
Increasing survival 300%
According to Prof. Ben-Eliyahu, the main stress hormones that appear to negatively impact immune system functioning are released before and during surgery. He says that existing generic drugs could block the influence of these hormones, helping the body to better fend off the stressors of surgery.
In animal studies, Prof. Ben-Eliyahu found that by blocking these hormones he could increase long-term post-operative survival rates from cancer by as much as 300 percent. If his new study on human volunteers succeeds, it could set a new paradigm for cancer treatment and post-surgery recovery rates. "In rats and mice it works with great success, really beautifully," says Prof. Ben-Eliyahu.
In the upcoming trial, Prof. Ben-Eliyahu will boost patients' immune systems with his drug cocktail over a 20-day period, before, during and after surgery. The two compounds to be used in the study are a beta-adrenergic antagonist, which is used to treat hypertension and anxiety, and a Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, used against inflammation and pain. Since the two drugs are already widely available and routinely used in the clinical setting, no patents need be filed for the application of these drugs.
Source:
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
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A new clinical approach being developed and tested by Tel Aviv University researchers may be the key to making cancer operations more successful. Prof. Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu, head of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychology, has opened on a new frontier in cancer research: he is recruiting colon cancer patients for a new clinical study which will test a cocktail of drugs to prevent the negative effects of stress responses to surgery. If successful, it will help the immune system maintain its vigor and prevent the occurrence of new tumors.
Prof. Ben-Eliyahu described his method in a recent issue of the Journal of Immunology.
A more competent immune system
Prof. Ben-Eliyahu and other research teams have confirmed that a competent immune system is critical before, during and after surgery for tumor removal. However, stress responses of the body during this period jeopardize immune competence and facilitate tumor metastasis.
Combining two widely-known medications that affect immune and stress responses, Prof. Ben-Eliyahu has developed a formula he hopes will keep an immune system strong and prevent the recurrence of cancer. Already tested in animal models, the compounds will be employed in a clinical trial in Israel, for which Prof. Ben-Eliyahu's team is currently recruiting patients and funds. They hope to have 800 colon cancer patients participate in the trial, due to begin shortly.
Increasing survival 300%
According to Prof. Ben-Eliyahu, the main stress hormones that appear to negatively impact immune system functioning are released before and during surgery. He says that existing generic drugs could block the influence of these hormones, helping the body to better fend off the stressors of surgery.
In animal studies, Prof. Ben-Eliyahu found that by blocking these hormones he could increase long-term post-operative survival rates from cancer by as much as 300 percent. If his new study on human volunteers succeeds, it could set a new paradigm for cancer treatment and post-surgery recovery rates. "In rats and mice it works with great success, really beautifully," says Prof. Ben-Eliyahu.
In the upcoming trial, Prof. Ben-Eliyahu will boost patients' immune systems with his drug cocktail over a 20-day period, before, during and after surgery. The two compounds to be used in the study are a beta-adrenergic antagonist, which is used to treat hypertension and anxiety, and a Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, used against inflammation and pain. Since the two drugs are already widely available and routinely used in the clinical setting, no patents need be filed for the application of these drugs.
Source:
American Friends of Tel Aviv University
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Kan., S.C., Lawmakers Address Abortion In Budgets; Okla. Senate Passes Insurance Restrictions
Lawmakers in Kansas and South Carolina addressed abortion and other reproductive health issues in their state budgets, while the Oklahoma Senate passed a measure restricting abortion coverage in the state. Summaries appear below.
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~ Kansas: On Wednesday, abortion-rights supporters delivered petitions urging Gov. Mark Parkinson (D) to veto a proposal added to the state budget (Section 167 of SB 572) that aims to prevent the state from distributing federal family planning funding to Planned Parenthood clinics, the AP/Wichita Eagle reports. The provision is part of the $13.7 billion state budget, approved by the Legislature last week, for the fiscal year starting July 1. Parkinson vetoed a similar proposal in the 2009 budget and has until May 28 to decide if he will veto individual budget items this year. Seth Bundy, a spokesperson for Parkinson, declined to comment on the issue. For the current fiscal year, the federal government is expected to provide the state with nearly $2.4 million to provide low-income residents with family planning services, including contraception, exams and other preventive women's health services. The funding cannot be used for abortion services. The proposed state budget provision would require the state Department of Health and Environment to first distribute the federal money to local health departments and then to hospitals and clinics that offer primary or "comprehensive" preventive care. For the next fiscal year, Planned Parenthood clinics in Hays and Wichita were expecting to receive at least $232,000, according to the AP/Eagle. Abortion-rights opponents argue that local health departments have a greater need for the funds than Planned Parenthood and that some residents are opposed to giving funds to an abortion provider, even if the funds cannot pay for the procedure. Planned Parenthood officials said that the Hays clinic could be forced to close without the funds. Peter Brownlie, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, said the budget provision is "a particularly misguided effort," noting that the federal money "can only be used for family planning and is there for preventing unintended pregnancies and abortions" (Hanna, AP/Wichita Eagle, 5/19).
~ Oklahoma: The state Senate on Wednesday voted 32-13 in favor of a bill (HB 3290) that would prohibit all health insurance plans from covering abortion services except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman, the AP/Oklahoman reports. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Anthony Sykes (R), states that insurers could sell abortion coverage only through separate, supplemental policies. The bill now goes to Gov. Brad Henry (D), who vetoed two other abortion-related measures this year. Several Democrats objected to the new bill, arguing that it would force pregnant women who learn of fetal abnormalities to either undergo costly uninsured procedures or carry to term (AP/Oklahoman, 5/19).
~ South Carolina: On Wednesday, the state House approved a budget plan with a provision that would cut $4 million from treatment and screening programs for certain cancers, including breast and cervical cancers, the AP/Myrtle Beach Sun News reports. The budget passed 71-44. The measure also would eliminate nearly $6 million for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs. According to state House Ways and Means Committee Chair Dan Cooper (R), the House and Senate are expected to begin working through their respective spending plans next week (Davenport, AP/Myrtle Beach Sun News, 5/20). The AP/Greenwood Index-Journal reports that a provision in the House budget proposal restricting abortion coverage could hold up the plan's final passage. The House approved the provision 75-38, but the Senate rejected it 24-17. The proposal -- introduced by Republicans in March -- would prohibit the state employee health insurance plan from providing abortion coverage, with no exceptions for rape and incest. The state insurance plan covered six such procedures in 2009, the AP/Index-Journal reports (Davenport, AP/Greenwood Index-Journal, 5/19).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.
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Health Care Worker Flu Vaccination Rates Up 13 Percent Among Participants In Joint Commission Resources' Challenge
Joint Commission Resources (JCR) announced the successful results of its second annual Flu Vaccination Challenge. Participating health care organizations reached a 76 percent flu vaccination average, a 13 percent increase over the average reported for last year's challenge and 27 percent above the national average.1 For the 2009-2010 flu season, JCR challenged health care organizations across the country to achieve 90, 75 or 65 percent gold, silver or bronze, respectively seasonal flu vaccination among their staff. Of the health care organizations that participated, 19 percent achieved a gold vaccination level2, 35 percent achieved a silver vaccination level3, and 31 percent achieved a bronze vaccination level4. With help from the Flu Vaccination Challenge, more than 1.1 million health care workers (HCWs) were vaccinated against the seasonal flu; a key measure toward reducing the risk of flu outbreaks in health care organizations.
"The Flu Vaccination Challenge showcases the ethical responsibility that health care workers have to protect themselves, their patients and their colleagues from influenza each year by taking the time to get vaccinated," says William Schaffner, M.D., chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine, and professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "Protection against influenza is paramount in patient safety, as studies show that increased rates of health care worker vaccination correspond with a significant decrease in the incidence of health care-associated influenza."
JCR is raising the bar again for the program's third year, challenging health care organizations to raise their rate of vaccination to 95, 85 or 75 percent among their staff. JCR will recognize organizations that "meet" the challenge with a gold, silver or bronze recognition award, respectively, for their dedication to helping keep their employees and patients healthy by vaccinating against the flu.
"The Flu Vaccination Challenge is an important initiative which has clearly gained momentum over these past two years," says Tom Talbot, M.D. M.P.H., chief hospital epidemiologist and assistant professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and JCR Consultant. "We are very encouraged by the latest results and commend all of the organizations that participated in the challenge. We look forward to seeing vaccination rates continue to climb during this coming flu season."
Flu Vaccination Challenge Results: 2009-2010 Flu Season
Nearly 1,100 (n=1,083) health care organizations from across the United States participated in the Flu Vaccination Challenge. Of the organizations that submitted their data (n=855), 85 percent met "the Challenge" by achieving 65 percent or higher seasonal flu vaccination among their staff. Participating health care organizations reached a 76 percent flu vaccination average, surpassing both the national flu vaccination average1 and the total vaccination average of 63 percent reported from last year's Challenge.
The 2010 Flu Vaccination Challenge begins today and will continue through April 2011. The 2010-2011 Challenge will measure vaccination coverage among HCWs that receive the seasonal flu vaccine, which will offer protection against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain.
About The Flu
The flu is a contagious and potentially deadly infection. Flu viruses are mainly spread from person to person via droplets from coughing or sneezing. Transmission may also occur through direct or indirect contact, such as when touching something already laden with the flu virus, then touching the eyes, nose or mouth. Every year in the United States, between 5 and 20 percent of the population may become infected with the flu. On average, more than 200,000 hospitalizations occurred each year from 1979 to 2001 in the United States as a result of flu-related complications. Additionally, on average, approximately 36,000 persons died each year from 1990-1999 from flu-related causes; more than 90 percent of these deaths occurred among persons 65 years of age and older.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annual flu vaccination is the most effective method for preventing flu virus infection and its complications. For the 2010-2011 flu season, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded its recommendation for annual flu vaccination to include all people aged 6 months and older. While flu vaccination benefits all age groups, certain people have a higher risk for flu complications, such as adults aged 65 and older and people with chronic medical conditions. ACIP recommends that these people and those in close contact with them, including all health care personnel, continue to be a primary focus for vaccination efforts.
JCR received funding and other editorial support from GlaxoSmithKline for the Flu Vaccination Challenge initiative.
References
(1) Results from a national survey during the 2007/2008 influenza season
(2) Gold vaccination rate = 90 percent or higher
(3) Silver vaccination rate = 75-89 percent
(4) Bronze vaccination rate = 65-74 percent
Source: Joint Commission Resources
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"The Flu Vaccination Challenge showcases the ethical responsibility that health care workers have to protect themselves, their patients and their colleagues from influenza each year by taking the time to get vaccinated," says William Schaffner, M.D., chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine, and professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "Protection against influenza is paramount in patient safety, as studies show that increased rates of health care worker vaccination correspond with a significant decrease in the incidence of health care-associated influenza."
JCR is raising the bar again for the program's third year, challenging health care organizations to raise their rate of vaccination to 95, 85 or 75 percent among their staff. JCR will recognize organizations that "meet" the challenge with a gold, silver or bronze recognition award, respectively, for their dedication to helping keep their employees and patients healthy by vaccinating against the flu.
"The Flu Vaccination Challenge is an important initiative which has clearly gained momentum over these past two years," says Tom Talbot, M.D. M.P.H., chief hospital epidemiologist and assistant professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and JCR Consultant. "We are very encouraged by the latest results and commend all of the organizations that participated in the challenge. We look forward to seeing vaccination rates continue to climb during this coming flu season."
Flu Vaccination Challenge Results: 2009-2010 Flu Season
Nearly 1,100 (n=1,083) health care organizations from across the United States participated in the Flu Vaccination Challenge. Of the organizations that submitted their data (n=855), 85 percent met "the Challenge" by achieving 65 percent or higher seasonal flu vaccination among their staff. Participating health care organizations reached a 76 percent flu vaccination average, surpassing both the national flu vaccination average1 and the total vaccination average of 63 percent reported from last year's Challenge.
The 2010 Flu Vaccination Challenge begins today and will continue through April 2011. The 2010-2011 Challenge will measure vaccination coverage among HCWs that receive the seasonal flu vaccine, which will offer protection against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain.
About The Flu
The flu is a contagious and potentially deadly infection. Flu viruses are mainly spread from person to person via droplets from coughing or sneezing. Transmission may also occur through direct or indirect contact, such as when touching something already laden with the flu virus, then touching the eyes, nose or mouth. Every year in the United States, between 5 and 20 percent of the population may become infected with the flu. On average, more than 200,000 hospitalizations occurred each year from 1979 to 2001 in the United States as a result of flu-related complications. Additionally, on average, approximately 36,000 persons died each year from 1990-1999 from flu-related causes; more than 90 percent of these deaths occurred among persons 65 years of age and older.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annual flu vaccination is the most effective method for preventing flu virus infection and its complications. For the 2010-2011 flu season, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded its recommendation for annual flu vaccination to include all people aged 6 months and older. While flu vaccination benefits all age groups, certain people have a higher risk for flu complications, such as adults aged 65 and older and people with chronic medical conditions. ACIP recommends that these people and those in close contact with them, including all health care personnel, continue to be a primary focus for vaccination efforts.
JCR received funding and other editorial support from GlaxoSmithKline for the Flu Vaccination Challenge initiative.
References
(1) Results from a national survey during the 2007/2008 influenza season
(2) Gold vaccination rate = 90 percent or higher
(3) Silver vaccination rate = 75-89 percent
(4) Bronze vaccination rate = 65-74 percent
Source: Joint Commission Resources
Buy Truvada Without Prescription
GOP Doctors Caucus Praises Florida Judge Ruling Obamacare Unconstitutional
Members of the GOP Doctors Caucus today issued the following statements in response to U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruling H.R. 3590, the Patient, Protection and Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional:
Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D., Co-Chair (GA-11): "The American people rejected the President's health care plan last November, the U.S. House of Representatives repealed it two weeks ago, and now the justice system has again ruled it unconstitutional. With this ruling, our nation is one step closer to reaffirming what Thomas Jefferson meant when he said "the policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free." I believe no citizen should have their liberty taken from them, especially by their government, and will not stop fighting until Obamacare is repealed. Now I call on the U.S. Senate to follow the lead of the House and repeal Obamacare immediately."
Rep. Tim Murphy, Ph.D, Co-Chair (PA-18): "Judge Robert Vinson's decision reminds us that the freedoms guaranteed to us in the Constitution still reign over any law passed by Congress. Aside from the heavy burden the healthcare law's individual mandate puts on Americans, it does nothing to deliver better and more affordable care. The election of healthcare coverage is clearly a decision to be made by the people, not Washington. The individual mandate extends the arm of the federal government far further than ever intended, and in doing so strips liberties when the ultimate goal of healthcare reform is to provide more choice."
Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-01): "This ruling is a direct rejection of Obamacare, and it is another confirmation that the law went too far. The House already voted to repeal Obamacare, and I urge the Senate to push forward and do the same so we can replace it with commonsense - and constitutional - legislation that aims at lowering health care costs."
Rep. Charles Boustany, M.D. (LA-07): "I applaud this ruling. Once again, a federal judge has recognized the unconstitutionality of this law, and I hope the Supreme Court will quickly uphold this decision. The American people deserve real solutions that bring down the cost of healthcare, and improve quality and access. As a physician on the Ways and Means Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to bring about meaningful health care reform."
Rep. John Fleming, M.D. (LA-04): "Today's ruling marks another major milestone in the fight to end ObamaCare. It is also a significant victory for the majority of American's who firmly opposed this unconstitutional government takeover of health care. While this ruling is a step in the right direction, we must continue to remain vigilant as the process moves forward. House Republicans stood with the American people when we repealed ObamaCare, and will continue in the fight to defund this monstrosity and replace it with market-based patient-centered solutions."
Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08): "I am encouraged by the court's decision to declare the individual mandate unconstitutional. This ruling will allow the judicial process to work the way it was designed before we burden businesses and individuals with this overreaching law. This is more proof that repealing ObamaCare was the right thing to do as we have begun working on a replacement bill that will focus on access to quality care and driving down costs."
Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06): "As the ruling in Florida today confirms, ObamaCare not only poses a threat to job creation, our nation's fiscal well-being, and quality healthcare, but simply put, the law threatens our individual liberties," said Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA), Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. "ObamaCare's individual mandate is unconstitutional and opens the door to putting near limitless authority in the hands of the federal government. In an effort to rollback this unprecedented growth in the power of Washington, House Republicans have already followed through on our pledge to repeal this disastrous policy. While courts in Virginia and Florida continue to validate our fight against an unconstitutional expansion of federal authority, Republicans will do our part to support further repeal efforts and focus on adopting patient-centered reforms that embrace the principles of access, affordability, quality, responsiveness, innovation, and choices."
Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26): "The ruling today sends a clear message that over half of the states know that the health care law is not good for America. The fight for true reform is far from over. We must continue to work to repeal the legislation that was signed into law and replace it with reform that will create a health care system that is focused on patients instead of payments, quality instead of quantity, affordability instead of cheapness, and innovation instead of stagnation."
Source: Office of Congressman Phil Gingrey (GA-11)
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Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D., Co-Chair (GA-11): "The American people rejected the President's health care plan last November, the U.S. House of Representatives repealed it two weeks ago, and now the justice system has again ruled it unconstitutional. With this ruling, our nation is one step closer to reaffirming what Thomas Jefferson meant when he said "the policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free." I believe no citizen should have their liberty taken from them, especially by their government, and will not stop fighting until Obamacare is repealed. Now I call on the U.S. Senate to follow the lead of the House and repeal Obamacare immediately."
Rep. Tim Murphy, Ph.D, Co-Chair (PA-18): "Judge Robert Vinson's decision reminds us that the freedoms guaranteed to us in the Constitution still reign over any law passed by Congress. Aside from the heavy burden the healthcare law's individual mandate puts on Americans, it does nothing to deliver better and more affordable care. The election of healthcare coverage is clearly a decision to be made by the people, not Washington. The individual mandate extends the arm of the federal government far further than ever intended, and in doing so strips liberties when the ultimate goal of healthcare reform is to provide more choice."
Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-01): "This ruling is a direct rejection of Obamacare, and it is another confirmation that the law went too far. The House already voted to repeal Obamacare, and I urge the Senate to push forward and do the same so we can replace it with commonsense - and constitutional - legislation that aims at lowering health care costs."
Rep. Charles Boustany, M.D. (LA-07): "I applaud this ruling. Once again, a federal judge has recognized the unconstitutionality of this law, and I hope the Supreme Court will quickly uphold this decision. The American people deserve real solutions that bring down the cost of healthcare, and improve quality and access. As a physician on the Ways and Means Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to bring about meaningful health care reform."
Rep. John Fleming, M.D. (LA-04): "Today's ruling marks another major milestone in the fight to end ObamaCare. It is also a significant victory for the majority of American's who firmly opposed this unconstitutional government takeover of health care. While this ruling is a step in the right direction, we must continue to remain vigilant as the process moves forward. House Republicans stood with the American people when we repealed ObamaCare, and will continue in the fight to defund this monstrosity and replace it with market-based patient-centered solutions."
Rep. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08): "I am encouraged by the court's decision to declare the individual mandate unconstitutional. This ruling will allow the judicial process to work the way it was designed before we burden businesses and individuals with this overreaching law. This is more proof that repealing ObamaCare was the right thing to do as we have begun working on a replacement bill that will focus on access to quality care and driving down costs."
Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06): "As the ruling in Florida today confirms, ObamaCare not only poses a threat to job creation, our nation's fiscal well-being, and quality healthcare, but simply put, the law threatens our individual liberties," said Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA), Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. "ObamaCare's individual mandate is unconstitutional and opens the door to putting near limitless authority in the hands of the federal government. In an effort to rollback this unprecedented growth in the power of Washington, House Republicans have already followed through on our pledge to repeal this disastrous policy. While courts in Virginia and Florida continue to validate our fight against an unconstitutional expansion of federal authority, Republicans will do our part to support further repeal efforts and focus on adopting patient-centered reforms that embrace the principles of access, affordability, quality, responsiveness, innovation, and choices."
Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26): "The ruling today sends a clear message that over half of the states know that the health care law is not good for America. The fight for true reform is far from over. We must continue to work to repeal the legislation that was signed into law and replace it with reform that will create a health care system that is focused on patients instead of payments, quality instead of quantity, affordability instead of cheapness, and innovation instead of stagnation."
Source: Office of Congressman Phil Gingrey (GA-11)
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Immune Cells On The Move
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich, Germany, have now deciphered the mechanism that illustrates how these mobile cells move on diverse surfaces. "Similar to a car, these cells have an engine, a clutch and wheels which provide the necessary friction," explains Michael Sixt, a research group leader at the MPI of Biochemistry. The results, which were developed in cooperation with colleagues from the MPI for Metals Research in Stuttgart, Germany, have now been published in Nature Cell Biology.
White blood cells, also called leukocytes or immune cells, fight infections in the human body in many different ways. As defence cells, they are able to invade infected tissues, detect and eliminate pathogens. Also foreign structures and wreckage of the body's own cells are disposed of with their help. To cope with these tasks, the cells move a hundred fold faster than other cell types. Thereby, immune cells follow certain attractants which are released by the body's own cells or the pathogens.
Energy transfer on a molecular level
Cells have to generate the necessary energy from the inside in order to move forward. This task is carried out by the cytoskeleton, a network of proteins which stretches through the cell's complete interior. It can expand and form finger-like extensions and likewise retract them.
However, this deformation is not enough to make a cell move. "Similar to a car, the energy has to be transferred onto the street," says Dr. Sixt. "We need a clutch and wheels." For this purpose, every cell carries special cell anchors on their surface: the integrins. These proteins span the envelope of the cells and are directly connected to the cell's cytoskeleton. On the outside, these anchors can stick to other cells and tissues and thus form a connection to the outside world. "The connection between the cytoskeleton and the integrin matches the clutch, the connection between the integrin and the outside world corresponds to the grasp of the wheels." says Dr. Sixt.
Immune cells are cross-country capable
In doing so, immune cells are not rigid and inflexible. According to the scientists, they are able to adjust to every possible substrate. "Our analysis has shown that leukocytes always move with the same speed - no matter whether they migrate over a slippery or rough substrate," Dr. Sixt points out. That is possible due to the tight interaction between motor, clutch and wheels. When the cell's anchors do not grip properly, the cell increases the speed of its engine - the cytoskeleton deforms faster. Thus, the speed of the cell stays the constant. Leukocytes are also able to overcome locally occurring unevenness. Should the immune cell move with one half over slippery and with the other on rough ground, the cytoskeleton adjusts locally - similar to a differential gear. "Thus, the direction of movement is defined only by the attractant," explains the physician. "And this attractant limits itself as little as the leukocyte with regard to tissue frontiers and unevenness of the substrate.
Original work:
J. Renkawitz, K. Schumann, M. Weber, T. Lämmermann, H. Pflicke, M. Piel, J. Polleux, J. P. Spatz, M. Sixt
Adaptive force transmission in amoeboid cell migration.
Nature Cell Biology, November 15, 2009
Source: Dr. Michael Sixt
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
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White blood cells, also called leukocytes or immune cells, fight infections in the human body in many different ways. As defence cells, they are able to invade infected tissues, detect and eliminate pathogens. Also foreign structures and wreckage of the body's own cells are disposed of with their help. To cope with these tasks, the cells move a hundred fold faster than other cell types. Thereby, immune cells follow certain attractants which are released by the body's own cells or the pathogens.
Energy transfer on a molecular level
Cells have to generate the necessary energy from the inside in order to move forward. This task is carried out by the cytoskeleton, a network of proteins which stretches through the cell's complete interior. It can expand and form finger-like extensions and likewise retract them.
However, this deformation is not enough to make a cell move. "Similar to a car, the energy has to be transferred onto the street," says Dr. Sixt. "We need a clutch and wheels." For this purpose, every cell carries special cell anchors on their surface: the integrins. These proteins span the envelope of the cells and are directly connected to the cell's cytoskeleton. On the outside, these anchors can stick to other cells and tissues and thus form a connection to the outside world. "The connection between the cytoskeleton and the integrin matches the clutch, the connection between the integrin and the outside world corresponds to the grasp of the wheels." says Dr. Sixt.
Immune cells are cross-country capable
In doing so, immune cells are not rigid and inflexible. According to the scientists, they are able to adjust to every possible substrate. "Our analysis has shown that leukocytes always move with the same speed - no matter whether they migrate over a slippery or rough substrate," Dr. Sixt points out. That is possible due to the tight interaction between motor, clutch and wheels. When the cell's anchors do not grip properly, the cell increases the speed of its engine - the cytoskeleton deforms faster. Thus, the speed of the cell stays the constant. Leukocytes are also able to overcome locally occurring unevenness. Should the immune cell move with one half over slippery and with the other on rough ground, the cytoskeleton adjusts locally - similar to a differential gear. "Thus, the direction of movement is defined only by the attractant," explains the physician. "And this attractant limits itself as little as the leukocyte with regard to tissue frontiers and unevenness of the substrate.
Original work:
J. Renkawitz, K. Schumann, M. Weber, T. Lämmermann, H. Pflicke, M. Piel, J. Polleux, J. P. Spatz, M. Sixt
Adaptive force transmission in amoeboid cell migration.
Nature Cell Biology, November 15, 2009
Source: Dr. Michael Sixt
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
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Linking Schizophrenia To Specific DNA Region With The Help Of LSUHSC Research
For the first time, an international group of researchers has found genetic evidence linking schizophrenia to a specific region of DNA - on chromosome 6. This is the same area where key genes for immune function are located. The LSUHSC research team was led by Nancy Buccola, APRN, PMH CNS-BC, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, who also coordinated the ten clinical sites. The work, Common variants on chromosome 6p22.1 are associated with schizophrenia, along with two related papers, is published in the July 1, 2009 issue of the journal Nature.
The researchers recruited study participants, people with diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, plus controls from the general population. They analyzed data collected and also conducted a meta-analysis of data from the Molecular Genetics of Schizophrenia, International Schizophrenia Consortium and SGENE data sets - thousands of DNA samples.
While a single gene does not appear to be the source of the development of schizophrenia, the researchers found variations on chromosome 6 that appear to be associated with higher risk. These variations were found most often in people with schizophrenia, leading the scientists to believe that these common variations contribute to the development of schizophrenia. This area of chromosome 6, in the same area where genes important to the immune system function, provokes questions about whether or not treatments for autoimmune disorders might also be helpful in treating schizophrenia.
"Schizophrenia can be a devastating disease, and while treatments are improving, there are still people who do not respond or only partially respond," notes Buccola, principal investigator on the LSUHSC study. "Understanding the underpinnings of this illness will open doors to new and potentially better treatments."
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects about 1.1 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. People with schizophrenia sometimes hear voices others don't hear, believe that others are broadcasting their thoughts to the world, or become convinced that others are plotting to harm them. These experiences can make them fearful and withdrawn and cause difficulties when they try to have relationships with others.
The LSUHSC research team, which included LSUHSC Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Margaret Baier, MD, and Erich Conrad, MD, LSUHSC Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, as well as Sherri Chalona, completed the work while evacuated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to LSUHSC's temporary campuses in Baton Rouge.
The research was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.
"Scientists have been looking for schizophrenia susceptibility genes since the early 1900s," says Buccola. "This study shows that these genes can be found and sets the stage for future research."
Article: "Cognitive Functioning in Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia: A Meta-Analysis," J. L. Mathias, PhD, and J. Burke, M.Psych.(Clinical), University of Adelaide; Neuropsychology, Vol. 23, No. 4.
Source:
Leslie Capo
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
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The researchers recruited study participants, people with diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, plus controls from the general population. They analyzed data collected and also conducted a meta-analysis of data from the Molecular Genetics of Schizophrenia, International Schizophrenia Consortium and SGENE data sets - thousands of DNA samples.
While a single gene does not appear to be the source of the development of schizophrenia, the researchers found variations on chromosome 6 that appear to be associated with higher risk. These variations were found most often in people with schizophrenia, leading the scientists to believe that these common variations contribute to the development of schizophrenia. This area of chromosome 6, in the same area where genes important to the immune system function, provokes questions about whether or not treatments for autoimmune disorders might also be helpful in treating schizophrenia.
"Schizophrenia can be a devastating disease, and while treatments are improving, there are still people who do not respond or only partially respond," notes Buccola, principal investigator on the LSUHSC study. "Understanding the underpinnings of this illness will open doors to new and potentially better treatments."
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects about 1.1 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. People with schizophrenia sometimes hear voices others don't hear, believe that others are broadcasting their thoughts to the world, or become convinced that others are plotting to harm them. These experiences can make them fearful and withdrawn and cause difficulties when they try to have relationships with others.
The LSUHSC research team, which included LSUHSC Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Margaret Baier, MD, and Erich Conrad, MD, LSUHSC Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, as well as Sherri Chalona, completed the work while evacuated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to LSUHSC's temporary campuses in Baton Rouge.
The research was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression.
"Scientists have been looking for schizophrenia susceptibility genes since the early 1900s," says Buccola. "This study shows that these genes can be found and sets the stage for future research."
Article: "Cognitive Functioning in Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia: A Meta-Analysis," J. L. Mathias, PhD, and J. Burke, M.Psych.(Clinical), University of Adelaide; Neuropsychology, Vol. 23, No. 4.
Source:
Leslie Capo
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
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The Long Research Road To A New Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the licensing of a new vaccine against a disease responsible for tens of thousands of hospitalizations in the United States and hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world each year. The vaccine, developed by Merck & Co., Inc., will be sold as ROTATEQ® and will protect infants against rotavirus infection. Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that is the most common cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea in infants and young children.
The early research that underpins the new vaccine was conducted by three scientists at The Wistar Institute and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) between 1980 and 1991, at which time Merck took on the task of developing the vaccine for the clinic. The scientists are H. Fred Clark, D.V.M., Ph.D., Paul A. Offit, M.D., and Stanley A. Plotkin, M.D. Clark and Offit are currently on faculty at CHOP, where Clark is a research professor of pediatrics and Offit is chief of infectious diseases and the Maurice R. Hilleman Endowed Chair in Vaccinology; both are adjunct professors at Wistar. Plotkin, an emeritus professor at Wistar, was the developer of a number of vaccines, including the rubella vaccine responsible for eradicating that disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
"This new vaccine against an important disease of childhood is the result of two leading academic research institutions and a major pharmaceutical company working together toward a common goal for roughly 25 years," says Russel E. Kaufman, M.D., president and CEO of The Wistar Institute. "It has been a long road, and we are very proud of the role our scientists played in the success of this important medical advance."
Plotkin and Clark began work on rotavirus in 1980. In 1981, Clark, a veterinarian, isolated from a calf the strain of rotavirus - dubbed the Wistar Calf-3, or WC3, strain - that would provide the foundation for the new vaccine. That same year, Offit joined Plotkin and Clark in the effort to develop a vaccine against rotavirus. As a senior resident at a hospital in Pittsburgh in 1979, Offit had witnessed the death of a nine-month-old boy from rotavirus infection, and he welcomed the opportunity to work on a vaccine to combat the disease.
Early studies with the WC3 strain indicated that while it was safe for use as a vaccine, it did not provide sufficiently effective protection against rotavirus infection. During the 1980s, the team turned to the idea of reassortants, taking advantage of the fact that viruses have the ability to borrow genetic material from each other to "reassort" themselves into new strains.
By co-infecting cells in culture with the WC3 strain of rotavirus and five different human rotavirus strains known as G1, G2, G3, G4, and P1, the scientists were able to create a reassortant bovine-human rotavirus virus that promised improved protection against rotavirus disease. Specifically, the reassortant virus incorporated the human versions of two proteins called VP4 and VP7, found on the surface of the virus and known to play roles in the immune response to the virus. The three scientists were subsequently awarded a series of U.S. and international patents for the rotavirus reassortant vaccine.
Merck assumed financial support of the project in 1991, and after licensing the technology from Wistar and CHOP in 1992, the company moved toward clinical development and testing of the vaccine. From 1993 to 2005, Merck conducted studies to determine the safety, efficacy, dose, buffer combinations, and serotype composition of the vaccine. Between 2001 and 2004, the company conducted one of the largest clinical trials of a vaccine ever performed by a pharmaceutical company, involving 70,301 infants in 11 countries. On December 14, 2005, the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously that the clinical data from that trial supported the safety and efficacy of ROTATEQ, setting the stage for today's announcement by the agency.
The new vaccine promises to become a major new tool to promote public health. In the United States each year, rotavirus is thought to account for approximately 500,000 physician visits, 250,000 emergency room visits, 50,000 hospitalizations, and 20 to 60 deaths among children under 5 years of age. In developing countries, where medical care may be inadequate or unavailable, rotavirus infections can be even more deadly. Estimates range between 440,000 to 600,000 deaths worldwide every year.
The Wistar Institute is an independent nonprofit biomedical research institution dedicated to discovering the causes and cures for major diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. Founded in 1892 as the first institution of its kind in the nation, The Wistar Institute today is a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center focused on basic and translational research. Discoveries at Wistar have led to the development of vaccines for such diseases as rabies and rubella, the identification of genes associated with breast, lung, and prostate cancer, and the development of monoclonal antibodies and other significant research technologies and tools.
Contact: Franklin Hoke
hokewistar
The Wistar Institute
View drug information on Rotateq.
Buy Atripla Without Prescription
The early research that underpins the new vaccine was conducted by three scientists at The Wistar Institute and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) between 1980 and 1991, at which time Merck took on the task of developing the vaccine for the clinic. The scientists are H. Fred Clark, D.V.M., Ph.D., Paul A. Offit, M.D., and Stanley A. Plotkin, M.D. Clark and Offit are currently on faculty at CHOP, where Clark is a research professor of pediatrics and Offit is chief of infectious diseases and the Maurice R. Hilleman Endowed Chair in Vaccinology; both are adjunct professors at Wistar. Plotkin, an emeritus professor at Wistar, was the developer of a number of vaccines, including the rubella vaccine responsible for eradicating that disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
"This new vaccine against an important disease of childhood is the result of two leading academic research institutions and a major pharmaceutical company working together toward a common goal for roughly 25 years," says Russel E. Kaufman, M.D., president and CEO of The Wistar Institute. "It has been a long road, and we are very proud of the role our scientists played in the success of this important medical advance."
Plotkin and Clark began work on rotavirus in 1980. In 1981, Clark, a veterinarian, isolated from a calf the strain of rotavirus - dubbed the Wistar Calf-3, or WC3, strain - that would provide the foundation for the new vaccine. That same year, Offit joined Plotkin and Clark in the effort to develop a vaccine against rotavirus. As a senior resident at a hospital in Pittsburgh in 1979, Offit had witnessed the death of a nine-month-old boy from rotavirus infection, and he welcomed the opportunity to work on a vaccine to combat the disease.
Early studies with the WC3 strain indicated that while it was safe for use as a vaccine, it did not provide sufficiently effective protection against rotavirus infection. During the 1980s, the team turned to the idea of reassortants, taking advantage of the fact that viruses have the ability to borrow genetic material from each other to "reassort" themselves into new strains.
By co-infecting cells in culture with the WC3 strain of rotavirus and five different human rotavirus strains known as G1, G2, G3, G4, and P1, the scientists were able to create a reassortant bovine-human rotavirus virus that promised improved protection against rotavirus disease. Specifically, the reassortant virus incorporated the human versions of two proteins called VP4 and VP7, found on the surface of the virus and known to play roles in the immune response to the virus. The three scientists were subsequently awarded a series of U.S. and international patents for the rotavirus reassortant vaccine.
Merck assumed financial support of the project in 1991, and after licensing the technology from Wistar and CHOP in 1992, the company moved toward clinical development and testing of the vaccine. From 1993 to 2005, Merck conducted studies to determine the safety, efficacy, dose, buffer combinations, and serotype composition of the vaccine. Between 2001 and 2004, the company conducted one of the largest clinical trials of a vaccine ever performed by a pharmaceutical company, involving 70,301 infants in 11 countries. On December 14, 2005, the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously that the clinical data from that trial supported the safety and efficacy of ROTATEQ, setting the stage for today's announcement by the agency.
The new vaccine promises to become a major new tool to promote public health. In the United States each year, rotavirus is thought to account for approximately 500,000 physician visits, 250,000 emergency room visits, 50,000 hospitalizations, and 20 to 60 deaths among children under 5 years of age. In developing countries, where medical care may be inadequate or unavailable, rotavirus infections can be even more deadly. Estimates range between 440,000 to 600,000 deaths worldwide every year.
The Wistar Institute is an independent nonprofit biomedical research institution dedicated to discovering the causes and cures for major diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. Founded in 1892 as the first institution of its kind in the nation, The Wistar Institute today is a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center focused on basic and translational research. Discoveries at Wistar have led to the development of vaccines for such diseases as rabies and rubella, the identification of genes associated with breast, lung, and prostate cancer, and the development of monoclonal antibodies and other significant research technologies and tools.
Contact: Franklin Hoke
hokewistar
The Wistar Institute
View drug information on Rotateq.
Buy Atripla Without Prescription
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