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NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit the http://www.nih.gov.
Scientists have discovered two potent human antibodies that can stop more than 90 percent of known global HIV strains from infecting human cells in the laboratory, and have demonstrated how one of these disease-fighting proteins accomplishes this feat.
Jul 8, 2010
An intervention in middle schools lowered the obesity rate in students at highest risk for type 2 diabetes, those who started out overweight or obese in sixth grade, an NIH-funded study has found. However, schools that implemented the program did not differ from comparison schools in the study's primary outcome -- the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined -- which had declined 4 percent in both groups of schools by the end of the three-year study. The goal of the HEALTHY Study was to determine whether changes in school food services; longer, more intense periods of physical education; and classroom activities to promote behavior change would lower risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Conducted from the beginning of the sixth grade to the end of the eighth, the study involved 4,600 students attending 42 middle schools in seven areas of the country. Schools were randomly assigned to implement the program or serve as a comparison school. "The study shows that a school-based program can help lower obesity and certain risk factors for type 2 diabetes in youth at high risk for the disease," said Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Researchers were surprised to find that the number of overweight and obese students had declined in comparison schools as well as program schools. "The decline in the number of overweight and obese children in comparison schools was a welcome but unexpected finding," said study chair and lead author Gary D. Foster, Ph.D., of Temple University, Philadelphia. "Future analyses will try to clarify the reasons for the improvement in these schools. For example, we'll look at the comparison schools to see if they made healthy changes to the school environment because of increased awareness about the problem of childhood obesity." The intervention significantly lowered the obesity rate among children whose body mass index, or BMI, was initially at the 85th percentile or more. In children, overweight is defined as a BMI at the 85th to 94th percentile for their age and sex; obesity is defined as a BMI at the 95th percentile or more. BMI is a measurement of weight in relation to height. Students in program schools who were overweight or obese in the sixth grade had 21 percent lower odds of being obese by the end of the eighth grade compared with students in control schools. Nationally, about one-third of children are overweight or obese, but in schools participating in the study, half of students were overweight or obese in sixth grade. "Decreasing the number of obese children can have profound effects on diabetes risk in young people, since obese youth are at greatest risk of metabolic abnormalities," Foster said. At the end of the study, 35 percent of children in both intervention and comparison schools with a BMI in the 95th percentile or greater had high insulin readings, compared with 2 percent of students whose BMI was less than the 85th percentile. The program also lowered average levels of fasting insulin and the number of students with a waist at or over the 90th percentile in students in intervention schools compared with comparison schools. A high blood level of insulin after an overnight fast and a large waist increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, independent of body weight. However, the two groups did not differ in mean glucose levels or the percentage of students with elevated fasting glucose. A higher-than-normal level of fasting blood sugar indicates a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The results of the HEALTHY Study appear online in the New England Journal of Medicine June 27, 2010, and coincide with presentation of the results at the 70th annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Orlando, Fla. The study was funded by the NIDDK, a part of the National Institutes of Health, and the ADA. "We will only stop the diabetes epidemic if we continue to test innovative approaches to help children make healthy lifestyle choices," said Richard M. Bergenstal, M.D., president, Medicine and Science, ADA. "The HEALTHY Study shows us an effective approach that can be implemented to improve the outcomes of a large number of youth at very high risk of diabetes." Because type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects minorities and low-income people, the study was conducted in schools with a high enrollment of minority children (54 percent Hispanic and 18 percent African-American) and youth from low-income families. About 75 percent of students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals. At the beginning of sixth grade, many students had signs of high diabetes risk. Nearly half were overweight or obese, 16 percent had elevated fasting blood glucose levels, and nearly 7 percent had elevated fasting insulin levels. At the end of the eighth grade, students were tested for diabetes risk factors, including fasting blood levels of glucose, insulin, and lipids as well as height, weight, blood pressure, fitness level, and waist circumference. The program consisted of Healthier choices in the cafeteria, snack bars, class events, and vending machines (lower fat, higher fiber foods; more fruits and vegetables; and an emphasis on water, low-fat milk, and drinks with no added sugar) Longer, more intense periods of physical activity, defined as achieving a heart rate of at least 130 beats per minute, with a target of 150 minutes or more over a 10-day period Activities and awareness campaigns that promoted long-term healthy behaviors. The study was conducted by researchers at the following centers: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas University of California, Irvine University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Oregon Health and Science University, Portland Temple University, Philadelphia University of Pittsburgh Medical Center University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio George Washington University, Washington, D.C. (Coordinating Center) About 24 million people in the United States have diabetes. It is the main cause of kidney failure, limb amputations, new onset blindness in adults and a major cause of heart disease and stroke. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the chances of developing serious damage to the eyes, nerves, heart, kidneys, and blood vessels. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for up to 95 percent of all diabetes cases, becomes more common with increasing age. The disease is strongly associated with obesity, inactivity, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, and racial or ethnic background. The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes has more than doubled in the last 30 years, due in large part to the upsurge in obesity. For more information about diabetes, visit http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm. More than two-thirds of U.S. adults age 20 and older are overweight or obese. Among youth 2 to 19 years old, about one-third have a BMI at or above the 85th percentile for their age. Once seen only in adults, type 2 diabetes has been rising steadily in youth. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the NIH, is examining diabetes rates in youth. According to the SEARCH Study, from 2002 to 2005 About 3,700 youth from less than one year of age to 19 years old were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually The rate of new type 2 diabetes cases in youth ages 10 to 19 years was 5.3 per 100,000, with higher rates in minority populations. The NIH sponsors We Can! Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition -- a program to prevent childhood obesity that encourages parents and children to adopt healthy eating habits, increase physical activity, and reduce leisure "screen time" to prevent childhood obesity. We Can! materials, including fact sheets, brochures and curricula for adults and children, are available at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or by calling toll-free 1-866-35-WECAN. For media inquiries during ADA's scientific meetings (June 25-29), call the ADA press office at (407) 685-4010. After the meetings, contact Renee Cree (215) 204-6522 or [email protected] to interview Dr. Gary Foster. To interview an NIDDK spokesperson, contact (301) 496-3583 or e-mail [email protected]. NIDDK, part of the NIH, conducts and supports basic and clinical research and research training on some of the most common, severe and disabling conditions affecting Americans. The Institute's research interests include diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition, and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. For more information, visit www.niddk.nih.gov. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. Resources: Information about the HEALTHY Study (NCT00458029) can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov. Questions and Answers about the HEALTHY Study http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/Research/ClinicalResearch/HEALTHY/QandA.htm HEALTHY Study website http://www.healthystudy.org/ National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/ National Diabetes Education Program http://ndep.nih.gov/ "Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation." White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity: Report to the President http://www.letsmove.gov/taskforce_childhoodobesityrpt.html "Let's Move," First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to end the childhood obesity epidemic in a generation http://www.letsmove.gov/
Jun 27, 2010
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry have determined that ATP-driven (adenosine triphosphate-driven) bioluminescence -- a way of measuring visible light generated from ATP contained in bacteria -- is an innovative tool for rapidly assessing in children at the chair-side the number of oral bacteria and amount of plaque that can ultimately lead to tooth decay. The study is published online in the May-June 2010 issue of Pediatric Dentistry. Caries (microbial disease) prevention is one of the most important aspects of modern dental practice. Untreated, large numbers of cariogenic bacteria adhere to teeth and break down the protective enamel covering, resulting in lesions and cavities. There is a critical need in dentistry to develop better quantitative assessment methods for oral hygiene and to determine patient risk for dental caries, because disease as well as restorative treatment results in the irreversible loss of tooth structure. Previous caries risk assessments have focused on social, behavioral, microbiologic, environmental and clinical variables. The goal of the OHSU study was to examine the use of microbiological testing, specifically ATP-driven bioluminescence, for quantifying oral bacteria, including plaque streptococci, and assessment of oral hygiene and caries risk. Thirty-three randomly selected OHSU pediatric patients, ages 7 to 12, were examined, and plaque specimens, in addition to saliva, were collected from one tooth in each of the four quadrants of the mouth. The oral specimens were then assessed to count total bacteria and streptococci and subjected to ATP-driven bioluminescence. The OHSU team found statistical correlations, linking ATP to the numbers of total bacteria and oral streptococci. Their data indicated that ATP measurements have a strong statistical association with bacterial numbers in plaque and saliva specimens, including numbers for oral streptococci, and may be used as a potential assessment tool for oral hygiene and caries risk in children. "The use of ATP-driven bioluminescence has broad implications in dentistry and medicine and can be used translationally in the clinic to determine the efficacy of interventional therapies, including the use of mouth rinses and perhaps in the detection of bacterial infections in periodontal and other infectious diseases," noted Curt Machida, Ph.D., principal investigator and OHSU professor of integrative biosciences and pediatric dentistry. The OHSU team included Machida; Shahram Fazilat, D.D.S., a 2008 pediatric dentistry graduate; Rebecca Sauerwein, research assistant in integrative biosciences; Jennifer McLeod, a fourth-year dental student who recently graduated; Tyler Finlayson, second-year dental student; Emilia Adam, D.D.S., M.P.H., a second-year pediatric dentistry resident who recently graduated; John Engle, D.D.S., interim chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry; Prashant Gagneja, D.D.S., associate professor of pediatric dentistry; Tom Maier, Ph.D., assistant professor of integrative biosciences and oral pathology and radiology. The research was funded by Oral BioTech, the OHSU School of Dentistry, and the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute, which is funded by a grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Established in September 2006 through the NIH's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, OCTRI is a unique partnership between OHSU and Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research -- bringing together an academic medical center and an innovative managed care organization. OCTRI's mission is to improve human health by enhancing clinical and translational research. OCTRI works with institutional partners, community organizations, and industry to engage communities in clinical research efforts and to reduce the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to become treatments for patients. About OHSU Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only health and research university, and Oregon's only academic health center. OHSU is Portland's largest employer and the fourth largest in Oregon (excluding government). OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support activities not found anywhere else in the state. It serves patients from every corner of the state, and is a conduit for learning for more than 3,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to every county in the state.
Jun 22, 2010
Researchers have found that increasing certain proteins in the blood vessels of mice, relaxed the vessels, lowering the animal's blood pressure. The study provides new avenues for research that may lead to new treatments for hypertension. "The paper demonstrates that cytochrome P450 plays an important role in the management of high blood pressure, a disease of enormous public health concern," said Darryl Zeldin, M.D., acting clinical director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and senior author on the paper. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States has high blood pressure, which increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, the first and third leading causes of death in the United States. The study, published online in The FASEB Journal, was conducted by researchers at NIEHS who teamed with investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and Oregon Health and Science University, Portland. The researchers created animal models that had a human cytochrome P450 (CYP450 or P450) in the cells that line their blood vessels. The mice with the P450 generated more substances called epoxyeicosatrienoic acids or EETs, known for their role in protecting the cardiovascular system. EETs relax and dilate the blood vessels and fight inflammation. "We found that when the animals were exposed to substances known to increase blood pressure, the animals with the P450 had lower blood pressure and less damage to the kidneys compared to normal mice," said Craig R. Lee, Pharm.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at UNC and lead author on the paper. "We hope that these studies will advance the development of new treatments for high blood pressure." "This is a great example of a basic finding that improves our understanding of a metabolic pathway that can be used to develop improved treatments for those suffering from a common disease like hypertension," said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of the NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program. For more information on hypertension, visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP_WhatIs.html. The NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit our Web site at http://www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/releases/newslist/index.cfm) to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. Reference: Lee CR, Imig JD, Edin ML, Foley J, DeGraff LM, Bradbury JA, et al. 2010. Endothelial expression of human cytochrome P450 epoxygenases lowers blood pressure and attenuates hypertension-induced renal injury in mice. FASEB J. Epub ahead of print 2010 May 21, doi:10.1096/fj.10-160119.
Jun 21, 2010
WHAT: Mice injected with a 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine and then exposed to high levels of the virus responsible for the 1918 influenza pandemic do not get sick or die, report scientists funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. The new vaccine works against the old virus because the 1918 and the 2009 strains of H1N1 influenza share features that allow vaccine-generated antibodies to recognize both viruses. To learn more, similar challenge studies need to be conducted in other animals, including monkeys, but the investigators say their results suggest people who are vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 influenza or were exposed to the virus could have similarly cross-protective antibodies against the 1918 strain of H1N1. This finding, they add, should help allay concerns about the potential consequences of an accidental release of the 1918 influenza virus from high-containment laboratories or its possible use as a bioterror weapon. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Ph.D., of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, led the research. Groups of mice were exposed to lethal amounts of the 1918 influenza virus 14 or 28 days after receiving a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine; a seasonal H3N2 influenza vaccine (not designed to protect against H1N1 virus); or no vaccine. All of the 2009-H1N1-vaccinated mice survived. Unvaccinated mice and mice that received the H3N2 vaccine all died. (A group of mice vaccinated with a seasonal flu vaccine designed to protect against a 2007 strain of H1N1 were mostly protected from lethal challenge; 80 percent of the mice in that group survived.) The researchers also injected mice with blood serum taken from people who had received 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The serum, which contained antibodies against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, protected the mice from death when they were later exposed to the 1918 H1N1 influenza virus. All the experiments involving the 1918 virus were conducted under biosafety-level-3 conditions. More information about NIAID research on influenza is available at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/flu/Pages/default.aspx. ARTICLE: RA Medina et al. Pandemic 2009 H1N1 vaccine protects against 1918 Spanish influenza virus. Nature Communications DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1026 (2010). WHO: Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, NIAID Rachelle Salomon, Ph.D., program officer for basic research and diagnostics, Respiratory Diseases Branch, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, are available for comment. CONTACT: To schedule interviews, please contact Anne A. Oplinger, 301-402-1663, [email protected]. NIAID conducts and supports research -- at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide -- to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
Jun 15, 2010
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has stopped a clinical trial evaluating a new approach to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke in children with sickle cell anemia and iron overload because of evidence that the new treatment was unlikely to prove better than the existing treatment. The 26-site trial, Stroke With Transfusions Changing to Hydroxyurea, or SWiTCH, studied 133 participants between the ages of 5 and 18 who had already experienced a stroke. All had been receiving the standard treatment of blood transfusions for at least 18 months and high levels of iron before entering the study. Without further preventive measures, these children were at high risk of another stroke as well as life-threatening conditions due to iron overload. The study tested whether the drug hydroxyurea, known to prevent complications of sickle cell disease in adults, was as effective as transfusions, the standard therapy, in reducing the risk of recurrent strokes. Hydroxyurea is the only FDA-approved drug for treating sickle cell anemia. The study also compared two approaches to remove excess iron, a consequence of regular blood transfusions. Participants who continued to receive transfusion therapy were given the standard oral iron-removal drug deferasirox, and participants who were switched to hydroxyurea underwent regular phlebotomy (blood removal) to eliminate excess iron that had accumulated from their earlier transfusions. Phlebotomy did not reduce liver iron better than deferasirox therapy. Analysis of the available data indicated that continuing the trial was unlikely to show that phlebotomy would provide a greater benefit than deferasirox to control iron accumulation. Without the ability to provide benefits for the management of liver iron, the potential risks of continuing study treatments were no longer warranted. "Protecting our participants is an important factor in determining whether to stop a trial," said Susan B. Shurin, MD, acting director of the NHLBI, who is a board-certified hematologist and pediatrician. The NHLBI is part of the National Institutes of Health. "When an experimental treatment fails to meet its predetermined goals, it is best to return participants to standard treatment as soon as possible." By the time the trial was halted, approximately one-third of participants had completed the study, during which they were treated and monitored for 30 months. At enrollment, participants were randomly assigned to either the alternative or the standard treatment group. The study's independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) reviewed interim results from the trial and recommended stopping the study. The NHLBI accepted the recommendation and stopped the study on May 6. The DSMB noted that no strokes occurred in the 66 participants who received the standard therapy of blood transfusions and deferasirox. In contrast, seven strokes occurred in the group of 67 participants who received hydroxyurea with phlebotomy. Study participants and their families have been contacted, and they will discuss future care options with their health care providers. NHLBI-supported research has shown that hydroxyurea helps prevent pain crises, a common complication of the disease, and some lung complications in adults. Preliminary studies have suggested that hydroxyurea might also help reduce the risk of stroke recurrence in children with sickle cell disease. Patients currently taking hydroxyurea should continue taking the treatment as prescribed and should talk to their primary care provider if they have any concerns, Shurin advised. Regular blood transfusions greatly reduce the number of strokes in at-risk children with sickle cell disease. Because repeated transfusions cause side effects such as buildup of excess iron in the body, researchers hope to find more effective and safer ways to reduce stroke risk in young patients. Iron overload can damage organs and lead to cirrhosis (a liver condition), poor growth and development, and heart rhythm disturbances. "These kinds of studies are so important to finding new treatments and confirming that current standards of care are the best available options," Shurin explained. "The field of medicine would not advance without the help of those willing to participate in clinical research. We are grateful to these young patients and their parents for helping advance treatments of sickle cell disease. Their contributions will help us find other approaches to preventing complications of sickle cell disease." About 10 percent of children with sickle cell disease suffer a stroke. Having experienced one, they are at high risk of having another unless they receive preventive treatment. Sickle cell disease affects more than 70,000 Americans. It is seen mostly in persons of African descent, but also in individuals of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Central and South American, and Asian Indian heritage. New therapies have helped patients live into middle age and older. Sickle cell disease involves an altered gene that produces abnormal hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood. Red blood cells with sickle hemoglobin become C-shaped, stiff, and sticky when they release the oxygen they carry. The deformed cells impede blood flow, causing severe pain and organ damage. The study was scheduled to run until 2012. Rho Inc. of Chapel Hill, N.C., served as the SWiTCH statistics and data management center. Researchers will analyze and publish the final data in the coming months. SWiTCH was conducted at the following locations: University of Alabama at Birmingham Children's National Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Nemours Children's Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. University of Miami, Fla. Nemours Children's Clinic, Orlando, Fla. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Grady Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago Boston Children's Hospital Wayne State University, Detroit University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson The Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, Paterson, N.J. Montefiore Medical Center, New York City State University of New York/Downstate Medical Center, New York City Schneider Children's Hospital, New Hyde Park, N.Y. Columbia University Medical Center, New York City East Carolina University, Greenville. Cincinnati Children's Hospital The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Children's Hospital of Pittsburg Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Baylor College of Medicine, Houston East Virginia Medical School, Norfolk Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Novartis US donated the deferasirox (EXJADE). Bristol-Myers Squibb and UPM Pharmaceuticals Inc. provided the hydroxyurea for the trial. To speak with an NHLBI spokesperson about the SWiTCH trial (NCT00122980), please contact the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496-4236. Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. Resources: Diseases and Conditions Index: Sickle Cell Disease: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_Treatments.html NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement: Hydroxyurea Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?ss=15&doc_id=12656&nbr=6551 Press Release on Consensus Document http://public.nhlbi.nih.gov/newsroom/home/GetPressRelease.aspx?id=2552
Jun 4, 2010
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that certain types of specializations on nerve cells called "spines" are depleted as a person ages, causing cognitive decline in the part of the brain that mediates the highest levels of learning. These spines receive an important class of synapses that are involved with the process of learning. The discovery provides the medical community with a new therapeutic target to help prevent this loss of function. The study is published in the June 2 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. "We know that when we age, we lose certain spines, but we did not know which ones and how their loss impacted cognition," said John H. Morrison, PhD, Dean of Basic Sciences and the Graduate School of Biological Sciences and Professor of the Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "This study shows which spines are lost and what their impact is on brain function, giving us a foundation to research treatment interventions to protect against age-related cognitive decline." The research team was led by Dr. Morrison and Peter R. Rapp, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, with Dani Dumitriu, MD/PhD student and Dr. Jiandong Hao, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine as the key investigators on the team and co-first authors of the paper. The team studied six young adult and nine older rhesus monkeys as they participated in a delayed response test. The monkeys watched as food was baited and hidden, and then a screen was put in front of them so they could no longer see the location of the hidden reward. At the beginning of the test, the screen was raised immediately and the monkeys were able to find the food reward right away. The subject's memory was tested by increasing the time that the reward was blocked from view to test if the monkeys retained where the reward was placed over longer intervals of time. Aged monkeys performed significantly worse on the tests than young monkeys, especially as the time intervals increased. Morrison's team then used microscopic techniques to visualize the spines on nerve cells within the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that mediates high level learning. Nerve cells in the prefrontal cortex contain two types of spines: thin, dynamic spines, which are key to learning new things, establishing rules, and planning, and large, mushroom-shaped spines that are very stable and likely mediate long-term memories and highly stable information that we would consider expertise. The researchers determined that the older monkeys lacked the thin spines but retained the larger spines, indicating that the loss of the thin spines may be responsible for the monkeys' inability to learn and retain information during the test. For the first time, the researchers determined that the large spines were stable, which provides a synaptic basis for the observation that expertise and skills learned early in life are often maintained into old age. "Researchers have long wondered why aging affects our ability to learn and remember new tasks and information, yet we retain well-established information, such as career expertise, well into old age," continued Dr. Morrison. "These data indicate that there is a biological reason why people cannot learn new things at an older age, but can retain knowledge learned years before, such as a professor teaching into his 80s." Dr. Morrison noted that this study will allow for the development of prevention strategies in youth, such as further emphasis on learning skills and broadening expertise. "The data also provide a foundation for therapies to lessen cognitive decline, through pharmaceutical and lifestyle interventions," he added. Dr. Morrison and his team have also received funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) over the last ten years to study cognitive performance in monkeys undergoing menopause. The funding supports research on whether treatment with estrogen enhances cognitive performance in monkeys after menopause and which synaptic effects of estrogen are critically important for cognitive enhancement. In future experiments, Dr. Morrison's team will test the idea of a "window of opportunity," to determine whether treatment with hormone therapy needs to be initiated soon after menopause to have the optimal cognitive impact with little risk. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)'s Women's Health Initiative showed that women who took hormone therapy were at increased risk for breast cancer and cognitive decline. However, the data only focused on women who started therapy ten years after menopause. Dr. Morrison's study will evaluate the impact of hormone therapy at the start of menopause on cognition and determine if adverse effect risk is reduced. "We look forward to continuing to study the impact aging has on cognition and potential ways to reduce that impact," said Dr. Morrison. "While hormone therapy has been controversial in the past, we hope to show that it can provide important cognitive benefits with little risk if initiated within a certain window of opportunity." The research published in the Journal of Neuroscience was supported through a Merit Award grant that Dr. Morrison received from the NIH. About The Mount Sinai Medical Center The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses both The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Established in 1968, Mount Sinai School of Medicine is one of few medical schools embedded in a hospital in the United States. It has more than 3,400 faculty in 32 departments and 15 institutes, and ranks among the top 20 medical schools both in National Institute of Health funding and by U.S. News & World Report. The school received the 2009 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is a 1,171-bed tertiary- and quaternary-care teaching facility and one of the nation's oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. In 2009, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Mount Sinai Hospital among the nation's top 20 hospitals based on reputation, patient safety, and other patient-care factors. Nearly 60,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients last year, and approximately 530,000 outpatient visits took place. For more information, visit www.mountsinai.org.
Jun 2, 2010
WHAT: In a clinical trial involving HIV-negative volunteers with early-stage syphilis, researchers have found that antibiotic pills (azithromycin) are as effective as penicillin injections in curing early-stage syphilis. The study was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. Edward W. Hook, III, M.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, led the trial. Between June 2000 and March 2007, HIV-negative volunteers aged 18 to 55 enrolled at eight sites in the United States and Madagascar. Volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either two injections of benzathine penicillin G or four tablets of the broad-spectrum antimicrobial macrolide drug azithromycin. Of 517 total enrollees, 469 were included in an intention-to-treat analysis. Among azithromycin recipients, 77.6 percent (180 out of 232) were cured of syphilis, while cure rate among penicillin recipients was 78.5 percent (186 out of 237). Although long-acting penicillin delivered by injection is recommended as the preferred treatment for early syphilis, the authors note that this therapy has shortcomings, particularly in resource-limited settings. Penicillin injections can cause allergic reactions, and the drug must be refrigerated and administrated by trained personnel. The orally administered azithromycin may provide a good alternative for treating HIV-negative people with early-stage syphilis, the scientists conclude. They note that there is a potential for syphilis-causing bacteria to acquire resistance to macrolide drugs such as azithromycin and they recommend continued research into this possibility. Detailed information about the study's design is available at clinicaltrials.gov. ARTICLE: EW Hook et al. A phase III equivalence trial of azithromycin versus benzathine penicillin for treatment of early syphilis. Journal of Infectious Diseases DOI: 10.1086/652239 (2010). WHO: NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and Carolyn Deal, Ph.D., chief, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Branch, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, are available to speak about this study. CONTACT: To schedule interviews, please contact Anne A. Oplinger, 301-402-1663, [email protected]. NIAID conducts and supports research -- at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide -- to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
Jun 1, 2010
Researchers have identified a distinct pattern of gene expression in the largest reported group of kidney transplant recipients who have not rejected the transplant kidneys even though they stopped taking anti-rejection drugs. This finding may help identify other transplant recipients who could safely reduce or end use of immunosuppressive therapy.
May 24, 2010
Teens who were in high-quality child care settings as young children scored slightly higher on measures of academic and cognitive achievement and were slightly less likely to report acting-out behaviors than peers who were in lower-quality child care arrangements during their early years, according to the latest analysis of a long-running study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
May 13, 2010
Researchers have found evidence that "marine snow"--aggregates of organic material floating in water bodies--may act as microscopic, island-like refuges for pathogens, or disease-causing organisms. This detritus may skew water sampling procedures and mathematical models used to predict the transmission of waterborne diseases to humans.
May 5, 2010
Rush University Medical Center has been awarded a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the Rush Center for Urban Health Equity. The aim of the Center is to find ways to promote changes to eliminate the disparities in heart and lung disease affecting inner city residents, in particular those who are low-income persons of color.
May 3, 2010
Researchers have shown that ranibizumab (Lucentis) eye injections, often in combination with laser treatment, result in better vision than laser treatment alone for diabetes-associated swelling of the retina.
Apr 27, 2010
A report released today by a federal working group highlights 11 key categories of diseases and other health consequences that are occurring or will occur due to climate change. The report, A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change, provides a starting point for coordination of federal research to better understand climate's impact on human health.
Apr 21, 2010
