April 2007
Jefferson Scientists Find Rabies-Based Vaccine Could be Effective Against HIV
(Published 4-2-2007) Rabies, a relentless, ancient scourge, may hold a key to defeating another implacable foe: HIV. Scientists
at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have used a drastically weakened rabies virus to ferry HIV-related proteins into
animals, in essence, vaccinating them against an AIDS-like disease. The early evidence shows that the vaccine – which doesn’t
protect against infection – prevents development of disease.
Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Immunology Researchers Show Blood-Brain Barrier Damage Could Affect MS Severity
(Published 4-4-2007) Immunology researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson studying a multiple sclerosis (MS)-like
disease in mice have shown that the amount of “damage” to the central nervous system’s protective blood-brain barrier – in
essence, opening it – almost always correlates to the severity of the disease. The findings, reported online in the Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, can be used for testing potential MS therapies and for better understanding the role
of the blood-brain barrier in disease processes.
Jefferson Scientists Identify Protein Key to Breast Cancer Spread, Potential New Drug Target
(Published 4-9-2007) Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have identified a protein that they say is key to
helping a quarter of all breast cancers spread. The finding, reported online the week of April 9, 2007 in the journal Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences, could be a potential target for new drugs aimed at stopping or slowing the growth and
progression of breast cancer.
What Pregnancy is Like -- A Man’s Perspective
(Published 4-9-2007) A free seminar to assist men in understanding what a woman goes through when she is pregnant and how
her pregnancy affects him will be held at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Jefferson Researchers Boost Immune “Killer Cells,” Increase Antibody Effectiveness Against Cancer
(Published 4-18-2007) Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia have devised a novel method to
expand the number of immune system “natural killer (NK)” cells from blood cells outside the body. They have found that adding
such cells to anti-cancer therapies involving monoclonal antibody drugs is more effective in killing cancer cells, and perhaps
someday may improve treatments.
Jefferson Researchers Want to Learn If Heart Defect “At Heart” of Some Migraines
(Published 4-19-2007) Researchers of the heart and headaches at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are combining efforts
to determine if a common heart defect may be the cause of some forms of migraine headaches. Investigators from the Jefferson
Heart Institute and the Jefferson Headache Center are enrolling participants in a blinded study to determine if closing a
Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), a small hole or flap that can allow blood to flow between the right and left sides of the heart,
can stop migraines. In newborns, the PFO closes at or shortly after birth, but in 20 percent of adults the gap remains open
to some degree.
Jefferson Researchers’ Discovery May Change Thinking on How Viruses Invade the Brain
(Published 4-19-2007) A molecule thought crucial to ferrying the deadly rabies virus into the brain, where it eventually kills,
apparently isn’t. The surprising finding, say researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, may change the way
scientists think about how central nervous system-attacking viruses such as herpes viruses invade the brain and cause disease.
Nationally Recognized Healthcare Safety Expert to Discuss How Facility Design Impacts Patient Safety at Jefferson’s Annual
Grandon Lecture
(Published 4-23-2007) Nationally Recognized Healthcare Safety Expert to Discuss How Facility Design Impacts Patient Safety
at Jefferson's Annual Grandon Lecture John G. Reiling, Ph.D, MHA, MBA, a nationally renowned expert in healthcare facility
safety design, and president and CEO of Safe by Design will give the 16th annual Dr. Raymond C. Grandon Lecture at Jefferson
Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
Dr. Reiling will discuss "Patient Safety: The Impact of Facility Design" during his presentation at noon, May 3, 2007, in
the DePalma Auditorium of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Mental Health Training of Psychiatrists in the 21st Century Focus of 2007 Biele Lecture at Jefferson
(Published 4-23-2007) Joel Yager, M.D., Professor and Vice Chair for Education and Academic Affairs at the University of New
Mexico School of Medicine, a well-recognized expert in academic psychiatry will present “The Practice of Psychiatry in the
21st Century: Implications for Psychiatric Education,” at the 2007 Albert M. Biele, M.D. Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Thomas Jefferson University.
What Pregnancy is Like -- A Women’s Perspective
(Published 4-25-2007) A free seminar to assist a woman to better understand what her body and mind will experience during
pregnancy is being offered at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Jefferson Anesthesiologist to be Honored for International Contribution to Liver Transplantation
(Published 4-26-2007) The Council of International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS) will honor Yoogoo Kang, M.D., Professor
and Vice Chair of Anesthesiology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, for his significant contribution
to liver transplantation. On June 22 Dr. Kang will receive the 2007 ILTS Distinguished Service Award during the Congress
Gala Dinner in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and will be recognized as a founding member of the society and as its first president.
