Jefferson Immunology Researchers Halt Lethal Rabies Infection in Brain
(Published 9-4-2007) Immunology researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have shown how a type of bat rabies infection can be prevented in mice – even after the virus reaches the brain, when it is most lethal. They found that by opening the central nervous system's (CNS) protective blood-brain barrier, powerful infection fighting substances can swarm in, essentially driving off the invading virus. A better understanding of the process, they say, may lead to improved treatment for late-stage rabies infections in humans.

Hip Resurfacing Patients Go From Excruciating Pain to Full Activity
(Published 9-4-2007)  Late last year, hip resurfacing surgery was introduced in the United States and today, the results are extremely positive. William Hozack, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon with the Rothman Institute at Jefferson and professor of orthopaedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University, has performed hip resurfacing on over 25 patients, and many of them are raving about the results and “relieved to be feeling no pain."

Jefferson Radiation Oncologists to Use Real-Time System to Help Plant “Seeds” Against Prostate Cancer
(Published 9-20-2007) Radiation oncologists and urologists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia have begun using a real-time system to implant radiation-emitting seeds in prostate cancer patients.

Jefferson Researchers Find that Personalized Interventions are Key to Improving Colon Cancer Screening Rates
(Published 9-24-2007) One of the best ways to encourage an individual to get screened for colorectal cancer is to use a personalized approach, according to researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia . A new study shows that simple, personalized interventions that guide recipients through the screening process can significantly improve colorectal cancer screening rates in primary care practices.

Jefferson Psychiatry Chair Named Interim Dean of Jefferson Medical College
(Published 9-25-2007) Michael J. Vergare, M.D., the Daniel Lieberman Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, has been named interim dean of the medical school effective December 12, 2007.

Jefferson Researchers Discover Key Regulator of Hormonal Signaling in Breast Cancer Cells, Potential Drug Target
(Published 9-28-2007) Scientists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia have discovered new molecular evidence of the role of the hormone prolactin in breast cancer. They have found that prolactin, a pituitary hormone that normally stimulates breast development and milk production, initiates a new “signaling pathway” that may regulate the growth and survival of breast cancer cells.

MicroRNAs May be Key to HIV’s Ability to Hide, Evade Drugs, Jefferson Scientists Find
(Published 9-30-2007) Tiny pieces of genetic material called microRNA (miRNA), better known for its roles in cancer, could be a key to unlocking the secrets of how HIV, the AIDS virus, evades detection, hiding in the immune system. Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have shown that when an individual infected with HIV receives a powerful cocktail of antiviral agents called HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), the virus calls on miRNAs to help it remain quiet and practically undetectable, temporarily shutting down its ability to replicate and infect.