Jefferson Researchers Find Elusive Stem Cells in Intervertebral Disc, Giving New Hope to Restore Painful, Degenerate Discs in the Spine
(Published 11-1-2007) Orthopedic researchers at Jefferson Medical College have for the first time found stem cells in the intervertebral discs of the human spine, suggesting that such cells might someday be used to help repair degenerating discs and remedy lower back and neck pain.

Jefferson Researchers Show Chemotherapy and Radiation Together Extend Lung Cancer Patients’ Lives
(Published 11-9-2007) Chemotherapy given at the same time as radiation therapy can help patients with a certain type of lung cancer live nearly 50 percent longer than they might have otherwise if the same treatment was given differently, according to an international team’s analysis of several trial results.

Jefferson Offers First Real Time Perioperative Nursing Recruitment Webcast in Philadelphia Region
(Published 11-9-2007) On Thursday, November 15 at 6 p.m., students, nurses and members of the public are invited to join a real time perioperative nursing recruitment roundtable discussion -- on the web. Viewers will hear firsthand what it is like to work in this specialized field and will learn about opportunities available at Jefferson. As the first interactive perioperative nursing recruitment webcast in the Philadelphia region, the discussion will be moderated by television host, journalist, and author Joan Lunden. Simply go to www.JeffersonNursing.org/webcast.

Thomas Jefferson University Receives American Cancer Society Grant to Attract Scientists into Cancer Research
(Published 11-9-2007) Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia have received an Institutional Research Grant (IRG) from the American Cancer Society (ACS) for $210,000 over three years. Kimmel Cancer Center director Richard Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of Cancer Biology at Jefferson Medical College, is the principal investigator on the grant. Marja Nevalainen, M.D., Ph.D, associate professor of Cancer Biology, is the co-principal investigator.

Singer, Actress and Activist Olivia Newton-John to Perform for Cancer Benefit
(Published 11-9-2007) Australian-born singer, actress, and breast cancer survivor Olivia Newton-John is performing at a fund-raising benefit for both Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre Appeal. The event is titled, "An Evening with Olivia."

New Jefferson Center Will Focus on Pancreatic, Biliary and Related Cancers
(Published 11-9-2007) A new center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital now offers a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic, biliary tract and other related cancers. The Jefferson Center for Pancreatic, Biliary and Related Cancers will provide patients with a focused approach to pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the pancreas, bile ducts, liver, stomach and other related upper abdominal organs.

Jefferson Neuroscientists Show Anti-Inflammation Molecule Helps Fight MS-Like Disease
(Published 11-11-2007) An immune system messenger molecule that normally helps quiet inflammation could be an effective tool against multiple sclerosis (MS). Neurology researchers led by Abdolmohamad Rostami, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience in Philadelphia, have found that the protein interleukin-27 (IL-27) helped block the onset or reverse symptoms in animals with an MS-like disease.

Jefferson Scientists Uncover Key Pathway, Potential Drug Targets in Autoinflammatory Disease
(Published 11-12-2007) Molecular biologists at Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia have detailed the cascade of cellular events behind some potentially dangerous autoinflammatory diseases. In doing so, they not only have gained a greater understanding of the disease process, but have also identified new potential drug targets for diseases ranging from arthritis to cancer.

Jefferson’s Stroke Center Honored by American Stroke Association with Dual Performance Achievement Awards
(Published 11-13-2007) Jefferson’s Stroke Center Honored by American Stroke Association with Dual Performance Achievement Awards Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience’s Stroke Center will receive the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guideline’s (GWTG) Gold and Silver Performance Achievement Awards. The awards recognize Jefferson Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care by ensuring that stroke patients receive treatment for at least 24 months according to nationally accepted standards and recommendations.

Chair of Jefferson Neurological Surgery Receives Honor for Aiding Military in Treating Neurovascular Disease
(Published 11-16-2007) Chair of Jefferson Neurological Surgery Receives Honor for Aiding Military in Treating Neurovascular Disease Cerebrovascular surgeon Robert H. Rosenwasser, M.D., F.A.C.S, FAHA, Professor and Chairman of Neurological Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, was recently honored for playing a major role in the training, education and direction of military neurosurgeons. Dr. Rosenwasser received the Hugo Rizzoli Lecturer award November 15, 2007 from Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Department of Neurosurgery in Washington, D.C.

Jefferson Specialist is Only in Philadelphia Region and One of Few in Country Preserving Hips with New Surgery
(Published 11-21-2007) Javad Parvizi, M.D., joint specialist at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, is the sole orthopaedic surgeon in the Philadelphia region and one of only about a dozen in the United States performing two new innovative procedures that preserve a patient’s native hip joint, rather than replace or resurface it. The surgery is used to treat the pain and loss of mobility associated with hip dysplasia and impingement in younger individuals.

Holiday Blues Can Turn to Cheer With Good Coping Tools
(Published 11-26-2007) The holidays can be one the best times of the year, with lights and decorations lifting the spirits and many occasions to be with friends and family. However, for many, it can also be a period of stress and even sadness. Rajnish Mago, M.D., Director, Mood Disorders Program, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, offers some tips for determining if you have the blues or something more serious, and how to cope during the holiday season.

Jefferson Scientists See Breast Cancer Gene Activity from Outside the Body
(Published 11-27-2007) Researchers at Jefferson Medical College and Jefferson’s Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia have used PET imaging to see hyperactive cancer genes inside breast tumors in laboratory animals, marking the first time such gene activity has been observed from outside the body. This technology might someday help physicians to detect and classify cancer, enabling them to find cancerous breast tumors as early as possible, and determine the appropriate treatment.

Echocardiologist Ira S. Cohen, M.D., Joins Thomas Jefferson University’s Division of Cardiology
(Published 11-28-2007) Ira S. Cohen, M.D., has been named director of the Electrocardiography Laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He was also appointed clinical professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, joining the faculty after six years as a staff echocardiographer and attending cardiologist at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, PA.