Alternative treatments for fibroids may preserve fertility
(Published 12-31-06, Courier-Post) Having children is a joy Sonya McDuffie always felt she'd like to experience when the
time was right. But when she suddenly began looking as if she were about to give birth, McDuffie knew something was out of
order with her body.
At the Jefferson Fibroid Center, she learned of a new combination procedure for the removal of fibroid tumors that may preserve
a woman's ability to bear children, which was unlikely with previous removal methods.
The procedures, which combined uterine fibroid embolization and myomectomy a month apart, are safer than either of those operations
used independently.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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United Press International
Gene Finding May Aid Kids' Leukemia Fight
(Published: 12-28-06, UPI) New research in fruit fly embryos shows that HOX genes, which are crucial to an organism's development,
can be controlled by a special kind of RNA. The finding could be important to understanding many diseases, including a type
of childhood leukemia thought to begin with gene rearrangements in the womb.
Alexander Mazo, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and research associate Svetlana Petruk, Ph.D., at Jefferson
Medical College and their co-workers discovered that HOX gene activity in fruit flies was regulated by the Trithorax region
in the genome, and that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) in the region controlled HOX expression by blocking gene coding elements, a
process called transcription interference.
Because the human genome region that regulates a gene responsible for acute lymphocytic leukemia corresponds to the fly Trithorax
area, the scientists think that similar ncRNA activity might guide the gene rearrangements behind the disease.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
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United Press International
This surgical lubricant has an Old World flavor
(Published 12-25-06, The Philadelphia Inquirer) The unlikely use of an olive oil emulsion has helped cardiologists at Thomas
Jefferson University Hospital when inserting stents into problem arteries.
"We found that this emulsion is a safe, simple and effective aid for stent delivery in the rare cases where stents could not
be previously inserted," said Dr. Michael Savage, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Jefferson.
Medicine
Division of Cardiology
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Medical Breakthroughs
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Dr. Koop
Health: Squamous Cell Carcinoma
(Published: 12-27-06, CBS 3) Squamous cell carcinoma, the type of skin cancer that First Lady Laura Bush had removed from
her leg, is common and the procedure to remove it is standard, according to a Thomas Jefferson University Hospital dermatologist.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer yearly. Jefferson dermatologist Tanya Humphreys, M.D., explained
that this type of cancer can be caused by time spent outside without the proper precautions. "Typically squamous cell carcinoma
occurs in areas of chronic sun exposure such as the face, the lower lip, the ears, the bald scalp, tops of the hands, shins
and tops of feet in the case of women," she said.
Dr. Humphreys said that basal cell is a more common and less dangerous type of skin cancer, while melanoma can be deadly if
not detected early.
Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology
Media Coverage:
CBS 3
Sounds of the Season
(Published: 12-21-06, CBS 3) Studies have shown that music can help with healing and relaxation, and patients at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital can experience that on a weekly basis.
David Falcone, a musician from the organization 'Musicians on Call' visits Jefferson Hospital patients at their bedside to
spread cheer.
"We all can relate to how music helps heal and helps us get through the day when we listen to a special song," said nurse
Maureen Healy, as she watched the patients on a third floor unit.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
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Out Caroling? Be in Harmony With Your Body, Too
Holiday singers need lots of water to stay on key, expert says
(Published 12-22-06, Healthday.com) If you're caroling in your neighborhood during the holidays, a voice specialist has some
tips to help you hit all the right notes.
Drink plenty of water, says Dr. Joseph R. Spiegel, associate professor of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital in Philadelphia. At this time of year, the air is cold and dry and can affect your voice.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Media Coverage:
HealthDay
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New PET Tricks for Old-Age Disease
(Published 12-21-06, ABCNews.com) Doctors of the future may have an additional tool when it comes to detecting Alzheimer's
disease.
Researchers may have devised a new way of looking at patients' brains where they can see the damage that leads to Alzheimer's
disease at the molecular level.
Using a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, they were able to peek at the brain and look at the proteins the materials
that cause the problems linked to memory deterioration.
The study also may give doctors a way to see the proteins implicated in the disease.
"This is the first study that claims to 'see' both plaques and tangles," said Dr. Sam Gandy, director of the Farber Institute
for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Farber Institute for Neurosciences
Department of Neurology
Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience
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Fat tissue of older adults appears to be good source for stem cells
(Published 12-18-06, Forbes.com) A group of researchers found that the fat tissue of older adults appears to be a good source
for stem cells.
"A major problem with any type of cell for tissue engineering is you want to get a reliable source of cells," said Dr. Paul
DiMuzio, an assistant professor of surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "They can be used from bone marrow
but this source tends to decrease with age, making it a limited source of cells in the exact population you need the cells
for."
Department of Surgery
Media Coverage:
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Doctor's Guide
Soy-Based Inhibitor Holds Promise as MS Treatment
(Published: 12-15-06, HealthDay) Researchers at Jefferson Medical College have found that the natural soy-based substance
Bowmann-Birk Inhibitor Concentrate (BBIC) improved the condition of animals with a disease similar to multiple sclerosis.
A group of animals with the disease autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) were given BBIC, while a second group received an inert
substance and their conditions compared. BBIC is believed to lessen inflammation and demyelination associated with the disease.
"Animals that received BBIC were able to walk, while those that didn't get the drug were not," said study leader A.M. Rostami,
M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College. "It's the first time that BBIC
has been used in an EAE model and has shown significant disease suppression, and we hope it can eventually be used in humans."
Neurology
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Study considers benefits of aggressive treatment for prostate cancer(Published 12-13-06, Philly.com) Study considers benefits of aggressive treatment for prostate cancer For years, doctors have
urged older men with early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer to "watch and wait" - skip treatment until tests showed the cancer
was growing aggressively. Now, a new study suggests a significant benefit from treating men over 65 surgically or with radiation
therapy. The study was published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The bottom line of these studies is that . . . there is no one right way to treat prostate cancer," said Leonard Gomella,
chairman of the department of urology at Thomas Jefferson University. Gomella, a surgeon who cares for many men with the disease,
said that a decision to actively treat versus waiting to see if the cancer progresses is intensely individual for patients
and their families.
Department of Urology
CancerCARE at Jefferson
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Scientists find possible fingerprint of Alzheimer's in spinal fluid
(Published 12-12-06, CNN.com) Scientists appear to have found a fingerprint of Alzheimer's disease lurking in patients' spinal
fluid, a step toward a long-awaited test for the memory-robbing disease that today can be diagnosed definitively only at autopsy.Far
more research is needed before doctors could try spinal-tap tests in people worried they have Alzheimer's, specialists caution.
But the scientists already are preparing for larger studies to see whether this potential "biomarker" of Alzheimer's, reported
Tuesday in the journal Annals of Neurology, holds up. At the same time, scientists also are hunting what they call biomarkers
-- signs of the disease in areas other than hard-to-test brain tissue."A valid biomarker for Alzheimer's disease is sorely
needed," said Dr. Sam Gandy, a neuroscientist at Philadelphia's Thomas Jefferson University and spokesman for the Alzheimer's
Association.But the new protein pattern requires "rigorous validation" by other researchers to make sure it really is linked
to Alzheimer's, he cautioned.
Farber Institute for Neurosciences
Department of Neurology
Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience
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Doctor warns: Drinking, caroling just don't mix
(Published 12-09-06, KYW Newsradio) If you're considering getting lit this weekend on some spiked eggnog, grabbing a candle
and heading out into the street for some good old-fashioned Christmas caroling, don't do it.
That's according to voice specialist Dr. Joseph R. Spiegel, who says the mix of alcohol and singing in the cold is a bad combination.
Spiegel, a professor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, spoke with Metro about the need for carolers to hydrate themselves
before going into the streets.
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
Media Coverage:
KYW Newsradio
New clue to cause of Alzheimer's
(Published 12-08-06, Newsday) After decades of going after a sticky substance called beta amyloid that accumulates in the
brains of Alzheimer's patients, scientists have discovered a new protein that may play a critical role in the disease process
and offer possible treatments.They are now developing new mouse models of Alzheimer's by knocking out the genes involved with
the retromer pathway. Presumably, drugs developed to keep the traffic going could stop the buildup of beta amyloid in the
brain.
"Even subtle sorting deficits could slow trafficking in and out of the cell membrane," wrote Small and Dr. Sam Gandy of the
Farber Institute for Neurosciences of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in a recent paper in Neuron magazine.
Farber Institute for Neurosciences
Department of Neurology
Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience
Media Coverage:
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Help caregiver, enter nursing home later
(Published 12-01-06, UPI) A study lead by Laura N. Gitlin, Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Research on Aging and
Health at Thomas Jefferson University found that giving dementia caregivers a hand can result in less caregiver depression
and keeping family members out of a nursing home for longer.
Families caring for older adults with impairment often use adult day services (ADS), where their family members can receive
meals and participate in therapeutic activities throughout the day. “Research shows that family members who use ADS often
still experience depression and feel burdened, because despite the respite that ADS offers, the caregiver still does the bulk
of the work,” says Dr. Gitlin.
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