Curated News: Medical Meetings

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Genetically modified versions of patients’ own immune cells successfully traveled to tumors they were designed to attack in an early-stage trial for mesothelioma and pancreatic and ovarian cancers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The data adds to a growing body of research showing the promise of CAR T cell technology. The interim results will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2015, April 18-22.

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A new study suggests that an investigational drug for multiple sclerosis (MS) may repair myelin, the fatty material that protects nerves and is damaged in MS, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, April 18 to 25, 2015.

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Ludwig Cancer Research previewed today the full scope of discoveries to be presented by more than 40 Ludwig scientists at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa., April 18–22. Ludwig researchers will deliver presentations of their recent data and participate in symposia, educational sessions and meet-the-expert sessions.

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A medicinal liquid form of marijuana may show promise as a treatment for children with severe epilepsy that is not responding to other treatments, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, April 18 to 25, 2015.

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A pair of air pollutants linked to climate change could also be major contributors to the unparalleled rise in the number of people sneezing, sniffling and wheezing during allergy season. The gases, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone, appear to provoke chemical changes in certain airborne allergens that may increase their potency. That, in combination with changes in global climate could help explain why allergies are becoming more common.

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Coronary heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the United States, are diseases associated with heightened platelet reactivity. A new study in humans suggests an underlying reason for the variability in the risk of clotting is due to a genetic variation in a receptor on the surface of the platelet.

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Babies receiving poor nutrition in the womb tend to be smaller at birth, which has been linked to the development of obesity and other health problems later in life. Researchers continue to discover other consequences related to undernutrition during pregnancy. A new study examines how poor fetal nutrition affects protein expression in the fat tissue of adult rats, revealing key differences between males and females.

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Although stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and traumatic brain injury each affect the central nervous system differently, a new study finds that they share common defects in the blood-brain barrier that can be traced to a single set of genes. The findings could yield new approaches for treating brain diseases.

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An estimated eight million adults in the U.S. suffer from binge eating disorder. Now, researchers have shown that compulsive binging on foods that are high in fat and sugar can trigger specific molecular changes that can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension). While others have studied the effects of binge eating on the brain, this study is the first to look at its molecular effects on the expression of certain proteins in the body.

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Aside from the societal increase and prevalence of social media, Dr. Stephanie Pope discovered that doctors and patients sometimes blur lines of their relationships. Instances where social media research of patients in treatment helped to prevent injury were recorded, while definitive, institutional policy and procedures were sorely lagging causing potential issues in patient care.

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Does icing a serious bruise actually speed recovery time and assist in muscle repair? Researchers say no. Study results to be presented at the 2015 Experimental Biology Meeting in Boston on Monday, March 30.

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Women are more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders than men. A new study suggests that it’s because the intestine’s nerve cells are more sluggish in women.

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Researchers find that having sleep apnea while pregnant could make the baby prone to metabolic disease as an adult.

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Losing several hours of sleep can slow the body’s metabolism, but what about losing only a few hours? A new study finds that metabolic effects are seen even when sleep is shortened by two hours. Research will be presented at the 2015 Experimental Biology Meeting on Monday, March 30.

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A study of peanut consumption showed that including them as a part of a high fat meal improved the post-meal triglyceride response and preserved endothelial function.

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To better understand the variety of Salmonella species harbored by captive reptiles, Staten Island Zoo has teamed up with the microbiology department at Wagner College.

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Many urban and suburban areas have high levels of ground-level ozone, an air pollutant that can adversely affect lung and heart health. New research in mice suggests breathing high levels of ozone could also affect women’s ability to conceive.

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In most people, any liver damage that might occur from drinking alcohol is reversible. However, in 25 to 30 percent of alcoholics what begins as accumulation of fat in the liver progresses to inflammation, fibrosis and ultimately irreversible cirrhosis, for which the only treatment is a liver transplant. A new study indicates that specific gene mutations might predispose some people to irreversible liver cirrhosis.

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Personalized medicine is getting closer to reality for women with late-stage ovarian cancer. An experimental immunotherapy is in the works that can target an individual woman’s tumor and extend the time period between initial treatment and the cancer’s return.

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Pitching speed, player’s height, and pitching for multiple teams may correlate with a history of shoulder and elbow injuries, according to new research released today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day.

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Early surgery may not be the best treatment option for patients with Type V AC joint injuries, according to new research from Tripler Army Medical Center. The study, presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day, showed military personnel returned to duty faster when surgery was not performed.

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Delaying rotator cuff surgery on patients with shoulder stiffness may not be necessary, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day.

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How best to treat and recover from complicated hip injuries is a growing field in orthopaedic medicine. While diagnostic hip injections are commonly performed for patients with labral tear to confirm the pain etiology, research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day suggests that pain relief from this diagnostic injection may not predict better outcomes following arthroscopic hip surgery.

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An individual’s meniscus (cushion in the knee) is one of the most important ligaments in the leg providing stability, load bearing and preservation of the knee joint. It is also one of the most easily injured areas and difficult to fully heal. Researchers presenting their study at today’s Specialty Day meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) utilized MRI data to determine the potential for biologic healing following a meniscus tear.

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One in three young athletes who undergo ACL surgery experiences re-injury, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day. The study examined the long term success of surgery for patients aged 18 years and younger.

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- Nearly 93 percent of National Football League (NFL) athletes who sustained traumatic injuries to the midfoot returned to competition less than 15 months after injury and with no statistically significant decrease in performance, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Two new studies at Hospital for Special Surgery find that bariatric surgery prior to joint replacement is a cost-effective option to improve outcomes in severely overweight patients.

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Orthopedic surgeons from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have developed two new prediction tools aimed at identifying total hip and knee replacement patients who are at-risk of developing serious complications after surgery. The investigators unveiled the new models, and study findings on which they are based, on Thursday, March 26, 2015, at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.

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A team of Penn Medicine orthopedic surgeons has found that modern technology for healing distal femur fractures is as safe and effective as its more established alternative, without a potential shortfall of the older approach. . The findings are being presented on Thursday, March 26, 2015, at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.

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EPA is establishing a new center at Vanderbilt University and the University of Pittsburgh to develop an alternative approach for toxicity testing to help evaluate the safety of the 80,000-plus chemicals in general commerce.

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Intravenous (IV) cosyntropin therapy was equivalent to epidural blood patch (EBP) in relieving pain from post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) with potential for fewer complications and lower costs, data from a randomized, controlled trial showed.

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Early gains in pain relief, behavioral markers and function were not sustained in patients treated with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection for facet joint arthropathy, new research shows.

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A sympathetic nerve block that has shown promise for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) performed no better than sham treatment in a randomized controlled trial, new research shows.

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The first-ever randomized, controlled trial to compare spinal cord stimulation (SCS) technologies found that high-frequency SCS using 10 kHz (HF10) exceeded lower-frequency, traditional SCS in response rate and pain relief

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Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation reduced opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia caused by daily morphine injections in rats, according to new research.

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The main driver of patient experience depends less on the individual provider than on the overall coordination among the clinic, the primary care physician and all others who participate in delivery of care, Stanford researchers reported.

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Markovian models show promise for describing postoperative pain states and, eventually, may help guide clinical decisions, a new study found.

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Major League Baseball pitchers who underwent a second Tommy John surgery saw their performance decline and their career shortened, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.

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A study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery finds that patients who go home after knee replacement and receive physical therapy at home do as well as those who go to an in-patient rehabilitation facility.

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A study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that people in certain racial and socioeconomic groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to care they receive after fracturing a hip.

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A study at Hospital for Special Surgery finds that hip replacement surgery is an excellent option to alleviate pain and improve function in juvenile arthritis patients under age 35 when conservative treatments fail to provide relief.

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Every sport is different, and every athlete has unique needs. No matter their game, though, athletes across the board are prone to five dermatologic issues: blisters, turf burns, athlete’s foot, acne mechanica and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent these problems and treat them when they occur.

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Within the last five years, targeted therapy and immunotherapy have emerged as viable treatment options for patients with advanced melanoma. Although these therapies have promising implications, early detection still gives patients the best chance of survival.

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Among the new research presented at the American Academy of Dermatology’s 73rd Annual Meeting are two studies examining skin cancer risk in minority populations. One investigation found that gay and bisexual men are more likely to use indoor tanning devices and develop skin cancer than straight men, while another found that Hispanic and Asian women have an increased risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer.

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Vitiligo affects the skin, but it’s not just skin deep. This condition can be detrimental to patients’ emotional health, and a recent study indicates that it also may have implications for their physical health. According to research presented at the American Academy of Dermatology’s 73rd Annual Meeting in San Francisco, certain autoimmune diseases, including thyroid disease and alopecia areata, may be more prevalent among vitiligo patients.

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Exfoliation can improve your skin’s appearance and make topical treatments more effective, but every type of exfoliation may not work for every skin type. In fact, some exfoliation treatments may actually make some people’s skin worse. A board-certified dermatologist can help individuals understand their skin and choose the exfoliation option that’s best for them.

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Utah researchers conducted four studies to gauge the health effects of the hostile-dominant personality style compared with the warm-dominant style. Their findings are bad news for aggressive power-seekers.

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As prescriptions for less-regulated, custom-compounded menopausal hormones approach the number of prescriptions for U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved hormones, a UVA Health System expert said doctors should educate patients on the differences between the hormones.

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Paper in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology shows glucose-lowering therapies pose increased cardiac risk

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Results of a clinical trial announced today at the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session show a new type of therapy is safe and effective for symptomatic advanced heart failure patients who are already receiving optimum drug and device therapy. The study also published in JACC Heart Failure.