Newswise — Following is a tipsheet of story ideas from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. To arrange interviews, please contact the individual listed.
PIMCO founder Bill Gross and wife, Sue, make transformational gift to Cedars-Sinai’s Advanced Health Sciences PavilionCedars-Sinai Medical Center has named the new surgical and interventional center in its soon-to-open Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion in honor of Bill and Sue Gross, philanthropists and donors of a $20 million gift toward the building that will bring together clinicians and researchers under one roof to accelerate biomedical discoveries and to speed those advances into clinical care. CONTACT: Janet Keller, 323-866-6875; Email [email protected]
Husband and wife both have brain tumors removed by Cedars-Sinai neurosurgeon – 11 years apartHeather and Tony Tommasi’s story involves a benign brain tumor; a malignant brain tumor; Keith L. Black, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; and frequent reference to the word “fortunately.” In 1993, Heather had a brain tumor removed by Dr. Black. Unbelievably, 11 years later, her husband also had a brain tumor removed – by Dr. Black. CONTACT: Sandy Van, 808-526-1708; Email [email protected]
Researchers find measurable difference in how fat tissue responds to insulin after as little as four nights of restricted sleepLack of sleep can change the body’s fat tissue, causing it to behave more like the fat found in an obese or diabetic person, according to a study led by a Cedars-Sinai researcher. Insufficient sleep has been known to increase the risk of insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, but the study identifies the first ever example of an actual metabolic tissue change after sleep deprivation. CONTACT: Nicole White, 310-423-5215; Email [email protected].
Cedars-Sinai research: Preclinical muscular dystrophy data shows promiseCedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have found that an experimental compound may help stem the debilitating effects of muscular dystrophy by restoring normal blood flow to muscles affected by the genetic disorder. The researchers studied HCT 1026, a new type of molecule in which nitric oxide is chemically attached to a standard anti-inflammatory agent, in a preclinical model of muscular dystrophy. Results suggest HCT 1026 may be beneficial for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which begins in early childhood, and Becker muscular dystrophy, which often occurs later in adulthood. LiCONTACT: Sally Stewart, 310-248-6566; Email [email protected].
Study uncovers new genetic links for inflammatory bowel disease Researchers of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, sharing raw data and newly collected genetic information from centers around the world, have found associations suggesting a fundamental connection between risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and genes involved in immune-related diseases and the immune system’s response to pathogens. CONTACT: Nicole White, 310-423-5215; Email [email protected].
Patients’ fortitude inspires researchers to seek causes, therapies for Lou Gehrig’s diseaseJust a little more than two years ago Sal Silva was an electrician of nearly 40 years at The Walt Disney Co. An avid softball player, the home run slugger was physically fit and enjoying life to the fullest.Today, he is confined to a wheelchair, unable to move his 215-pound frame even an inch. The culprit? Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS. Described as “the cruelest, most severe neurological disease,” ALS results in death within three to five years of diagnosis on average. But with a $17.8 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), researchers at Cedars-Sinai are developing what is believed will be the world’s first study for ALS using stem cells to deliver a drug that protects dying neurons.CONTACT: Sandy Van, 808-526-1708; Email [email protected].
First web-based prostate cancer database launches to help new patients manage care, avoid complications The National Proactive Surveillance Network, the world's first online medical database designed to help men track the progression of their prostate cancer while avoiding complications from overtreatment, launches today. A project of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute and Johns Hopkins, the National Proactive Surveillance Network will allow men diagnosed with slow-growing forms of the disease to track their disease in a secure, interactive web-based patient portal.CONTACT: Sally Stewart, 310-248-6566; Email [email protected].
Los Angeles residents vote Cedars-Sinai No. 1 for quality medical care For the 17th year in a row, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has been honored with a national consumer award for having the best overall healthcare quality, doctors and nurses in the Los Angeles area based on an independent survey of households. It is one of only 17 hospitals nationwide to be the sole winner in a local market every year since the award’s inception in 1996. Contact: Duke Helfand, 310-248-6608; Email [email protected].
Noble appointed chair of Cedars-Sinai Department of MedicinePaul W. Noble, MD, an international leader in pulmonary medicine, has been named chair of the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Noble comes to Cedars-Sinai from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., where he has been professor and chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine since 2006. CONTACT: Nicole White, 310-423-5215; Email [email protected].
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