Latest News from: Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

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Released: 16-Jun-2021 1:00 PM EDT
UPMC Hillman Among First to Offer Biology-Guided Radiotherapy
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

RefleXion™X1 is world’s first biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT) machine that’s expected to improve treatment and expand options for patients with metastatic disease by incorporating PET, CT & radiation in one device.

16-May-2021 8:00 PM EDT
Brain Stimulation Evoking Sense of Touch Improves Control of Robotic Arm
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

The brain-computer interface user was able to transfer objects with a robotic arm at twice the speed of doing it without the tactile feedback.

10-May-2021 3:20 PM EDT
No Lasting Benefit to Tubes Over Antibiotics for Childhood Ear Infections, Trial Shows
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

There is no long-term benefit to surgically placing tubes in a young child’s ears to reduce recurrent ear infections, compared with giving oral antibiotics, a randomized trial determined.

7-May-2021 1:00 PM EDT
8 Out of 10 People Hospitalized With COVID-19 Develop Neurological Problems and They’re More Likely to Die, Global Study Shows
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A paper published today in JAMA Network Open presents early results of the global effort to gather information about the incidence, severity and outcomes of neurological manifestations of COVID-19 disease.

5-May-2021 9:00 AM EDT
Rare Genetic Disease Caused by Mutations in Protein that Controls RNA Metabolism
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Mutations in a protein called GEMIN5 cause developmental delay and loss of coordination in young children.

Released: 5-May-2021 11:15 AM EDT
International Study Links Brain Thinning to Psychosis
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Subtle differences in the shape of the brain that are present in adolescence are associated with the development of psychosis, according to an international team led by psychiatrists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Released: 5-May-2021 9:15 AM EDT
Pitt, WashU Awarded $10.7 Million for Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Research
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Despite decades of research and investment, the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease are still largely unknown, stymieing drug development and early diagnosis efforts. A new $10.7 million, five-year project aims to change that.

Released: 4-May-2021 8:40 AM EDT
Cancer Researchers Study Cognitive Dysfunction after Chemo
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Following chemo, survivors suffer with memory dysfunction. The first large-scale study underway on cognitive behavioral therapy.

26-Apr-2021 9:00 AM EDT
Single Protein Linked to Sex Differences in Age-Related Neurologic Disorders
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

VGLUT – a glutamate transporter on the membrane of vesicles that carry dopamine – is key to regulating sex differences in the brain’s vulnerability to age-related neuron loss.

Released: 28-Apr-2021 9:00 AM EDT
Christmas Eve Coke Works Fire Followed by Asthma Exacerbations
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Asthma exacerbations rose following a catastrophic Christmas Eve fire that destroyed pollution controls at the Clairton Coke Works – the largest such facility in the nation, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis concludes.

15-Apr-2021 9:00 AM EDT
Federal Policy to Reduce Deaths from Sepsis Was Mostly Ineffective
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

The first large-scale, multi-hospital evaluation of an “all or none” federal policy intended to improve results in sepsis patients finds that the guidelines are a wash – on average they neither helped nor hurt outcomes despite significant investments in their implementation.

Released: 15-Apr-2021 11:55 AM EDT
New Research Suggests Breast Cancer Treatment in Patients over Age 70 Can Be Safely Reduced
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Research indicates the rate of cancer recurrence or survival may be no different in older women diagnosed with early breast cancer whether they were treated or untreated.

Released: 13-Apr-2021 12:45 PM EDT
Why Patients with Severe Asthma May be Resistant to Corticosteroid Therapy
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Wheezing, coughing that doesn’t stop, a pale and sweaty face: clinically, severe asthma attacks look very similar from patient to patient. But biologically, not all severe asthma is the same—and a team of scientists has, for the first time, identified the key difference in people, a finding that has important implications for treatment.

7-Apr-2021 12:00 PM EDT
Five Research-Backed Steps to a Pro-Vaccination Social Media Campaign
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

What can vaccine proponents, clinicians and public health communicators learn from “anti-vaxxers?” A lot, according to new guidance for pro-vaccination social media events written by University of Pittsburgh health scientists.

31-Mar-2021 2:45 PM EDT
Health Policy Researchers Propose Filling Health Care Coverage Gap to Help ‘Near Poor’
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

“Near-poor” Americans – people just above the federal poverty level but still well below the average U.S. income – who rely on Medicare for health insurance face high medical bills and may forgo essential health care, according to new research.

Released: 26-Mar-2021 11:00 AM EDT
UPMC and Pitt Share Insights on Operationalizing Outpatient COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

As evidence mounts supporting the use of monoclonal antibody treatment to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, UPMC and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine physician-scientists are sharing the health system’s experience administering the life-saving medication.

17-Mar-2021 9:00 AM EDT
Researchers Identify Immune Cells that Contribute to Transplant Rejection
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

‘Tissue-resident memory T cells’, whose main function is to provide local protection against re-infection, contribute to chronic transplant rejection.

17-Mar-2021 1:00 PM EDT
Survey of Hospital Surge Capacity Years Before COVID-19 Gives Insight into Pandemic Preparedness
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A new survey of dozens of surge capacity managers at hospitals nationwide captures the U.S. health care system’s pandemic preparedness status in the months before the first COVID-19 cases were identified in China.

Released: 3-Mar-2021 9:15 AM EST
Accelerating Gains in Abdominal Fat During Menopause Tied to Heart Disease Risk
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Women who experience an accelerated accumulation of abdominal fat during menopause are at greater risk of heart disease, even if their weight stays steady, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health-led analysis published today in the journal Menopause.

21-Feb-2021 9:00 PM EST
Blood Test that Predicts Kidney Rejection Suggests New Way to Manage Post-Transplant Patients
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Researchers have discovered a blood biomarker that predicts kidney transplant rejection with a lead time of about eight months, which could give doctors an opportunity to intervene and prevent permanent damage, potentially using an existing medication.

16-Feb-2021 3:00 PM EST
Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Associated with Risks of Structural Heart Changes a Decade After Delivery
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

The changes, which mainly affect the left ventricle of the heart, may predispose some women to ischemic heart disease and heart failure later in life.

15-Feb-2021 9:00 AM EST
The Original Antigenic Sin: How Childhood Infections Could Shape Pandemics
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A child’s first influenza infection shapes their immunity to future airborne flu viruses – including emerging pandemic strains. But not all flu strains spur the same initial immune defense, according to new findings published today by University of Pittsburgh virologists.

   
15-Feb-2021 11:15 AM EST
Mystery of Metabolic Dysfunction in Psychiatric Patients Solved. The Key? Dopamine in the Pancreas.
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Antipsychotic drugs not only block dopamine signaling in the brain but also in the pancreas, leading to uncontrolled production of blood glucose-regulating hormones and, eventually, obesity and diabetes.

12-Feb-2021 8:30 AM EST
Insight About Tumor Microenvironment Could Boost Cancer Immunotherapy
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A paper published today in Nature shows how chemicals in the areas surrounding tumors – known as the tumor microenvironment – subvert the immune system and enable cancer to evade attack. These findings suggest that an existing drug could boost cancer immunotherapy.

11-Feb-2021 1:45 PM EST
A Cheap, Potent Pathway to Pandemic Therapeutics
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

By capitalizing on a convergence of chemical, biological and artificial intelligence advances, scientists have developed an unusually fast and efficient method for discovering tiny antibody fragments with big potential for development into therapeutics against deadly diseases.

   
31-Jan-2021 8:00 PM EST
Fecal Transplant Turns Cancer Immunotherapy Non-Responders into Responders
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A phase II clinical trial shows that changing the gut microbiome through fecal transplant can transform cancer patients who never responded to immunotherapy into patients who do.

   
Released: 4-Feb-2021 9:00 AM EST
Where Black Americans Will Travel Farther than Whites for COVID-19 Vaccination
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Similar to the idea of "food deserts," many urban Black neighborhoods lack pharmacies, clinics, hospitals or health centers that can administer COVID-19 vaccines. The analysis, including a detailed facility map, points to the places where there is a need for temporary mass vaccination sites.

   
Released: 3-Feb-2021 2:00 PM EST
How SARS-CoV-2 Mutates to Escape Antibody Binding
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A scientific detective story starting with a single patient in Pittsburgh unearths how the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates to create new variants, including the UK strain B.1.1.7, and escapes neutralizing antibodies.

   
31-Jan-2021 7:00 PM EST
Study May Help Pregnant Women and Others ‘Scratch’ Spinal Morphine-Induced Itch
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Researchers identified spinal cord neurons responsible for an itchy sensation after an epidural morphine injection and found a drug that may fix the problem without reducing morphine’s pain-killing effects.

27-Jan-2021 1:00 PM EST
Black or Hispanic Kids Receive Less Medical Imaging than White Kids
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Large study publishing in JAMA Network Open shows Black and Hispanic children in hospital emergency departments are less likely to have imaging tests, such as X-rays or CT scans, ordered for them compared to White children. The authors attribute this disparity largely to overuse among Whites.

25-Jan-2021 12:50 PM EST
Iron-Carrying Extracellular Vesicles are Key to Respiratory Viral-Bacterial Coinfection
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

The finding can offer a new way for creating therapies to prevent secondary bacterial infections.

18-Dec-2020 12:25 PM EST
Community-Based Programs Reduce Sexual Violence, Study Shows
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Through small, neighborhood classes, researchers at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Promundo-US significantly reduced sexual violence among teenage boys living in areas of concentrated disadvantage. The study appears in JAMA.

   
Released: 16-Dec-2020 4:45 PM EST
Some States May Lack Facilities for Administering COVID-19 Vaccine to Residents
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

As the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history gets underway, several states may not have enough facilities in some areas to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to all residents who want it, according to a new analysis from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and the nonprofit West Health.

7-Dec-2020 12:05 PM EST
Pitt Scientists Identify Genetic Risks of Rare Inflammatory Disease
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A group of international collaborators led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh identified new genetic associations that can predict individual susceptibility to Takayasu arteritis.

1-Dec-2020 11:20 AM EST
Synthetic Biology and Machine Learning Speed the Creation of Lab-Grown Livers
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have combined synthetic biology with a machine learning algorithm to create human liver organoids with blood and bile handling systems. When implanted into mice with failing livers, the lab-grown replacement livers extended life.

   
1-Dec-2020 10:15 AM EST
Circadian Gene Mutation Increases Self-Administration of Cocaine in Mice
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh researchers reveal a molecular basis for the deep and fundamental connection between the disruption in circadian rhythms and predisposition to substance abuse.

   
23-Nov-2020 1:00 PM EST
Pitt Scientists Identify Predictors of Satisfaction after Bariatric Surgery and Demonstrate Positive Effects of Physical Activity in Patients
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

While most patients are at least somewhat satisfied with their surgery long-term, satisfaction decreased from 85% to 77% three to seven years post-surgery. Most patients also continue to lead sedentary lives, which contributes to weight regain and negatively affects their mental well-being.

10-Nov-2020 11:30 AM EST
Pitt Scientists Discover Secret to Superbug’s Virulence in Diabetic Infections
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

The bodies of people with uncontrolled diabetes appear to be the perfect environment for a common type of superbug to thrive unchecked and do its worst damage, according to new research by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists.

10-Nov-2020 10:15 AM EST
Increase in Early-Stage Cancer Diagnoses Tied to ACA’s Medicaid Expansion, Pitt Study Finds
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

The study showed that health insurance expansions increased early-stage cancer diagnoses, while rates of late-stage cancer decreased.

9-Nov-2020 3:15 PM EST
University of Pittsburgh Neuroscientists Advance Understanding of Pain from Light Touch
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Researchers from the Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research uncovered additional complexities behind mechanical allodynia – the sensation of pain from innocuous stimuli, such as light touch.

Released: 5-Nov-2020 2:00 PM EST
Llama Nanobodies Could be a Powerful Weapon Against COVID-19
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Today in Science, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine describe a new method to extract tiny but extremely powerful SARS-CoV-2 antibody fragments from llamas, which could be fashioned into inhalable therapeutics with the potential to prevent and treat COVID-19.

Released: 2-Nov-2020 4:40 PM EST
Rapid Method Finds Potent COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Among a Trillion Possibilities
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists have discovered the fastest way to identify potent, neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The method – as well as a trio of successful animal studies on an antibody called “Ab1” – are described today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ab1 is on track for human clinical trials by early next year.

Released: 26-Oct-2020 11:40 AM EDT
2020 Dickson Prize in Medicine Awarded to Pioneer Researcher in Synthetic Biology
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

James J. Collins, Ph.D., an innovator in synthetic biology whose ideas have contributed to novel diagnostics and treatments targeting infections and complex diseases, has been awarded the 2020 Dickson Prize in Medicine, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s highest honor.

20-Oct-2020 8:00 AM EDT
Bacterial Metabolism of Dietary Soy May Lower Risk Factor for Dementia
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

A metabolite produced following consumption of dietary soy may decrease a key risk factor for dementia – with the help of the right bacteria, according to a new discovery.

Released: 19-Oct-2020 12:35 PM EDT
Two Pitt Faculty Members Inducted into National Academy of Medicine for Work on Aging and Neuro-Rehab
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Two physician scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine: Dr. Toren Finkel, director of the Pitt Aging Institute, and Dr. Amy Wagner, professor of physical medicine and neuroscience at Pitt.

15-Oct-2020 8:00 AM EDT
‘Use it or Lose it’: Regular Social Engagement Linked to Healthier Brain Microstructure in Older Adults
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Older people who report greater levels of social engagement have more robust gray matter in regions of the brain relevant in dementia, according to new research. The findings matter during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Released: 12-Oct-2020 8:00 AM EDT
Improved Mobility in Frail and Elderly Adults Linked to Common Gene Variant
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

Variations in a gene that regulates dopamine levels in the brain may influence the mobility of elderly and frail adults, according to new research.

1-Oct-2020 10:45 AM EDT
‘Repliclones’ Fuel Perplexing Persistence of HIV in the Blood of Some Patients on Medication
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

In a new study, infectious disease researchers show that HIV viremia isn’t always nonadherence to medication or resistance to the drugs. Instead, the patients are victims of what the scientists have dubbed “repliclones” – large clones of HIV-infected cells that produce infectious virus particles.

Released: 29-Sep-2020 9:30 AM EDT
Computer Model Shows How COVID-19 Could Lead to Runaway Inflammation
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

New study addresses a mystery first raised in March: Why do some people with COVID-19 develop severe inflammation? The research shows how the molecular structure and sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein could be behind life-threatening inflammatory conditions MIS-C and cytokine storm.


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