Latest News

• share
• favorite_border

The UVA Health System will break ground April 12 for the new Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center, a $74 million outpatient facility that will be both technically advanced and designed for compassionate care. Speakers at the groundbreaking will include Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, UVA President John T. Casteen, III and UVA Health System CEO R. Edward Howell. The family of the late senator will also attend.

• share
• favorite_border

A University of Virginia Health System study found that urban sprawl poses an extra risk to teen drivers, who average more miles driven per day in areas with greater sprawl and have a higher rate of fatalities per miles driven than adults. The results appear in the March 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

• share
• favorite_border

When treated with the widely-used cancer drug, cetuximab, patients in several states "“ mostly in the Southeast "“ were experiencing allergic reactions more frequently and more severely than those living elsewhere. A study by the University of Virginia Health System found that these patients had antibodies which attack a type of sugar molecule found in the drug and caused an allergic reaction.

• share
• favorite_border

One of the toughest cancers to treat effectively is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common form of primary brain cancer. Patients who have a recurrence of this cancer have had no effective therapy -- until now. Researchers at the University of Virginia and several other leading brain tumor centers nationwide have discovered that a compound has shown the ability to effectively treat GBM in some patients.

• share
• favorite_border

Experts in mitosis (cell division) at the University of Virginia Health System have made discoveries that explain how one protein "“ the kinase Aurora B "“ could have such a large role in guiding and policing the process of cell division. Their discovery may help to explain spacial regulation during cell division, which can have implications for cancer treatment.

• share
• favorite_border

A team of researchers at the University of Virginia Health System is helping to stop one of the world's most voracious parasites. Entamoeba histolytica, which causes inflammation of the colon (colitis), plays dirty. It attacks and kills human immune cells in seconds. Then this murderous marauder hides the evidence by eating the cells' corpses. While doing so, it kills nearly 100,000 people each year.

• share
• favorite_border

Sweet indulgences are Valentine's Day traditions. For some of us, they may also trigger episodes of "holiday heart," or rapid, irregular heart beats. Medically, the condition is called atrial fibrillation, or Afib.

• share
• favorite_border

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes mellitus. People who have this condition are resistant to their insulin and often develop inflammation in their coronary arteries. Although type 2 diabetes commonly occurs in adults, an increasing number of overweight children and adolescents are also developing it.

• share
• favorite_border

Each summer, experts from the University of Virginia Health System provide health and wellness training to American and international business leaders through The Executive Program (TEP), a prestigious, month-long program at UVA's Darden Graduate School of Business.

• share
• favorite_border

A researcher at the University of Virginia Health System is demonstrating why so many people with diabetes may have heart disease. Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine Dr. Zhenqi Liu has shown that in healthy humans, insulin greatly increases blood flow in heart muscle. His work was recently published in the American Journal of Physiology "“ Endocrinology and Metabolism.

• share
• favorite_border

What developments at the University of Virginia Health System created the most buzz in national and international media last year? As the following list indicates, the stories ranged from cutting edge medical research and clinical accomplishments to public health initiatives and surprising insights about our most intimate relationships.

• share
• favorite_border

New research from the University of Virginia Health System shows that, in cases of Type 1 myotonic muscular dystrophy (DM1), a well known heart protein does several surprising things. DM1 is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults and affects approximately 40,000 adults and children in the U.S. The researchers were surprised to find that mice and individuals with DM1 actually overproduce the protein, NKX2-5, yet experience the same kind of heart problems associated with too little of it.

• share
• favorite_border

Reporters seeking background information about Vice President Cheney's treatment for atrial fibrillation are welcome to contact the UVA Public Relations office to arrange an interview with J. Michael (Mike) Mangrum, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, and director of the Atrial Fibrillation Center at the UVA Health System. A transcript of Afib FAQs and video of Dr. Mangrum are posted with this release.

• share
• favorite_border

Recently, Francis Gingras arrived at the University of Virginia Health System ready to undergo a form of brain surgery with many benefits. There's no scalpel, no risk of hemorrhage, minimal chance of infection and a good likelihood of success. Gingras soon learned he was the 6000th patient of UVa's Lars Leskell Center for Gamma Knife Radiosurgery and one of the first to be treated with a new generation of equipment called the Perfexion.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have identified an enzyme thought to be an important instigator of the inner-body conflict that causes Type 1 diabetes. A chronic condition that affects nearly three million American children and adults, Type 1 diabetes is more severe than Type 2.

• share
• favorite_border

Courtney and Bill Wagner were newlyweds expecting their first child when their lives began veering in a direction they never anticipated. Courtney lost weight, became severely dehydrated and could no longer tolerate solid food. Physicians at two hospitals were alarmed by her deteriorating condition but unable to determine what was wrong.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Virginia have led a multisite clinical trial showing that the drug topiramate is significantly more efficacious than placebo at curbing alcohol dependence. Subjects had to be drinking heavily and were not abstinent when they started the trial.

• share
• favorite_border

Thirty years ago this month, the University of Virginia Health System opened one of the first nuclear cardiology laboratories in the nation and the first in the state. Over the years, the lab has performed non-invasive diagnostic procedures on nearly 75,000 patients and gained recognition as one of the premier nuclear cardiology research centers in the world.

• share
• favorite_border

Loss of inner ear hair cells causes hearing deficiencies and balance problems in an estimated 250 million people worldwide. Despite the compelling need for new treatments, research efforts have been hindered by the relative scarcity of these cells. A new study by neuroscientists at the University of Virginia Health System promises to boost cell supplies and accelerate therapeutic advancements.

• share
• favorite_border

Dr. Timothy Pruett, who regularly performs liver and transplant surgery on children and adults at UVa, has become president of United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), the non-profit organization that manages the nation's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) under contract with the U.S. government.

• share
• favorite_border

A recent discovery at the University of Virginia Health System may help pinpoint what molecules assist the immune system in attacking sperm. In the July 2007 issue of Gene, UVa researchers reported finding a new human protein, radial spoke protein 44 (RSP44). Exposure to RSP44 caused infertile men to produce antisperm antibodies (ASA) in their serum.

• share
• favorite_border

According to new research at the University of Virginia Health System, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant commonly used in nutritional and body-building supplements, can form a red blood cell-derived molecule that makes blood vessels think they are not getting enough oxygen. This leads to pulmonary arterial hypertension.

• share
• favorite_border

Dr. Richard Guerrant, founder of UVa's Center for Global Health, plans to take a unique approach to treating the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which is growing increasingly resistant to certain antibiotics that work against bacteria of the colon. Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and can lead to more serious intestinal conditions such as colitis.

• share
• favorite_border

A research group led by Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, with faculty representing five departments at the University of Virginia, will work on a first-of-its kind, $2 million grant project as they explore novel methods for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. The grant from the National Science Foundation is known as an EFRI grant -- Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation.

• share
• favorite_border

Two University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have been awarded grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop treatments and tests for some rapidly emerging trouble spots in the area of gastrointestinal diseases.

• share
• favorite_border

Cancer patients don't have time to waste. Many go through several different treatments, however, to find one that is more effective against their particular type of tumor. Two University of Virginia researchers have pioneered an algorithm designed to match the best potential treatments for a particular tumor in a particular patient.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have discovered a way to transfer genes, which they hope will restore hearing, into diseased tissue of the human inner ear. This important step brings scientists closer to curing genetic or acquired hearing loss.

• share
• favorite_border

A team of researchers led by University of Virginia Health System geneticists has uncovered a major secret in the mystery of how the DNA helix replicates itself time after time. Where chromatin is packed more loosely in the chromosone, the genes are replicated earlier than other genes and are expressed at high levels. Where chromatin is dense, these genes are replicated later and are not expressed.

• share
• favorite_border

Each year, the parents of an estimated one in 20,000 newborns are shocked to learn their child has the crippling genetic disorder type 1 congenital myotonic dystrophy (CDM1). Over the next two years, the Rachel Fund will be providing $239,756 (Canadian) for UVa pathologist Dr. Mani Mahadevan to study this disease.

• share
• favorite_border

Imagine a vitamin that directly extends your life span. It's not available yet, but a discovery that a cousin of niacin prolongs life span in yeast brings the tantalizing possibility a step closer.

• share
• favorite_border

University of Virginia researchers have discovered that microRNAs, a form of genetic material, can function as tumor suppressors in laboratory studies.

• share
• favorite_border

Research completed at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital asserts that until until extra conditions or "co-morbidities" in asmatic patients are addressed, asthma education programs will not be able to help the young patients to the fullest. The results will be published in the April 12 issue of The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

• share
• favorite_border

A study published in the March edition of Stroke looked retrospectively at the composition of plaque deposits in the carotid arteries of 102 patients treated at UVa. Its findings suggest that, in determining who is most likely to have a stroke, physicians may want to take a closer look at the type of plaque building up in their patients' arteries.

• share
• favorite_border

To help dialysis patients improve their strength and mobility, the University of Virginia Health System has developed its Sit Fit program. One of only a few programs of its kind in the country, Sit Fit enables patients to exercise during their dialysis treatment.

• share
• favorite_border

UVa Cancer Center Director Michael Weber, Ph.D., and his team of researchers have won a $100,000 grant to further their work toward a treatment for prostate cancer.

• share
• favorite_border

A research team led by Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Virginia Health System has created a synthetic matrix on which the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) can be regenerated effectively for treatment of ACL tears.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have created a new online search engine that provides medical professionals, researchers and the general public with a more efficient and targeted way to search PubMed for the latest, most relevant medical literature to answer medical queries.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have developed a way to monitor babies in neonatal intensive care units and predict sepsis before there is any indication of illness. Sepsis is a serious bloodstream infection that more than doubles the risk of dying for its smallest victims.

• share
• favorite_border

Changes to the medications given to recuperating organ recipients have helped the lung transplant program at the University of Virginia Health System achieve the best one-year patient survival rate in the nation. Announced this month by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, the one-year survival rate at UVa was 98.08 percent compared to 87.6 percent nationwide.

• share
• favorite_border

Do women have a secret so painful that they even keep it from themselves? According to Dr. Anita H. Clayton of the University of Virginia, the secret exists, and it's big. In an era when so many women are over-achievers with high expectations for almost every area of their lives, too many of them settle for mediocre sex.

• share
• favorite_border

A University of Virginia Health System researcher and colleagues have just published findings showing that just a few targeted counseling sessions had a notably positive impact on women at high risk for binge drinking, unplanned pregnancy, and exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. The counseling technique has proven effective after just four counseling sessions.

• share
• favorite_border

In a study recently published online by Developmental Biology, members of Dr. John Herr's laboratory at the University of Virginia Health System report the discovery of a new protein within a sperm's tail that could prove a key target for male contraceptive drugs.

• share
• favorite_border

Dr. Mark Okusa was recently awarded a 5-year, $583,000 NIH training grant on behalf of the Division of Nephrology to train the next generation of investigators in kidney disease research.

• share
• favorite_border

Since lung transplantation (LTX) was first performed in 1983, it has been a viable therapy for patients with progressive end-stage lung disease. However, transplant centers have found it necessary to adhere to patient age restrictions for LTX because supplies of donor organs are scarce and mortality risks for the elderly are high.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Federal University of Ceará in Brazil have joined forces to study if the gene believed to contribute to Alzheimer's protects children from the developmental stresses of early childhood diarrhea.

• share
• favorite_border

Most of us may not realize it, but our cells have their own early warning and defense mechanisms against cancer. Understanding how these mechanisms operate and how they may be used to thwart cancer from developing or spreading has been the focus of Dr. Angela Zarling and her research team at the University of Virginia Health System.

• share
• favorite_border

After all these years, mom was right. She knew broccoli was good for you, she just didn't know it was this good. Two UVa pathologists have received a $1.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study how specific nutrients in healthy vegetables like broccoli work to prevent cancer.

• share
• favorite_border

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers hope to use a $1.5 million National Cancer Institute grant to develop a urine screening test that can detect cancer.

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists at the UVa Cancer Center have studied melanoma tumors from patients at various stages of the disease over the last few years. They discovered that more than half of these tumors made the cancer-testis antigens, called SPANX proteins. Herr and his UVa research team showed that the SPANX proteins play a role in the formation of the nuclear envelope of the developing human spermatid.

• share
• favorite_border

A group of researchers led by a team from the University of Virginia Health System found that adults infected with rhinovirus, the cause of half of all colds, may contaminate many objects used in daily life, leaving an infectious gift for others who follow them.