April 2014 News from the Medical Schools: Research

The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) brings you the following compilation of the most recent updates and news on research from the academic medical centers in the state.

Researchers at the Academic Medical Centers

Esteemed Cell Biologist Selected to Receive Albany Medical Center Prize
April 15, 2014 – Alexander Varshavsky, Ph.D., whose landmark discoveries transformed the understanding of how cell behavior impacts diseases including cancer, autoimmune disorders and other illnesses, has been selected to receive the prestigious Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research for 2014.

New Nephrology Chief Named at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center
April 8, 2014 – Dr. Ali G. Gharavi, a leading kidney disease researcher, has been appointed chief of the division of nephrology at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Gharavi, also an associate professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and director of its renal physiology and pathophysiology course, joined NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia in 2003.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants for Research

National Institutes of Health Awards Mount Sinai Contract to Further Influenza Research
April 10, 2014 – Seasonal influenza causes approximately 30,000 deaths yearly in the US, despite the availability of vaccines and antivirals. During pandemic years, these numbers can increase significantly. To insure pandemic preparedness, the National Institutes of Health has awarded $26 million to five institutions, including the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The multimillion dollar award is part of an international collaboration of Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) network.

Rochester Researchers Receive $4 Million to Study Flu
April 10, 2014 – Researchers at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry were awarded approximately $3 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health to continue the work being performed by the New York Influenza Center of Excellence (NYICE). Established in 2007 under the leadership of John J. Treanor, M.D. and David J. Topham, Ph.D., NYICE is a member of the NIH Centers of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS).

Researchers Set to Launch Phase 3 Trial for Parkinson’s
April 2, 2014 – A $23 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will support a new Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the drug isradipine as a potential new treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The study is being co-lead by the University of Rochester and Northwestern University.

Other Funds for Research

Congresswoman Lowey Announces $483,00 in Federal Grants
April 3, 2014 – Congresswoman Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced two federal grants for New York Medical College (NYMC) in Valhalla. These competitive grants, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH), will provide NYMC with research funding for vascular disease and immunology research.

Gene Implicated in Progression and Relapse of Deadly Breast Cancer: Finding Points to Potential Achilles’ Heel in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

March 24, 2014 – Scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Houston Methodist have found that a gene previously unassociated with breast cancer plays a pivotal role in the growth and progression of the triple negative form of the disease, a particularly deadly strain that often has few treatment options. Their research, published in this week’s Nature, suggests that targeting the gene may be a new approach to treating the disease.

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© 2014 Weill Cornell Medical Center. All rights reserved.

New Minimally Invasive Transcatheter Heart Valve Procedure Superior to Open-Heart Surgery for High Risk Patients

April 1, 2014 – David H. Adams, MD, national co-principal investigator for the CoreValve U.S. Pivotal Trial, presented study results showing minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with the CoreValve System is superior to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) at one year in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are considered high risk for surgery.

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© 2014 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai . All rights reserved.

New Custom-Designed Treatment Option for High-Risk Aneurysms

March 31, 2014 – Vascular surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center are investigating the use of custom-designed stent grafts for the treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms—a potentially deadly enlargement of the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the body and vital organs—for patients deemed high risk for open surgery. The FDA-approved clinical trial aims to address the unmet need for minimally invasive stent graft devices that can provide a safe and effective treatment for patients with aneurysms located in the aorta in both the chest and abdomen. No stent graft treatment is currently commercially available for these patients.

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© 2014 Weill Cornell Medical College. All rights reserved.

Married People Less Likely to Have Cardiovascular Problems, According to Large-Scale Study by Reserachers at NYU Langone Medical Center

March 28, 2014 – Analysis of surveys of more than 3.5 million American men and women, administered at some 20,000 health centers across the country — believed to be the largest analysis of its kind ever performed — found that married people, regardless of age, sex, or even cardiovascular risk factors, had significantly less chances of having any kind of cardiovascular disease than those who were single, divorced or widowed.

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Scientists Synethsize First Functional “Designer” Chromosome in Yeast

March 27, 2014 – An international team of scientists led by Jef Boeke, PhD, director of NYU Langone Medical Center’s Institute for Systems Genetics, has synthesized the first functional chromosome in yeast, an important step in the emerging field of synthetic biology, designing microorganisms to produce novel medicines, raw materials for food, and biofuels.

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© 2014 NYU Langone Medical Center. All rights reserved.

Memory Accuracy and Strength Can Be Manipulated During Sleep

April 8, 2014 – The sense of smell might seem intuitive, almost something you take for granted. But researchers fromNYU Langone Medical Center have found that memory of specific odors depends on the ability of the brain to learn, process and recall accurately and effectively during slow-wave sleep — a deep sleep characterized by slow brain waves.

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© 2014 NYU Langone Medical Center. All rights reserved.

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Scientists Identify Key Cells in Touch Sensation

April 6, 2014 – In a study published online today in the journal Nature, a team of Columbia University
edical Center researchers led by Ellen Lumpkin, PhD, associate professor of somatosensory biology, solve an age-old mystery of touch: how cells just beneath the skin surface enable us to feel fine details and textures.

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© 2014 Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. All rights reserved.

University at Buffalo to Identify Novel Cellular Mediators in Myelination Process

April 1, 2014 – M. Laura Feltri, MD, professor of biochemistry and neurology, and a member of the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute (HJKRI), will explore the role of integrins and Rho GTPases in cellular communication processes that lead to myelination in peripheral nerves.

Albany Medical College Brain Mapping Reserach Showcased at International Gathering

March 28, 2014 – Held in conjunction with the International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology (ICCN), Albany Medical College researchers led a workshop showcasing advanced brain computer-interface (BCI) technology and research conducted by Albany-based physicians and researchers. BCI technology can be used to help those who are paralyzed or disabled communicate or move using only the signals from their brain.

Intravenously Administered Ketamine Shown to Reduce Symptoms to Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

April 16, 2014 – For the first time, evidence that a single dose of IV-administered ketamine was associated with the rapid reduction of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with chronic PTSD was demonstrated in a proof-of-concept, randomized, double blind crossover study, undertaken by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. These findings, according to Mount Sinai researchers, could be the first step toward developing new interventions for PTSD.

Irritable Bowl Syndrome Study Finds Surprising Complex Perceptions of Health

April 3, 2014 – Contrary to physicians’ expectations, when patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rated their overall health, the severity of their symptoms played only a modest role in their assessments, a University at Buffalo study has found

Like Hand-Washing, Blood Transfusions Linked to Infections

April 1, 2014 – Blood transfusions are among the most common treatments for hospitalized patients nationwide, but doing them less often reduces infection rates by nearly 20 percent, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association co-authored by Neil Blumberg, M.D., professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Migraine Attacks Increase Following Stress

March 26, 2014 – Migraine sufferers who experienced reduced stress from one day to the next are at significantly increased risk of migraine onset on the subsequent day, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Montefiore Headache Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University. Stress has long been believed to be a common headache trigger. In this study, researchers found that relaxation following heightened stress was an even more significant trigger for migraine attacks. Findings may aid in recommending preventive treatments and behavioral interventions. The study was published online today in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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