Medical Discovery News - bridging the world of medical discovery and you...

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This radio program is a weekly series of episodes that provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. We hope these episodes stimulate you to think, question and appreciate how science impacts you and your world.

University Federal Credit Union - Live, Learn, Prosper

Latisse for the Ladies

History of Anesthesia

National Geographic 2008 Best Science Photos
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This Week's Episode

Whole Genome Analysis and Youe

Have you ever heard of celebrity "spit parties" where the rich and famous provide their DNA for testing?

Well, you can too, right from home. Just send off your sample and a number of commercial companies will test it and analyze it for you.

What they determine is whether you carry any of the million genetic variations in the DNA sequence called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs.

Certain SNPs are associated with particular traits, syndromes or diseases. They can also determine interesting traits, such as eye color and the ability to taste bitter flavors. It can also reveal your ancestry.

Though fascinating this kind of testing is ahead of law and society. There are few government regulations to protect consumers and since most family doctors are unable to interpret the data, consumers have only the analysis made by the commercial provider.

Except the data isn’t so easy to interpret. For example, it should be done in context. If the genetic test indicates you have a 20% increased risk of developing diabetes, you also have to consider your age, weight, body type, and exercise regimen and if you have relatives with diabetes.

Plus, if the results are disclosed, it could possibly impact employment opportunities, insurance coverage and even personal relationships. On the flip side, it’s great if it helps motivate someone to get healthier.

But consider if for example you’re 30 and your genome showed you’re going to develop Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease? Would you live life any differently? Would you have children?

So before spending hundreds or thousands of dollars, think about what information you want, talk to your doctor, and get advice from genetic counselors. Just because we have the technology does not mean it is something we should use.

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Next Week's Episode

Latisse for the Ladies

When is a drug’s side effect a good thing?

When it has a positive effect?

That’s right. One in particular is Lumigan. While in clinical trials for treatment of glaucoma, researchers noticed the drug caused some patients to develop longer and fuller eyelashes.

Voila… the company recognized a new opportunity. So it sought and was awarded FDA approval to sell Lumigan under another name, Latisse. It’s the first product approved by the FDA to enhance eyelashes.

In a clinical trial, Latisse, when used nightly, was shown to provide significant increase in eyelash length, thickness and darkness which was most pronounced 8-16 weeks after use began.

The downside is that the effect is not permanent; you have to apply Latisse once a day to the base of the upper lashes to maintain its effect. Once you stop, your upper lashes will return to their previous appearance over several weeks to months.

This "side" effect has it’s own possible side effects which include itching, redness and permanent darkening of the iris due to increased melanin content.

The active ingredient of Latisse is Bimatoprost.

It’s a structural prostaglandin analog, a lipid compound that binds to receptors present in hair, particularly in the areas of the eyelashes involved in the development and re-growth of hair follicles. It increases the percentage of hairs in their growth phase.

Starting March 2009, Latisse should be available by prescription. It’s price tag: $120 for a month’s supply. But the drug is not just for the vain.

It’s for those undergoing chemotherapy or who have something called hypotrichosis which is not having enough lashes.

Good to know at least one side effect was a positive one.

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Medical Discovery News mentioned in the UTMB magazine

Medical Discovery News mentioned in the UTMB magazine. View the story about Medical Discovery News hosts Drs. Niesel and Herzog and the beginnings of the radio program at the link below:

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Show must go on for UTMB professors

Dr. Norbert Herzog and Dr. David Niesel had to laugh when they recalled the first time they pitched their idea for a radio show devoted to biomedical science to a program manager at prominent radio station in Austin.

Niesel's favorite episode is Invisible Weapons of War and Terror. | Listen here.

Herzog's favorite episode is The French Paradox. | Listen here.

The Journal of Friendswood…

Medical Discovery News wins AAMC award

Medical Discovery News, UTMB’s two-minute weekly radio program that delves into a broad range of biomedical science topics, has received a 2009 Award of Excellence from the Association of American Medical Colleges. AAMC judges commended the work of UTMB Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog with comments such as "Great use of resources" and "Well deserved." To learn more about Medical Discovery News, find a radio station broadcasting it near you, or test your knowledge of current biomedical topics.

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UTMB’s Medical Discovery News wins media excellence award

UTMB’s "Medical Discovery News" has received another honor, this time being awarded a media excellence award by the Texas Public Health Association.

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On The Edge…

Fat Droplet Nanoparticle Delivers Tumor Suppressor Gene To Tumor And Metastatic Cells
Currently, cancer management relies upon chemotherapy, radiation treatment, and surgery. All of these treatments may have devastating side effects and may damage surrounding unaffected tissues. At the recent American Association of Anatomists scientific session at Experimental Biology, researchers presented developments in human trials of the first systemic, non-viral, tumor-targeted, nanoparticle. This nanoparticle travels through the bloodstream, locates tumor tissues, including metastases, and delivers a copy of the P53 gene. P53 is a tumor suppressor gene that occurs normally in cells. The protein encoded for by this gene acts to repair mutations in the cell or induce cell suicide in very damaged cells. The loss of normally functioning P53 results in malignant cell growth. In previous animal models the nanoparticle successfully delivered the P53 gene to tumors of several different cancers. Once delivered, the nanoparticle remnants are metabolized naturally. This system does not, according to the current research, have the damaging side effects of other therapies. Further, the nanoparticle may allow physicians to use lower doses of chemotherapy. Investigators are also hopeful this treatment will reduce the probability of recurrent tumors.
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Plant-based flavonoid may cut ovarian cancer risk
The incidence of ovarian cancer in the United States is 13.1 of every 100,000 women. Risk factors, few of which are modifiable, include a family history of cancer, breast cancer, null parity, hormone replacement therapy, late menarche, early menopause, and obesity. The majority of women are not diagnosed until after the cancer has metastasized. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s hospital and Harvard Medical School recently conducted a study, however, that may represent one of the few ways in which women can reduce their risk for ovarian cancer. The investigation, published online in Circulation, evaluates the suggested inverse relationship between flavonoid ingestion and the risk of ovarian cancer. Flavonoids are compounds found in plants, which, when ingested by humans contain antioxidant properties. Flavonoids are found in citrus fruits, berries, green tea, red wine, and parsley. The study investigated five different flavonoids and the total flavonoid ingestion of 1141 women with epithelial ovarian cancer and 1183 control women. Although results showed total ingestion of flavonoids did not affect ovarian cancer risk, ingestion of apigenin did correspond to a decreased risk. No particular food was associated with a decreased risk of ovarian cancer. Apigenin is found in plants such as parsley, basil, celery, and chamomile.
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Swine Flu: Public Health Emergency Declared, Investigation Continues
“Swine flu” is an influenza type A virus that typically affects pigs. Occasionally, a virus can mutate and move from swine to humans and then between humans, as in the current pandemic. The World Health Organization has classified the current swine flu outbreak as Phase 4: confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause "community-level" outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control, CDC, recommends: covering your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing; diligent hand washing; avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; and avoid sick exposures. If infected, the CDC, recommends staying at home from work and school to limit exposure to other people. The swine flu is susceptible to antiviral medication such as Tamiflu and Relenza.
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Autism Tied to Older Moms, Breech Birth
Autism is a developmental disorder usually characterized by social impairment, problems communicating, and restrictive, repetitive behavior. It is one of a group of disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ASD. The Centers for Disease Control estimates the prevalence of ASD to between 3 and 7 per 1000 children. The causes of ASD have not been delineated. Researchers at the University of Utah Medical School, however, recently published a paper in Pediatrics investigating possible prenatal, perinatal, and neonatal risk factors associated with ASD. The group investigated the birth records of 132 eight year old children with an ASD and compared them to control birth records of children without ASD. They found, of the prenatal factors a significant proportion of the children with an ASD were born to mothers of advanced maternal age, age 35 and older, and of the perinatal factors a significant portion presented breech at birth. No neonatal factors were identified. A breech presentation occurs when the baby enters the birth canal buttocks or feet first instead of the head. The study concluded a causal relationship was questionable, but advanced maternal age and a breech presentation were independently associated with ASD.
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2009 National Health Observances

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