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2003 News Releases
Department
Of Homeland Security Response Teams Deployed To Iran To Assist Victims
Of Earthquake
December 27, 2003 — The Department of Homeland
Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing
emergency medical teams to assist the Department of State's response
efforts to the earthquake in Iran. Two International Medical Surgical
Response Teams (IMSuRT) arrived in Bam, Iran on Sunday.
One combination of AIDS drugs
appears better for starting treatment
December 10, 2003 — One specific combination of anti-HIV
drugs appears to be more effective for initiating therapy than other
drug combinations tested in a large multi-institutional study.
Solitary
pancreas transplant not associated with improved survival for patients
with diabetes
December 2, 2003 — Patients with diabetes who received
a solitary pancreas transplant appeared to have worse survival than
patients on the transplant waiting list who received conventional
therapy, according to a study in The Journal of the American
Medical Association.
(scroll down to "commentary")
Regeneration of insulin-producing
islets may lead to diabetes cure
November 13, 2003 — Cells from an unexpected source,
the spleen, appear to develop into insulin-producing islet cells
in adult animals. This surprising finding from MGH researchers is
a followup to the team's 2001 report of a treatment that cures type
1 diabetes in mice.
New
Research Uncovers Potential Cure for Type 1 Diabetes: Islet Regeneration
May Now Be Possible, According to Iacocca Foundation
November 13, 2003 — Before this decade is over, doctors
may be able to cure type 1 diabetes by encouraging the body to regenerate
its own insulin-producing cells.
Teaching hospital physicians report
trouble obtaining specialty services for the uninsured
November 12, 2003 — U.S. teaching hospitals are often
considered key providers of health services to uninsured patients.
However, a recent survey of teaching hospital faculty finds that
such physicians may have difficulty accessing specialty care for
their uninsured patients.
Outpatient pediatric visits good
opportunity to help parents quit smoking
November 3, 2003 — Children's medical visits offer an
excellent opportunity to counsel parents about their own smoking
and offer smoking cessation services. However, U.S. pediatricians
and family practitioners are not regularly discussing smoking with
parents.
MGH announces new ALS research venture
October 31, 2003 — The MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative
Disease today announced a new research initiative against ALS (Lou
Gehrig's disease). The program is designed to clarify how the disease
develops and to develop potential new treatments.
Clays
May Have Aided Formation of Primordial Cells
October 24, 2003 — Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers
have discovered that clays may have been the catalysts that spurred
the spontaneous assembly of fatty acids into the small sacs that
ultimately evolved into the first living cells.
Research collaboration identifies
gene essential to puberty
October 22, 2003 — MGH researchers and collaborators
from Britain have identified a gene that appears to be a key regulator
of puberty in humans and in mice. The discovery could lead to new
infertility treatments or contraceptive options, among other applications.
Study finds way to dramatically
increase hematopoietic stem cells
October 22, 2003 — MGH researchers have found a novel
way to significantly increase the production of hematopoietic stem
cells in a mouse model, which could greatly increase the number
of patients who could receive stem cell transplants for certain
cancers.
New
Protein Provides Clue to Diabetes
October 15, 2003 — Scientists say they've found a protein
that plays an essential role in regulating a cell's ability to absorb
glucose, an important step toward gaining a better understanding
of the underlying causes of diabetes.
Close interaction seen between blood
vessel development and fat tissue formation
October 2, 2003 — The physiological processes of angiogenesis,
the growth of new blood cells, and adipogenesis, the development
and growth of fat cells, are so closely interwoven that interfering
with one also halts the other.
Statement regarding Luisa Duran, First
Lady of Chile
October 1, 2003 — Mrs. Duran is currently in good condition
and is expected to remain at the MGH for a week to 10 days. en
espanol
Largest
study to date finds radiofrequency ablation is best treatment for
benign bone tumor
September 30, 2003 — Radiofrequency ablation should
be the treatment of choice for most patients with a benign but painful
bone tumor known as osteoid osteoma, according to MGH research.
MGH Sports Medicine
Service teams up with Women's World Cup Soccer
September 25, 2003 — Thomas Gill, MD, of the MGH Sports
Medicine Service, gets the nod as medical director for the 2003
FIFA Women's World Cup soccer tournament at Gillette Stadium.
Combining osteoporosis
treatments does not produce better results
September 20, 2003 — Combining two currently available
types of osteoporosis drugs does not improve bone density, according
to a study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Longer
commute for cancer treatment associated with better survival
September 16, 2003 — Cancer patients who travel more
than 15 miles for treatment appear to survive longer than patients
who live closer to their treatment center concludes a study in the
September 17 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
State
Department Names CIMIT, Boston, and ISTC, Moscow, to Take Lead in
Focusing on Health Issues to Prevent Bioterrorism
September 16, 2003 — At the US Department of State's
BioIndustry Initiative Press Briefing today, a $1.7 million contract
to support collaboration between the Boston-based Center for the
Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology and the International
Science and Technology Center, Moscow, was announced.
College students support
smoking restrictions
September 16, 2003 — U.S. college students express
strong support for tobacco control policies that aim to reduce cigarette
smoking on college campuses, according to a new survey by researchers
from MGH and Harvard School of Public Health.
Pancreatic cancer
linked to developmental cell signaling pathway
September 14, 2003 — Scientists at MGH and the University
of California at San Francisco have found strong evidence that a
cell signaling pathway active in embryonic development plays a crucial
role in pancreatic cancer.
Adequate anticoagulation
level reduces stroke impact for patients with atrial fibrillation
September 10, 2003 — A research team from MGH and Kaiser
Permanente of Northern California has shown that patients with atrial
fibrillation who receive an appropriate level of anticoagulation
therapy cut the risk that any stroke they have will result in death
or serious disability.
American Nurses Association
grants MGH highest honor in nursing
September 8, 2003 — The American Nurses Association
today awarded its highest honor for nursing excellence - Magnet
Nursing Services Recognition - to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Almost
half of all faculty on Institutional Review Boards have ties to
industry
August 14, 2003 — Medical school faculty members who
serve on Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) have extensive research
experience and knowledge, yet close to half also serve as consultants
to industry, a situation that could lead to potential conflicts
of interest.
Newer vitamin D formulation
appears to help dialysis patients live longer
July 30, 2003 — Dialysis patients taking a particular
intravenous vitamin D formulation have a significant survival advantage
over patients taking an older and more commonly used form of vitamin
D.
Study identifies factors
increasing risk of psychosocial problems among disabled children
July 14, 2003 — Whether or not children with disabilities
experience psychosocial problems is associated with the type of
disability and the impact of the disability on the child's family,
a new study finds.
MGH studies clarify
diagnosis, identify possible treatment for adults with both ADHD
and BPD
July 9, 2003 — Two studies from researchers at MGH
address the challenges of diagnosing and treating individuals with
both attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder.
MGH/Timilty School
Science Connection receives grant from HHMI
June 25, 2003 — Science Connection, a program designed
to encourage middle school students to explore science as a possible
career, has been awarded a major science education grant from the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Response to new faces
varies by temperament, tied to brain activity
June 19, 2003 — A key area in the brains of people
who displayed an inhibited temperament as toddlers shows a greater
response to new faces than does the same brain area in adults who
were uninhibited early in life, according to a study by researchers
from Massachusetts General Hospital.
Experimental imaging
technique details spread of prostate cancer
June 18, 2003 — A study conducted at Massachusetts
General Hospital and a Dutch hospital finds that an investigational
advanced MRI technique may be able precisely to identify the spread
of prostate cancer to lymph nodes.
International
Team Uses Genomic Tools to Find Genes that Link Between Diabetes
and Exercise
June 15, 2003 — In a multidisciplinary collaborative
effort, scientists have used the power of integrative genomics to
identify a set of genes that link exercise and the healthy metabolizing
of simple sugars into energy - and find that the level of these
genes is reduced in people with type 2 diabetes.
Haber selected as new
director of MGH Cancer Center
June 4, 2003 — After an extensive search, Daniel Haber,
MD, PhD, has been selected as the new director of the Massachusetts
General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center.
Tight
Glucose Control in Diabetes Lowers Risk of Atherosclerosis
June 4, 2003 — Strict glucose control in type 1 diabetes
reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, a benefit that persists for
years, according to a study published in the June 5, 2003 issue
of the New England Journal of Medicine.
MGH physician, former
colleague to receive Inventor of the Year award
June 4, 2003 — The 2003 Inventor of the Year award
will be presented June 4 to Warren M. Zapol, MD, Chief of Anesthesia
and Critical Care at MGH, and Claes Frostell, MD, PhD, of the Karolinska
Institute in Sweden. The researchers are being honored for their
invention of a system to safely deliver inhaled nitric oxide gas
to treat a number of dangerous lung conditions.
Doctors
miss chances to help pregnant women quit smoking
May 29, 2003 — Doctors are missing opportunities to
help pregnant women quit smoking, a national survey reveals. "Although
physicians frequently identified the smoking status of pregnant
women, they did not often counsel smokers about quitting,"
says study author Susan Moran, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital.
Public
health measures can contain SARS, two modeling studies suggest
May 23, 2003 — The SARS virus is contagious enough
to cause a very large epidemic if left unchecked, but could nonetheless
be controlled with rigorous public health measures, two research
teams report. These results are being released today by the journal
Science.
AIDS vaccine induces
HIV-specific immune response in chronic infection
May 22, 2003 — A controversial vaccine against HIV,
the virus that causes AIDS, has been shown to stimulate a critical
part of the immune response in chronically infected patients. The
small study finds that a vaccine made from an inactivated form of
the AIDS virus induces the proliferation of immune cells that specifically
target HIV.
Getting through the
matrix: MGH research suggests strategies for improving drug delivery
to cancer cells
May 18, 2003 — The physical structure of tumors can
prevent anticancer agents from reaching their targets. In a new
study MGH researchers describe a technique for assessing the permeability
of tumors and a way of improving tumors' accessibility to drugs.
Study at Mt. Everest
finds acetaminophen as effective as ibuprofen for high-altitude
headache
May 14, 2003 — In a study conducted near the Mt. Everest
Base Camp in Nepal, an MGH resident physician and his colleagues
have found that acetaminophen is as effective as ibuprofen in treating
high-altitude headache.
Study shows molecular
analysis of early breast cancer lesions may be key to choosing best
treatment
May 12, 2003 — A team of researchers from MGH and the
biotechnology company Arcturus has discovered molecular changes
occurring in early stages of breast cancer that characterize the
aggressive potential of the tumor.
3D
mammography shows promise as next breast screening technique
May 8, 2003 — “Full-field digital tomosynthesis
is mammography - only better,” researchers say of a new technique
that just might be the next generation of breast cancer screening.
Study
recommends 50 percent reduction in CT radiation dose based on patient
size and weight
May 8, 2003 — Results of a recent study show that the
image quality of abdominal CT scans for certain cases is acceptable
even when the radiation dose is reduced by 50 percent, says Mannudeep
K. Kalra, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, lead author of
the study.
Diffusion-weighted
MR imaging accurately detects stroke
May 7, 2003 — Diffusion-weighted MR imaging is an accurate
way to detect whether a patient has had a stroke - even 24 hours
after the patient's initial symptoms began, a new study shows.
CT
colonography method reduces radiation risk
May 7, 2003 — Results of a recent study reconfirm previously
published data, suggesting that CT colonography can be performed
with decreased radiography exposure to patients, says Michael Zalis,
MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, lead author of the study.
CT
in the emergency room: Are CT examinations overused?
May 6, 2003 — Is CT overused in the emergency room
to diagnose abdominal pain? Researchers at Massachusetts General
Hospital in Boston undertook one of the largest studies of its kind
to find out.
MR
imaging and new contrast agent effective in diagnosing testicular
cancer spread
May 5, 2003 — MR imaging plus a new contrast agent
is dramatically better than current techniques in determining if
testicular cancer has spread, a new study indicates.
Researchers
identify important function of NF2 tumor suppressor
May 1, 2003 — A research team based at Massachusetts
General Hospital has identified a key cellular function of a protein
known to be involved in the rare genetic disorder neurofibromatosis
type 2.
FDA approval
of drug-coated stents to have major impact on future of cardiovascular
care
April 24, 2003 — Researchers at three Boston hospitals
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital - hailed today's decision
by the FDA to approve drug-coated stents for widespread use in cardiovascular
care.
New
Findings About Parkinson's Disease:
Coffee and Hormones Don't Mix
April 17, 2003 — Several large studies have shown that
caffeine intake is associated with a reduced risk of developing
Parkinson's disease in men, but studies in women have been inconclusive.
A new study shows that hormone therapy is a possible explanation
for the different effects of caffeine on PD risk in men and women.
MGH/BWH study identifies
Alzheimer's- associated changes in the eye
April 10, 2003 — A research team led by investigators
from Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital
has discovered that amyloid-beta, the protein that forms plaques
in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, can also be detected
in the lens of the human eye.
Factor identified
that makes treating aging hearts with gene therapy difficult
March 3, 2003 — Scientists at Massachusetts General
Hospital and their colleagues have found why older cardiac cells
are more difficult to treat with gene therapy than younger cells.
Patients report direct-to-consumer
pharmaceutical ads may lead to new diagnoses, other physician recommendations
February 26, 2003 — Direct-to-consumer advertising
of prescription drugs appears to be a powerful source of information
that can affect patients' interactions with their physicians, according
to a report issued by the journal Health Affairs.
Minimally invasive treatment
successfully destroys kidney tumors
January 28, 2003 — An experimental treatment is proving
successful in removing small kidney tumors from appropriate patients.
In the February 2003 issue of Radiology, MGH researchers
report how radiofrequency ablation destroyed renal cell carcinoma
tumors less than 3 cm and some larger tumors, depending on their
location.
Scientists identify
hundreds of worm genes that regulate fat storage
January 15, 2003 — Scientists at MGH and their colleagues
have scoured thousands of genes in the C. elegans worm and
have come up with hundreds of promising candidates that may determine
how fat is stored and used in a variety of animals.
MGH study supports protective
effect of stimulant treatment for ADHD
January 6, 2003 — An analysis of all available studies
that examine the possible impact of stimulant treatment for attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder on future substance abuse supports the safety
of stimulant treatment.
Child hospitalizations
good time to get parents to stop smoking
January 6, 2003 — Children hospitalized for respiratory
illnesses often suffer from second-hand smoke exposure caused by
parental smoking. MGH researchers have found that those hospitalizations
can be good times to address parental smoking and smoking cessation.
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