May is Brain Tumor Awareness month, and at the University of Minnesota we are dedicated to tackling this serious disease, particularly through our innovative Brain Tumor Program.

But you don’t have to be a neuroscientist to make a difference in the life of patients battling brain tumors. This year our community has a unique opportunity to impact the lives of many.

The third Cancer Prevention Study by the American Cancer Society is a longitudinal study aimed at finding root causes of cancer.

The third Cancer Prevention Study of the American Cancer Society will be enrolling participants at the University of Minnesota on June 19, 2013, and in several places around the Twin Cities around the same time.

For enrollment locations, dates and times and to schedule an appointment,

please visit www.CPS3TwinCities.org.

Enrollment is easy. Individuals who choose to participate will fill out a comprehensive survey about health history, provide a small blood sample collected by trained phlebotomists and provide a waist measurement. In total, enrollment will take approximately 20-30 minutes.

From that point forward, study participants will be followed over time to update information via periodic, mailed surveys. Your involvement in CPS-3 will help American Cancer Society researchers understand the causes of – and ultimately determine ways to prevent – cancer.

Participants should be between 30 and 65 within this calendar year and never diagnosed with cancer (not including basal or squamous cell skin cancer). The study will consist of follow-up surveys periodically over the next 20-30 years.

If you don’t meet the eligibility requirements, you can still help by spreading the word about this opportunity to help prevent cancer.

Visit www.cancer.org/cps3, call 1-888-604-5888 or e-mail cps3@cancer.org to learn more about the difference you can personally make in the fight against cancer.

The post Pitch in to prevent cancer! appeared first on Health Talk.

Researchers from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, and the University’s Brain Tumor Program, have developed a new mouse model of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) that allow them to discover new genes and gene pathways driving this type of cancer.

The research was published this week in the journal Nature Genetics.

Utilizing the Sleeping Beauty transposon method, researchers in the lab of David Largaespada, Ph.D., professor in the Medical School and College of Biological Sciences, were able to use an unbiased approach to generate mouse models of MPNST development that lead to the identification of genes related to this tumor’s development.

MPNST is a genetically diverse, aggressive form of sarcoma impacting connective tissue surrounding nerves that occurs sporadically or in association with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) syndrome. The exact cause of MPNST is not known, but symptoms include swelling in the arms and legs, soreness and stiffness at the site of the tumor.  MPNSTs are the most common malignancy in adults with NF1 syndrome and leading cause of NF1-related mortality.

Due to the invasive nature and high incidence of metastasis of MPNSTs, surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapeutic treatments have proven to be ineffective for long-term treatment, resulting in 5-year survival rates of less than 25 percent with metastatic disease.

One of the most surprising findings in this research showed the gene FOXR2 is intrinsically linked to the growth of MPNSTs. This gene has not been heavily studied as researchers had not identified a clear function of this gene.

“By using an unbiased approach, it helped us identify FOXR2 as an important gene in MPNST development and develop experiments to pinpoint the role FOXR2 plays in maintaining the aggressive nature of these tumors,” said Eric Rahrmann, Ph.D., the paper’s lead author and a postdoctoral fellow in the Largaespada lab. “When we turn off FOXR2, the growth ability of these MPNSTs drastically decreases.”

Other findings showed interesting evidence of pathways that could be viable targets for therapeutics. The activation of the Wnt signaling pathway was shown to drive MPNSTs. This pathway has been highly implicated in colon cancer but not previously linked to MPNSTs.

Researchers also found many of the MPNSTs have dual loss of the genes called NF1 and PTEN. This pairing of lost genes causes MPNST formation. Both of these genes have previously been shown as pathways related to MPNSTs but it wasn’t clear the extent to which they work together.

Now, researchers are applying these findings to the testing of therapeutics currently on the market for other drugs. This research is continuing both in the mouse model and within primary tumor settings of human cell lines.

“We want to know if these drugs, which are not currently directed at MPNSTs, could be repurposed to provide alternate therapies for patients,” said Largaespada.

Researchers are also looking into more direct ways to target tumors through the Wnt pathway and paired NF1 and PTEN pathways, utilizing mouse models and human cell lines in the lab setting.

Funding for this project came from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) grant P50 N5057531, the Margaret Harvey Schering Trust and the Zachary Neurofibromatosis Research Fund, and the Jacqueline Dunlap Neurofibromatosis Research Fund. Additional resources for contributing authors includes the Children’s Tumor Foundation Young Investigator’s Award 2011-01-018.

For more information on brain tumors please consider attending the Second Minnesota Neuro-Oncology Symposium in Minneapolis on September 26-27, 2013. More information and registration can be found at braintumorprogram.umn.edu.

The post U of M researchers develop model for better testing, targeting of MPNST appeared first on Health Talk.

Winter is over, the sun is shining and it’s time to roll down the windows, break out your favorite pair of shorts and sandals and get outside.

But before you head out for a day of fun in the sun, you may want to take note of some recent changes to the label on your sunscreen bottle.

This year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) increased the labeling standards for all sunscreen manufacturers. As you may have guessed, they’re meant to better inform consumers on certain terms used and protect from misleading claims.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Any label that has a number greater than SPF 50 is considered misleading to consumers.
• Sunscreen cannot block 100 percent of ultraviolet (UV) rays, therefore the term “sunblock” is now banned.
• Only sunscreens that have passed UVA and UVB tests by the FDA can be labeled “Broad Spectrum.”
• Sunscreen can no longer be marketed as “water-proof” or “sweat-proof” since it must be re-applied after a period of time.

DeAnn Lazovich, Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor in the School of Public Health and a respected voice in the national discussion on the effects of sun tanning on skin, explained the new guidelines to Health Talk.

“The new guidelines should help take the guesswork out of choosing a sunscreen,” Lazovich said. “They also help provide more direct information on the differences in how sunscreens are marketed, such as terms like water-resistant but not water-proof, and reminders about how often and when to re-apply sunscreen.”

According to Lazovich, one important piece is still missing, though. Labels still neglect to tell consumers how much sunscreen to use.

“Studies show that consumers typically apply less than half of the recommended amount, or the amount that is needed for the full SPF effect,” Lazovich said. “If less than half of the amount of an SPF 15 sunscreen is used, it is like using a sunscreen with an SPF of less than 5, or not much more protection than a sun tan would offer.”

With May being Skin Cancer Awareness month, Lazovich, as well as all of us at Health Talk, want people to be safe in the sun. With that, she urges people to use other protective measures with sunscreen.

“I think we really need to be emphasizing not to use sunscreen to prolong our time spent in the sun, but only as a complement to other sun protection measures,” Lazovich said. “Cover up, stay in the shade and avoid the sun during peak hours.”

Read the official guidelines from the FDA.

The post Sunscreen 101 appeared first on Health Talk.

For some couples, arriving at the miracle of birth is more complex than sperm + egg = embryo = pregnant. The human body is incredibly complex, and few processes are as complicated as human reproduction.

For example, consider the first five days in the reproduction process:

Day 0 – Egg meets sperm in the fallopian tube. Sperm penetrates egg.
Day 1 – Fertilization occurs and a zygote forms, which includes DNA from both the male and female.
Day 2 – The zygote has evolved into an embryo. Cell count is now four.
Days 3 to 5 – Even more growing as the cells split. There are now eight cells. The embryo leaves the fallopian tube and enters the uterus.
Day 5– Embryo hatches, blastocyst embryo erupts and implants into the uterine wall, and a woman is deemed pregnant.

Human Blastocyst

There’s clearly a lot happening during those five days, and reproductive medicine experts would tell you there’s a lot of ways things can go wrong. For some couples, fertility challenges may not even have anything to do with either partner. Sometimes, the embryo itself has trouble doing its part.

For instance, one little known fact is that a human embryo must actually “hatch” from its surrounding shell – the zona pellucida – for a pregnancy to occur. Experts call this “embryo eruption.”  But some embryos just can’t hatch by themselves.

For patients at the University of Minnesota Physicians Reproductive Medicine Center whose embryos are having trouble hatching, experts like embryologist Christopher De Jonge, Ph.D., H.C.L.D., can help.

De Jonge explained there are a number of reasons why an egg doesn’t hatch naturally. The most common: the outer shell of the egg is simply too thick for the embryo to break through on its own.

“If a woman’s embryo cannot hatch on it’s own, she won’t become pregnant,” said De Jonge. “But we can help with a technique called ‘assisted hatching,’ a post-fertilization micromanipulation technique.”

To help a human egg hatch, it first has to be harvested. De Jonge then moves the egg to a very scifi-esque lab to incubate. Every surface it will touch in the lab is set at 37 degrees Celsius (body temperature) and the incubator is kept at 5.8 oxygen (O₂), 6.2 carbon dioxide (C0₂).

“Everything is regulated to be like the human body,” said De Jonge. “Just because this procedure is happening outside the body, doesn’t mean the egg should feel any differently than if it were still inside.”

On day three of fertilization, De Jonge uses a high tech laser beam to create a small hole in the zona pellucida to allow the embryo to emerge.

The zona pellucida of the egg has a dense and tough inner layer, but a soft, fluffy outer layer. Tiny in size, the egg could be easily damaged if burning the hole is not handled with precision and care. 

“The laser we use is high intensity, and creates concentric, predictable rings with calculable heat,” explained De Jonge. “The laser skims the top of the egg, far enough away from all the good stuff happening inside.”

On day five, the blastocyst is returned to a patient’s uterus where it will erupt, attach and grow for the next 38 to 40 weeks.

De Jonge, whose lab has had the laser for a little over a year, believes using a laser is the safest choice.

“Prior to the laser, post-fertilization micromanipulation options were mechanical tearing or a pipet with acid,” De Jonge said. “The laser’s precision makes it a more accurate way to perform post-fertilization micromanipulation.”

The post Embryos erupt, sometimes with the help of laser beams appeared first on Health Talk.

Two adult bald eagles recently “talon-locked” during a mid-air battle in Duluth, Minn. and crash-landed on the Duluth International Airport tarmac. While one bird was able to fly away, the other was severely injured and was taken to The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota for care.

Julia Ponder, D.V.M., and Drew Bickford, senior veterinary technician, care for their patient at The Raptor Center.

Talon-locking is known to occur among eagles of the same sex during breeding territory battles and among male and female eagles during courtship.

The eagle cared for at The Raptor Center sustained puncture wounds from the second bird’s talons and is expected to recover.

Watch a KARE 11 video featuring The Raptor Center executive director Julia Ponder, D.V.M., and the bald eagle patient here.

The post In the News: Duluth eagle recovers at The Raptor Center appeared first on Health Talk.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system which can lead to blurred vision, balance issues, tremors and even paralysis amongst other issues.

An estimated 2.1 million people have MS but it is believed to be much higher because the CDC does not require U.S. physicians to report new cases.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota neuroscientist Wensheng Lin, M.D., Ph.D., took a closer look at the relationship of myelin and oligodendrocytes (cells responsible for the formation of myelin in the central nervous system) in mice with MS.

Here’s what Lin found:

• In cases of MS, immune cells destroy myelin and oligodendrocytes in its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)
• The PERK pathway is activated by a specific intracellular stress response to the accumulation of proteins in the secretory pathway, a particularly important cellular function of oligodendrocytes
• Activation of the PERK pathway in oligodendrocytes prevents immune-mediated myelin damage and oligodendrocyte death in mice in the EAE, resulting in less severe clinical symptoms

So, what does this mean?

These findings imply that therapeutic strategies that activate the PERK pathway in oligodendrocytes may have beneficial effects on neurological function and delay disability progression in MS patients.

Lin hopes that this will eventually lead to a greater understanding of MS and possible breakthroughs in human patients with MS.

The post Research Snapshot: U of M study finds possible delay of disability progression in multiple sclerosis appeared first on Health Talk.

As we close out National Women’s Health Week, Health Talk thought it fitting to provide women seven things they should know about their health.

Why seven? Why not? There are seven oceans, seven colors in the rainbow, seven wonders in the world, and most importantly – seven days in National Women’s Health Week.

To compile the list, Health Talk spoke to University of Minnesota Physicians women’s health expert Carrie Ann Terrell, M.D., director of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School and director of the Women’s Health Specialists Clinic.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. When should women start getting an annual exam? 

Women should seek ongoing comprehensive and preventive health care their entire lives. Young women who leave a pediatricians office may seek this care with Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, Family Medicine Physicians or Obstetricians-Gynecologists.

2. When should women start checking for breast cancer lumps?  

Routine breast exams are part of comprehensive preventive care and generally occur annually. They are generally initiated at age 21y or with start of hormonal contraception.

3. When should women start getting mammograms?

Mammograms are recommended starting at age 40, every 2 years until age 50 then every year.

4. Are there treatments for PMS?

Multiple and they depend on a woman’s specific symptoms. Treatments include hormonal manipulation, use of SSRI medication, lifestyle modifications, acupuncture, and functional nutrition.

5. What is menopause?

Technically menopause is defined as cessation of menses for at least one year. The years surrounding menopause can be a time of transition and growing for women. We encourage women to use this time to re-evaluate their health and long-term health goals as well as their lives, personal goals, and relationships.

6. How many months is a woman really pregnant? 9? 10?

The due dates we determine for pregnancy are 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. Given that most women ovulate about 12-14 days from the first day of the last menstrual period that would mean women are generally pregnant for 38 weeks if the pregnancy continues to the due date.

7. Why do women like chocolate?  

I am unaware of any data suggesting women like chocolate more than any men or children. I suspect women are the targets of longstanding marketing ploys and social stigmatization.

The post Women’s Health: seven things you should know appeared first on Health Talk.

Gunda Georg, Ph.D., researcher and professor in the College of Pharmacy, has made a tremendous impact in the field of synthetic medicinal chemistry.

Georg is also the director of the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development and holds both the Robert Vince Endowed Chair in Medicinal Chemistry and McKnight Presidential Chair. This July she will receive the prestigious Volwiler Research Achievement Award for her research accomplishments.

“I am honored to receive the Volwiler Award. It is a privilege to become part of a group of outstanding scientists who have received this award before me, including Philip Portoghese, Ph.D., in my department, who received the award in 1984, and my former mentor Lester Mitscher from the University of Kansas, who was honored in 1985,” Georg said of the award given by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Georg’s research, which focuses on pivotal areas such as cancer treatment and Alzheimer’s disease, has been funded by various National Institutes of Health grants. But lately, her involvement with developing the world’s first male contraceptive pill has been widely considered her most unique endeavor. Georg believes the pill will not only make waves in the medical community, but will have a cultural impact as well.

“It’s going to raise the issue of male reproductive responsibility,” Georg said. “It will also affect the definition of masculinity, which is intertwined with sexual and reproductive needs.”

As you can tell, Georg wears many hats at the University of Minnesota. Still, while juggling all of her leadership positions, she somehow finds time to review and edit articles as co-editor in chief for the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry – the primary research publication in her field.

When asked what keeps her driven, Georg put it elegantly.

“What keeps driving me is the sheer joy and excitement of intellectual pursuit, the training of students, and the potential to help develop groundbreaking therapies, such as the male contraceptive pill.”

After completing her undergraduate and graduate studies in Germany, Georg came to North America to find better opportunities for women in science. She has undoubtedly made her mark in the medical community by authoring more than 190 publications and gaining the respect of her peers. Throughout all of her countless research hours and teaching responsibilities, Georg remains passionate about improving the status quo of drug options, making her a true game changer.

The post AHC game changer: Gunda Georg appeared first on Health Talk.

In previous posts, Health Talk has pointed to a number of benefits quality sleep can have on your personal health.

Despite the fact quality sleep can reduce your risk of heart disease, decrease stress and alleviate high blood pressure, sleep is a valued commodity that many people struggle to obtain. Others simply underestimate the affects it can have on their quality of life.

University of Minnesota Physicians sleep expert Michael Howell, M.D., recently investigated the relationship between sleep and human performance, with a focus on athletics in particular.

Howell found that athletic performance is improved by optimizing sleep.

More specifically, by merely extending sleep in subjects, cognitive vigilance and motor reaction time can be improved. For baseball players especially, reaction time is critical. For example, the reaction time for a 95 mph fastball from a regulation pitcher’s mound (60.5 feet) is 0.395 seconds, or faster than a blink of an eye.

This video helps explain it better. If you blink, you could miss the pitch.

If you add poor sleep into the equation, athletic performance can suffer dramatically.

Howell lists five possible strategies that could potentially improve athletic performance in baseball players, many without making dramatic behavioral changes.

1. Sleep extension – Like a majority of the population, professional athletes are sleep deprived. A recent study took Stanford University basketball players who were in peak physical condition and by simply extending sleep time by two hours, shooting accuracy improved, improved reaction time on vigilance testing, subjective feelings on athletic ability, sleepiness, fatigue and mood all improved.
2. Correct sleep disordered breathing and related disorders – A recent University of Pittsburgh study found that 20 percent of active NFL players had undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea, many of which were due in part to their large bodies. Sleep disorders are common in young otherwise healthy populations such as professional athletes and unfortunately are unrecognized and mismanaged in a way that could impede athletic performance.
3. Minimize the use of sedative hypnotic medications – It’s fairly common for people with sleep disorders to use sedation medication such as zolpidem (Ambien) in order to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, these medications affect wakefulness and decrease reaction time. If possible, try to utilize non-pharmacological approaches to insomnia or, if sedation is necessary, try medications with shorter acting agents.
4. Optimize the timings of practice and sleep – Sleep is a critical component for the consolidation of memory in general and motor memory in particular. A nap immediately following practice or activity may help optimize recovery and “re-wiring” in younger brains.
5. Improve the long-term health and wellness of professional athletes – Due to the strenuous nature of their job, professional athletes suffer from a variety of chronic ailments. Poor sleep habits along with a combination of lifestyle, injury, medications, etc. help diminish athletes’ overall quality of life. By establishing a healthy sleep pattern earlier on and continuing throughout life, suffering from these ailments and potential for poor quality of life can possibly be avoided.

In addition to baseball, Howell notes that weight lifting and running/sprinting activities can be improved by extending sleep.

For more sleep recommendations from Howell, be sure to watch this recent segment that aired on KMSP-TV.

The post Batter up! Sleep can improve baseball, other motor skills appeared first on Health Talk.

The rise of social media is changing the way we interact, get our news and even conduct business. But the rise in this connectivity has also boosted concerns for teens, including bullying and negative body images.

As many people pin their at-home workout routines or follow Tumblr’s fashion blogs, experts say many young girls are being presented with increasingly troubling images and messages about a healthy body and how to get there.

“It hasn’t been studied a lot yet, but it is likely some of these sites are giving vulnerable people inspiration to make dangerous decisions,” said Scott Crow, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and specialist in eating disorders.

All social media sites, including Pinterest, Facebook, and Tumblr, discourage posts promoting or glorifying self-harm, even posting warnings and resources, but the messages still get through. A recent piece on Good Morning America discusses the issue with teenagers who feel confronted with trends like the thigh gap, or space between thighs when the knees are touching, every time they go online.

“I see these pictures on Tumblr and stuff and I think that, wow, they look so good and then I realize how unhealthy it is,” one of the high schoolers tells GMA.

Many of the posted images are disguised as encouragement, showing dangerously thin or unattainable bodies with slogans including, “Be the girl you were too lazy to be yesterday” and “Every time you say no to food, you say yes to thin.” Often, the images are doctored to create perfect angles or staged to maximize the model’s shape.

“We really need education to increase the sophistication of young people about media images and how the images are manipulated,” said Crow. “Better utilization of media awareness programs could go a long way.”

Unhealthy body images and extreme fitness or eating habits are serious problems. If you or someone you know may be at risk for an eating disorder, the first step is asking for help. Primary care physicians and collegiate health services are good resources for beginning the discussion. Eating disorder programs like the Emily Program are also excellent ways to seek help; many communities have similar resources, which can be found through the National Eating Disorder Association.

The post Social media may inspire unhealthy body image appeared first on Health Talk.

Actress Angelina Jolie in 2005
Photo by Remy Steinegger

In a heartfelt and open editorial appearing earlier today, Angelina Jolie told New York Times readers and the world at large about a major health decision: her choice to have a double mastectomy.

Jolie writes that she carries the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases the likelihood of a woman getting breast or ovarian cancer. Jolie’s mother died in 2007 after a long battle with ovarian cancer, and the actress said she did not want her children to have the same experience.

“I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices,” writes Jolie, who said her personal risk for developing breast cancer was estimated around 87 percent.

Todd Tuttle, M.D., chief of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery and member of the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, says while only 5-10 percent of the women in the United States have the BRCA 1 or 2 gene, a preventative mastectomy can drastically reduce their chances of developing breast cancer.

“Preventative surgery reduces the risk by 90 to 95 percent, but it won’t completely eliminate the risk,” said Tuttle. “Some breast tissue will still remain, in places like on the breast bone, under the arms, and even reaching toward the back. Even the most aggressive mastectomy will leave some behind.”

While women with the BRCA 1 or 2 genes can benefit significantly from risk reduction procedures like a double mastectomy, Tuttle cautions that it is not a beneficial treatment for women who show no higher risk of developing cancer.

“Women, especially in the United States, often overestimate their risk of getting cancer,” Tuttle told the New York Times in January. In the general population, women have a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer, but those odds vary dramatically based on things like age and overall health.

But for women with this high risk indicator, mastectomy is an important option, and one that can make a significant difference in both life expectancy and peace of mind. Tuttle says he sees dozens of women each year who fit this category, and who benefit greatly from the procedure.

Jolie wrote in her piece that she hopes coming forward and sharing her story, which will also be posted step by step on the Pink Lotus Breast Center website, will encourage more women to ask questions and investigate their own cancer risk factors. She also hopes that, in the future, more women worldwide will have access to preventative testing and treatment.

You can read the entire editorial by Jolie by clicking here.

The post Jolie’s procedure shines light on preventative mastectomy appeared first on Health Talk.

A new University of Minnesota School of Nursing partnership with the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district is looking into what school nurses can do to help curb obesity in schoolchildren.

Slated to begin in fall 2014, research led by School of Nursing associate professor Martha Kubik, Ph.D., R.N.,  received a $3 million National Institute of Health (NIH) grant to investigate how school nurses and other community health advocates can help address the childhood obesity epidemic.

The research “has the potential to inform public policy,” said Kubik in a Pioneer Press article on the announcement made at an early-May school board meeting. “If all goes as we hope it goes, it will expand access to obesity prevention programs for children and families.”

Second and fourth-grade students who are currently overweight and who volunteer alongside their families for the research will participate in a nine-month-long program. School nurses will lead the program, encouraging healthy food and activity habits through small group work with children and parents, one-on-one coaching sessions and collaboration with other groups that offer active play and healthy eating opportunities.

To read the full Pioneer Press article on the NIH grant award and its potential effects, click here. You can also check out the Burnsville-Eagan Sun Thisweek story here.

The post What role can school nurses play in the obesity epidemic? appeared first on Health Talk.

Cari Clark, Sc.D., M.P.H., never sought out to be a crusader for women’s health. However, her work has positioned her as a true champion for women’s health as she’s advanced an understanding around the public health impact that violence against women has on our society in the U.S. and abroad.

In early April, Clark, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and adjunct assistant professor in the School of Public Health, presented the public health impact of violence against women at a press conference convened by U.S. Senator Al Franken and Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau to support the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act.

The bill provides funding for victim services, law enforcement, and violence prevention. Importantly the bill also supports research on the health effects of violence against women, the impact of violence on the health sector, and improvements in the health sector’s response to violence victimization.

“Intimate partner violence affects more than one in three women and one in four men, and the violence has significant health consequences. However, intimate partner violence is most often not identified in the health sector,” said Clark.

In late April, Clark was also a part of a panel presentation at the Wilson Center in Washington D.C. that discussed the maternal health impact of violence against women with a focus on Middle Eastern women.

Clark’s research has shown that violence against women can have immediate and lifelong health implications and her goals are to help shift health policies and practices.

“Violence is an issue that has both health implications and social roots. By collaborating with individuals and organizations that provide health or social services we’re able to make our research efforts immediately useful to the care that individuals receive,” concluded Clark.

The post U of M expert raises awareness of public health impact of violence against women appeared first on Health Talk.

Dan Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Medicine, led research finding an improved process for NK cell production.

Current mass-production processes for human NK cells are poorly defined, time-consuming and require supplemental cell parts to develop mature and functional NK cells. The new method proposed in the study eliminates many of the steps used in current processes, making the production of the cells easier on a large scale.

The study, published recently by Stem Cells Translational Medicine, was a collaborative effort between Masonic Cancer Center researchers within the University of Minnesota’s Stem Cell Institute (SCI) and researchers from the University of Texas.

“Our data demonstrate an improved method to develop NK cells from human pluripotent stem cells,” said Dan Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Medicine. “Using a stepwise approach, we were able to transition to a completely defined system amenable to clinical translation.”

NK cells are one of the major types of lymphocytes — white blood cells dictating immune responses to infectious or foreign substances and antigens — that function as an innate part of the immune system. NK cells are particularly effective at attacking malignant tumors, making them an important player in the effort to fight cancer naturally.

The primary method of producing NK cells is cultivation from one of two types of human pluripotent stem cells — either human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Current techniques for deriving NK cells from these stem cells are complicated and involve using feeder layers from animal tissues. The process developed in the new study is more efficient as it doesn’t require feeder layers or some of the other intensive steps that have been used before.

According to Kaufman, this streamlined process allows for larger-scale production of NK cells and could have far-reaching effects for the future of cancer immunotherapies.

“Our ability to now produce large numbers of cytotoxic NK cells means the prospect hESC- and iPSC-derived products for diverse clinical therapies can be realized in the not-too-distant future. Additionally, it may be possible to engineer hESCs and iPSCs with antitumor and antiviral receptors to provide an off-the-shelf product of targeted lymphocytes for immunotherapies.”

The post Masonic Cancer Center researchers develop an improved process for natural killer cell production appeared first on Health Talk.

Imagine a virus that could infect — and jump to and from — birds or mammals that is always adapting and changing, so by the time researchers have an answer for one strain, it’s already changed forms.

The virus, of course, is influenza.

In an editorial in the Washington Post, the editorial board explores H7N9, the most recent strain of avian influenza (bird flu). The board writes:

“This variant, known as H7N9, has not reached U.S. shores, but it is a reminder of the unpredictable nature of influenza. It might cause a pandemic, or settle into a slow burn for years, or simply die out. At this stage, no one knows. The uncertainty ought to remind us of past lessons about infectious disease and globalization, which remain as urgent as ever.”

While health officials wait to see if H7N9 develops into a human influenza pandemic, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) researchers believe the arsenal of public health tools that can reduce influenza deaths or cases is limited.

In the online version of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), CIDRAP researchers share why there is no reason to believe that that a yet-to-be-developed H7N9 vaccine will perform any better than the 2009 H1N1 vaccine or existing seasonal vaccines.

With the emergence of H7N9 in humans — as well as infections of the SARS-like coronavirus in humans — public health authorities around the globe are on high alert. But is there reason to be alarmed?

Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of CIDRAP and professor at the School of Public Health, writes in a New York Times commentary:

“Alarmingly, we face a third, and far more widespread, ailment that has gotten little attention: call it ‘contagion exhaustion.’ News reports on a seemingly unending string of frightening microbes — bird flu, flesh-eating strep, SARS, AIDS, Ebola, drug-resistant bugs in hospitals, the list goes on — have led some people to ho-hum the latest reports.”

Osterholm may not be the only person worried about contagion exhaustion. In closing their editorial, the Washington Post editorial board writes:

“It is natural for people to grow fatigued about warnings of pandemic. If it hasn’t happened, why worry? Here’s why: Germs do not stop at passport control. What happens in China today could happen here tomorrow. Bird flu is everyone’s problem, and we can only hope that China continues to fight it effectively and with transparency.”

For full stories, please turn to the Washington Post, New York Times and JAMA.

The post Health Talk Recommends: A more transparent battle with bird flu appeared first on Health Talk.

For many this spring, the return of the sun and warm weather also means a return of seasonal allergies. The sniffling, sneezing and itching can be a frustrating characteristic of this time of year. As you head for the pharmacist to combat your allergies once again, keep an eye on your pets — they may be suffering, too.

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, spotlighting a peak season for asthma and allergy symptoms as pollen and other allergens come out in full force.

“Dogs or cats can have allergies to the environment – trees, molds, dust – in a way similar to people. One form of this type of allergy is atopic dermatitis, an itchy skin condition. Some animals are also allergic to food ingredients,” said Sheila Torres, D.V.M, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

“The main indicator of allergies is frequent itching that’s either seasonal or year-round depending on what your pet is allergic to. Some pets can even have both environmental and food allergies,” said Torres.

Just as your pet may experience symptoms similar to those seen in human allergies, pets can also receive similar testing and treatment.

“We often start with a food elimination trial to rule out food allergies. If that isn’t successful, we try a skin test where we shave the chest and inject 60 common environmental allergens. A blood test for environmental allergens can also be done and an allergy vaccine, or allergy shot, might be developed for the animal if needed. Other treatment options include antihistamines for mild cases and steroids for stronger cases,” Torres said.

But before you head down the animal allergy medication aisle, talk to your vet about ways to prevent or minimize allergic reactions. Some specific allergens can be removed from your pet’s environment. Regularly bathing your animal, cleaning his bedding and trying a vet-approved specialized diet with supplements like omega fatty acids can help provide allergy relief.

“Pets with allergies are also very prone to developing skin and ear infections, and these need to be appropriately treated since they often aggravate the allergy symptoms,” added Torres.

If these efforts aren’t enough to soothe the symptoms, chat with your vet about drugs designed just for pets. Researchers like Torres and her colleagues in the College of Veterinary Medicine work on developing medications that are safe and effective specifically for allergies in animals.

“It’s important to go to the vet if something seems wrong,” Torres said. “The sooner you diagnose the disease, the sooner you can treat it and get the pets more comfortable. As soon as you see signs of itching, immediately go to the vet so you don’t risk a secondary infection or miss something else.”

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Over the course of four days in April in Orlando, Fl., experts from across the world shared the latest information on brain imaging, genetics and clinical trials designed to advance the treatment of schizophrenia.

This was the 14^th biennial meeting for ICOSR. The event was created in 1987 to bring scientists together around this serious illness. The event was founded in part by S. Charles Schulz, M.D., head of the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry.

S. Charles Schulz, M.D., head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota

“In the 1980’s it became clear there was no cohesive conversation about schizophrenia taking place anywhere in the world. We needed a way to bring active investigators together, to bring people up to speed,” said Schulz, who is renowned internationally as a leader in schizophrenia research.  “The event has grown incredibly over the years, and we’re extremely proud that the University of Minnesota’s presence internationally has grown alongside it.”

Just 175 people attended the first event. By 2013, the ICOSR boasted 1150 attendees from a variety of clinical and academic backgrounds. About 30 percent of those in attendance were basic scientists focused on the brain, while the remaining attendees were experts in the fields of pharmacy, psychiatry, genetics, and more.
“The impact of the University of Minnesota on this Congress has really exploded in the last ten years,” said Schulz. “Just one abstract was included in the discussion back in 1999, but at this year’s event we submitted a number of abstracts, our faculty gave three talks and participated in a symposium. Attendance is up significantly, as well. It’s become a great event and has really supported the advancement of schizophrenia research and treatment across the country and from a global perspective as well.”

The ICOSR boasts a number of unique opportunities. There is a program to mentor and encourage young investigators in the field, to help ensure ongoing collaboration and innovative thinking around schizophrenia. There is also a family education session held the night before the conference begins, to discuss the latest information and treatments with those dealing with schizophrenia on a daily basis.

The next ICOSR is set for March 28-April 1, 2015, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information on the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, click here.

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David Fenley is a research assistant at the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) and student in the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs. This post first appeared on the NCFPD’s Blog. 

At the National Center for Food Protection and Defense we aim to anticipate food system disruptions before they become just that, disruptions.

While markets around the world react to the Chinese H7N9 bird flu scare and poultry is slaughtered by the tens of thousands in an attempt to contain its further spread, the United States might not have too much cause for concern.

The flu virus is not easily spread from person-to-person and the U.S. does not currently import Chinese poultry for human consumption. Pet food, on the other hand, is imported and has a history of harming our furry friends.

In the past decade, U.S. trade relations with China have improved immensely, but there are still many points of contention, poultry being one of them.

The H7N9 scare might impede an already touchy process of approving Chinese poultry processing plants. China has been seeking to export poultry products to the U.S. for quite some time, but has yet to gain approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In 2006, citing the strong trade relationship between the two countries, China appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to pressure the U.S. to lift its ban on Chinese poultry. The Chinese were successful and Congress approved the USDA’s rule allowing China to export poultry to the U.S. However, funding for the rule was not appropriated, thereby prohibiting the legal import of poultry from China for human consumption. Only recently have the two countries made strides to lift the ban.

The USDA has been to Chinese plants recently and found some food safety concerns that need addressing.

There has been a delayed response from China in addressing the issues raised, while previously China had an urgent desire to export poultry products to the U.S. Past bird flu outbreaks and potentially adulterated chicken treats for pets further complicate this matter.

Given the current H7N9 scare it may be some time before the China/U.S. poultry predicament is squared away. At NCFPD our goal is to protect the U.S. food supply, so until the politics of poultry are worked out we will continue to watch these issues.

The post The Politics of Poultry appeared first on Health Talk.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2013 University of Minnesota Medical School magazine, Medical Bulletin. The complete article can be found here.

On a chilly Minnesota evening last December, 16-year-old Tiffany Cowan sat uncomplainingly in Room 242 of the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Memorial Building as two graduate students from the University’s Brain Plasticity Laboratory carefully attached a series of wires to her scalp and right arm.

Cowan, with the consent of her parents, had volunteered to participate in one of the lab’s studies, which was examining the safety of using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a treatment for children with congenital stroke. tDCS is a type of painless, noninvasive brain stimulation that delivers a low (battery-powered) and persistent current to specific areas of the brain through small electrodes. Experimental studies have suggested that it may help adult stroke victims regain some function of their limbs. This is among the first to investigate whether it may help children, too.

Tiffany, who suffered a stroke either before or during birth, has limited use of the right side of her body. Although the lithe, blonde teenager leads an active life, including playing the violin (like nearly all violinists, she bows with her right hand and does the more demanding finger work with her left), she’s eager to participate in research that might enable her to have more muscle control of her stroke-damaged hand.

Lead researcher Bernadette Gillick, P.T., Ph.D., hovered maternally around Tiffany as the graduate students prepared the young woman for the tDCS stimulation. Gillick spoke to Tiffany constantly, putting her at ease as she explained everything the graduate students were doing.

Understanding how the brain reorganizes itself after a stroke or other brain injury is the overall mission of the Brain Plasticity Laboratory. Located in the Children’s Rehabilitation Center on the University’s East Bank campus, the decade-old lab is engaged in a variety of fascinating — and often unique — research using various brain stimulation, rehabilitation, and imaging techniques. Findings from this research are not only enabling scientists to gain deeper insight into how the injured brain restructures itself, but they are also pointing to promising new therapies that may help children and adults recover lost function after such an injury.

“There are only a couple of other labs that I’m aware of around the country that are doing some of the things that we’re doing here,” says James Carey, P.T., Ph.D., who codirects the lab with Gillick and Teresa Kimberley, P.T., Ph.D. In fact, he adds, the Brain Plasticity Laboratory may be the only one using a special dual type of brain-priming technique in its studies.

The term plasticity (which comes from the Greek word plaistikos, meaning “to form”) refers to the brain’s ability to change its structure and function as a result of new learning and experiences. Until the 1960s, scientists believed that after childhood the brain became a static organ, unable to create new pathways among its 100 billion cells, or neurons. But thanks in large part to advances in brain imaging technology, it’s now known that the brain is constantly reorganizing those pathways. In fact, the adult human brain is even capable of creating new neurons, a process called neurogenesis.

“The big question is, can we translate the results that we observed here in our research laboratory to the clinical setting,” says Gillick. “Because that’s ultimately where this is supposed to go. The goal is to improve the lives of those who live with the consequences of stroke.”

To learn more about how you can help raise awareness and reach the research funding goal please visit here.

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Whether you’re preparing for a big presentation, a job interview or about to run a big race, your level of preparation can dramatically influence your level of success.

But did you know that most of our movements are often prepared in the brain well in advance of the time we intend to initiate an action? In some instances, the planning process in the brain begins as much as two seconds ahead of time and slowly increases until the initiation of movement.

U of M researcher Colum MacKinnon, Ph.D.

In a new study in PLOS ONE, University of Minnesota neurophysiologist Colum MacKinnon, Ph.D., demonstrates that if a loud sound occurs during the brain’s planning process, it can result in rapid and involuntary release of the intended action. In some cases, the complete movement is released as much as 1.5 seconds before the intended timing of movement initiation. The closer the timing of the loud sound got to the “go” signal, the more difficult it became to suppress the involuntary initiation.

These results show that the slow buildup of brain activity that precedes movement reflects a “releasing of the brakes before hitting the accelerator,” rather than slow construction of the bits-and-pieces of the movement.

Furthermore, when the loud sound occurred at the same time as the “go” signal, the planned movement was initiated in less than 100 milliseconds (note that the cut-off for a false start in the Olympics is 100 milliseconds). The study also showed that this “early release” phenomenon only occurred when subjects knew, with reasonable accuracy, when the “go” signal was going to occur.

“These findings have implications for movement performance when reaction times are important,” said MacKinnon. “For example, if a sprinter accurately anticipates the timing of the firing of the starter’s pistol, the loud sound can result in very rapid release of the first step.”

MacKinnon’s findings not only have practical applications in everyday activities but also with patients with neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and ataxia.

“We have used this type of experiment to examine whether patients with these neurological diseases have deficits in the planning and preparation of movement,” said MacKinnon.

So far, MacKinnon and his colleagues have found that people with Parkinson’s disease retain the ability to plan and prepare actions well in advance but the disease interferes with their brain’s ability to start the movement. However, when a loud sound travels through the brain pathways that have access to the planned movement, this can result in the release of their intended action as quickly as an Olympic athlete.

Further studies are being conducted to better understand the brain regions and pathways that cause this very rapid release of prepared movements.

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