Browse releases covering breaking news and recent headlines at Massachusetts General Hospital.
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11/06/2009: Psychiatric impact of torture could be amplified by head injury
Depression and other emotional symptoms in survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences may be exacerbated by the effects of head injuries, according to a study from the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, based at Massachusetts General Hospital.
11/03/2009: Industry support of academic life science research may be declining
While more than half the academic life science researchers responding to a 2007 survey indicated having some relationship with industrial entities, the prevalence of such relationships – particularly direct funding for research studies – appears to be dropping.
10/28/2009: A Decade Later, Lifestyle Changes or Metformin Still Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Intensive lifestyle changes aimed at modest weight loss reduced the rate of developing type 2 diabetes by 34 percent compared with placebo in people at high risk for the disease, researchers conclude based on 10 years of data.
10/21/2009: Sexual problems rarely addressed by internists caring for cancer survivors
More than half the internists responding to a survey indicated they rarely or never discussed sexual problems with their patients who had survived cancer.
10/19/2009: Clots traveling from lower veins may not be the cause of pulmonary embolism in trauma patients
A report from a team of Massachusetts General Hospital physicians calls into question the longstanding belief that pulmonary embolism – the life-threatening blockage of a major blood vessel in the lungs – is caused in trauma patients by a blood clot traveling from vessels deep within the legs or lower torso.
10/15/2009: From stem cells to functioning strip of heart muscle
A team of Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and collaborators at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has taken a giant step toward the possibility of using human stem cells to repair damaged hearts.
10/12/2009: Study supports possible role of urate in slowing Parkinson’s disease progression
By examining data from a 20-year-old clinical trial, a research team based at the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Harvard School of Public Health, has found evidence supporting the findings of their 2008 study – that elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
10/08/2009: NHLBI supports consortium exploring stem-cell-based tools and treatments
Two teams led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, also members of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, are among 18 groups receiving National Heart Lung and Blood Institute grants for the development of stem-cell based tools and treatments to understand and treat cardiovascular and blood disorders. The Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium will consist of nine research hubs, each involving multidiscplinary teams from two academic medical centers.
10/07/2009: Genome-wide study of autism published in Nature
In one of the first studies of its kind, an international team of researchers has uncovered a single-letter change in the genetic code that is associated with autism.
10/05/2009: Jack W. Szostak, PhD – 2009 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine
Prestigious prize honors Mass General scientist for role in discovery of telomerase, enzyme that protects chromosome tips
09/21/2009: Vitamin D and Elderly Health
A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital shows vitamin D plays a vital role in reducing the risk of death associated with older age.
09/17/2009: Red Sox Foundation, Mass General Team Up to Help Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Wars
The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital today will announce a multifaceted initiative aimed at helping veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
09/15/2009: Comprehensive cardiac CT scan may give clearer picture of significant heart disease
A team of researchers led by Massachusetts General Hospital radiologists has developed a computed-tomography-based protocol that identifies both narrowing of coronary arteries and areas of myocardial ischemia - restricted blood flow to heart muscle tissue - giving a better indication of clinically significant coronary artery disease.
09/11/2009: David Ortiz Committed to Helping Critically Ill Children
The Red Sox great is officially partnering his David Ortiz Children’s Fund with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to serve critically ill children in New England and the northeast.
09/09/2009: MassGeneral Hospital for Children study explains some mysteries of neonatal seizures
A study led by MassGeneral Hospital for Children investigators is providing new insight into the mechanism of neonatal seizures, which have features very different from seizures in older children and adults.
09/04/2009: Cardiac biomarker levels strongly predict outcome of bypass surgery
Levels of a biomarker used in the diagnosis of heart attacks are almost universally elevated in patients who have undergone coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) and, when markedly elevated, powerfully predict the risk of complications.
09/03/2009: Large-scale study probes how cells fight pathogens
Scientists have deciphered a key molecular circuit that enables the body to distinguish viruses from bacteria and other microbes, providing a deep view of how immune cells in mammals fend off different pathogens. The research offers a practical approach for unraveling the circuits that underpin other important biological systems.
09/02/2009: A breath of fresh air could improve drug toxicity screening
A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers has developed an innovative way to culture liver cells for drug toxicity screening.
09/01/2009: New assessment quantifies risks and benefits of warfarin treatment for atrial fibrillation
Warfarin therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation - the most common type of significant heart rhythm disorder - appears to be most beneficial for the oldest patients, those who have had a prior stroke and for patients with multiple risk factors for stroke.
09/01/2009: New report describes types of research conducted at academic medical centers
A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Policy gives the first detailed look at the types of research currently being conducted within U.S. academic medical centers - medical schools and their affiliated hospitals.
08/27/2009: Blood thinner causes stroke in some dialysis patients
The blood thinner warfarin can prevent strokes in most individuals with abnormal heart rhythms but may have the opposite effect in kidney disease patients on dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.
08/24/2009: Twitter and health care - can a tweet a day keep the doctor away?
Twitter, the increasingly popular social networking tool that was at first merely a convenient way to stay in touch with friends and family, is emerging as a potentially valuable means of real-time, health care communication.
08/14/2009: NIH renews Harvard Center for AIDS Research grant for another five years
The National Institutes of Health has renewed for five years - and $18.1 million - the funding for the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research (Harvard CFAR). Harvard is one of only 20 NIH CFAR sites in the U.S. and first received the designation in 2004.
08/11/2009: Denosumab increases bone density, cuts fracture risk in prostate cancer survivors
Twice-yearly treatment with denosumab, a new targeted therapy to stop bone loss, increased bone density and prevented spinal fractures in men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.
08/11/2009: Postdiagnosis aspirin use reduces risk of dying from colorectal cancer
Regular use of aspirin after colorectal cancer diagnosis may reduce the risk of cancer death, report investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
07/30/2009: Unexpected reservoir of monocytes discovered in the spleen
Mass. General researchers discovered an unexpected reservoir of the immune cells called monocytes in the spleen and showed that these cells are essential to recovery of cardiac tissue in an animal heart attack model.
07/27/2009: Intensive Glucose Control Halves Complications of Longstanding Type 1 Diabetes
Near-normal control of glucose beginning as soon as possible after diagnosis would greatly improve the long-term prognosis of type 1 diabetes, concludes a study published in the July 27, 2009, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, which updates information about the clinical course of type 1 diabetes.
07/22/2009: Mass. General-based research center will investigate why immune system fails to control hepatitis C
A research consortium based at Massachusetts General Hospital has been awarded $15 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to investigate how the hepatitis C virus resists suppression and clearance by the immune system.
07/22/2009: Recovery Act Funding Supports 23 Fellowships for Early Career Scientists
Mass. General investigator Joseph Tucker, MD, is among recipients of NIH Early Career Scientist fellowships.
07/20/2009: Study suggests earlier HIV antiviral treatment saves lives and is cost effective, even in areas of limited resources
Early initiation of lifesaving antiretroviral therapies should be the standard of care for all HIV-infected patients, even those in countries with limited medical and financial resources, according to a study led by researchers at MGH and the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
07/15/2009: MGH study identifies first molecular steps to childhood leukemia
A Massachusetts General Hospital-based research team has identified how a chromosomal abnormality known to be associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia – the most common cancer in children – initiates the disease process.
07/13/2009: Differences in immune response may explain why HIV-1 disease progresses faster in women than in men with same viral load
A research team based at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard has found a gender-based difference in the response of a first-line immune cell to HIV that may explain why the infection usually progresses faster in women than in men with the same viral loads.
07/08/2009: Antiangiogenesis treatment improves hearing in some NF2 patients
Treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab improved hearing and alleviated other symptoms in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). The study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) represents the first report of a successful NF2 treatment not involving surgery or radiation.
07/01/2009: Large study strongly supports many common genetic contributions to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
An international research consortium has discovered that many common genetic variants contribute to a person’s risk of schizophrenia and are also involved in bipolar disorder.
07/01/2009: Human cardiac master stem cells identified
Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified the earliest master human heart stem cell from human embryonic stem cells - ISL1+ progenitors - that give rise to a family of cells that form the essential portions of the human heart.
06/30/2009: Biomarkers’ ability to improve prediction of cardiovascular risk is modest
Measurement of known biomarkers of cardiovascular disease slightly improves the ability to predict future heart attack or stroke in healthy individuals, but not enough to change preventive therapies.
06/30/2009: Study provides greater understanding of Lyme disease-causing bacteria
A new study finds that a particular strain of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease may be more virulent, leading to increased inflammation in joints that persists after antibiotic treatment.
06/23/2009: Biomarkers Predict Brain Tumor’s Response to Therapy
A report in Cancer Research highlights a new biomarker that may be useful in identifying patients with recurrent glioblastoma who would respond better to antiangiogenesis therapy.
06/23/2009: Common ECG finding may indicate serious cardiac problems
A common electrocardiogram finding that has largely been considered insignificant may actually signal an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, the future need for a permanent pacemaker and an increased risk for premature death.
06/22/2009: Intensive in-hospital support doubles likelihood of smoking cessation in heart patients
Patients admitted to hospital with coronary artery disease are twice as likely to quit smoking after receiving intensive smoking cessation support compared to minimal support.
06/11/2009: Depression Medications May Reduce Male Fertility
As many as half of all men taking the antidepressant medication paroxetine (trade names Seroxat, Paxil) may have increased sperm DNA fragmentation — a predictor of compromised fertility. The study also found that the changes are reversible with normal levels of sperm returning after discontinuation of the drug.
06/10/2009: Brain-computer interface begins new clinical trial for paralysis
Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have initiated the BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial to expand restorative neurotechnology research for some patients with paralysis.
06/07/2009: Recruitment of reproductive features into other cell types may underlie extended lifespan in animals
MGH researchers have found that certain genetic mutations known to extend the lifespan of the C. elegans roundworm induce 'mortal' somatic cells to express some of the genes that allow the 'immortality' of reproductive germline cells.
06/02/2009: Joren C. Madsen inducted as president of American Transplantation Society
Joren C. Madsen, MD, D.Phil, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center, was inducted president of the American Society of Transplantation during the 2009 American Transplant Congress.
06/01/2009: Hitting where it hurts
A new study uncovers a gene expression signature that reliably identifies cancer cells whose survival is dependent on a common signaling pathway, even when the cells contain multiple other genetic abnormalities. The study from MGH Cancer Center researchers identifies critical molecular vulnerabilities, thereby revealing promising therapeutic targets for a common and notoriously treatment resistant cancer.
05/28/2009: Video can help patients make end-of-life decision
Viewing a video showing a patient with advanced dementia interacting with family and caregivers may help elderly patients plan for end-of-life care, according to a study led by MGH researchers.
05/26/2009: Mass. General’s Rudy Tanzi a “Rock Star of Science”
Alzheimer’s disease researcher Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital adds another distinction to his scientific career when he joins Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and other rock celebrities in a designer menswear photo shoot as a “Rock Star of Science” in the June issue of GQ Magazine.
05/21/2009: Automated analysis of MR images may identify early Alzheimer’s disease
Analyzing MRI studies of the brain with software developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Mass. General Hospital may allow diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and of mild cognitive impairment, a lesser form of dementia that precedes the development of Alzheimer's by several years.
05/21/2009: Genetic testing for breast or ovarian cancer risk may be greatly underutilized
Although a test for gene mutations known to significantly increase the risk of hereditary breast or ovarian cancer has been available for more than a decade, a new study finds that few women with family histories of these cancers are even discussing genetic testing with their physicians or other health care providers.
05/19/2009: Study suggests TB screening needs to be targeted for maximum public health benefit
New estimates of the likelihood that a latent case of tuberculosis will become active have resulted in a roughly 50 percent increase over previous estimates of the number of people needed to be screened to prevent an active infection.
05/18/2009: Study examines trends in gallbladder cancer over 4 decades
Overall prognosis for gallbladder cancer appears to be improving, although many patients still have incurable disease and poor survival rates.
05/15/2009: Study finds virtual doctors visits satisfactory for both patients and clinicians
Someday, even doctor visits could be among the conveniences offered via the Internet. In a comparison of desktop videoconferencing to conventional face-to-face general medical evaluations, patients found virtual visits similar to face-to-face visits on most measures. This study suggests that both patients and physicians could benefit if virtual visits were used as an alternative method of accessing primary care services.
05/12/2009: Enriched environment improves wound healing in rats
Improving the environment in which rats are reared can significantly strengthen the physiological process of wound healing, according to a report in the open-access journal PLoS ONE. MGH researchers found that giving rats living in isolation the opportunity to build nests led to faster and more complete healing of burn injuries.
05/10/2009: International study identifies potential treatment targets for hypertension
Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), as part of a major international research collaboration, have associated common variants in eight regions of DNA with blood pressure levels in human patients. Six of the identified regions have not previously been implicated in blood pressure regulation.
05/08/2009: Videoconferencing can increase patient access to stroke specialists
High-quality videoconferencing can increase patient access to stroke specialists; and a transient ischemic attack, once known as a “mini” or “warning” stroke, should be treated with the same urgency as a full-blown stroke, according to two separate statements published today in Stroke.
04/29/2009: Researchers Develop New Technique For Modifying Plant Genes
Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Massachusetts General Hospital have used a genome engineering tool they developed to make a model crop plant herbicide-resistant without significant changes to its DNA.
04/23/2009: Non-invasive test accurately identifies gynecologic malignancies
Diffusion weighted MR can accurately identify benign from malignant pelvic lymph nodes in patients with gynecologic malignancy, according to an MGH study.
04/06/2009: Simple bedside test improves diagnosis of chronic back pain, could guide treatment
A simple and inexpensive method of assessing pain, developed by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, is better than currently used techniques for distinguishing neuropathic pain – pain caused by damage to the nervous system – from other types of chronic back pain.
04/03/2009: Model tissue system reveals cellular communication via amino acids
A team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine has found the first evidence of cell-to-cell communication by amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, rather than by known protein signaling agents such as growth factors or cytokines.
04/02/2009: Modification of mutant huntingtin protein increases its clearance from brain cells
A new study has identified a potential strategy for removing the abnormal protein that causes Huntington’s disease from brain cells, which could slow the progression of the devastating neurological disorder.
03/30/2009: Intestinal parasites alter immunity in cholera patients
Results of the study from a collaborative team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh suggest that parasitic infection could reduce the immune response to cholera, which may compromise the effectiveness of cholera vaccines.
03/30/2009: Angiogenesis inhibitor improves brain tumor survival by reducing edema
The beneficial effects of anti-angiogenesis drugs in the treatment of the deadly brain tumors called glioblastomas appear to result primarily from reduction of edema – the swelling of brain tissue – and not from any direct anti-tumor effect.
03/26/2009: HHMI Gives 50 Early Career Scientists a Jump on Their Next Big Idea
Two MGH investigators – Bradley E. Bernstein, MD, PhD, and Konrad Hochedlinger, PhD – are among 50 receipients of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist Awards.
03/25/2009: Intensive summer program helps physicians build clinical research careers
Graduates of the Program in Clinical Effectiveness, which has trained almost 1,900 physicians to be clinical investigators since 1986, have achieved significant success in receiving grant support from the National Institutes of Health and other funders, along with other accomplishments considered key to establishing a research career.
03/25/2009: Policies regarding IRB members’ industry relationships often lacking
At a time of heightened concern about conflicts of interest posed by relationships between academic medical researchers and commercial firms, a new study finds that a significant number of academic institutions do not have clear policies covering the industrial relationships of members of Institutional Review Boards, committees charged with ensuring that clinical studies uphold patient rights and follow ethical guidelines.
03/23/2009: Common gene variants influence risk factor for sudden cardiac death
A new study has identified several common genetic variants related to a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. The report receiving early online release in the journal Nature Genetics identifies variants in genes, some known and some newly discovered, that influence the QT interval measured on the electrocardiogram (EKG) performed routinely in doctors’ offices.
03/20/2009: HHS Names David Blumenthal as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
The Department of Health and Human Services today announced the selection of David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P. as the Obama Administration’s choice for National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
03/19/2009: New Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV Research Created in South Africa
A groundbreaking partnership between the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa will establish an international research center focused on the worldwide effort to control the devastating co-epidemic of tuberculosis and HIV.
03/18/2009: Study identifies human genes required for hepatitis C viral replication
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers are investigating a new way to block reproduction of the hepatitis C virus – targeting not the virus itself but the human genes the virus exploits in its life cycle.
03/06/2009: Both Latino and non-Latino women likely to accept HPV vaccination for selves and children
Most women responding to a survey conducted at MGH clinics indicated they would be willing to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus and to have their daughters and even sons vaccinated in order to prevent cancer in their children. The report also found that Latino women are just as likely, if not more so, to accept HPV vaccine as non-Latinos.
03/02/2009: Patient-Physician "Connectedness" Affects Quality of Care
A new study finds that patients who are connected to a specific primary care physician are more likely to receive guideline-consistent care than those who are connected to a practice but not a physician.
02/26/2009: Alzheimer’s-associated plaques may have impact throughout the brain
The impact of the amyloid plaques that appear in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease may extend beyond the deposits’ effects on neurons– the cells that transmit electrochemical signals throughout the nervous system.
02/26/2009: International collaboration identifies new gene associated with ALS
A collaborative research effort spanning nearly a decade between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and King’s College London has identified a novel gene for inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).
02/25/2009: HIV is evolving to evade human immune responses
HIV is evolving rapidly to escape the human immune system, an international study has shown. The findings demonstrate the challenge of developing an HIV vaccine that keeps pace with the changing nature of the virus.
02/23/2009: Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of colds, flu
Vitamin D may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, report investigators from the University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Children’s Hospital Boston.
02/15/2009: Common gene variants increase risk of hypertension, finding may lead to new therapies
A new study has identified the first common gene variants associated with an increased incidence of hypertension – a significant risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.
02/09/2009: Stroke Therapy Window Might Be Extended Past Nine Hours for Some
Some patients who suffer a stroke as a result of a blockage in an artery in the brain may benefit from a clot-busting drug nine or more hours after the onset of symptoms.
02/08/2009: International study identifies gene variants associated with early heart attack
The largest study ever completed of genetic factors associated with heart attacks has identified nine genetic regions - three not previously described - that appear to increase the risk for early-onset myocardial infarction.
01/29/2009: MGH Cancer Center now offers pencil-beam proton therapy treatment
The MGH Cancer Center has added pencil-beam scanning to the radiation therapy modalities offered at the hospital’s Burr Proton Therapy Center.
01/19/2009: Virtual communities may provide valuable support for psoriasis patients
Online support communities appear to offer both a valuable educational resource and a source of psychological and social support for individuals with psoriasis, according to a report from the Center for Connected Health at Partners HealthCare System.
01/14/2009: New model system may better explain regulation of body weight
A new mathematical model of the physiological regulation of body weight suggests a potential mechanism underlying the difficulty of losing weight, one that includes aspects of two competing hypotheses of weight regulation.
01/14/2009: Hospital pilot sites demonstrate surgical safety checklist drops deaths and complications by more than one third
A group of hospitals in eight cities around the globe has successfully demonstrated that the use of a simple surgical checklist during major operations can lower the incidence of deaths and complications by more than one third.
01/05/2009: Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord sense pain caused by physical insult
Mass. General researchers and the colleagues add to understanding of the role of the protein COX2 in pain associated with inflammation.
12/29/2008: Third-hand Smoke: Another Reason to Quit Smoking
12/17/2008: Researchers compile ‘molecular manual’ for hundreds of inherited diseases
An international research team has compiled the first catalogue of tissue-specific pathologies underlying hundreds of inherited diseases.
12/17/2008: Supply of board-certified emergency physicians unlikely to meet projected needs
The number of physicians with board certification in emergency medicine is unlikely to meet the staffing needs of U.S. emergency departments in the foreseeable future, if ever; according to a study from a research team based at Massachusetts General Hospital
12/10/2008: Hormone therapy for prostate cancer does not appear to increase cardiac deaths
Treating prostate cancer patients with drugs that block hormonal activity does not appear to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by MGH researchers
12/09/2008: Research team explores causes of death on Mount Everest
In the first detailed analysis of deaths during expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest, a research team led by MGH investigators has conducted found that most deaths occur during descents from the summit in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 meters and identified factors associated with a greater risk of death.
12/05/2008: Some blood-system stem cells reproduce more slowly than expected
MGH investigators have found a subpopulation of hematopoietic stem cells, the source of all blood and immune system cells, that reproduce much more slowly than previously anticipated. Use of these slow-cycling cells may improve the outcome of stem-cell transplants for the treatment of leukemia and other bone-marrow-based diseases.
12/03/2008: Robotic Technology Improves Stroke Rehabilitation
MGH scientists have used a novel, hand-operated robotic device and functional MRI to track the rehabilitation of chronic stroke patients, showing that the brain can continue to regain function even six months or more after a stroke.
11/30/2008: Combining targeted therapy drugs may treat previously resistant tumors
A team of cancer researchers from several Boston academic medical centers has discovered a potential treatment for tumors driven by mutations in the K-Ras gene, which have resisted previous targeted therapy approaches.
11/30/2008: Discoveries May Help Scientists Understand Why Disease Turns Soft Tissue Into Bone
Scientists have created a new mouse model that may help researchers explain how a rare disease causes otherwise supple soft tissue and joints to turn into bone.
11/24/2008: Sealing off portion of intestinal lining treats obesity, resolves diabetes in animal model
Lining the upper portion of the small intestine with an impermeable sleeve led to both weight loss and restoration of normal glucose metabolism in an animal model of obesity-induced diabetes.
11/19/2008: Genetic screening no better than traditional risk factors for predicting type 2 diabetes
Screening for a panel of gene variants associated with the risk for type 2 diabetes can identify adults at risk for the disorder but is not significantly better than assessment based on traditional risk factors.
11/17/2008: Technology gives three-dimensional view of human coronary arteries
For the first time researchers are getting a detailed look at the interior of human coronary arteries, using an optical imaging technique developed at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
11/16/2008: Tiny sacs released by brain tumor cells carry information that may guide treatment
MGH researchers have found that tiny membrane-covered sacs released from glioblastoma cells contain molecules that may help guide treatment of the deadly brain tumor.
11/12/2008: Common anesthetic induces Alzheimer’s-associated changes in mouse brains
For the first time researchers have shown that a commonly used anesthetic can produce changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of living mammals, confirming previous laboratory studies.
11/07/2008: Interaction between gene variants may alter brain function in schizophrenia
A collaborative study led by investigators from MGH is giving what may be the first look at how interactions between genes underlie a key symptom of schizophrenia, impaired working memory.
10/31/2008: While prevalent, sexual problems in women not always associated with distress
The largest such study ever published finds that, while about 40 percent of women surveyed report having sexual problems, only 12 percent indicate that those issues are a source of significant personal distress
10/30/2008: Gene scan of Alzheimer’s families identifies four new suspect genes
The first family-based genome-wide association study in Alzheimer’s disease has identified the sites of four novel genes that may significantly influence risk for the most common late-onset form of the devastating neurological disorder.
10/27/2008: Meta-analysis examines cardiovascular effects of diabetes medications
The diabetes medication metformin may be associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies in the October 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
10/21/2008: ADHD appears to increase level of nicotine dependence in smokers
Young people with ADHD are not only at increased risk of starting to smoke cigarettes, they also tend to become more seriously addicted to tobacco and more vulnerable to environmental factors such as having friends or parents who smoke.
10/16/2008: Gene therapy restores vision to mice with retinal degeneration
MGH researchers have used gene therapy to restore useful vision to mice with degeneration of the light-sensing retinal rods and cones, a common cause of human blindness.
10/08/2008: Study finds abnormalities in cerebral cortex of cocaine addicts
A brain imaging study carried out at MGH reveals abnormalities in the cerebral cortex – the outer surface of the brain – of cocaine addicts that appear to correlate with dysfunction in areas responsible for attention and for reward-based decision-making.
10/06/2008: ADHD stimulant treatment may decrease risk of substance abuse in adolescent girls
MGH researchers have found that treatment with stimulant drugs does not increase and appears to significantly decrease the risk that girls with ADHD will begin smoking cigarettes or using alcohol or drugs.
10/01/2008: Thompson Reuters Predicts the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Since 1989, Thomson Reuters has developed a list of likely winners in medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics. Those chosen are named Thomson Reuters Scientific Laureates.
10/01/2008: New Questions Raised About Lung Cancer Screening
In response to new concerns about a study supporting the use of CT screening to detect early-stage lung cancer in smokers and other people at risk, the Editor-in-Chief of "The Oncologist" has called for an independent audit of the research data.
09/30/2008: Extra copies of EGFR gene signal poor prognosis for vulvar cancer
MGH researchers report that women with vulvar carcinoma whose tumors have extra copies of the EGFR gene are at increased risk of dying from their cancer, information that could indentify patients who should be treated with targeted therapy drugs.
09/25/2008: New approach to gene therapy may shrink brain tumors, prevent their spread
MGH researchers are investigating a new approach to gene therapy for brain tumors – delivering a cancer-fighting gene to normal brain tissue around the tumor to keep it from spreading.
09/23/2008: Hospital residents report patient-handoff problems common, can lead to patient harm
A significant percentage of resident physicians report that patient handoffs – transfer of responsibility for a hospitalized patient from one resident to another – contributed to incidents in which harm was done to patients.
09/22/2008: NIH extends commitment to transformative research with 2008 Pioneer, New Innovator Awards
The National Institutes of Health announced today that it has increased its support of high-impact research with 2008 NIH Director's Pioneer and New Innovator Awards to 47 scientists, many of whom are in the early stages of their careers.
09/22/2008: Study confirms benefit of combination therapy for Alzheimer’s disease
Treatment with Alzheimer’s disease drugs can significantly slow the rate at which the disorder advances, and therapy with two different classes of drugs is even better at helping patients maintain their ability to perform daily activities.
09/22/2008: Proton therapy lowers chance of later cancers
Treating cancer patients with proton therapy instead of standard photon radiation decreases the risk of developing a secondary cancer by two-fold
09/19/2008: Cathy E. Minehan elected chair of the MGH Board of Trustees
Cathy E. Minehan, managing director of Arlington Advisory Partners, today was named chair of the Massachusetts General Hospital Board of Trustees, succeeding Edward P. Lawrence, Esq.
09/18/2008: More than skin deep
There may be no such thing as a 'safe' tan based on ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to a series of papers published in the October issue of Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research.
09/16/2008: Mixed Results for Personal Health Record System
An online personal health record system that allowed people with diabetes to check their lab results and get guidance about medication proved to be of only limited use in improving their health outcomes, researchers found.
09/13/2008: MGH researcher Gary Ruvkun named a co-recipient of the Lasker Award
MGH investigator Gary Ruvkun, PhD, is one of three co-recipients of the 2008 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research. The scientists are being honored for discovering that tiny molecules of RNA can control the activity of critical genes in animals and plants.
09/10/2008: Mass. General’s Warren Triennial Prize honors discoverers of microRNAs
Two investigators who helped to uncover a previously unsuspected world of tiny RNA molecules will be recognized next month by Massachusetts General Hospital with its highest award for research.
09/09/2008: Advanced blood analysis may speed diagnosis of heart attacks
Someday doctors may be able to use a blood test to confirm within minutes, instead of hours, if a patient is having a heart attack, allowing more rapid treatment that could limit damage to heart muscle.
08/28/2008: Risk of fracture is significantly higher in HIV-infected patients
As antiviral treatment for HIV infection allows patients to live longer, many will be confronted with additional health challenges. A new study shows for the first time that one of these may be significantly increased risk of bone fractures.
08/25/2008: Potential diabetes treatment selectively kills autoimmune cells from human patients
In experiments using blood cells from human patients with diabetes and other autoimmune disorders, MGH researchers have confirmed the mechanism behind a potential new therapy for type 1 diabetes
08/20/2008: Bone marrow stem cells may help control inflammatory bowel disease
MGH investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model.
08/19/2008: Prostate Cancer Foundation Commits $4.3 Million to Young Investigators
The Prostate Cancer Foundation today announced 19 Young Investigators Awards for 2008.
08/19/2008: Obese prostate cancer patients may benefit more from brachytherapy
Brachytherapy, also called seed implants, may be a more beneficial treatment than surgery or external beam radiation therapy for overweight or obese prostate cancer patients.
08/18/2008: Largest Study of Its Kind Implicates Gene Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder
The largest genetic analysis of its kind to date for bipolar disorder has implicated machinery involved in the balance of sodium and calcium in brain cells.
08/18/2008: Expanding the exam room
In the first study of its kind, researchers find both patients and physicians react positively to real-time, virtual check-ups using videoconferencing technology.
08/07/2008: Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers create 20 disease-specific stem cell lines
Harvard Stem Cell Institute researcher George Q. Daley, has with HSCI colleagues Chad Cowan and Konrad Hochedlinger of Massachusetts General Hospital produced a robust new collection of disease-specific stem cell lines, all of which were developed using the new induced pluripotent stem cell technique.
08/06/2008: Study finds connections between genetics, brain activity and preference
A team of MGH researchers has used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both.
08/06/2008: Hormone level may reflect mortality risk among dialysis patients
A new study suggests that monitoring levels of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 23 may provide information crucial to the treatment of patients with kidney failure.
08/03/2008: Growth hormone reduces abdominal fat, cardiovascular risk factors in HIV patients on antiviral therapy
Low-dose growth hormone treatment reduced abdominal fat deposits and improved blood pressure and triglyceride levels but also appeared to increase blood sugar levels in a group of patients with HIV lipodystrophy.
08/01/2008: Pediatricians Help Parents CEASE Smoking
The, Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) program aims to teach pediatricians to help parents quit smoking and establish and enforce no-smoking rules in the home and car.
07/30/2008: MGH study shows how amyloid plaques may damage brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease
Using an advanced imaging technique that reveals how brain cells are functioning, researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease have found that levels of intracellular calcium are significantly elevated in neurons close to plaques in the brains of an Alzheimer’s mouse model.
07/30/2008: Large study uncovers surprisingly diverse genome alterations that contribute to schizophrenia
A multinational group of investigators has discovered that people suffering from schizophrenia are far more likely to carry rare chromosomal structural changes of all types, particularly those that have the potential to alter gene function.
07/30/2008: MGH receives $8.5 million grant from Schwartz Foundation to expand HIV/AIDS work in Africa
MGH today announced plans to greatly expand its HIV/AIDS clinical and research efforts in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – often considered the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic – and establish a state-of-the-art academic and research facility in Uganda.
07/24/2008: Consortium develops new method enabling routine targeted gene modification
A multi-institutional team led by MGH investigators has developed a powerful new tool for genomic research and medicine – a robust method for generating synthetic enzymes that can target particular DNA sequences for inactivation or repair.
07/21/2008: Viral recombination another way HIV fools the immune system
When individuals infected with HIV become infected with a second strain of the virus, the two viral strains can exchange genetic information, creating a third, recombinant strain of the virus. Now a study from the Partners AIDS Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital shows that how and where viral strains swap DNA may be determined by the immune response against the original infecting strain.
07/14/2008: Patient reports can add to efforts to identify, reduce adverse events in hospitals
A study by a group of Massachusetts researchers finds that surveying patients about their experiences can add important information to hospital efforts to improve patient safety.
07/10/2008: Middle Eastern families yield intriguing clues to autism
Research has implicated a half-dozen new genes in autism and strongly supports the idea that autism stems from disruptions in the brain's ability to form new connections in response to experience.
07/02/2008: Circulating tumor cells can reveal genetic signature of dangerous lung cancers
An MGH-developed, microchip-based device that detects and analyzes tumor cells in the bloodstream can be used to determine the genetic signature of lung tumors, facilitating targeted therapies and monitoring genetic changes that occur during therapy.
07/01/2008: Relaxation response can influence expression of stress-related genes
A new study finds that eliciting the relaxation response – a physiologic state of deep rest – influences the activation patterns of genes associated with the body’s response to stress.
07/01/2008: CIMIT Names Recipients of Young Clinician Research Awards
CIMIT is pleased to announce that six bright and promising medical professionals have been named recipients of the Young Clinician Award for 2008.
07/01/2008: Depression Ups Risk of Complications Following Heart Attack
People who suffer from severe depression following a heart attack might be more likely to experience cardiac complications while hospitalized, according to a new study.
06/29/2008: International team identifies 21 new genetic risk factors for Crohn’s disease
An international consortium of Crohn’s disease researchers has combined data from three independent studies to identify 21 new genetic variants associated with the inflammatory bowel disorder, bringing the total number of risk factors to 32.
06/20/2008: Cardiovascular risk assessment, treatment vital for HIV patients on therapy
Antiretroviral medications have dramatically reduced the overall death rate among patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but those same patients may now face an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
06/18/2008: Physician Adoption of Electronic Health Records Still Extremely Low, But Medicine May be at a Tipping Point
Despite the promises it offers health care and quality improvement, only a small minority of U.S. physicians have embraced electronic health records (EHR) as a routine part of practice, says a study in the June 19 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
06/16/2008: Hormone disorder may contribute to lack of menstruation in teenage athletes
Researchers from MGH have found a way to predict which teenage female athletes will stop menstruating, an important risk factor for bone thinning, according to a preliminary study.
06/10/2008: CT Lung Cancer Screening No Cure-All for Smokers
Screening for lung cancer with computed tomography (CT) may help reduce lung cancer deaths in current and former smokers, but it won't protect them from other causes of death associated with smoking.
06/04/2008: Simple membranes could have allowed nutrients to pass into primitive cells
An MGH research team has found that the sort of very simple membrane that may have been present on primitive cells can easily allow small molecules – including the building blocks of RNA and DNA – to pass thorough.
06/02/2008: Report confirms increased risk of smoking, substance abuse in bipolar adolescents
An MGH study - the largest and first controlled such investigation - supports previous reports that adolescents with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for smoking and substance abuse.
06/02/2008: NARSAD Researchers Identify Specific Genes and Family Traits Linked to Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Depression
New findings from research conducted by Harvard-affiliated scientists are providing important clues into how genes work to impair various aspects of attention, memory and perception -- the behaviors associated with many psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.
10/05/2009: Jack W. Szostak, PhD – 2009 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine
Prestigious prize honors Mass General scientist for role in discovery of telomerase, enzyme that protects chromosome tips
09/17/2009: Red Sox Foundation, Mass General Team Up to Help Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Wars
The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital today will announce a multifaceted initiative aimed at helping veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
09/11/2009: David Ortiz Committed to Helping Critically Ill Children
The Red Sox great is officially partnering his David Ortiz Children’s Fund with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to serve critically ill children in New England and the northeast.
06/02/2009: Joren C. Madsen inducted as president of American Transplantation Society
Joren C. Madsen, MD, D.Phil, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center, was inducted president of the American Society of Transplantation during the 2009 American Transplant Congress.
03/20/2009: HHS Names David Blumenthal as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
The Department of Health and Human Services today announced the selection of David Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.P. as the Obama Administration’s choice for National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
10/06/2008: ADHD stimulant treatment may decrease risk of substance abuse in adolescent girls
MGH researchers have found that treatment with stimulant drugs does not increase and appears to significantly decrease the risk that girls with ADHD will begin smoking cigarettes or using alcohol or drugs.
09/19/2008: Cathy E. Minehan elected chair of the MGH Board of Trustees
Cathy E. Minehan, managing director of Arlington Advisory Partners, today was named chair of the Massachusetts General Hospital Board of Trustees, succeeding Edward P. Lawrence, Esq.
09/16/2008: Mixed Results for Personal Health Record System
An online personal health record system that allowed people with diabetes to check their lab results and get guidance about medication proved to be of only limited use in improving their health outcomes, researchers found.
09/13/2008: MGH researcher Gary Ruvkun named a co-recipient of the Lasker Award
MGH investigator Gary Ruvkun, PhD, is one of three co-recipients of the 2008 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research. The scientists are being honored for discovering that tiny molecules of RNA can control the activity of critical genes in animals and plants.
09/10/2008: Mass. General’s Warren Triennial Prize honors discoverers of microRNAs
Two investigators who helped to uncover a previously unsuspected world of tiny RNA molecules will be recognized next month by Massachusetts General Hospital with its highest award for research.
08/03/2008: Growth hormone reduces abdominal fat, cardiovascular risk factors in HIV patients on antiviral therapy
Low-dose growth hormone treatment reduced abdominal fat deposits and improved blood pressure and triglyceride levels but also appeared to increase blood sugar levels in a group of patients with HIV lipodystrophy.
08/01/2008: Pediatricians Help Parents CEASE Smoking
The, Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) program aims to teach pediatricians to help parents quit smoking and establish and enforce no-smoking rules in the home and car.
07/30/2008: MGH receives $8.5 million grant from Schwartz Foundation to expand HIV/AIDS work in Africa
MGH today announced plans to greatly expand its HIV/AIDS clinical and research efforts in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – often considered the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic – and establish a state-of-the-art academic and research facility in Uganda.
07/14/2008: Patient reports can add to efforts to identify, reduce adverse events in hospitals
A study by a group of Massachusetts researchers finds that surveying patients about their experiences can add important information to hospital efforts to improve patient safety.
07/01/2008: Depression Ups Risk of Complications Following Heart Attack
People who suffer from severe depression following a heart attack might be more likely to experience cardiac complications while hospitalized, according to a new study.
06/18/2008: Physician Adoption of Electronic Health Records Still Extremely Low, But Medicine May be at a Tipping Point
Despite the promises it offers health care and quality improvement, only a small minority of U.S. physicians have embraced electronic health records (EHR) as a routine part of practice, says a study in the June 19 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
01/29/2009: MGH Cancer Center now offers pencil-beam proton therapy treatment
The MGH Cancer Center has added pencil-beam scanning to the radiation therapy modalities offered at the hospital’s Burr Proton Therapy Center.
10/01/2008: New Questions Raised About Lung Cancer Screening
In response to new concerns about a study supporting the use of CT screening to detect early-stage lung cancer in smokers and other people at risk, the Editor-in-Chief of "The Oncologist" has called for an independent audit of the research data.
09/23/2008: Hospital residents report patient-handoff problems common, can lead to patient harm
A significant percentage of resident physicians report that patient handoffs – transfer of responsibility for a hospitalized patient from one resident to another – contributed to incidents in which harm was done to patients.
09/22/2008: Proton therapy lowers chance of later cancers
Treating cancer patients with proton therapy instead of standard photon radiation decreases the risk of developing a secondary cancer by two-fold
09/18/2008: More than skin deep
There may be no such thing as a 'safe' tan based on ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to a series of papers published in the October issue of Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research.
08/18/2008: Expanding the exam room
In the first study of its kind, researchers find both patients and physicians react positively to real-time, virtual check-ups using videoconferencing technology.
07/01/2008: Relaxation response can influence expression of stress-related genes
A new study finds that eliciting the relaxation response – a physiologic state of deep rest – influences the activation patterns of genes associated with the body’s response to stress.
06/20/2008: Cardiovascular risk assessment, treatment vital for HIV patients on therapy
Antiretroviral medications have dramatically reduced the overall death rate among patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but those same patients may now face an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
06/16/2008: Hormone disorder may contribute to lack of menstruation in teenage athletes
Researchers from MGH have found a way to predict which teenage female athletes will stop menstruating, an important risk factor for bone thinning, according to a preliminary study.
06/10/2008: CT Lung Cancer Screening No Cure-All for Smokers
Screening for lung cancer with computed tomography (CT) may help reduce lung cancer deaths in current and former smokers, but it won't protect them from other causes of death associated with smoking.
11/06/2009: Psychiatric impact of torture could be amplified by head injury
Depression and other emotional symptoms in survivors of torture and other traumatic experiences may be exacerbated by the effects of head injuries, according to a study from the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, based at Massachusetts General Hospital.
11/03/2009: Industry support of academic life science research may be declining
While more than half the academic life science researchers responding to a 2007 survey indicated having some relationship with industrial entities, the prevalence of such relationships – particularly direct funding for research studies – appears to be dropping.
10/28/2009: A Decade Later, Lifestyle Changes or Metformin Still Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Intensive lifestyle changes aimed at modest weight loss reduced the rate of developing type 2 diabetes by 34 percent compared with placebo in people at high risk for the disease, researchers conclude based on 10 years of data.
10/21/2009: Sexual problems rarely addressed by internists caring for cancer survivors
More than half the internists responding to a survey indicated they rarely or never discussed sexual problems with their patients who had survived cancer.
10/19/2009: Clots traveling from lower veins may not be the cause of pulmonary embolism in trauma patients
A report from a team of Massachusetts General Hospital physicians calls into question the longstanding belief that pulmonary embolism – the life-threatening blockage of a major blood vessel in the lungs – is caused in trauma patients by a blood clot traveling from vessels deep within the legs or lower torso.
10/15/2009: From stem cells to functioning strip of heart muscle
A team of Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and collaborators at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has taken a giant step toward the possibility of using human stem cells to repair damaged hearts.
10/12/2009: Study supports possible role of urate in slowing Parkinson’s disease progression
By examining data from a 20-year-old clinical trial, a research team based at the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Harvard School of Public Health, has found evidence supporting the findings of their 2008 study – that elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
10/08/2009: NHLBI supports consortium exploring stem-cell-based tools and treatments
Two teams led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, also members of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, are among 18 groups receiving National Heart Lung and Blood Institute grants for the development of stem-cell based tools and treatments to understand and treat cardiovascular and blood disorders. The Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium will consist of nine research hubs, each involving multidiscplinary teams from two academic medical centers.
10/07/2009: Genome-wide study of autism published in Nature
In one of the first studies of its kind, an international team of researchers has uncovered a single-letter change in the genetic code that is associated with autism.
09/21/2009: Vitamin D and Elderly Health
A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital shows vitamin D plays a vital role in reducing the risk of death associated with older age.
09/15/2009: Comprehensive cardiac CT scan may give clearer picture of significant heart disease
A team of researchers led by Massachusetts General Hospital radiologists has developed a computed-tomography-based protocol that identifies both narrowing of coronary arteries and areas of myocardial ischemia - restricted blood flow to heart muscle tissue - giving a better indication of clinically significant coronary artery disease.
09/09/2009: MassGeneral Hospital for Children study explains some mysteries of neonatal seizures
A study led by MassGeneral Hospital for Children investigators is providing new insight into the mechanism of neonatal seizures, which have features very different from seizures in older children and adults.
09/04/2009: Cardiac biomarker levels strongly predict outcome of bypass surgery
Levels of a biomarker used in the diagnosis of heart attacks are almost universally elevated in patients who have undergone coronary-artery bypass grafting (CABG) and, when markedly elevated, powerfully predict the risk of complications.
09/03/2009: Large-scale study probes how cells fight pathogens
Scientists have deciphered a key molecular circuit that enables the body to distinguish viruses from bacteria and other microbes, providing a deep view of how immune cells in mammals fend off different pathogens. The research offers a practical approach for unraveling the circuits that underpin other important biological systems.
09/02/2009: A breath of fresh air could improve drug toxicity screening
A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers has developed an innovative way to culture liver cells for drug toxicity screening.
09/01/2009: New assessment quantifies risks and benefits of warfarin treatment for atrial fibrillation
Warfarin therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation - the most common type of significant heart rhythm disorder - appears to be most beneficial for the oldest patients, those who have had a prior stroke and for patients with multiple risk factors for stroke.
09/01/2009: New report describes types of research conducted at academic medical centers
A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Policy gives the first detailed look at the types of research currently being conducted within U.S. academic medical centers - medical schools and their affiliated hospitals.
08/27/2009: Blood thinner causes stroke in some dialysis patients
The blood thinner warfarin can prevent strokes in most individuals with abnormal heart rhythms but may have the opposite effect in kidney disease patients on dialysis, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.
08/24/2009: Twitter and health care - can a tweet a day keep the doctor away?
Twitter, the increasingly popular social networking tool that was at first merely a convenient way to stay in touch with friends and family, is emerging as a potentially valuable means of real-time, health care communication.
08/14/2009: NIH renews Harvard Center for AIDS Research grant for another five years
The National Institutes of Health has renewed for five years - and $18.1 million - the funding for the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research (Harvard CFAR). Harvard is one of only 20 NIH CFAR sites in the U.S. and first received the designation in 2004.
08/11/2009: Denosumab increases bone density, cuts fracture risk in prostate cancer survivors
Twice-yearly treatment with denosumab, a new targeted therapy to stop bone loss, increased bone density and prevented spinal fractures in men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.
08/11/2009: Postdiagnosis aspirin use reduces risk of dying from colorectal cancer
Regular use of aspirin after colorectal cancer diagnosis may reduce the risk of cancer death, report investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
07/30/2009: Unexpected reservoir of monocytes discovered in the spleen
Mass. General researchers discovered an unexpected reservoir of the immune cells called monocytes in the spleen and showed that these cells are essential to recovery of cardiac tissue in an animal heart attack model.
07/27/2009: Intensive Glucose Control Halves Complications of Longstanding Type 1 Diabetes
Near-normal control of glucose beginning as soon as possible after diagnosis would greatly improve the long-term prognosis of type 1 diabetes, concludes a study published in the July 27, 2009, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, which updates information about the clinical course of type 1 diabetes.
07/22/2009: Mass. General-based research center will investigate why immune system fails to control hepatitis C
A research consortium based at Massachusetts General Hospital has been awarded $15 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to investigate how the hepatitis C virus resists suppression and clearance by the immune system.
07/22/2009: Recovery Act Funding Supports 23 Fellowships for Early Career Scientists
Mass. General investigator Joseph Tucker, MD, is among recipients of NIH Early Career Scientist fellowships.
07/20/2009: Study suggests earlier HIV antiviral treatment saves lives and is cost effective, even in areas of limited resources
Early initiation of lifesaving antiretroviral therapies should be the standard of care for all HIV-infected patients, even those in countries with limited medical and financial resources, according to a study led by researchers at MGH and the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
07/15/2009: MGH study identifies first molecular steps to childhood leukemia
A Massachusetts General Hospital-based research team has identified how a chromosomal abnormality known to be associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia – the most common cancer in children – initiates the disease process.
07/13/2009: Differences in immune response may explain why HIV-1 disease progresses faster in women than in men with same viral load
A research team based at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard has found a gender-based difference in the response of a first-line immune cell to HIV that may explain why the infection usually progresses faster in women than in men with the same viral loads.
07/08/2009: Antiangiogenesis treatment improves hearing in some NF2 patients
Treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab improved hearing and alleviated other symptoms in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). The study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) represents the first report of a successful NF2 treatment not involving surgery or radiation.
07/01/2009: Large study strongly supports many common genetic contributions to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
An international research consortium has discovered that many common genetic variants contribute to a person’s risk of schizophrenia and are also involved in bipolar disorder.
07/01/2009: Human cardiac master stem cells identified
Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified the earliest master human heart stem cell from human embryonic stem cells - ISL1+ progenitors - that give rise to a family of cells that form the essential portions of the human heart.
06/30/2009: Biomarkers’ ability to improve prediction of cardiovascular risk is modest
Measurement of known biomarkers of cardiovascular disease slightly improves the ability to predict future heart attack or stroke in healthy individuals, but not enough to change preventive therapies.
06/30/2009: Study provides greater understanding of Lyme disease-causing bacteria
A new study finds that a particular strain of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease may be more virulent, leading to increased inflammation in joints that persists after antibiotic treatment.
06/23/2009: Biomarkers Predict Brain Tumor’s Response to Therapy
A report in Cancer Research highlights a new biomarker that may be useful in identifying patients with recurrent glioblastoma who would respond better to antiangiogenesis therapy.
06/23/2009: Common ECG finding may indicate serious cardiac problems
A common electrocardiogram finding that has largely been considered insignificant may actually signal an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, the future need for a permanent pacemaker and an increased risk for premature death.
06/22/2009: Intensive in-hospital support doubles likelihood of smoking cessation in heart patients
Patients admitted to hospital with coronary artery disease are twice as likely to quit smoking after receiving intensive smoking cessation support compared to minimal support.
06/11/2009: Depression Medications May Reduce Male Fertility
As many as half of all men taking the antidepressant medication paroxetine (trade names Seroxat, Paxil) may have increased sperm DNA fragmentation — a predictor of compromised fertility. The study also found that the changes are reversible with normal levels of sperm returning after discontinuation of the drug.
06/10/2009: Brain-computer interface begins new clinical trial for paralysis
Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have initiated the BrainGate2 pilot clinical trial to expand restorative neurotechnology research for some patients with paralysis.
06/07/2009: Recruitment of reproductive features into other cell types may underlie extended lifespan in animals
MGH researchers have found that certain genetic mutations known to extend the lifespan of the C. elegans roundworm induce 'mortal' somatic cells to express some of the genes that allow the 'immortality' of reproductive germline cells.
06/01/2009: Hitting where it hurts
A new study uncovers a gene expression signature that reliably identifies cancer cells whose survival is dependent on a common signaling pathway, even when the cells contain multiple other genetic abnormalities. The study from MGH Cancer Center researchers identifies critical molecular vulnerabilities, thereby revealing promising therapeutic targets for a common and notoriously treatment resistant cancer.
05/28/2009: Video can help patients make end-of-life decision
Viewing a video showing a patient with advanced dementia interacting with family and caregivers may help elderly patients plan for end-of-life care, according to a study led by MGH researchers.
05/26/2009: Mass. General’s Rudy Tanzi a “Rock Star of Science”
Alzheimer’s disease researcher Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital adds another distinction to his scientific career when he joins Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and other rock celebrities in a designer menswear photo shoot as a “Rock Star of Science” in the June issue of GQ Magazine.
05/21/2009: Automated analysis of MR images may identify early Alzheimer’s disease
Analyzing MRI studies of the brain with software developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Mass. General Hospital may allow diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and of mild cognitive impairment, a lesser form of dementia that precedes the development of Alzheimer's by several years.
05/21/2009: Genetic testing for breast or ovarian cancer risk may be greatly underutilized
Although a test for gene mutations known to significantly increase the risk of hereditary breast or ovarian cancer has been available for more than a decade, a new study finds that few women with family histories of these cancers are even discussing genetic testing with their physicians or other health care providers.
05/19/2009: Study suggests TB screening needs to be targeted for maximum public health benefit
New estimates of the likelihood that a latent case of tuberculosis will become active have resulted in a roughly 50 percent increase over previous estimates of the number of people needed to be screened to prevent an active infection.
05/18/2009: Study examines trends in gallbladder cancer over 4 decades
Overall prognosis for gallbladder cancer appears to be improving, although many patients still have incurable disease and poor survival rates.
05/15/2009: Study finds virtual doctors visits satisfactory for both patients and clinicians
Someday, even doctor visits could be among the conveniences offered via the Internet. In a comparison of desktop videoconferencing to conventional face-to-face general medical evaluations, patients found virtual visits similar to face-to-face visits on most measures. This study suggests that both patients and physicians could benefit if virtual visits were used as an alternative method of accessing primary care services.
05/12/2009: Enriched environment improves wound healing in rats
Improving the environment in which rats are reared can significantly strengthen the physiological process of wound healing, according to a report in the open-access journal PLoS ONE. MGH researchers found that giving rats living in isolation the opportunity to build nests led to faster and more complete healing of burn injuries.
05/10/2009: International study identifies potential treatment targets for hypertension
Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), as part of a major international research collaboration, have associated common variants in eight regions of DNA with blood pressure levels in human patients. Six of the identified regions have not previously been implicated in blood pressure regulation.
05/08/2009: Videoconferencing can increase patient access to stroke specialists
High-quality videoconferencing can increase patient access to stroke specialists; and a transient ischemic attack, once known as a “mini” or “warning” stroke, should be treated with the same urgency as a full-blown stroke, according to two separate statements published today in Stroke.
04/29/2009: Researchers Develop New Technique For Modifying Plant Genes
Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Massachusetts General Hospital have used a genome engineering tool they developed to make a model crop plant herbicide-resistant without significant changes to its DNA.
04/23/2009: Non-invasive test accurately identifies gynecologic malignancies
Diffusion weighted MR can accurately identify benign from malignant pelvic lymph nodes in patients with gynecologic malignancy, according to an MGH study.
04/06/2009: Simple bedside test improves diagnosis of chronic back pain, could guide treatment
A simple and inexpensive method of assessing pain, developed by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, is better than currently used techniques for distinguishing neuropathic pain – pain caused by damage to the nervous system – from other types of chronic back pain.
04/03/2009: Model tissue system reveals cellular communication via amino acids
A team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine has found the first evidence of cell-to-cell communication by amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, rather than by known protein signaling agents such as growth factors or cytokines.
04/02/2009: Modification of mutant huntingtin protein increases its clearance from brain cells
A new study has identified a potential strategy for removing the abnormal protein that causes Huntington’s disease from brain cells, which could slow the progression of the devastating neurological disorder.
03/30/2009: Intestinal parasites alter immunity in cholera patients
Results of the study from a collaborative team led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh suggest that parasitic infection could reduce the immune response to cholera, which may compromise the effectiveness of cholera vaccines.
03/30/2009: Angiogenesis inhibitor improves brain tumor survival by reducing edema
The beneficial effects of anti-angiogenesis drugs in the treatment of the deadly brain tumors called glioblastomas appear to result primarily from reduction of edema – the swelling of brain tissue – and not from any direct anti-tumor effect.
03/26/2009: HHMI Gives 50 Early Career Scientists a Jump on Their Next Big Idea
Two MGH investigators – Bradley E. Bernstein, MD, PhD, and Konrad Hochedlinger, PhD – are among 50 receipients of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist Awards.
03/25/2009: Intensive summer program helps physicians build clinical research careers
Graduates of the Program in Clinical Effectiveness, which has trained almost 1,900 physicians to be clinical investigators since 1986, have achieved significant success in receiving grant support from the National Institutes of Health and other funders, along with other accomplishments considered key to establishing a research career.
03/25/2009: Policies regarding IRB members’ industry relationships often lacking
At a time of heightened concern about conflicts of interest posed by relationships between academic medical researchers and commercial firms, a new study finds that a significant number of academic institutions do not have clear policies covering the industrial relationships of members of Institutional Review Boards, committees charged with ensuring that clinical studies uphold patient rights and follow ethical guidelines.
03/23/2009: Common gene variants influence risk factor for sudden cardiac death
A new study has identified several common genetic variants related to a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. The report receiving early online release in the journal Nature Genetics identifies variants in genes, some known and some newly discovered, that influence the QT interval measured on the electrocardiogram (EKG) performed routinely in doctors’ offices.
03/19/2009: New Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV Research Created in South Africa
A groundbreaking partnership between the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa will establish an international research center focused on the worldwide effort to control the devastating co-epidemic of tuberculosis and HIV.
03/18/2009: Study identifies human genes required for hepatitis C viral replication
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers are investigating a new way to block reproduction of the hepatitis C virus – targeting not the virus itself but the human genes the virus exploits in its life cycle.
03/06/2009: Both Latino and non-Latino women likely to accept HPV vaccination for selves and children
Most women responding to a survey conducted at MGH clinics indicated they would be willing to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus and to have their daughters and even sons vaccinated in order to prevent cancer in their children. The report also found that Latino women are just as likely, if not more so, to accept HPV vaccine as non-Latinos.
03/02/2009: Patient-Physician "Connectedness" Affects Quality of Care
A new study finds that patients who are connected to a specific primary care physician are more likely to receive guideline-consistent care than those who are connected to a practice but not a physician.
02/26/2009: Alzheimer’s-associated plaques may have impact throughout the brain
The impact of the amyloid plaques that appear in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease may extend beyond the deposits’ effects on neurons– the cells that transmit electrochemical signals throughout the nervous system.
02/26/2009: International collaboration identifies new gene associated with ALS
A collaborative research effort spanning nearly a decade between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and King’s College London has identified a novel gene for inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).
02/25/2009: HIV is evolving to evade human immune responses
HIV is evolving rapidly to escape the human immune system, an international study has shown. The findings demonstrate the challenge of developing an HIV vaccine that keeps pace with the changing nature of the virus.
02/23/2009: Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of colds, flu
Vitamin D may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, report investigators from the University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Children’s Hospital Boston.
02/15/2009: Common gene variants increase risk of hypertension, finding may lead to new therapies
A new study has identified the first common gene variants associated with an increased incidence of hypertension – a significant risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.
02/09/2009: Stroke Therapy Window Might Be Extended Past Nine Hours for Some
Some patients who suffer a stroke as a result of a blockage in an artery in the brain may benefit from a clot-busting drug nine or more hours after the onset of symptoms.
02/08/2009: International study identifies gene variants associated with early heart attack
The largest study ever completed of genetic factors associated with heart attacks has identified nine genetic regions - three not previously described - that appear to increase the risk for early-onset myocardial infarction.
01/19/2009: Virtual communities may provide valuable support for psoriasis patients
Online support communities appear to offer both a valuable educational resource and a source of psychological and social support for individuals with psoriasis, according to a report from the Center for Connected Health at Partners HealthCare System.
01/14/2009: New model system may better explain regulation of body weight
A new mathematical model of the physiological regulation of body weight suggests a potential mechanism underlying the difficulty of losing weight, one that includes aspects of two competing hypotheses of weight regulation.
01/14/2009: Hospital pilot sites demonstrate surgical safety checklist drops deaths and complications by more than one third
A group of hospitals in eight cities around the globe has successfully demonstrated that the use of a simple surgical checklist during major operations can lower the incidence of deaths and complications by more than one third.
01/05/2009: Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord sense pain caused by physical insult
Mass. General researchers and the colleagues add to understanding of the role of the protein COX2 in pain associated with inflammation.
12/29/2008: Third-hand Smoke: Another Reason to Quit Smoking
12/17/2008: Researchers compile ‘molecular manual’ for hundreds of inherited diseases
An international research team has compiled the first catalogue of tissue-specific pathologies underlying hundreds of inherited diseases.
12/17/2008: Supply of board-certified emergency physicians unlikely to meet projected needs
The number of physicians with board certification in emergency medicine is unlikely to meet the staffing needs of U.S. emergency departments in the foreseeable future, if ever; according to a study from a research team based at Massachusetts General Hospital
12/10/2008: Hormone therapy for prostate cancer does not appear to increase cardiac deaths
Treating prostate cancer patients with drugs that block hormonal activity does not appear to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by MGH researchers
12/09/2008: Research team explores causes of death on Mount Everest
In the first detailed analysis of deaths during expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest, a research team led by MGH investigators has conducted found that most deaths occur during descents from the summit in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 meters and identified factors associated with a greater risk of death.
12/05/2008: Some blood-system stem cells reproduce more slowly than expected
MGH investigators have found a subpopulation of hematopoietic stem cells, the source of all blood and immune system cells, that reproduce much more slowly than previously anticipated. Use of these slow-cycling cells may improve the outcome of stem-cell transplants for the treatment of leukemia and other bone-marrow-based diseases.
12/03/2008: Robotic Technology Improves Stroke Rehabilitation
MGH scientists have used a novel, hand-operated robotic device and functional MRI to track the rehabilitation of chronic stroke patients, showing that the brain can continue to regain function even six months or more after a stroke.
11/30/2008: Combining targeted therapy drugs may treat previously resistant tumors
A team of cancer researchers from several Boston academic medical centers has discovered a potential treatment for tumors driven by mutations in the K-Ras gene, which have resisted previous targeted therapy approaches.
11/30/2008: Discoveries May Help Scientists Understand Why Disease Turns Soft Tissue Into Bone
Scientists have created a new mouse model that may help researchers explain how a rare disease causes otherwise supple soft tissue and joints to turn into bone.
11/24/2008: Sealing off portion of intestinal lining treats obesity, resolves diabetes in animal model
Lining the upper portion of the small intestine with an impermeable sleeve led to both weight loss and restoration of normal glucose metabolism in an animal model of obesity-induced diabetes.
11/19/2008: Genetic screening no better than traditional risk factors for predicting type 2 diabetes
Screening for a panel of gene variants associated with the risk for type 2 diabetes can identify adults at risk for the disorder but is not significantly better than assessment based on traditional risk factors.
11/17/2008: Technology gives three-dimensional view of human coronary arteries
For the first time researchers are getting a detailed look at the interior of human coronary arteries, using an optical imaging technique developed at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
11/16/2008: Tiny sacs released by brain tumor cells carry information that may guide treatment
MGH researchers have found that tiny membrane-covered sacs released from glioblastoma cells contain molecules that may help guide treatment of the deadly brain tumor.
11/12/2008: Common anesthetic induces Alzheimer’s-associated changes in mouse brains
For the first time researchers have shown that a commonly used anesthetic can produce changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of living mammals, confirming previous laboratory studies.
11/07/2008: Interaction between gene variants may alter brain function in schizophrenia
A collaborative study led by investigators from MGH is giving what may be the first look at how interactions between genes underlie a key symptom of schizophrenia, impaired working memory.
10/31/2008: While prevalent, sexual problems in women not always associated with distress
The largest such study ever published finds that, while about 40 percent of women surveyed report having sexual problems, only 12 percent indicate that those issues are a source of significant personal distress
10/30/2008: Gene scan of Alzheimer’s families identifies four new suspect genes
The first family-based genome-wide association study in Alzheimer’s disease has identified the sites of four novel genes that may significantly influence risk for the most common late-onset form of the devastating neurological disorder.
10/27/2008: Meta-analysis examines cardiovascular effects of diabetes medications
The diabetes medication metformin may be associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies in the October 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
10/21/2008: ADHD appears to increase level of nicotine dependence in smokers
Young people with ADHD are not only at increased risk of starting to smoke cigarettes, they also tend to become more seriously addicted to tobacco and more vulnerable to environmental factors such as having friends or parents who smoke.
10/16/2008: Gene therapy restores vision to mice with retinal degeneration
MGH researchers have used gene therapy to restore useful vision to mice with degeneration of the light-sensing retinal rods and cones, a common cause of human blindness.
10/08/2008: Study finds abnormalities in cerebral cortex of cocaine addicts
A brain imaging study carried out at MGH reveals abnormalities in the cerebral cortex – the outer surface of the brain – of cocaine addicts that appear to correlate with dysfunction in areas responsible for attention and for reward-based decision-making.
10/01/2008: Thompson Reuters Predicts the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Since 1989, Thomson Reuters has developed a list of likely winners in medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics. Those chosen are named Thomson Reuters Scientific Laureates.
09/30/2008: Extra copies of EGFR gene signal poor prognosis for vulvar cancer
MGH researchers report that women with vulvar carcinoma whose tumors have extra copies of the EGFR gene are at increased risk of dying from their cancer, information that could indentify patients who should be treated with targeted therapy drugs.
09/25/2008: New approach to gene therapy may shrink brain tumors, prevent their spread
MGH researchers are investigating a new approach to gene therapy for brain tumors – delivering a cancer-fighting gene to normal brain tissue around the tumor to keep it from spreading.
09/22/2008: NIH extends commitment to transformative research with 2008 Pioneer, New Innovator Awards
The National Institutes of Health announced today that it has increased its support of high-impact research with 2008 NIH Director's Pioneer and New Innovator Awards to 47 scientists, many of whom are in the early stages of their careers.
09/22/2008: Study confirms benefit of combination therapy for Alzheimer’s disease
Treatment with Alzheimer’s disease drugs can significantly slow the rate at which the disorder advances, and therapy with two different classes of drugs is even better at helping patients maintain their ability to perform daily activities.
09/09/2008: Advanced blood analysis may speed diagnosis of heart attacks
Someday doctors may be able to use a blood test to confirm within minutes, instead of hours, if a patient is having a heart attack, allowing more rapid treatment that could limit damage to heart muscle.
08/28/2008: Risk of fracture is significantly higher in HIV-infected patients
As antiviral treatment for HIV infection allows patients to live longer, many will be confronted with additional health challenges. A new study shows for the first time that one of these may be significantly increased risk of bone fractures.
08/25/2008: Potential diabetes treatment selectively kills autoimmune cells from human patients
In experiments using blood cells from human patients with diabetes and other autoimmune disorders, MGH researchers have confirmed the mechanism behind a potential new therapy for type 1 diabetes
08/20/2008: Bone marrow stem cells may help control inflammatory bowel disease
MGH investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model.
08/19/2008: Prostate Cancer Foundation Commits $4.3 Million to Young Investigators
The Prostate Cancer Foundation today announced 19 Young Investigators Awards for 2008.
08/19/2008: Obese prostate cancer patients may benefit more from brachytherapy
Brachytherapy, also called seed implants, may be a more beneficial treatment than surgery or external beam radiation therapy for overweight or obese prostate cancer patients.
08/18/2008: Largest Study of Its Kind Implicates Gene Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder
The largest genetic analysis of its kind to date for bipolar disorder has implicated machinery involved in the balance of sodium and calcium in brain cells.
08/07/2008: Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers create 20 disease-specific stem cell lines
Harvard Stem Cell Institute researcher George Q. Daley, has with HSCI colleagues Chad Cowan and Konrad Hochedlinger of Massachusetts General Hospital produced a robust new collection of disease-specific stem cell lines, all of which were developed using the new induced pluripotent stem cell technique.
08/06/2008: Study finds connections between genetics, brain activity and preference
A team of MGH researchers has used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both.
08/06/2008: Hormone level may reflect mortality risk among dialysis patients
A new study suggests that monitoring levels of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 23 may provide information crucial to the treatment of patients with kidney failure.
07/30/2008: MGH study shows how amyloid plaques may damage brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease
Using an advanced imaging technique that reveals how brain cells are functioning, researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease have found that levels of intracellular calcium are significantly elevated in neurons close to plaques in the brains of an Alzheimer’s mouse model.
07/30/2008: Large study uncovers surprisingly diverse genome alterations that contribute to schizophrenia
A multinational group of investigators has discovered that people suffering from schizophrenia are far more likely to carry rare chromosomal structural changes of all types, particularly those that have the potential to alter gene function.
07/24/2008: Consortium develops new method enabling routine targeted gene modification
A multi-institutional team led by MGH investigators has developed a powerful new tool for genomic research and medicine – a robust method for generating synthetic enzymes that can target particular DNA sequences for inactivation or repair.
07/21/2008: Viral recombination another way HIV fools the immune system
When individuals infected with HIV become infected with a second strain of the virus, the two viral strains can exchange genetic information, creating a third, recombinant strain of the virus. Now a study from the Partners AIDS Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital shows that how and where viral strains swap DNA may be determined by the immune response against the original infecting strain.
07/10/2008: Middle Eastern families yield intriguing clues to autism
Research has implicated a half-dozen new genes in autism and strongly supports the idea that autism stems from disruptions in the brain's ability to form new connections in response to experience.
07/02/2008: Circulating tumor cells can reveal genetic signature of dangerous lung cancers
An MGH-developed, microchip-based device that detects and analyzes tumor cells in the bloodstream can be used to determine the genetic signature of lung tumors, facilitating targeted therapies and monitoring genetic changes that occur during therapy.
07/01/2008: CIMIT Names Recipients of Young Clinician Research Awards
CIMIT is pleased to announce that six bright and promising medical professionals have been named recipients of the Young Clinician Award for 2008.
06/29/2008: International team identifies 21 new genetic risk factors for Crohn’s disease
An international consortium of Crohn’s disease researchers has combined data from three independent studies to identify 21 new genetic variants associated with the inflammatory bowel disorder, bringing the total number of risk factors to 32.
06/04/2008: Simple membranes could have allowed nutrients to pass into primitive cells
An MGH research team has found that the sort of very simple membrane that may have been present on primitive cells can easily allow small molecules – including the building blocks of RNA and DNA – to pass thorough.
06/02/2008: Report confirms increased risk of smoking, substance abuse in bipolar adolescents
An MGH study - the largest and first controlled such investigation - supports previous reports that adolescents with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for smoking and substance abuse.
06/02/2008: NARSAD Researchers Identify Specific Genes and Family Traits Linked to Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Depression
New findings from research conducted by Harvard-affiliated scientists are providing important clues into how genes work to impair various aspects of attention, memory and perception -- the behaviors associated with many psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.
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