Researchers have pioneered a technique to grow by the billions the insulin-producing cells people with diabetes lack, a breakthrough that may create new ways to treat the disease. Douglas Melton, Xander University Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and co-chair of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, led the research.
Researchers are harnessing a powerful arsenal of biomedical tools to unlock the secrets of individual “exceptional responders.” Nikhil Wagle, instructor in medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, led the research. Lecia Sequist, associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted. Jochen Lorch, assistant professor of medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is mentioned.
Atul Gawande, Samuel O. Their Professor of Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, participated in an interview about heading off the spread of the Ebola virus.
A growing number of scientists now believe that gut bacteria can influence mental health. Kyle Williams, instructor in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
Advances in public health and medicine have extended the length and quality of our lives, but brain health hasn’t kept up with the pace. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, professor of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Bonnie Wong, instructor in neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, are quoted.
A recent study found that poor residents of Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas, when asked to compare Medicaid with private coverage, said that Medicaid offered better “quality of health care” and made them better able to “afford the health care” they needed. Benjamin Sommers, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hosptial, co-authored the study.
Few women are on the list of doctors paid the most money by drug and medical device companies last year, according to a ProPublica analysis of new data released by the federal government. Anupam Jena, assistant professor of health care policy, is quoted.
A visit to the doctor later in the day makes it more likely that a patient will walk away with a prescription antibiotic, according to a new report. Jeffrey Linder, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, led the study.
Scientists examining over-the-counter diet supplements are concerned about the inclusion of a new synthetic stimulant. Researchers testing several products found that the amount of the new stimulant varies widely, the dosage is not disclosed on labels and there is no evidence that the chemical is safe in humans. Pieter Cohen, assistant professor of medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, led the research.
McLean Hospital has received a $500,000 gift that funds their new Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) Program. The new initiative, the first of its kind, will begin to answer questions about whether medical marijuana affects cognitive function, positively or negatively—and why—by gathering empirical data about change over time within patients. Staci Gruber, assistant professor of psychology at McLean Hospital, is leading the research.
Multiple sclerosis researchers are focusing on the content of the gut’s microbiome as a possible contributor to the body’s autoimmune attack on its nervous system. Sushrut Jangi, instructor in medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, co-authored the study.
