| Show Number |
Air Week |
Title |
Program Description |
SHOW #128
NOTE: a repeat of Show #118 |
December 7, 1997 |
Diode Laser |
This story shows how diode laser surgery is the latest innovation in the
treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a progressive eye disease that affects over
4,000 premature infants in the US every year. ROP results from the growth of abnormal
blood vessels in the retina, and in severe cases can cause blindness. Diode laser surgery
is used to destroy the part of the retina that has not received any blood supply, due to
the abnormal development that has taken place. It appears to be an improvement over
previous treatment methods. CONTACT: Kathy Ovnic, Emory University Medical Center, Health
Sciences News & Information, (404)727-9371 |
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Tobacco Pharming |
A California biotech company is now working with tobacco as a vehicle for
producing medically active compounds. With their process called "Geneware." the
tobacco plant serves as host to tobacco mosaic virus, which has been genetically
engineered to generate desired proteins. When the altered virus (which is completely
harmless to humans or animals) is applied to the plant, it multiplies and spreads within
the plant, producing large quantities of the desired protein. The tobacco plants are then
harvested, and the proteins are extracted. The company is currently experimenting with the
process for producing therapeutic agents against cancer, malaria, and other diseases.
CONTACT: Bruce A. Boyd, Executive VP & CFO, BioSource Technologies, Vacaville,CA,
(707)446-5501 |
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|
GENEWATCH: Heart Development |
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at
Dallas have identified several important genes that guide various stages of heart
development. They are hopeful that these discoveries will eventually lead to new therapies
to prevent or rectify the congenital heart anomalies that are present in one percent of
live births. CONTACT:Dr. Deeprak Srivastava (214)648-8695 |
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EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGH: Sports Pain Patch |
There's now an alternative to pain pills for treating sports injuries:
it's a "pain patch," and it's been used in Europe for years. The medication
contained in the patch is absorbed through the skin, and does not enter the bloodstream,
which is a real advantage over ingested pain medicines, which often cause side effects.
CONTACT: Pain Clinical Research Center, University of Washington, (206)548-4476 |
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Sperm Injection |
ICSY, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, was introduced in the US about
two years ago, and has become the most successful method of assisted reproduction in
couples experiencing severe male infertility problems. Used in conjunction with
traditional in vitro fertilization, very few sperm are needed for a potentially successful
outcome. Sperm are collected from the male through a microsurgical technique, and then are
injected into eggs retrieved from the female. CONTACT: Patrick Keefe, PR Writer,
University of Connecticut Health Center, (860)679-2447 |
SHOW #129
NOTE: a repeat of Show #121 |
December 14, 1997 |
Postponed Aging |
This story deals with the very real scientific concept that human aging
can be postponed, indeed, we may see radically prolonged lifespans sooner than we think.
Dr. Michael Rose, among many other researchers, is exploring the evolutionary basis of
aging, with an eye toward methods of safely bypassing the process, resulting in much
longer healthy adult lives. Although it's far too soon to predict that this will work in
humans, researchers have succeeded already in producing fruit flies, round worms, and mice
with extremely long lifespans - up to double the norm. Former television producer Ralph
Andrews, who is also featured in the report, has established a biotechnology company to
fund this research, and predicts that a pharmaceutical product to extend aging will be on
the market within five years. We may all soon need to address the profound ethical, legal,
and social issues involved with greatly prolonged human life. CONTACTS: Ralph Andrews,
Chairman, MRX Biosciences, Inc., (818)992-5625, email mrxinc@pacbell.net
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BREAKTHROUGH PROFILES: Dr. Allen Roses |
A conversation with the researcher who discovered the first
susceptibility gene for the early onset of Alzheimer's Disease. Despite entrenched
conventional wisdom to the contrary, Dr. Roses succeeded in convincing the medical
community that there was a genetic basis for Alzheimer's. His work has now been replicated
repeatedly, and he now is concentrating his efforts on finding drugs to prevent or cure
this devastating condition. CONTACT: Public Affairs, Glaxo Wellcome Inc. (919)483-2100 |
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|
Autism |
This story profiles the Carolina Living & Learning Center for
autistic adults, a residential program at a working farm at Pittsboro, NC. The TEACCH
(Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children)
model, developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is used at this
residential and vocational center. It emphasizes instruction in communication, social, and
leisure skills, with proactive approaches to behavior management. The CLLC program has
been very successful, recently expanded, and plans to expand further soon. CONTACTS: David
Williamson, Director, Medical Research News, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
(919)962-2091; Drs. Gary Mesibov and Mary Van Bourgondien, TEACCH Program, (919)966-8199 |
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EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGH: Biojector |
Needle-free injection systems limit the risk of needle sticks to health
care workers. The Biojector 2000 profiled in the piece is the latest example of this
technology. It uses compressed CO2 gas to push a plunger that forces the medication
through a hole one-third the size of the smallest needles. CONTACT: Kathleen Romeo, Public
Relations, Bioject, Inc., (503)639-7221, email:kmr@bioject.com
|
SHOW #130
NOTE: a repeat of Show #124 |
December 21, 1997 |
TIME Magazine 'Heroes of Medicine': Dr. Keith Black |
Dr. Black is head of the new Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center in Los Angeles, a state-of-the-art treatment center specializing in brain
cancer. He is one of the foremost neurosurgeons in the country, and at age 39 is also one
of the leading researchers in the field, having published over 100 scientific papers. He
is deeply committed to his clinical and surgical work, and is passionate about the goal of
eventually finding a cure for brain cancer. He has pioneered breakthrough research in the
areas of overcoming the blood-brain barrier to allow delivery of tumor-killing drugs to
the brain, genetically altering proteins to develop a brain tumor vaccine, and using radio
waves to destroy tumors. CONTACT: Roberta Nichols, Public Relations, Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center, (310) 855-4647. Full-length interview with Dr. Black |
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|
EVERYDAY BREAKTHROUGHS: Boxers' Dementia |
Professional boxers are often struck with dementia as a result of
repeated blows to the head. Amateur boxers, who are required to wear headgear in the ring,
do not experience as much trauma to the head. Dr. Larry Lewis, Director of the Division of
Emergency Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is studying
the effects of repeated blows to the unprotected head. In his lab, professional boxers
throw their best punches at and artificial head equipped with sensors. The research is
also designed to test the amount of protection given by various types of headgear.
CONTACT: Joni Westerhouse, Director for Medical Communications, Office of Medical Public
Affairs, Washington University School of Medicine, (314)286-0120 |
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Gulf War Syndrome |
Gulf War Syndrome is an affliction mired in mystery and controversy ever
since veterans of the 1991 conflict began reported a variety of health problems soon after
their return from duty. Many have dismissed the condition as no more than the typical
post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by a certain percentage of soldiers returning
from battle zones. But the veterans and their families have adamently insisted there's
more to it than that. Now, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center at Dallas, and at Duke University Medical Center, have provided scientific support
for the thesis that there is a physiological basis to Gulf War Syndrome. They have
identified three specific neurological conditions they say were caused by exposure to
certain combinations of chemicals - not only chemical nerve agents, but also flea collars,
insect repellents, and even petrochemicals. CONTACTS: Veterans & families:
1-800-PGW-VETS; General: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas,
(214)648-0000, website: http://www.swmed.edu |
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