Clinical Research Trials for Pancreas Cancer: Promising New Approaches

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Clinical Relevance of MDM2 Testing in Lipomatous Tumors of the Extremities

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp21/1194/thumbnail.jp

Pilot Study of the Physiological Effects of an Integrative Medicine Approach in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Introduction: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common GI functional disease in the US, affecting 10-25% of the population and costing ~$1.6B in annual healthcare spending. Defined by varied GI symptoms, IBS is associated with gut inflammation from many factors, including diet, microbiome imbalances, and stress. However, the disease lacks a treatment algorithm, especially within integrative medicine. Objective: This research explores integrative medicine approaches to IBS, including diet and supplements, to identify microbiome and symptom patterns before and after intervention. Methods: Patients first complete surveys on diet and symptoms, the Beck depression inventory, the SF-36 questionnaire, PET-MRI imaging, and stool samples. Next, patients are counseled on the intervention, including diet, Proguard 100 probiotic (1 capsule/day), Glutacore powder (1 scoop/day), and Fiber Boost (1-3 capsules/day as tolerated). After two months, patients return for follow-up surveys, imaging, and stool samples. Results: Data from two patients is available. Both patients demonstrated reduced Ruminococcus species, causing a low Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes (FB) ratio. Patients showed increased inflammatory markers (eg. fecal secretory IgA) and abnormal short-chain fatty acid ratios. Both patients were negative for parasites, ova, and occult blood. Conclusion: Other IBS studies found high FB ratios, which our data contrasted with abnormally low ratios. Further diet and symptom analysis is needed to understand the drivers of this ratio and how species affect colonic fermentation and absorption. The small sample size hinders understanding of whether this conflicting data is consistent across patients or if it is outlying

Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Posters - 2019

Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Posters - 2019https://scholarlycommons.libraryinfo.bhs.org/research_education/1012/thumbnail.jp

Challenges in Chagas Disease Drug Development.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease, an important public health problem throughout Latin America. Current therapeutic options are characterised by limited efficacy, long treatment regimens and frequent toxic side-effects. Advances in this area have been compromised by gaps in our knowledge of disease pathogenesis, parasite biology and drug activity. Nevertheless, several factors have come together to create a more optimistic scenario. Drug-based research has become more systematic, with increased collaborations between the academic and commercial sectors, often within the framework of not-for-profit consortia. High-throughput screening of compound libraries is being widely applied, and new technical advances are helping to streamline the drug development pipeline. In addition, drug repurposing and optimisation of current treatment regimens, informed by laboratory research, are providing a basis for new clinical trials. Here, we will provide an overview of the current status of Chagas disease drug development, highlight those areas where progress can be expected, and describe how fundamental research is helping to underpin the process

Teaching First-year Medical Students to Apply Evidence-based Practices to Patient Care

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the integration of individual clinical expertise with the best available evidence from systematic research. 1-2 Most teaching of EBM for medical students currently takes place in classroom settings that feature teacher-centered didactic activities. When EBM is taught in this manner, the teaching appears not to influence patient care or to ensure that medical students are prepared to apply EBM at the point of care. 7 It is not surprising, then, that there is a continuing need to introduce and sharpen EBM skills among faculty who teach medical students in ambulatory clinical settings while managing the care of patients. 8 Earlier studies of EBM suggest that even at the preclinical level of training, medical students can learn EBM principles, formulate clinical questions, and receive evidence-based feedback from their teachers. Methods This EBM module is the third in a series of educational interventions that we implemented in the Texas Statewide Family Medicine Preceptorship Program (TSFMPP) between years one and two of medical training. Internal Review Board approval was obtained for the interventions used in this study. During the first year of each intervention, the educational materials were tested, and the students' participation was voluntary. In the following two summers