Feed of Latest U-M Research News
Biomedical
Half of eligible patients not getting aortic valve replacement surgery
Overblown fears about the risk of surgery are among the reasons half of eligible patients are not getting aortic valve replacement surgery, according to a study by physicians at the University of Michigan Health System. In the study, published online ahead of print Nov. 17 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, the researchers report that two-thirds of the patients who did not have valve replacement were suffering symptoms such as shortness of breath that would have improved if they had undergone surgery. [Read more...]
Researchers find new way to attack inflammation in Graves’ eye disease
A small group of patients with severe Graves’ eye disease experienced rapid improvement of their symptoms — and improved vision — following treatment with the drug rituximab. Inflammation around their eyes and damage to the optic nerve were significantly reduced. The same patients had not previously responded to steroids, a common treatment for Graves’ eye disease. Professor Raymond S. Douglas (on right), an oculoplastics specialist who recently joined the faculty of the U-M Kellogg Eye Center, reports on the potential of the drug in the online October issue of Ophthalmology. [Read more...]
Deal of the Year - University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex
Pfizer departure paved the way for major university expansion
The 2008 departure of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer from its 174-acre campus in northern Ann Arbor was the single biggest blow to the region's economy in decades. But Pfizer's exodus, which displaced more than 2,100 workers, paves the way for the University of Michigan's biggest expansion in five decades. U-M, which acquired the site in June for $108 million, plans to hire 2,000 to 3,000 workers to populate the 2 million square feet of facilities over the next 10 years. The acquisition of the ex-Pfizer site, renamed the North Campus Research Complex, is AnnArbor.com Business Review's "Deal of the Year" for 2009. [Read more...]
NIH stimulus awards to U-M Medical School top $47 million
The National Institutes of Health have granted 182 stimulus-package awards totaling nearly $47.5 million to researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School as of November 1, 2009. The grants will enable U-M scientists and physicians to continue or begin projects that explore innovative approaches to such important health issues as cancer treatment and prevention, the impact of endocrine disruptor chemicals on fetal development, kidney disease genetics, stress as a factor in childhood obesity and dozens of other areas on the frontiers of medical research. [Read more...]
U-M scientists move forward with plans for embryonic stem cell projects
Nov. 4, 2009 is the one-year anniversary of the vote approving Proposal 2, the state constitutional amendment that eased restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research in Michigan. The amendment permits Michigan scientists to derive new human embryonic stem cell lines. While no such projects have begun at U-M, researchers here have taken several significant steps this year to prepare for them. [Read more...]
Tissue-engineering researchers create replacement knee ligaments from recipients’ own cells
In a development that could lead to more complete recovery from torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in humans, University of Michigan researchers have grown and repaired knee ligaments in rats from bone marrow stem cells harvested from the rats' own bones. The U-M researchers have tissue-engineered an advanced graft that includes an elastic ligament section in the center to accommodate joint motion and bone portions on the ends for more effective integration and attachment to the native bone of the injured knee. Their ligament design emphasizes stretchiness over initial strength, which appears to be more important for viability of the ligament and in allowing patients to regain their original mobility, says Ellen Arruda, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Biomedical Engineering and in Macromolecular Science and Engineering.
U-M Cystic Fibrosis Center receives national award
People with cystic fibrosis can expect to live a longer life despite the genetic, life-threatening disease, because of advances made at the University of Michigan Health System. At the UMHS, patients’ life expectancy has doubled and patient numbers have increased significantly since the Cystic Fibrosis Center opened in the 1970s. This month, the UMHS’s Cystic Fibrosis Center received national recognition from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, an award that recognizes innovations in treatment, data collection, and innovation in quality of patient care and both clinical and basic research. [Read more...]
Era of Hope Award granted to U-M doctor
Five-year grant propels study of breast tumor suppression
A University of Michigan physician was selected for the Era of Hope Scholar Award from the U.S. Department of Defense to further studies of breast cancer prevention. Xiaochun Yu, assistant professor of molecular medicine and genetics at the University of Michigan Medical School, was awarded $3.7 million to expand research on new mechanisms associated with DNA damage response, treatment of breast tumors and prevention of tumor development in women who carry mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. These genetic mutations are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. [Read more...]