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Monday, October 16, 2017
[Morning Rounds by Megan Thielking]
Sponsored by
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Good morning, and happy Monday! STAT reporter Andrew Joseph here, filling in for Megan for a few days. Here's what's going on in the world of health and medicine.
Happening today: Events on dementia care, opioids
Starting today, federal health officials are hosting a two-day summit focused on improving the care and quality of life not just for people living with dementia, but also their caregivers, who are often spouses or other family members. Experts at the event will explore such topics as care coordination and management, how technology could advance care, and how to engage people with dementia and their caregivers in research. More info is available here<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=62ef5e85f5&e=4aad33fd68>.
Also today, the National Academy of Medicine is convening a big-name panel to discuss possible solutions to the opioid epidemic, including public health, policy, and regulatory issues. Participants include Surgeon General Jerome Adams, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, and former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Details here<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=15415a745b&e=4aad33fd68>.
Two health emergencies declared in California
Acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan has declared a public health emergency in California in response to the wildfires<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=3072de6362&e=4aad33fd68> burning north of San Francisco. HHS is sending regional emergency coordinators to the area to help local and state officials.
And separately, California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency to combat the hepatitis A outbreak<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=2093d3e4c7&e=4aad33fd68> in the San Diego area, a move designed to increase the vaccine supply. The virus is transmitted through contact with feces from an infected person and has primarily spread through the homeless community, killing at least 17 people. Authorities have installed portable toilets and hand-washing stations and launched a major vaccine campaign, but Brown said the supply of vaccine available now with federal funding isn’t enough to stem the outbreak. With an emergency declared, the state’s public health department will be able to purchase vaccine stocks from manufacturers directly.
Racial gaps in care for developmentally delayed kids
Black and Hispanic children with developmental delays are less likely to receive early intervention services than white children, and a new study <https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=5e53c604e5&e=4aad33fd68> published in Pediatrics suggests some possible reasons why. Researchers gleaned these main points from interviews with black and Hispanic mothers: They compared their children to others based on their own observations and felt like they didn’t see a difference. They believed that each child develops in her own time. They were skeptical of a doctor’s findings and relied on advice from social circles. They were too busy or had too many other challenges to focus on their child’s delays. And they had limited or conflicting information. Understanding why parents don't seek early interventions for their children could help improve methods for identifying and supporting such children, the researchers wrote.
Sponsor content by the Jackson Laboratory
Where the silver screen meets the genome
Whether joining together pieces of film or our genes, splicing controls how information is conveyed. Olga Anczuków is exploring this fundamental process to discover new treatments for breast cancer. Read here.<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=9a3bcf0579&e=4aad33fd68>
Inside STAT<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=9226a4b317&e=4aad33fd68>: A joint problem becomes a global mystery
[87396691-e5ca-4560-8a09-e04a5b7a5bdb.png]
(Molly Ferguson for STAT)
Louise Carroll spent half a century trying to avoid joint injuries. She was so prone to them that bumping into the sofa could dislocate her knee. As a teenager, she started taping and bandaging her legs and wrists to protect her joints. She was in incredible pain. So what was going on? In the latest<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=9e2e69b9a8&e=4aad33fd68> of our medical mystery stories, STAT contributor Dr. Allison Bond explains how Carroll finally learned what was happening to her, a saga that took her from New Zealand to Texas to Baltimore.
The immune system's role in cancer relapse
How do cancer cells that survive a treatment become revived and spur a relapse? New research<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=74f07bd0c0&e=4aad33fd68> in mice pinpoints a role played by the immune system. A signal released by immune cells called TNF-alpha can help the body fight off tumors, but researchers found that cancer cells that resist treatment can essentially sabotage that signal, turning it into a boost to their growth. The resistant cancer cells also subverted the immune system’s surveillance mechanisms, meaning it basically ignored the multiplication of cancer cells. One positive finding: researchers discovered that the surviving cells were vulnerable to immunotherapies, meaning those treatments could help prevent relapses.
Red Cross deploys first-ever plague treatment center
For the first time ever, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has sent a specialized treatment center to help combat a plague outbreak. The island nation of Madagascar sees plague cases most years, but this year, a more virulent form has prompted worries as it spreads from person to person and has reached urban areas. The number of cases has skyrocketed in the past week, topping 550 as of Friday. The 50-bed treatment center will be staffed both by local medical professionals and an international response team.
What to read around the web today
§ How the drug industry derailed the DEA's war on painkillers. Washington Post/"60 Minutes"<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=fa5d2a87eb&e=4aad33fd68>
§ A condom maker's discovery: Size matters. New York Times<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=0a028c3b67&e=4aad33fd68>
§ Anti-doping agency to ban all gene editing in sports. New Scientist<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=49329f9efa&e=4aad33fd68>
More reads from STAT
§ Flu experts see potential for a nasty winter season<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=d13470fe09&e=4aad33fd68>
§ Doctors fear mental health disclosure<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=e1ac71f9ad&e=4aad33fd68> could jeopardize their licenses
§ The storm has passed, but Puerto Rico faces prolonged recovery<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=221e733701&e=4aad33fd68>
The latest from STAT Plus
§ What became of biotech's boom <https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=59e09e11dd&e=4aad33fd68> beneficiaries?
§ Mohawks argue Allergan patent deal<https://statnews.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f8609630ae206654824f897b6&id=57e908886e&e=4aad33fd68> doesn't deserve Senate scrutiny
Thanks for reading! More tomorrow,
[Megan]
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