Byline: Marla Paul
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Haiti Cholera Strain Evolves
The cholera strain that transferred to Haiti in 2010 has multiple toxin gene mutations that may account for the severity of disease and is evolving to be more like an 1800s version of cholera, reports a new Northwestern Medicine® study.
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Genes Reveal Patients Who Will Benefit from Scleroderma Drug
Systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma, is a rare autoimmune connective tissue disorder that’s difficult to treat. However, thanks to new research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, doctors may be able to treat some patients more effectively.
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New Chemo Drug Found to be Gentler on Fertility, Tough on Cancer
A new gentler chemotherapy drug in the form of nanoparticles has been designed by Northwestern Medicine scientists to be less toxic to a young woman’s fertility but extra tough on cancer. This is the first cancer drug tested while in development for its effect on fertility using a novel in vitro test.
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Antidepressants for Pregnant Moms Don’t Affect Infants’ Growth
Allaying previous concerns, a Northwestern Medicine® scientist found that an infant’s growth was not impacted by its mother taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants during pregnancy.
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Genes Identify Breast Cancer Risk and May Aid Prevention
A newly identified set of genes may predict which women are at high risk for getting breast cancer that is sensitive to estrogen and, therefore, would be helped by taking drugs to prevent it, reports a new Northwestern Medicine® study.
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Study Finds Postpartum Depression Common
Led by Katherine L. Wisner, MD, the large-scale study screened 10,000 women who had recently delivered infants for depression and found that a large percentage suffered recurring episodes.
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Study Finds New Moms Suffer More OCD Symptoms than General Population
In the first large-scale longitudinal study of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the postpartum period, a new Northwestern Medicine® study found 11 percent of women at two weeks and six months postpartum experience significant obsessive-compulsive symptoms compared to 2 to 3 percent in the general population.
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International Study Examines Long-term Effect of Gestational Diabetes on Children
A Northwestern Medicine® study aims to compare the long-term effects of a pregnant woman’s blood sugar levels on her child to the effects of her body weight. The study includes participants from around the world and will also determine a mother’s long-term risk for developing diabetes mellitus.
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Cardiologist Argues Timeline for Hospital Readmissions is Arbitrary
Mihai Gheorghiade, MD, professor of medicine and of surgery, authored an opinion article in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the 30-day readmission rate for heart failure. This rate is used as an indicator of hospital quality and for reimbursement. He argues this timeframe is not a fair performance measure.
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New Method First to Predict Brain Cancer Outcome
Northwestern Medicine researchers developed a new method to predict an individual patient’s brain tumor growth. This growth forecast will enable physicians to quickly identify how well the tumor is responding to a particular therapy.
