A recent study from the laboratory of Shi-Yuan Cheng, PhD, has identified novel mechanisms underlying RNA splicing events within glioma tumor cells, mechanisms which may serve as novel therapeutic targets, according to findings published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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More NewsFeinberg honored the MD Class of 2024 during the medical school’s 165th commencement ceremony held in the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier on May 13.
Faculty members and fourth-year medical students were recognized for academic and clinical excellence during Feinberg’s Honors Day, held on May 10 in the Hughes auditorium.
A unique genetic variation in the MAPT gene was associated with increased risk of Pick’s disease, a rare form of frontotemporal dementia, according to a recent study published in The Lancet Neurology.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men and is currently the second-leading cause of death in men in the U.S. In 2001, the National Cancer Institute established seven Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) in prostate cancer across the U.S., one of which includes the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University’s Prostate Cancer SPORE.
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how herpes viruses hijack cellular transport processes to infiltrate the nervous system, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Media Coverage
More Media CoverageChicago resident Arthur “Art” Gillespie fell ill in early March 2020 with COVID, after he and his father went to visit an uncle in a nursing facility. “I was hospitalized for 12 days with a high fever and cough, and during that time, they were taking scans of my lungs, which showed stage 1 lung cancer on my right lung,” Gillespie, 56, recalled in a news release. “I had no symptoms of lung cancer, so in a way – because of COVID – we were able to catch the cancer early.” Gillespie had one lung damaged by cancer and the other damaged by COVID, ultimately leaving him with just one last chance for survival. Doctors at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago saved his life through a double-lung transplant that took place in January – the first such procedure involving two lungs damaged by two different ailments, they said. “When Arthur first came to see us in September 2023, even though he looked physically strong, he could barely speak a single sentence without getting short of breath or take a few steps before having to sit down,” Ankit Bharat, MD, chief of thoracic surgery at Northwestern Medicine, said in a news release. “The pressure inside the lungs had also increased to a point that it was causing heart failure, and his only option for survival was a double-lung transplant,” added Bharat, who performed Gillespie’s surgery. “Despite being told ‘no’ by other doctors, Arthur had the courage and determination to keep searching for answers,” Bharat said. “I feel honored that we were able to help him since he spent so many years helping the community as a police captain.”
Do you or a loved one talk in your sleep? It’s a common sleep issue for many, experts say. About 50% of children will talk in their sleep — and typically outgrow it — while only about 5% of adults are nighttime blabbermouths, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. However, about 60% to 65% of adults will experience at least one episode of nighttime speech during their lifetime, the academy said. Sleep talking, or somniloquy, can be connected to mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. A white noise generator or loud fan is a great defense, said Jennifer Mundt, PhD, assistant professor of sleep medicine, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Earplugs or comfortable noise-canceling headphones may also help,” she said. Earplugs come in several forms: expandable foam, pre-molded versions and custom molded, which are created to precisely fit the shape and size of the ear canal. For some people, something as benign as being on vacation or sleeping somewhere new can cause an episode, Mundt said. “At these times your brain is a little more vigilant because you’re in a new environment, and that means you’re more likely to have this partial awakening, where one part of the brain is awake and the other part is asleep,” Mundt said.
New COVID ‘FLiRT’ variants are spreading nationwide. Chicago health experts urge up to date vaccination.
A new family of COVID variants nicknamed “FLiRT” is spreading across the country, as vaccination rates in Chicago — as well as nationwide — remain concerningly low for some public health experts. While symptoms and severity seem to be about the same as previous COVID strains, the new FLiRT variants appear to be more transmissible, said infectious disease expert Robert Murphy, MD, . “A new, more contagious variant is out there,” said Murphy, executive director of Northwestern University’s Institute for Global Health and a professor of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine. “COVID-19 is still with us, and compared to flu and RSV, COVID-19 can cause significant problems off-season.” Murphy urged the public to get up to date on COVID shots, particularly individuals who are at higher risk for severe complications from the virus. While much of the population has some immunity from vaccination or previous COVID infections, Murphy noted that “with COVID-19, immunity wanes over time.”
But How Does the Worm Get in Your Brain?
Humans are typically exposed to tapeworms through raw or undercooked food or through food contaminated with feces. “A lot of these things are transmitted to humans through feces,” said Edith L. Graham, MD, a neurologist at Northwestern Medicine and assistant professor of neurology and hospital neurology. It can take months, or even years, for people to show signs of infection. Symptoms vary based on how many cysts develop and where they are. (Cysts can form in the eyes, muscles and spinal cord.) Generally, though, people with neurocysticercosis experience headaches and seizures, and they sometimes feel confused, struggle to pay attention and have issues with balance. The condition can be fatal. One of the most common parasitic brain infections is toxoplasmosis. The parasite that causes toxoplasmosis can linger in humans for years — potentially, for someone’s entire life — but most people will not develop symptoms. In the United States, severe infections from brain parasites are rare, but in other parts of the world they’re more common. Many of these are preventable, however. Washing your hands thoroughly before eating or preparing food, cooking food properly and ensuring the water you’re drinking is clean are all ways to reduce the risk.