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Research & Education Stories From Houston Methodist

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Clinical Research

Hoping to Improve Resection Outcomes

Risk-based, protocol-driven post-operative management approaches did not improve surgical outcomes in cancer resection patients.

Study Challenges Standard Surgery Protocols for Patients with High A1C

A new retrospective study suggests that an elevated A1C shouldn’t prevent patients from getting revisional bariatric surgery because it can help treat high blood glucose while having no associated negative effect on postoperative complications.

Keeping An Eye on The Sky

Researcher achieves dream of working with NASA to improve astronauts’ eye health.

Connecting The Link

Houston Methodist researchers have discovered a bidirectional link between chronic sinusitis, anxiety and depression.

Transforming Healthcare Through Reducing Amputations

Houston Methodist researchers provide insights on deep venous arterialization that may play a pivotal role in reducing amputations in chronic limb threatening ischaemia patients.

Personalized Treatment Strategies for Lung Cancer

Houston Methodist researchers identified a novel and innovative marker to guide Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy for Lung Cancer.

Trailblazing New Perspectives: Treating Gynecological Cancers

The goal of this new study was to evaluate the feasibility of a phase three, multi-center randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy of minimally invasive surgery with that of the traditional open method approach (laparotomy) in treating epithelial ovarian cancer.

Evolving Treatment Beyond Pharmaceuticals

First-of-its-Kind Study Explores Novel Prescription Digital Therapeutic

An Unusual Presentation of Glioblastoma

Andrew Lee, MD, Herb and Jean Lyman Centennial Chair in Ophthalmology, recently published one of the first-ever reported cases of progressive vision loss as the presenting manifestation of recurrent GBM with secondary LMS to the optic chiasm.

Engaging T cell Exhaustion for Solid Tumor Immunotherapies

Houston Methodist researchers investigated T cell exhaustion in murine models of prostate cancer and melanoma to explore possible advancements in immunotherapies for solid tumors.

Fighting a Deadly Duo

Investigating therapeutics to fight deadly TB/HIV coinfections.

Houston Methodist, Rice University launch groundbreaking Digital Health Institute to transform the future of health care

This initiative builds on ongoing collaborations between Houston Methodist and Rice University.

Stage I Nodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma Treatment Landscape

Houston Methodist researchers compared systemic therapy and radiation therapy in Stage I Nodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma Patients

2024 Digital Health Workshop Seed Fund Award Winners Announced

Houston Methodist researchers and their collaborators from Rice University have been awarded grants from the 2024 PATHS-UP Digital Health Workshop.

Study Provides Insight Into Alzheimer's Patient Perspective

In a Houston Methodist study, Alzheimer’s disease research participants showed a high interest in genetic testing and provided valuable insights that can improve how test results are disclosed.

Nanomedicine Makes Big Strides in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

Researchers deliver immunotherapy directly into triple-negative breast cancer tumors with nanofluidic implants, achieving tunable and sustained dosing of immunotherapeutics with high anti-tumor activity.

Liver Failure Avengers  Houston Methodist Researchers First in World

Under the leadership of Constance Mobley, MD, PhD, FACS, researchers have successfully performed a first-in-human miniature liver hepatocyte transplant to change a patient’s lymph nodes into ectopic miniature livers.

Predicting the Future of Cancer Treatment

Houston Methodist faculty developed a multiscale mechanistic model to further investigate the role of miR-155 in non-small cell lung cancer and predict clinical efficacy based on preclinical data.

Taking a Closer Look at West Nile Neuroimaging

A case report reviewing West Nile neuroinvasive disease imaging characteristics and the differential diagnosis of acute leukoencephalopathy highlights the usefulness of neuroimaging in WNND diagnosis in the absence of CSF markers.

Ending Organ Transplant Rejection

Studies at Houston Methodist suggest a novel strategy that may potentially eliminate or diminish transplant rejection, autoimmune diseases, and the need for immunosuppressive drugs

Location, Location, Location is Key to Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis

Molecular alterations found in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma samples may have potential therapeutic implications

Helping Patients Pass the Smell Test

In collaboration with Cyrano Therapeutics, Houston Methodist ENT specialist Mas Takashima, MD, is conducting a clinical trial to assess the efficacy of a new treatment for post-viral olfactory dysfunction.

CPRIT Funds Cancer Research

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has awarded $3.4 million in funding to two Houston Methodist cancer researchers for projects to improve cancer prevention in underserved communities and advance the development of more effective multiple myeloma treatments.

Personalizing Stroke Recovery Interventions

Houston Methodist researchers are pioneering a novel, personalized approach to post-stroke rehabilitation by optimizing non-invasive brain stimulation techniques.

Pushing the Envelope of Heart Disease Management

A novel methodology of venous ethanol ablation using a multi-vein, multi-balloon approach may offer new options in managing heart disease.

Saving Limbs: Combatting Arterial Disease

A Predictive Tool to Improve Patient Selection for Peripheral Arterial Disease Interventions

Putting IUS Into Practice

Houston Methodist physician scientists offer practical steps for incorporating IUS into IBD practice including training requirements, equipment, and protocols.

Renal Cell Carcinoma Treatment Landscape and Challenges

Houston Methodist researchers performed a meta-analysis that may help shape the future treatment landscape of renal cell carcinoma.

Liver Transplant and Sleeve Gastrectomy Combine to Give Patients Hope

A proof-of-concept study shows interval-staged liver transplant and sleeve gastrectomy is a good option for high-risk patients who otherwise would not qualify for the procedures.

Not Alone: ‘Many patients assume they are the only ones struggling…’

Educational pamphlets help pregnant women navigate their risk for pelvic floor disorders.

#Scoliosis and Self-Image

Houston Methodist researchers scroll TikTok for insight into patient experiences.

Therapies for Localized Prostate Cancer

Houston Methodist Researchers Examine Two Therapeutic Strategies And Their Impact On Survival For Localized Prostate Cancer.

New Frontiers in Aortic Regurgitation Disease Management

A multicenter study suggests avenues for improved decision-making in asymptomatic aortic regurgitation patients.

Houston Methodist Integral in New Initiative to Combat Antibiotic Resistance

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, PhD, to co-lead a newly awarded, international project to develop a set of rapid diagnostic platforms to detect antibiotic-resistant bacteria in blood samples and identify the appropriate antibiotic.

An Answer to a Transplant Problem

In an effort to maximize living donor kidney utilization, Houston Methodist researchers describe the use of deceased donor vein extension grafts for right-sided living donor kidneys and report single-center experience using this technique.

Guardians of the Galacardins

As an Infectious Diseases Society of America Center of Excellence, The Houston Methodist Antimicrobial Stewardship Program embodies our mission to solve the toughest problems confronting patients.

Could Cardioneuroablation Replace Permanent Pacemakers?

Houston Methodist Researchers Demonstrate the First Case Study in Which Cardioneuroablation Successfully Abolished Heart Block in a Patient with a Triple Orthotopic Heart Transplant.

From the Humble Fly, Great Discoveries are Made

Hyunglok Chung, PhD, has found the Drosophila fruit fly a key partner in discovering ultra-rare and previously unknown diseases, as well as developing new treatments for already known maladies.

Cell Division Aberrations Caused by Cigarette Smoke Could Help Detect Cancer Early

Houston Methodist researchers have found that exposure to cigarette smoke can induce both centrosome amplification and clustering in normal lung epithelial cells, making them cancerlike.

Complementing Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

Complement protein 5 inhibitors have emerged as a new line of treatment for the debilitating neuromuscular disorder. Now, a clinical study at Houston Methodist is testing the drugs’ long-term efficacy and safety.

New FDA-Approved Drug Could Be the Much-Awaited Panacea for Alzheimer’s

A phase III clinical study is testing lecanemab in slowing the onset of cognitive decline.

An Ongoing Phase II Clinical Trial for Bladder Cancer

Combining Neoadjuvant Drug Sasanlimab and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy May Improve The Quality Of Life In Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients

Antimicrobial Resistance Research is DYNAMITE at Houston Methodist

Houston Researcher leads multi-institutional NIH P01 to tackle antimicrobial resistance termed DYNAMITE: Dynamics of Colonization and Infection by Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens in Immunocompromised and Critically Ill Patients

Do Motor Neurons First Die in the Brain? Study Provides Clues about ALS Origins

Transcranial rotating permanent magnet stimulation on ALS patients provides insights into the pathogenesis of the debilitating motor neuron disease.

Houston Methodist joins the Gulf Coast Consortia

Consortia is comprised of eight hospitals, medical schools and research entities in the Texas Medical Center

A New FDA-Approved Treatment for Sufferers of Chronic Constipation

A capsule designed to vibrate in the GI tract to stimulate the bowels accelerates movement in the field of chronic constipation.

Houston Methodist Conducts First-Ever Study into a Challenging Condition

Functional Defecatory Disorder study finds key differences in activation patterns of patients' brains

Can regulating cellular aging mitigate both cancer and heart disease?

Can regulating cellular aging mitigate both cancer and heart disease?

Improved options for patients with severe retinal vascular disease

In Phase III clinical trials, faricimab met noninferiority endpoints against current drug, aflibercept, to treat diabetic macular edema and neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Innovative Treatment for Chronic Rhinitis is Safe and Effective

Takashima and his team conducted a multi-institutional trial to determine the safety and efficacy of temperature-controlled radiofrequency (RF) neurolysis of the posterior nasal nerve area for the treatment of chronic rhinitis.

Rare wrist bone fusion sighting in collegiate baseball pitcher

In a serendipitous finding, Houston Methodist orthopedic surgeons discover a rare bilateral carpal fusion in the wrist of a high-level collegiate athlete.

Masters of disguise: Glioblastomas trick the immune system by masquerading as reproductive tissue

By conducting an in-depth analysis of four glioblastoma transcriptome databases Houston Methodist researchers have found that glioblastoma expresses a variety of male- and placental-specific proteins to lure regulatory T cells into protecting rather than attacking it.

Novel drug combination can target triple-negative breast cancer for treatment

In a Phase I/II clinical trial, Houston Methodist researchers paired a conventional chemotherapy drug with a pan-nitric oxide synthase inhibitor to successfully target triple-negative breast cancers.

Houston Methodist researchers review the similarities and contrasts of amphibian regeneration and mammalian cancer from an evolutionary biology perspective

Investigators speculated that susceptibility to cancer development in adult mammals may be determined by the loss of an advanced regenerative capability during evolution.

Houston Methodist and Purdue University Make a Breakthrough That May Result in a More Effective Tuberculosis Vaccine

A recombinant bovine adenoviral mucosal vaccine expressing mycobacterial antigen-85B generates robust protection against tuberculosis in mice

Houston Methodist researchers identify over 50 long-term effects of COVID-19

Lingering symptoms range from mild to debilitating and last for weeks to months after recovery

The COVID-19 virus SARS-COV-2 affects the brain and may cause long-range complications

Mounting evidence suggests that the SARS-COV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19 causes neurological complications in addition to the signature respiratory symptoms.

George and Angelina Kostas Gifts Help Houston Methodist Become Leaders in Heart and Vascular Nanotechnology Research

A generous gift from the Kostases allowed the Houston Methodist Academic Institute to begin operations at the George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine in 2014.

Cancer cell type (seed) and tumor microenvironment (soil) control therapeutic antibody delivery and efficacy

Primary tumor cells (seed) and metastatic organs (soil) determine complex tumor microenvironment heterogeneities- a major cause of resistance against immunotherapeutics, including immune checkpoint inhibitors important in breast cancer treatment strategies.

Semantic dementia study yields new findings

Inflammation research uncovers likely therapeutic target for neurodegenerative aphasia disorder

Poly ADP Ribose Polymerase 9 (PARP9):

A novel role of Poly ADP Ribose Polymerase 9 (PARP9) as a non-canonical RNA sensor suggests a potential for therapeutic interventions to control RNA virus infections.

Acetyl-CoA Synthetase 2 connects obesity and myeloma pathogenesis

Comprehensive detailed analyses using mouse models and cell lines identify acetyl CoA synthetase 2 as a pivotal player controlling the dynamic communication between adipocytes and myeloma cells during myeloma pathogenesis.

New Findings Offer Improved Therapy for Early-Stage, BRCA Mutation-Associated Breast Cancer

New treatment demonstrates it has the potential to improve the outcomes for patients with hereditary BRCA mutations

The Heart of Progress

Innovative valves continue DeBakey legacy for the future

Antibody to Fight Silent Killers

Joining forces to block MFAP5 protein in killer cancers

Revolutionizing Stroke Recovery

TRPMS cap reveals—and recovers—brain function

Strides in Dialysis Access

Eric Peden, MD, performs first minimally invasive surgery

Plasma Therapy Proves Transformative

First to offer clinical trial and publish a study, Houston Methodist sees happy outcome for COVID-19 patient

Antiviral May Offer New Treatment Option

New antiviral drug tested for COVID-19 patients

Trials Aim to Calm Cytokine Storms

Trials Aim to Calm Cytokine Storms

Safe Refuse for N95s

System Quality & Patient Safety teams develop autoclaving protocol

Remdesivir Proves Promising

Antiviral drug trial sees fast improvement for Houston Methodist patients

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