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Introduction
Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
The Food & Health Alliance within the Houston Methodist Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders, Immunology Center and the Fondren Inflammation Collaborative
Houston Methodist Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics
Paula and Joseph C. \u201cRusty\u201d Walter III
Translational Research Initiative
Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research
Infectious Diseases Research Fund
George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Medicine
New Endowed Chairs Positions
EnMed
Center for Bioenergetics
result
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Clinical Research
Outcomes, Quality and Healthcare Performances
Restorative Medicine
Precision Medicine
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Science in Service
of
Medicineresult
President's letter
2022 Metrics
Cycle of Translation
Visionary Gifts of Hope
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Introduction
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Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
The Food & Health Alliance within the Houston Methodist Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders, Immunology Center and the Fondren Inflammation Collaborative
Houston Methodist Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics
Paula and Joseph C. \u201cRusty\u201d Walter III Translational Research Initiative
Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research
Infectious Diseases Research Fund
George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Medicine
New Endowed Chairs Positions
EnMed
Center for Bioenergetics
From Discovery to Clinic
What is \"Discovery to Clinic\"?
Clinical Research
Houston Methodist Conducts First-Ever Study into a Challenging Situation
Can Regulating Cellular Aging Mitigate Both Cancer and Heart Disease?
Innovative Treatment for Chronic Rhinitis is Safe and Effective
Masters of Disguise: Glioblastomas Trick the Immune System by Masquerading as Reproductive Tissue
Improved Options for Patients with Severe Retinal Vascular Disease
A New FDA-Approved Treatment for Sufferers of Chronic Constipation
Houston Methodist joins the Gulf Coast Consortia
Outcomes, Quality and Healthcare Performance
New Findings on RNA Helicases May Yield New Intestinal Disease Therapy
Houston Methodist and Pennsylvania State University Collaborate on a Smartphone App That Could Revolutionize Stroke Diagnosis
New Frontiers to Improve Cardiovascular Medicine and Disease Management
Ongoing Lessons in a Pandemic
Transplants can Boost Survival Rate of Patients with Unresectable Liver Cancers
Telehealth Video Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic \u2013 a Glimpse into the Future?
SARS-CoV-2 Induced Chronic Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Cell Inflammation May Increase Likelihood of Cardiovascular Diseases and Respiratory Failure
Restorative Medicine
Lessening Pain After Knee Replacement Surgery
Do Motor Neurons First Die in the Brain? Study Provides Clues about ALS Origins
Bringing Back Hand Function in People with Complete Spinal Cord Injury
Novel Vascular Engineering Platforms Are a Boon for Bioengineering
Ultra-high-Resolution Scanner Reveals if Knee Injury Advances to Osteoarthritis
Houston Methodist Model Demonstrates Reversal from Heart Failure State, Creating the Potential for Innovative Treatment Avenues
Precision Medicine
Rapidly Scalable, All-Inducible Neural Organoids Could Facilitate Drug Screening for Neurological Diseases
Importance of the Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Risk Assessment and Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
COVID-19 Infection in Crucial Brain Regions May Lead To Accelerated Brain Aging
Interleukin 9 Secreting Polarized T Cells Show Potential in Solid and Liquid Tumor Treatment
The NanoLymph: Implantable. Adaptable. Anti-cancer
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Discovery to Clinic
Clinical Research
A New FDA-Approved Treatment for Sufferers of Chronic Constipation
A New FDA-Approved Treatment for Sufferers of Chronic Constipation
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There is a critical need for a new approach to chronic constipation therapeutics. Nearly half of patients who suffer from chronic constipation report dissatisfaction with the currently available drugs and therapies. Effective pharmaceutical remedies do exist, but their side effects can include cramping and diarrhea. Additionally, a large percentage of patients with chronic idiopathic constipation are elderly and may have medication contraindications.\n\nAn inventive new treatment for chronic constipation, vibrating capsules that stimulate the bowels non-pharmacologically, performed well in a late-stage trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03879239) according to one of the trial investigators, Eamonn Quigley, MD, Director of the Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders and Underwood Chair of Medicine in Digestive Disorders.\n\nThe new treatment involves ingesting a capsule with a tiny microchip programmed to begin vibrating after eight hours, roughly when it is expected to hit the colon. It is manufactured by an Israeli company, Vibrant, based on the same technology that is used in capsule endoscopies.\n\nThis is the first treatment of its kind to vibrate within the gastrointestinal tract. Devices that provide external mechanical stimulation via the abdomen showed promise in clinical trials but have had limited impact since becoming available in Europe.\n\nIn the trial, presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology patients who took the vibrating capsules had an immediate and significant increase in their number of complete, spontaneous bowel movements compared with a group who received a placebo. Those in the treatment group also had significant improvements in secondary outcome measures, including straining, stool consistency and quality of life.\n\n\"After nearly a decade of development, studies, and trial and error, we are excited to see such conclusive evidence that the treatment is safe, well tolerated and effective at improving the bowel and abdominal symptoms that give patients with chronic constipation so much trouble,\" said Quigley. He also noted that the results were not only statistically significant but also clinically significant. Most of the trial participants were averaging only one or two bowel movements per week, and \"doubling that number has a tremendous impact.\"\n\nThe phase 3 trial enrolled 349 patients, 200 of whom received vibrating capsules and 149 receiving a placebo. In those who received the vibrating capsules, the trial found \"a rapid onset of significant increase\" in complete, spontaneous bowel movements within one week and a peak by the third week. The trend persisted thereafter.\n\n\"Most people have experienced severe constipation at some point in their lives,\" Quigley said. \"The associated abdominal bloating and discomfort and the distress caused by attempts to pass a hard stool can severely impact an individual's quality of life. There is a significant need for alternative treatments that really work. With this research and a lot of stick-to-it-iveness, we are excited to have one on the horizon.\"\n\nThe capsule, named Vibrant, recently received marketing authorization from the FDA for the treatment of adult patients with chronic idiopathic constipation who have not experienced relief of their bowel symptoms by using laxative therapies at the recommended dosage for at least one month.
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