Volunteers are being recruited for the study of a new treatment that could spell long-lasting relief for patients with moderate to severe asthma. Performing a new procedure called Bronchial Thermoplasty, physicians apply a small amount of thermal energy to the airway to help patients breathe easier with less reliance on medications. The procedure, being tested by lung experts at Baylor College Medicine and other sites internationally, involves no incisions or major anesthesia. As part of the clinical trial (called the AIR2 Trial), asthma patients with moderate to severe asthma who are between 18 and 65 years of age, are non-smokers, and take medication daily to control their asthma may be eligible to participate. Patients interested in receiving more information can call the Baylor Asthma Clinical Research Center at 713-798-2681 or the national study hotline at 1-866-400-AIR2, or they can visit http://www.air2trial.com/ …

TAK1, an enzyme known to play key roles in early development and immunity, is a pivotal element in a genetic pathway that regulates cells' ability to sense the need for energy, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "What we found was a totally serendipitous and unpredicted essential role for this kinase (TGF-beta-activated kinase-1) as an indispensable regulator of the cell's energy sensor, known as AMP-activated protein kinase or AMPK," said Dr. Michael Schneider, the M. D. Anderson Foundation Professor in the Department of Medicine at BCM. He credited Drs. Min Xie and Dou Zhang, both postdoctoral students at BCM, with taking the lead in performing the experiments in the study. The AMPK pathway is activated when energy levels fall in cells, said Schneider. "Having high AMP is reflective of energy starvation, and the consequence is to activate the …

Volunteers are being recruited for a cholesterol study at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to raise "good" cholesterol while reducing "bad" levels at the same time. The study, part of an international initiative called AIM HIGH (Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes), will evaluate the usefulness of a comprehensive solution for cholesterol patients by testing a refined version of the vitamin niacin, a known HDL booster, in conjunction with statins, which lower LDL. A low HDL level is the most common cholesterol problem found in people with heart disease. Men or women with low HDL readings (less than 40 for men and less than 50 for women) are encouraged to enroll. Prospective study participants for the study can call 713-798-3171.

A novel combination therapy drastically reduces the infection rate of three viruses – and risk of death – in transplant patients with compromised immune systems. The findings, to be reported in the Nov. 1 print edition of Nature Medicine, originate from a study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital. The journal has posted the findings online. The phase 1 trial, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, tested the first multivirus killer of its kind, called Trivirus - specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which control infections caused by three commonplace viruses – cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and adenovirus. Although benign in people with normal immune systems, the viruses can cause life-threatening illnesses in transplant patients and others with compromised immune systems. The CTLs proved …

s the survival rate of premature births increases, doctors are finding many of these children suffer from vision problems stemming from brain damage and underdevelopment. These problems can lead to learning or developmental difficulties. Dr. Jane Edmond, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said premature babies are more likely to suffer form Attention Deficit Disorder, so these complications can make matters worse. “These children will most likely do well on vision chart tests,” said Edmond. “But they will have a hard time with visual memory, or seeing moving objects.” Edmond said these children become lost easily and have difficulty singling out specific items in a group, like toys or words on a page. There may also be problems in the lower parts of the peripheral vision, which can make climbing stairs or reaching for objects challenging. “The vision problems are caused …