News Releases - November 2014 Archives

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0aPjOFWn9c ROCHESTER, Minn. — Before reaching for that daily antacid, you might consider what it’s doing to the trillions of bugs living in your gut. A new Mayo Clinic study in the open access journal Microbiome shows that people who regularly take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have less diversity among their gut bacteria, putting them at increased risk for infections like clostridium difficile and pneumonia, in addition to vitamin deficiencies and bone fractures. MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Smith, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalists: Soundbites with Dr. DiBaise are available in the downloads.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Here are highlights from the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Reprinting is allowed for a fee. Mayo Clinic Health Letter attribution is required. Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Visit http://www.healthletter.mayoclinic.com/ or call toll-free for subscription information, 1-800-333-9037, extension 9771. Full newsletter text: Mayo Clinic Health Letter November 2014 (for journalists only). Full special report text: Mayo Clinic Health Letter Special Report November 2014 (for journalists only). New approaches for relief from irritable bowel syndrome There are new approaches to manage the frustrating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. IBS is a common disorder of the large intestine (colon), characterized by abdominal pain that occurs before or along with diarrhea or constipation. Symptoms can vary widely. For many people, flares of diarrhea may last for a few days followed by periods of remission. Constipation may last for days or even months, along with intermittent diarrhea or normal bowel function. A small number of people with severe IBS have unbearable pain that is constant at times. Multiple factors may contribute to the bowel dysfunction. The foundation of IBS therapy is developing lifestyle, exercise and diet changes that generally facilitate smooth bowel function. Treatment often includes working with a physician or other care provider to develop a plan for regular exercise and management of stress, anxiety and other psychological factors.

ROCHESTER, Minn. —The American Heart Association (AHA) awarded the 2014 Basic Research Prize to Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic. The award, presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular science. Dr. Terzic was commended for pioneering applications of emerging technologies to advance the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. “In the year when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases at Mayo Clinic, we are particularly proud that one of our own has been recognized with such a prestigious national award,” says Charanjit Rihal, M.D., chair of Mayo's Division of Cardiovascular Diseases. “Dr. Terzic has truly advanced the frontiers of medical science. As a pioneer in cardiac regenerative medicine, he and his team have been at the vanguard of health care.” “As we look into the future, the pandemic of cardiovascular disease will mandate new solutions, indeed disruptive innovations, to address the unmet needs of patients and populations across the globe,” Dr. Terzic said when he accepted the prize. “The unison of fundamental discovery with clinical translation — and ultimately application to populations — will provide a guiding principle for generations to come.” MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Schutz, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005,newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. — The investigational drug ixazomib taken orally in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone shows promise in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, according to the results of a phase 1/2 study published in the journal Lancet Oncology. "Ixazomib is an investigational, oral proteasome inhibitor with promising anti-myeloma effects and low rates of peripheral neuropathy," says Shaji Kumar, M.D., a hematologist at Mayo Clinic and lead author of the study. "While it is well known that a combination of bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone is highly effective in treating newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, we wanted to study the safety, tolerability and activity of ixazomib in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hyD9ib3KDU

Boston — A molecule in the blood shows promise as a marker to predict whether individual rheumatoid arthritis patients are likely to benefit from biologic medications or other drugs should be tried, a Mayo Clinic-led study shows. The protein, analyzed in blood tests, may help avoid trial and error with medications, sparing patients treatment delays and unnecessary side effects and expense. The research is among several Mayo Clinic studies presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Boston. Researchers tested blood samples taken before rheumatoid arthritis treatment was given. The patients then were treated with anti-inflammatory biologic drugs, tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, a new class of medications used for rheumatoid arthritis. They found that a protein made by the immune system, type 1 interferon, appears to serve as a valid marker to tell whether individual rheumatoid arthritis patients will respond to biologics, or other medications should be tried. MEDIA CONTACT: Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalists: Sound bites of Dr. Niewold are available in the downloads below.

CHICAGO — Patients with active asthma  — such as any use of asthma medications, and unscheduled office or emergency visits for asthma — are at a twofold risk of having a heart attack, according to Mayo Clinic research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014. Researchers compared 543 patients who had heart attacks with 543 non-heart attack patients of the same age and gender. These patients were treated at health care facilities in Rochester, Minnesota, between 2002 and 2006. The average age of patients was 67 years old, and 44 percent were women. Within the heart attack patient group, 81 patients had asthma, 44 of those with active asthma. After controlling for traditional heart attack risk factors such as age, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol, a history of coronary heart disease, and conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, results showed that patients with inactive asthma were not at an increased risk of heart attack, but those with active asthma were at a 70 percent risk, says Young Juhn, M.D., senior author and Mayo Clinic pediatric and adolescent physician and clinical epidemiologist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdi8vCwvfA4   MIAMI — A chemotherapy regimen consisting of procarbazine, CCNU, and vincristine (PCV) administered following radiation therapy improved progression-free survival and overall survival in adults with low-grade gliomas, a form of brain cancer, when compared to radiation therapy alone. The findings were part of the results of a Phase III clinical trial presented today at the Society for Neuro-Oncology’s 19th Annual Meeting in Miami by the study’s primary author Jan Buckner, M.D., deputy director, practice, at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. “On average, patients who received PCV lived 5.5 years longer than those who received radiation alone,” says Dr. Buckner. “These findings build on results published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2012 and presented at the 2014 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which showed that PCV given with radiation therapy at the time of initial diagnosis prolongs progression free-survival but not overall survival.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees welcomed Mary Sue Coleman, Ph.D., as a new public member at its quarterly meeting today. Dr. Coleman is president emeritus of the University of Michigan, (U-M) an institution she led for 12 years before retiring in July 2014. Time magazine named her one of the nation’s “10 best college presidents,” and the American Council on Education honored her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. She previously was president of the University of Iowa. As University of Michigan president, Dr. Coleman unveiled several major initiatives designed to impact on future generations of students, the intellectual life of the campus, and society at large. The initiatives focused on the interdisciplinary richness of the U-M, student residential life, the economic vitality of the state and nation, global engagement and the value of innovation and creativity. President Obama chose Dr. Coleman to help launch the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, a national effort bringing together industry, universities and the federal government. Click here for a bio of Dr. Mary Sue Coleman. MEDIA CONTACT: Karl Oestreich, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouOpv_tEIsU   ROCHESTER, Minn. — A diagnostic test based on chromosomal rearrangements can trace the lineage of lung cancer to determine whether two separate lung cancers in the same patient are independent tumors or a tumor that has spread to another region of the lung, a Mayo Clinic study has found. For patients with multiple tumors, that distinction could mean the difference between early stage cancer that may be cured by surgery and incurable late-stage disease. The research is published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. “Unfortunately, distinguishing between independent primary tumors and metastasis is a frequent dilemma for pathologists” says Marie-Christine Aubry, M.D., a Mayo Clinic pathologist and co-principal author of the study. “We need better tests to help the clinician match the treatment approach to the patient’s individual needs.” MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Smith, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalists: Soundbites with Dr. Wigle are in the downloads.

PHOENIX—Mayo Clinic in Arizona, in collaboration with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, has begun treating pediatric patients with complex cancers, using a course of outpatient radiation therapy administered on Mayo’s Phoenix campus. Phoenix Children’s Hospital refers pediatric patients to Mayo Clinic for radiation therapy who are experiencing brain tumors, leukemia, Wilms’ tumor, neuroblastomas, sarcomas and some solid tumors, according to Carol Davis, the Ambulatory Business Operations manager for Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Children who are hospitalized at Phoenix Children’s Hospital are transported to Mayo via ambulance, while others come with their parents for the outpatient treatment. Mayo and Phoenix Children’s Hospital have collaborated for a number of years on clinical programs, including pediatric bone marrow transplants and pediatric liver transplants. Radiation Oncology is yet another such collaboration, which maximizes the expertise of both Valley institutions. MEDIA CONTACTS: Lynn Closway, Mayo Clinic, 480-301-4337, Closway.lynn@mayo.edu Stacy Dillier, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, 602-933-0824, Sdillier@phoenixchildrens.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Researchers at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville say they have identified first steps in the origin of pancreatic cancer and that their findings suggest preventive strategies to explore. In an online issue of Cancer Discovery, the scientists described the molecular steps necessary for acinar cells in the pancreas — the cells that release digestive enzymes — to become precancerous lesions. Some of these lesions can then morph into cancer. “Pancreatic cancer develops from these lesions, so if we understand how these lesions come about, we may be able to stop the cancer train altogether,” says the study’s lead investigator, Peter Storz, Ph.D., a cancer biologist. he need for new treatment and prevention strategies is pressing, Dr. Storz says. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive human cancers — symptoms do not occur until the cancer is well advanced. One-year survival after diagnosis is only 20 percent. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in this country. The scientists studied pancreatic cells with Kras genetic mutations. Kras produces a protein that regulates cell division, and the gene is often mutated in many cancers. More than 95 percent of pancreatic cancer cases have a Kras mutation. The researchers detailed the steps that led acinar cells with Kras mutations to transform into duct-like cells with stem cell-like properties. Stem cells, which can divide at will, are also often implicated in cancer. MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Punsky, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 904-953-0746. Email: punsky.kevin@mayo.edu

http://youtu.be/cTjpk2XwSNc JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 9, 2014 — All patients with hepatitis C who receive a liver transplant will eventually infect their new livers. These transplanted organs then require anti-viral treatment before they become severely damaged. But traditional post-transplant hepatitis C therapy can take up to a year, is potentially toxic and can lead to organ rejection. Now, at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (The Liver Meeting® 2014) in Boston, researchers at Mayo Clinic report that use of two new oral medications post-transplant is safe and beneficial, and requires only 12 weeks of treatment. “This is the first study to examine the use of these two new drugs — simeprevir and sofosbuvir — in liver transplant recipients, and, based on this large study, we find it to be a better option than current treatment,” says the study’s lead researcher, Surakit Pungpapong, M.D., a transplant hepatologist and an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Journalists: Soundbites with Dr. Pungpapong are available in the downloads. MEDIA CONTACT: Paul Scotti, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 904-953-0199. Email: scotti.paul@mayo.edu