Research - December 2014 Archives

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Three researchers at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville, Florida have received $1.2 million from the newly funded Florida Health Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Research Program to study various aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. The program was created earlier this year to improve the health of Floridians by researching prevention and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It may not be necessary for experienced gastroenterologists to send polyps they remove from a patient’s colon to a pathologist for examination, according to a large study conducted by physician researchers at the Jacksonville campus of Mayo Clinic. Their 522-patient study, published in the December issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, found that physicians correctly evaluated whether a polyp was precancerous or benign using high-definition optical lenses during a colonoscopy. Their assessment was 96 or 97 percent accurate — depending on which of two generations of scopes was used — compared with a standard pathological evaluation of the polyps. The Mayo Clinic researchers conclude that the pathological polyp examination now required by national practice guidelines may not be necessary — an advance they say could result in substantial cost savings for the patient and the health care system, as well as more rapid information and recommendations for follow-up for the patient.

NUSSLOCH, Germany — Leica Biosystems and Mayo Clinic’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology announced today a collaboration to develop the next generation of cytogenetics imaging software. The new tool will optimize software workflow and improve the overall user experience for cytogenetics imaging technicians. The two organizations intend to help cytogenetics laboratories effectively process increased case loads. Their solution will reduce manual steps in the imaging process through paperless workflow. It will also pioneer secure remote case access, which will enable flexible on- and off-shoring of case reviews. “Our goal is to develop the fastest and most accurate cytogenetic information tool to enhance patient care,” says Patricia Greipp, D.O., co-laboratory director of the Mayo Clinic Cytogenetics Laboratory. “Mayo Clinic now has the opportunity to incorporate its expertise within an imaging solution from Leica that we feel will produce the most sophisticated and efficient cytogenetics analysis tool for the modern cytogenetics laboratory.”

SAN ANTONIO — James Ingle, M.D., an internationally recognized breast cancer expert, will receive the 2014 William L. McGuire Memorial Lecture Award on Dec. 10 at the 2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Dr. Ingle is a professor of oncology and the Foust Professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. He has been the leader of breast cancer research at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, serving as program co-leader of the women's cancer program with responsibility for breast cancer. He is currently co-director of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). SPORE grants are funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and are the major NCI translational research grants in which clinicians and basic scientists work together to conduct the most promising research. Dr. Ingle's research has had a significant impact on clinical practice. He has a long track record of leading or co-leading studies in breast cancer, first with tamoxifen and then with aromatase inhibitors, which are the two major endocrine therapies in breast cancer. More recently, Dr. Ingle has a leadership role in the Mayo Clinic Pharmacogenomic Research Network, leading multiple genome-wide association studies to investigate genetic variability in patients’ response to tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors as well as chemotherapy. This work is central to developing precision medicine in which the right dose of the right drug is given to the right patient.

Mayo Clinic hosting immersion program for innovative medical startups accelerating advances in patient care ROCHESTER, Minn., — Mayo Clinic announced today a new collaboration with Techstars to offer the Techstars++ program. The Techstars++ program will bring together health care entrepreneurs and companies with Mayo Clinic to find innovative solutions to improve patient care at an accelerated pace. Mayo Clinic is the first to participate in this new program. Techstars is a mentorship-driven accelerator program with a track record of helping to develop businesses, especially technology startups. The Techstars++ program offers companies from the Techstars portfolio of 500 alumni companies the opportunity to extend their Techstars experience by spending time on-site and engaging deeply with a corporation/organization - Mayo Clinic in this initial program.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Android users no longer have to miss out on all the research discoveries coming from Mayo Clinic. The newest issue of Discovery’s Edge, Mayo Clinic’s research magazine, is now available on all Android devices, as well as the iPad, online and in print. Research news from Mayo Clinic — however, whenever and wherever you want to read it. Highlights in this issue explore the past, present and future of Mayo Clinic research, including: Biomarker discovery: Staying one step ahead of cancer Read about a 12-month snapshot of how four researchers combined their talents to discover biomarkers that could help specific patients with difficult medical issues. In that time span, the Biomarker Discovery Program — part of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine — found 32 biomarkers using custom algorithms and other innovative approaches that physicians can use to aid patients. Mayo Clinic plugs into drug discovery Collaboration is also the story of Mayo Clinic’s latest partnership — with Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute. Two organizations looking for just the right counterpart to meet a strategic need found each other at just the right time to fast-track drug discovery for Mayo patients. Next generation: Developing tomorrow’s biomedical researchers The path to becoming a biomedical researcher is not for the faint of heart. This issue’s cover story takes a glimpse at three scientists-in-training at Mayo Graduate School and the obstacles they are facing, both personal and professional, as they strive toward careers in research.

John Burnett Jr., M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, has been selected as a winner of GSK’s 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge, which is designed to accelerate the translation of academic research into novel therapies. Dr. Burnett will work with scientists in GSK’s Discovery Partnerships with Academia (DPAc) and the Molecular Discovery Research teams to test their hypotheses and screen targets against GSK’s compound collection. Active compounds could then form the basis of full drug discovery programs that may ultimately lead to innovative medicines for anti-hypertensive agents. Dr. Burnett submitted one of 14 winning proposals, chosen from 428 entries from 234 universities and academic institutes from across 26 countries. Research between Mayo Clinic and GSK will focus on treatments for resistant hypertension. “We see this as a huge need, clinically, and we think our screen could lead to a breakthrough drug for the treatment of resistant hypertension, which is growing worldwide,” said Dr. Burnett.