Monday, July 24, 2023
Structure of Opioid Receptors May Reveal How to Better Design Pain Relievers, Addiction Therapies
Opioids remain the most potent and effective pain relievers in medicine, but they’re also among the most addictive drugs that can halt a person’s ability to breathe during an overdose — which can be deadly. Researchers have been racing to develop safer pain reliever drugs that target a specific opioid receptor, called the kappa opioid receptor, that is only found in the central nervous system and not elsewhere in the body, like other opioid receptors. Previous research suggests that such drugs may not lead to addiction or death due to overdose, but the currently known drugs that target these kappa opioid receptors have their own set of unacceptable side effects, including depression and psychosis.
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
New Innovation in CAR T-Cells Paves Way for Less Toxic Therapy Against Multiple Myeloma
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers engineered a new type of CAR T-cell therapy that, in preclinical studies, selectively attacked cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, potentially reducing the likelihood of toxic side effects from this innovative cancer treatment. The cells were designed specifically to attack multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells found in the body’s bone marrow.
Monday, July 17, 2023
Researchers from the Institute of Human Virology Discover that a Bacterial Protein Causes Genomic Instability and Contributes to Reduced Fertility, and Birth Defects
A team of researchers from the University of Maryland School of Maryland’s (UMSOM) Institute of Human Virology (IHV), a Center of Excellence of the Global Virus Network (GVN), published new findings that emphasize the crucial role of the urinary and genital tract microbiota in adverse pregnancy outcomes and genomic instability that originate in the womb during fetal development.
Friday, June 30, 2023
Lessons Learned from World’s First Successful Transplant of Genetically-Modified Pig Heart into Human Patient
A new study published today in the Lancet has revealed the most extensive analysis to date on what led to the eventual heart failure in the world's first successful transplant of a genetically-modified pig heart into a human patient. This groundbreaking procedure was conducted by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) physician-scientists back in January 2022 and marked an important milestone for medical science.
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Dr. Wonder Puryear Drake Appointed to the Role of Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Director of New Center of Excellence at UM School of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today that Wonder Puryear Drake, MD has been named Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Director of the Sarcoidosis Program at UMSOM, and faculty member in the Department of Medicine.
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Mpox Vaccine Trial for Adolescents, Children Begins at UM School of Medicine
A 2022 outbreak of mpox (formerly monkeypox) sickened more than 30,000 people and caused 38 deaths in the United States. It highlighted the lack of an approved vaccine for those under 18 years old. To address this pressing need, faculty-scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) recently launched a phase 2 safety trial to test a vaccine in adolescents ages 12 to 17.
Monday, June 19, 2023
University of Maryland, Baltimore Leadership Helps IHV-Nigeria Launch State-of-the-Art Campus in Public Healthcare, Treatment Training, and Research in Nigeria
The Institute of Human Virology-Nigeria (IHV-Nigeria), an affiliate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Institute of Human Virology (IHV), recently announced the launch of its state-of-the-art multi-campus of excellence in public healthcare, treatment training, and research to bring quality health services within the reach of millions of Nigerians.
Tuesday, June 06, 2023
Hospital Infection Control Experts Question Validity of Public Reporting Metrics, New Study Finds
Infections spread in hospitals and other healthcare settings cause over 680,000 infections and 72,000 patient deaths in the U.S. every year. Surveillance and reporting of these infections to government entities has become a key part of hospital infection control programs, yet infection control experts question the effectiveness of these measures at protecting public health. That is the finding of a new survey led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Results were published last week in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Friday, June 02, 2023
Multiple Sclerosis More Prevalent in Black Americans Than Previously Thought
Multiple sclerosis has traditionally been considered a condition that predominantly affects white people of European ancestry. However, a new analysis conducted by a North American team led by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers suggests that the debilitating neurological condition is more prevalent in Black Americans than once thought. It is also far more prevalent in Northern regions of the country including New England, the Dakotas, and the Pacific Northwest.
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
University of Maryland School of Medicine Receives One of the Largest Gifts in its History to Establish Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine
With an urgent mission to address the alarming rise in drug overdose deaths, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) has announced plans to open the new Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine. It will be funded with a $10 million gift from the Maryland-based Kahlert Foundation with an additional $10 million provided by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and $5 million from UMSOM to renovate research facilities on campus. UMSOM has committed to raise an additional $5 million in philanthropic donations for the Kahlert Institute.