Childhood Asthma Treatment: Not One-Size-Fits-All

March 2, 2010 | by

A new study has found the addition of long-acting beta-agonist therapy to be the most effective of three step-up, or supplemental, treatments for children whose asthma is not well controlled on low doses of inhaled corticosteroids alone.

The study was designed to provide needed evidence for selecting step-up care for such children and was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Researchers also identified patient characteristics, such as race, that can help predict which step-up therapy is more likely to be the most effective for a child with persistent asthma.

The study found that almost all of its participants had a different response to the three different treatments. Although adding the long acting beta-agonist step-up was one and one-half times more likely to be the best treatment for most of the study group, many children responded best to other two treatments instead.

The results were presented March 2 at the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans and are published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

NHGRI Launches Online Genomics Center for Educators of Nurses, Physician Assistants

February 26, 2010 | by

An online tool to help educators teach the next generation of nurses and physician assistants about genetics and genomics was launched today by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The tool is part of NHGRI’s effort to address the growing need among health care professionals for knowledge in this area, which is paving the way for more individualized approaches to detect, treat and prevent many diseases.

The Genetics/Genomics Competency Center (G2C2), developed by the University of Virginia in Charlottesville through a contract with NHGRI, is a free, Web-based collection of materials on genetics and genomics designed for educators who train nurses and physician assistants. To access this resource, visit http://www.g-2-c-2.org.

“As we enter the era of personalized medicine, establishing genetic and genomic literacy is an urgent concern for those who educate health professionals. This online resource will provide a valuable new tool for meeting that challenge,” said Jean Jenkins, R.N., Ph.D., NHGRI senior clinical advisor to the director. “In the future, we hope to expand this tool to include other health care professions, such as pharmacists and physicians.”

Emerging Science, Tech Advances Highlight New NIH Common Fund Programs

February 25, 2010 | by

Programs to create a new center for the study of stem cells and to increase capacity to deal with global health issues were among seven scientific initiatives announced today by NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. The seven research programs are supported through the NIH Common Fund, which encourages collaborative research programs across the NIH institutes and centers, or ICs, to accomplish work that no single IC could do alone. The programs are all scheduled to begin during fiscal year 2010.

“These strategic investments will yield critical new resources, scientific knowledge, and strategic partnerships across a broad landscape of basic biology, behavioral science, global health, and clinical medicine,” said Dr. Collins.

The research programs will distribute $17.8 million in NIH Common Fund (http://commonfund.nih.gov) support in fiscal year 2010, and additional funds in future years. These projects capitalize on emerging scientific opportunities and technology advances to fuel biomedical discovery, strengthen the biomedical community nationally and globally, and hasten the translation of science discoveries into new and better treatments.

NIH and FDA Announce Collaborative Initiative to Fast-track Innovations to the Public

February 24, 2010 | by

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health today unveiled an initiative designed to accelerate the process from scientific breakthrough to the availability of new, innovative medical therapies for patients.

The initiative involves two interrelated scientific disciplines: translational science, the shaping of basic scientific discoveries into treatments; and regulatory science, the development and use of new tools, standards and approaches to more efficiently develop products and to more effectively evaluate product safety, efficacy and quality. Both disciplines are needed to turn biomedical discoveries into products that benefit people.

Information on Life after Cancer Now Available on NIHSeniorHealth.gov

February 24, 2010 | by

Older adults who have survived cancer can find out what to expect once treatment ends in Life after Cancer, the newest topic on NIHSenior Health.

Visitors to the site will learn about managing follow-up care, physical and emotional changes, and relationships with family and friends. The topic also addresses how a person’s age and health status can affect recovery and survival. This is important information for older adults who make up about 60 percent of cancer survivors and whose cancer treatments may have been complicated by other aging-related health conditions.

NIHSeniorHealth is a health and wellness Web site geared to the needs of older adults. It was developed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), both part of the National Institutes of Health.