Public release date: 26-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Fessenden james.fessenden@umassmed.edu 508-856-2000 University of Massachusetts Medical School

WORCESTER, MA Organisms employ a fascinating array of strategies to identify and restrain invasive pieces of foreign DNA, such as those introduced by viruses. For example, many viruses produce double-stranded (ds)RNA during their life cycle and the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism is thought to recognize this structural feature to initiate a silencing response.

Now, UMass Medical School researchers have identified a mechanism related to RNAi that scans for intruders not by recognizing dsRNA or some other aberrant feature of the foreign sequence, but rather by comparing the foreign sequences to a memory of previously expressed native RNA. Once identified, an "epigenetic memory" of the foreign DNA fragments is created and can be passed on from one generation to the next, permanently silencing the gene.

A remarkable feature of this RNAi-related phenomenon (referred to as RNA-induced epigenetic silencing, or RNAe), is that the animal carries a memory of previous gene expression. This memory of active genes serves as an "anti-silencing" signal, which protects native genes from RNAe and under some circumstances appears to adopt foreign genes as self. These findings, described in three studies (including a study by Eric Miska and colleagues of the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge and Wellcome Trust, UK) published online yesterday and to appear in the July 6 issue of Cell, provide new insights into how identical organisms can have the same DNA sequence but opposite patterns of gene expression and thus dramatically different phenotypes.

"If a worm modulates gene expression by carrying a memory of the genes it expressed in previous generations, perhaps other organisms (including humans) can as well. If so, mechanisms of this type could have an important impact on evolution," said Craig C. Mello, PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine and distinguished professor of molecular medicine and cell biology. "The RNAe mechanism could accelerate evolutionary change by increasing heritable phenotypic variation (without the need for DNA mutations). There is growing evidence that many organisms can track and respond epigenetically to gene expression patterns. Our findings provide insight into a whole new level of sophistication in the recognition and memory of gene expression programs."

Dr. Mello and colleagues knew that when a foreign piece of DNA encoding the green fluorescent protein, or GFP, was inserted into the small roundworm C. elegans, some of the worms would silence the newly introduced DNA while others would express the GFP gene. They then explored a role for RNAi in the decision to silence or express GFP. RNAi is a process whereby cells modulate the activity of their genes. In RNAi-related phenomena, Argonaute proteins interact with and use small RNAs as little genetic guides to recognize target nucleic acids through base-pairing interactions.

Based on their findings, Mello and colleagues posit a model comprised of three separate Argonaute systems that work together to scan, identify and silence foreign DNA, while protecting the expression of normal genes. In this system, an Argonaute called PRG-1 (Piwi) bound to piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) is responsible for scanning molecules of RNA as they leave the nucleus of the cell and determining if they are indigenous to the organism or foreign. If PRG-1 and its piRNA cofactors identify a foreign sequence, it initiates (or activates) the second Argonaute system, known as WAGO, which turns the genetic material off so it can't be expressed.

Once the DNA is identified as foreign and silenced, an epigenetic memory is created that silences the foreign gene from one generation to the next. While the inheritance of this memory requires further exploration, the authors showed that successive generations of C. elegans are unable to express the foreign DNA even if the corresponding piRNA is absent.

"It appears that piRNAs are responsible for the initial scanning and identification of foreign nucleic acids," said Darryl Conte Jr., PhD, research assistant professor of molecular medicine and one of the co-authors on the Cell papers. "Because the foreign DNA in successive generations is being silenced, even in worms that don't have the piRNA, the information necessary for silencing is being passed on epigenetically and independently of the initial scanning done by the piRNA complex in the previous generations."

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UMass Medical School researchers discover a new role for RNAi

The Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine took a "gigantic" step toward full accreditation by meeting standards set up by the Liaision Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the school's dean, Dr. Cynda Johnson said.

The "provisional" accreditation will move into the fully accredited category once the school's charter class graduates in 2014, Dr. Johnson explained.

The LCME spent three days on campus last January.

The "provisional" status means the school met or exceeded standards for learning, teaching, and other categories such as staff support.

Dr. Johnson said the school received 3,250 applicants for the 42 positions in its current class, which is the second class for the school.

Dr. Johnson also said the school is meeting national and regional accreditation standards faster than what is mandated.

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VT-C medical school takes "gigantic step" toward full accreditation

Grand Rapids Medical Mile, which includes the new Michigan State University College of Human Medicine complex. Matt Roush photo

GRAND RAPIDS The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Grand Valley State University have agreed to establish a cooperative program of premedical and medical education by which Grand Rapids Community College students who transfer as undergraduate premedical students to GVSU will have the opportunity to be granted an early assurance of admission to MSUs med school.

The Early Assurance Program became official at an agreement signing ceremony held Monday at GRCC.

Gilda Gely, GRCC provost; Gayle R. Davis, GVSU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; Kim Wilcox, MSU provost; and Marsha D. Rappley, dean of the MSU College of Human Medicine, were joined by other school administrators at the signing.

The EAP will provide an enhanced opportunity for admission to medical school for GRCC students transferring to GVSU as pre-medical students who are interested in serving traditionally underserved populations. These students will receive academic advising directed at admission to MSU College of Human Medicine, and will be enrolled in a program of enriching clinical and service experiences in preparation for admission.

Under the agreement, MSU College of Human Medicine is increasing the number of EAP seats it reserves at the medical school for GVSU from five seats to six seats, in order to include an opportunity for students that have transferred from GRCC to GVSU as pre-med students. According to MSU administrators, in the fall of 2011 they received more than 6,250 applicants for the 200 seats available for first-year students. In addition to GRCC and GVSU, 11 other colleges and universities, including Michigan State University, participate with the EAP. GRCC is the first community college to be part of an Early Assurance Program agreement.

Preference for EAP admission will be given to those former GRCC students who now apply as a GVSU student and may not otherwise be familiar with what goes into preparing for premedical and medical school application processes.

These students must also meet one or more of the following criteria: are a first generation college student graduate from an underserved high school as defined by the U.S. Dept. of Education are eligible for or a recipient of an undergraduate Pell or institutional need-based grant graduate from an underserved (health professional shortage) urban or rural area demonstrate interest in a high need medical specialty area

Nick Monsma, a senior at GVSU, attended the signing. He will be the first student to enroll in the program. Monsma, a Grand Rapids native, attended GRCC then transferred to Grand Valley. He was admitted to the MSU CHM in the spring and will begin classes in the fall of 2013.

I think this is an amazing opportunity; Im looking forward to going to school at Michigan State, Monsma, a biomedical sciences major, said.

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Partnership Provides Enhanced Opportunity For MSU Medical School

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) A proposal to change higher education in New Jersey has cleared another legislative hurdle, paving the way for final passage on Thursday.

The far-reaching plan combines Rowan University and Rutgers' Camden campus in a quasi-merger and breaks up the University of Medicine and Dentistry, allocating its medical/dental school to Rutgers and its South Jersey osteopathic school to Rowan. The bill makes Rowan a research university, a designation that allows for more funding and greater autonomy in awarding contracts and soliciting bids. UMDNJ's money-losing teaching hospital, University Hospital, would continue to operate as a nonprofit. University Hospital in Newark is the state's largest charity care provider.

The proposal has rocketed through the Legislature this month despite objections from the academic community, ongoing concerns about University Hospital's viability and unanswered questions about its costs. It was advanced unanimously Monday, though several of the legislators who approved it expressed reservations about the bill as it's currently drafted.

Gov. Chris Christie proposed a version of the higher ed restructuring in January, and it has the backing of powerful South Jersey Democrat George Norcross III. Christie imposed a June 30 deadline for the framework for the overhaul to be in place, but it's unclear whether the governor supports all the changes the bill has undergone.

The 100-page proposal morphed again Monday, as 50 pages of amendments were distributed. One allows the deal to be killed if it jeopardizes the osteopathic school's accreditation. Another requires the state to adequately fund University Hospital so it continues to provide safety-net health care. An amendment added Thursday requires Rutgers to accept all of the deal, or none of it. A change added Monday shields the university from medical malpractice claims initiated before the merger.

However, no one knows how much it will cost.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski described the costs as "one of the imponderables of this legislation." He said the figures would come within the year as groundwork for the merger is being laid.

The Assembly Budget Committee heard more than two hours of testimony mostly from opponents before recessing for six hours while the latest changes were drafted. The panel returned to session about 9:30 p.m. and voted a half hour later to forward the bill to the full Assembly. Both houses are set to take final tallies on the legislation Thursday.

Dudley Rivers, vice chairman of the Rutgers Board of Trustees, said the bill poses enormous opportunity and equally onerous risks, many of which could be mitigated if the bill were tweaked further.

For example, he said a provision transferring Rutgers-Camden's property to a new joint governing board would force Rutgers to refinance $950 million in debt at a cost of $155 million. That one-time cost could be eliminated, he said, if the clause transferring Rutgers-Camden's assets is removed from the bill.

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Medical school students oppose university merger

By Bloomberg News - 2012-06-24T16:00:00Z

China, where 260 million people suffer from cancer, diabetes and other diseases, is in a hurry to bolster its medical services. Investors are ready to help.

The latest is Carlyle Group LP-backed Concord Medical Services Holdings Ltd. (CCM), which last week completed a deal for a 52 percent stake in Changan Hospital, a 1,000-bed facility at the eastern end of the Silk Road. The acquisition comes three months after China announced it wants 20 percent of its hospital beds privately owned by 2015. Other investors in China include Kuala Lumpur-based IHH Healthcare Bhd. (IHH), Asias biggest hospital operator, which plans to build a hospital in Shanghai, to add to seven clinics it owns in Shanghai and one in Chengdu.

The push for private hospitals in China is part of a broader drive to improve care in a country where 95 percent of people had health insurance as of 2011. Chinas medical services market is growing 18 percent annually and projected to reach 3.16 trillion ($500 billion) in 2015, accountancy firm Deloitte China said.

Chinas gross domestic product has grown by leaps and bounds, but the quality of medical care has lagged far behind, said David Chow, chairman of Harvest Medical Investment and Operation Group, a Taiwanese private equity firm thats planning to buy stakes in mainland hospitals this year. The potential for Chinas hospitals to improve is massive, both in the overall number of beds and the fees charged for each bed.

As of last year, China had 3.7 million hospital beds, up 54 percent from 2005. Besides an increase in the proportion of beds run by private operators -- it was 12 percent last year -- the government wants at least one or two hospitals in each of its 2,853 counties by the end of 2015, according to an outline of the countrys health-care policies.

Annual revenue from private hospitals in China may reach 2.4 trillion yuan ($377 billion) by 2015, said Yvonne Wu, national life science and health care industry leader at Deloitte China in Shanghai.

The targets could translate to 400,000 new private hospital beds over the next few years, said Roberta Lipson, chief executive officer of hospital operator Chindex International Inc. (CHDX)

U.S- and European-owned companies previously had a hard time entering the Chinese hospital market and tended to invest instead in clinics and diagnostic centers. They have only been able to independently invest in hospitals since Jan. 30, when the government took the industry off a so-called restricted list that required non-Chinese investors to have a local partner and capped foreign ownership at 70 percent.

Chindex, based in Bethesda, Maryland, started Chinas first foreign-owned hospital in Beijing in 1997, six years after commencing negotiations with the government, Lipson said. It took only a year to obtain a license to operate Chindexs latest hospital, in the port city of Tianjin, she said.

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China Medical Services Market Seen Hitting $500 Billion

Robi Domingo (NPPA Images)Robi Domingo may have his hands full as host of ABS-CBNs new reality show I Dare You. But he revealed that he might get into medical school next year and quit showbiz.

Yes. (Showbiz) no more, he revealed at the launch of The Body Shops cruelty-free Lily Cole makeup line at the Mall of Asia last Thursday, June 21.

Ironically, Robis revelation came at a time when he admits enjoying showbiz.

It has been really weird, awkward, but duringI thinkor (towards) my fifth year, Im beginning to enjoy everything because when I started last to 2008 up to 2012 I was doing some school things at the same time. At least (for) now its just thinking about showbiz, not school anymore. Its not the typical kind of thing for me before that youll be going to school, to Ateneo then going to ABS after, the Pinoy Big Brother alumnus said.

Love life

Robi was not as open about his love life, though. He regretted talking about it for the first time in a TV show and is afraid discussing it again might get him in trouble. Hed rather talk about I Dare You, which Robi describes as more intense and more challenging, as it will feature more than the one-day immersion seen in the the previous season.

Hosting the show with Robi are John Prats, Pinoy Big Brothers Deniesse Joaquin, and I Dare You first season host Melai Cantiveros.

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What will make Robi quit showbiz?

by MARK WIGGINS / KVUE News and photojournalist JUSTIN TERRY

kvue.com

Posted on June 22, 2012 at 8:54 PM

Updated yesterday at 10:02 PM

AUSTIN -- The project to create a new medical school and teaching hospital at the University of Texas has been championed by State Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin) and UT president Bill Powers, both of whom sat down with KVUE Friday to explain their vision.

"The estimates indicate that it would be about 15,000 jobs and roughly $2 billion in economic activity," said State Sen. Watson, who has been spearheading the effort since 2011. "That's an enormous boom to our economy."

Both say the project would improve health care quality and access in Central Texas, and Powers believes such an improvement could provide added incentive for businesses and business leaders to move to Austin.

"They look at health care," said Powers. "They want to be in places that are on the cutting edge and have robust health care systems, and by improving the health of Central Texans, and really Texans, it will have an impact on the economy in that way too."

Proponents of the project say the need stems from a shortage of doctors and specialists in Austin, as well as an interest in expanding medical research already in place at UT.

"What we don't have are the clinical trials, the place to make that research translational, that can work with the medical community," explained Powers, who says the project will help tie together various research arms and university assets in a practical environment.

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State Sen. Watson, UT's Powers make case for med school

The foundation will give $7.5 million for start-up costs and a $7.5 million dollar-for-dollar endowment challenge grant to each of the medical school's two partners - the University of Tulsa and the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa.

This gift is not only the largest in the history of the foundation but also equal to about half of the total donations in the foundation's history, said Trustee R.H. Harbaugh.

Mary K. and John T. Oxley, who established the foundation in 1985, were Tulsans "through and through" and would be "very proud today to hear of this new commitment," Harbaugh said. "We look forward to working with you to make Tulsa a more healthy, happy and productive community."

TU President Steadman Upham, OU President David Boren and OU-Tulsa President Gerard Clancy presented Harbaugh and Oxley Foundation Program Officer Konnie Boulter with white lab coats as symbolic gifts to mark the commitment.

The announcement at the Wayman Tisdale Specialty Health Clinic attracted a large crowd of local leaders, including Mayor Dewey Bartlett, Tulsa Metro Chamber President Mike Neal, state Rep. Jabar Shumate, regents and trustees from OU and TU, and several Tulsa physicians.

Boren said the gift marks a "transformational moment" for the area.

The new school will train primary-care physicians to treat underserved areas, especially poor parts of Tulsa.

Forty percent of the city's population live in an area with only 4 percent of the city's physicians, and north Tulsans on average have a life expectancy seven years shorter than their south Tulsa neighbors, Boren said.

"We really felt a moral imperative ... to do something about it, and that's what we celebrate today because we're going to create a future far different from our present course," he said.

For decades, OU has been graduating physicians at its Tulsa school. The students spent their first two years of medical school studying pure science at Oklahoma City's OU Health Sciences Center and the second two years in clinical instructions in Tulsa.

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Oxley Foundation makes $30 million commitment to Tulsa medical school

In only a few years, thousands of commuters headed to jobs and classes will arrive daily at a redesigned Metro Rail station serving as a hub for the new University at Buffalo medical school and a teeming Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

Thats the vision that officials from UB and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority presented Thursday as they pledged cooperation toward integrating the current Allen/Medical Campus Metro Station into the new medical school complex.

This is a statement that we are committed to working together to come up with the best plan that meets the interests of transportation in Western New York and serves the interests of the medical school so we can make a determination of where we go, said Dennis R. Black, UBs vice president for university life and services.

The idea, the officials said, is to implement plans long on the drawing board to move the current medical school from the South Campus into a new building of at least seven stories over the Allen/Medical Campus Station.

The move aims to provide a viable transportation alternative that will mitigate the need to park even more cars on a burgeoning medical campus, while adding a touch of the urban vitality common to subway corridors in bigger cities like New York or Toronto.

The $350 million project is vital to moving workers, students, patients and visitors in and out of a neighborhood expected to become one of the citys major employment centers, UB officials said.

Its an urban setting, and it has to allow for patient and visitor access, Black said. If everybody who came there brought their own car, wed have to have a structure almost as tall as the HSBC building.

Thats not real, its not environmentally friendly, and it would be incredibly costly, he added. And we have alternatives.

Black and a contingent of UB officials, including Robert G. Shibley, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, presented their ideas to NFTA commissioners Thursday. They noted the Allen/Medical Campus Station will remain essentially unchanged below the surface and along the rail line when the project is completed in 2016.

But the surface portion will serve as the cornerstone of the new medical school building, leading to a glass atrium covering an extended Allen Street for pedestrian traffic into the rest of the medical campus. Black said planners also will study the potential for shops and restaurants as part of the atrium.

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Downtown medical school tied to subway

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Oxley Foundation says it will donate $30 million for the proposed Tulsa School of Community Medicine.

The planned school will be a partnership between the University of Tulsa and the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. The universities say they're creating the 4-year community medical education program to help address Oklahoma's physician shortage.

Oxley Foundation trustee R.H. Harbaugh says the gift is the largest commitment the foundation has ever undertaken

Tulsa television station KOTV reports (http://is.gd/hIjPEw ) that the first class at the Tulsa School of Community Medicine is expected to start in fall 2015.

Information from: KOTV-TV, http://www.newson6.com

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Planned Tulsa medical school gets $30M donation

CAMDEN Cooper Medical School of Rowan University will hold a grand opening July 24 and welcome its charter class on Aug. 13.

We move into the building in July, and we have our class of 50 set, said Dr. Paul Katz, founding dean of CMSRU on Wednesday. We have a really great group that matches our mission. We had 2,900 applicants and interviewed a little more than 300. We wanted to make sure we got the right 50 students, students who understand our school and what were about.

Katz said 72 percent of the students are residents of New Jersey, 28 are women, 22 are men and 24 percent are underrepresented in medicine, which is twice the national average.

Our mission has been diversity and inclusivity, said Katz. We also have a significant percentage of students who are disadvantaged. The typical metrics are comparable to all students admitted at MD-granting schools, so its a very competitive group. We also have a lot of students with interesting life experiences which will contribute to learning. A fair number of our students are not coming directly from college. Some are coming from other careers, others from graduate schools and others from a unique array of experiences.

Katz said CMSRU did not have any applicants from the city of Camden, though he believes that will change for next year.

The grand opening, he said, will mostly serve to thank everyone who has participated in the medical schools progress. The orientation for students will begin on their first day.

College to medical school is a big jump, said Katz. Youre taught differently, and there are different expectations. When they walk into the medical school, they will be considered professionals and will be judged on what they do and how they act 24/7.

During the orientation, Katz said CMSRU staff will talk to students about what it means to be a physician and the responsibility that comes with the position.

Physicians have the ability to enter peoples lives in ways most occupations do not, he said. We expect them to understand their patients needs, that they come from many different places and that they must be understood beyond the nature of their illness.

Katz said he and the staff have emphasized, and will continue to emphasize, to the students that there will only be one charter class.

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Cooper Medical School of Rowan University set to open

University of California at Davis medical school Professor Michael Wilkes doesn't shy from controversial positions, or criticism of the university where he teaches. That's how free speech rights work.

That's also how academic freedom works, a bedrock principle that criticism and open competition among ideas are the "surest safeguard of truth," in the words of the American Association of Universities in 1953.

But First Amendment and academic freedom principles are under challenge at the UC Davis medical school.

When Wilkes wrote an op-ed column in 2010, he received a document on letterhead from legal counsel saying the university could potentially sue him for defamation for hurting the reputation of the university. The dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, Claire Pomeroy, had requested that the letter be sent to him.

That is outrageous and calls for action by Chancellor Linda Katehi.

So what drew that overwrought response from the medical school?

Wilkes, a recognized expert on prostate cancer, co-authored an op-ed piece with a USC professor. Published in the San Francisco Chronicle, it said prostate screening not only might do no good, it might actually be harmful -- and lambasted a UC Davis men's health seminar advertising "Prostate Defense Begins at 40."

The authors labeled the seminar an "infomercial endorsement" of prostate screening: "We can't say why UC Davis offers this course that ignores scientific evidence, but we wonder whether it just might have to do with money."

The proper response by supporters of screening would be to write their own columns -- or write a letter rebutting the claims.

An investigation by a committee of the UC Davis Academic Senate found that the medical school's letter on potential legal action -- before any "full and fair assessment" of the facts -- was a "blatant threat" and aimed "to stifle legitimate public debate."

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Our View: UC medical school goes out of bounds

The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences was named the most popular medical school in the country in a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report released today.

OSU Center for Health Sciences is dedicated to serving rural and underserved Oklahoma and our students embrace that mission, said Howard Barnett, president of OSU-Tulsa and OSU-CHS. As we work to combat the physician shortage in Oklahoma, it is a testament to our College of Osteopathic Medicine that students recognize the quality medical education they receive from OSU and the vast difference our physicians make in the communities.

OSU-CHS tied with the University of Kansas Medical Center for the top slot of the 10 Most Popular Medical Schools. The rankings are based on the percentage of students accepted by the school who make the decision to attend and enroll in classes. The percentage of students accepted to those who enrolled at OSU-CHS was 85.7 percent in 2011. CHS also experienced an increase in enrollment over the previous year.

Other schools rounding out the top 10 include the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, University of Washington School of Medicine, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, University of Nevada-Reno School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School.

To view the complete ranking, visit http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/the-short-list-grad-school/articles/2012/06/19/10-most-popular-medical-schools-2.

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OSU-CHS named most popular medical school in the U.S.

CAMDEN A new medical school here will celebrate its grand opening next month.

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University will mark its opening with an 11 a.m. ceremony on July 24. The school, at Broadway and Benson Street, is a partnership between Cooper University Hospital of Camden and Rowan University of Glassboro.

Officials broke ground in October 2010 for the medical school. It would be the first medical school to open in New Jersey in more than 35 years.

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Cooper Medical School to celebrate opening July 24

University of California, Davis, medical school professor Michael Wilkes doesn't shy from controversial positions, or criticism of the university where he teaches.

That's how how First Amendment free speech rights work.

That's also how academic freedom works, a bedrock principle that criticism and open competition among ideas are the "surest safeguard of truth," wrote the American Association of Universities in 1953.

But First Amendment and academic freedom principles are under challenge at the medical school.

When Wilkes penned an op-ed column in 2010, he received a document on letterhead from legal counsel, requested by UC Davis School of Medicine Dean Claire Pomeroy, saying the university could potentially sue him for defamation for hurting the reputation of the university.

That is outrageous and calls for action by Chancellor Linda Katehi.

Just what drew that overwrought response from the medical school?

Wilkes, a recognized expert on prostate cancer, co-authored an op-ed piece with a USC professor. Published in the San Francisco Chronicle, it said prostate screening not only may do no good, it may be harmful and lambasted a UC Davis men's health seminar advertising "Prostate Defense Begins at 40."

The authors labeled the seminar an "infomercial endorsement" of prostate screening: "We can't say why UC Davis offers this course that ignores scientific evidence, but we wonder whether it just might have to do with money."

Wilkes has been outspoken in questioning marketing by medical industries in Bee columns, too.

Link:

Editorial: Davis medical school was way out of bounds

Students contemplating careers in medicine need a reality check about their prospects of moving back to B.C. if they go to medical school abroad, an associate dean of medicine at the University of B.C. said Monday.

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Med students studying abroad cautioned

The legalization of medical marijuana in several states had no impact on high school students’ likelihood of experimenting with the drug, a new study suggests.

More:

Legalizing Medical Pot Doesn't Increase Teen Use

Public release date: 19-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jim Fessenden james.fessenden@umassmed.edu 508-856-2000 University of Massachusetts Medical School

WORCESTER, MA Longtime collaborators Victor R. Ambros, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and Gary B. Ruvkun, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, were awarded the 2012 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research today by Johnson & Johnson for their co-discovery of microRNA, tiny molecules that are now understood to play a powerful role in gene expression and regulation. The award was announced during an event at the Biotechnology Industry Organization International Convention in Boston.

The award was created by Johnson & Johnson to honor the legacy of one of the most passionate, creative and productive scientists of the 20th century, Dr. Paul Janssen (1926-2003). The legacy of Dr. Paul as he was known in the scientific community continues to inspire the company's commitment to developing innovative solutions for unmet medical needs. Dr. Paul's work led to breakthroughs in several fields, including pain management, psychiatry, infectious disease and gastroenterology. Four of the drugs discovered by Dr. Paul and his team remain on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines.

This is the second time in six years that a UMass Medical School scientist has been recognized by the Janssen Award selection committee. UMass Medical School professor Craig C. Mello won the inaugural Janssen Award in 2006.

"Victor is one of the great pioneers of microRNAi and an integral member of an exceptional community of RNA researchers here at UMass Medical School. Together, these faculty are advancing the world's understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms and furthering the field of biomedical sciences," said Chancellor Michael F. Collins, MD. "We are delighted to see Victor recognized with this remarkable award from his colleagues and fellow scientists."

"Victor's pioneering discovery of microRNA occurred at a time when the field was not mentally prepared to understand its full significance. We now know that microRNAs have key functions in a variety of human diseases, ranging from hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol) to cancer," said Terence R. Flotte, MD, executive deputy chancellor, provost, and dean of the School of Medicine.

Since the discovery of microRNAs in 1993, these regulatory molecules have been implicated in a wide range of both normal and pathological activities including embryonic development, blood-cell specialization, muscle function, heart disease and viral infections. Their discovery has opened new fields of research and has implications for the development of new therapeutic treatments and diagnostic tools.

Working independently, Dr. Ambros and Dr. Ruvkun led the groups that identified the first microRNA and the first microRNA target. Dr. Ambros' lab yielded the discovery of the first microRNA and Dr. Ruvkun's lab identified how that microRNA regulates its target messenger. Working together, they demonstrated that the microRNA inactivates its target through direct, base-pairing interactions. MicroRNAs have been linked to cancer and identified as regulators of numerous other developmental events in both plants and animals. As a result of this discovery, researchers are now exploring microRNAs for use in diagnosis and prognosis as well as potential therapies.

"We are honored to join the distinguished list of past awardees of the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research," said Ambros, the Silverman Chair in Natural Sciences and professor in the Program in Molecular Medicine at UMass Medical School in Worcester, MA. "It is a testament to the wisdom of private and government patrons that fundamental research such as ours was supported over the years, and that it is paying off in new understanding of disease processesand possibly in cures for patients."

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UMMS researcher Victor Ambros, Ph.D., named co-recipient of 2012 Janssen Award for Biomedical Research

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College and The Short List: Grad School to find data that matters to you in your college or grad ...

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10 Most Popular Medical Schools

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Every doctor has gone through it -- the stamina-testing, information-overload experience that is medical school.

It's a trial by fire for students who up until then have had an easy time with academics but who quickly face physical and intellectual demands so intense they have been known to trigger depression, or worse, in some students.

A new book by author Jacqueline Marino gives an insider's look at what getting through medical school really takes in this case, by creating a portrait of students at Case Western Reserve University Medical School.

"You have to be a brainiac, and hard-working, and even then it's very difficult," says Marino, 39, an assistant professor of journalismat Kent State University. "It's a huge commitment and sacrifice, and I wanted to see what that was like."

So she followed three students at Case's medical school over their four-year sojourn. Marino takes readers through nights of students cramming for daunting bio-chemistry exams, days when they first faced the cadavers they'd dissect, and hours caring for patients -- checking pulses, performing CPR on a dying woman, assisting in a birth.

"White Coats: Three Journeys Through An American Medical School," started as a single magazine story by Marino, then a Cleveland magazine staffer, in 2005. Based on reader reaction to that story, and her own interest in the student's challenges, Marino decided to follow the three students beyond the day they received the short white coats bestowed upon medical students, through theiryears of school and training.

The students she chose -- based on their candor and willingness to open their lives to her examination -- were wildly different in background, and in their views toward medical school:

Mike Norton, a Mormon from Utah whose wife was pregnant during his first year of med school and whose father would face a dire diagnosis;

Marleny Franco, born in the Dominican Republic and motivated to be a doctor by the health care disparities she'd seen that were based on language, race and culture;

Millie Gentry, a statuesque half-Taiwanese young woman, who entered medical school with determination to simultaneously have a balanced life that involved part-time modeling, shopping, cooking and friends outside school.

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Author Jacqueline Marino details CWRU medical school life in 'White Coats'