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International Physician Update
| RESEARCH UPDATE |
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| NOVEMBER 2002 |
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The Latest Advances from the Bench and the Bedside
First Biologic Pacemaker
Working with guinea pigs, Hopkins scientists have created what is believed to be the first biologic pacemaker for the heart, paving the way for a genetically engineered alternative to implanted electronic pacemakers. The advance, reported in the Sept. 12 issue of Nature, uses gene therapy to convert a small fraction of the pigs’ heart muscle cells into specialized “pacing” cells.
“We now can envision a day when it will be possible to recreate an individual’s pacemaker cells or develop hybrid pacemakers–part electronic and part biologic,” says cardiologist Eduardo Marbán, M.D., Ph.D., adding that clinical applications are still a few years away. Such a “biopacemaker” is a potential option for patients at high risk for infection from implanted electronic pacemakers.
Brain Damage in Infants
Neurological problems in newborns, including seizures, do not necessarily stem from delivery, according to a Hopkins study in the August issue of the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. “There’s a perception that all brain damage in babies is due to the birthing process,” says lead author Ernest Graham, M.D. “Our study shows very few problems relate to deliveries; the rest could most likely be attributed to other causes, like the mother’s medical history.”
Novel Kidney Transplant
Hopkins physicians report an extraordinarily high success rate for kidney transplants among patients considered ineligible for the surgery. Many patients are sensitized to immune system proteins and antibodies because of previous transplants, blood transfusions or pregnancies.
The Hopkins team used a blood filtering process called plasmapheresis, coupled with a drug that suppresses immune system antibodies, to stop rejection. “I’ve been in this business 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like these results,” says Andrea Zachary, Ph.D., author of the study, presented at The Transplantation Society’s 19th International Congress.
Reducing Post-op Infection Risk
In what may be the largest clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents in preventing surgical wound and hospital-based infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Hopkins researchers found that an antibiotic ointment, called mupirocin, smeared inside the nose cut infection rates in half or better (New England Journal of Medicine, June 13). “Our results carry tremendous implications for reducing S. aureus surgical wound and other hospital-based infections, and for preventing illness and saving lives,” says Trish Perl, M.D., director of epidemiology and infection control for Hopkins.
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