January 22, 2008
Research Matters 2007 Recap
NIH has nearly 6,000 NIH staff scientists and supports more than 325,000 researchers with competitive grants to all 50 states, the territories and more than 90 countries around the world. Here's just a small sampling of the accomplishments made by NIH-supported scientists in 2007.
Clinical Breakthroughs
Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Disease
Established
Drug Bests Newcomer in Treating Female Infertility
Researchers
reported that infertility arising from polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS) is better treated with an established ovulation-inducing
drug (clomiphene) than with an increasingly popular alternative
(metformin). The NIH-funded study was the largest, most comprehensive
effort to date comparing the 2 drugs' abilities to promote
pregnancy in women with PCOS, a hormonal disorder that affects
about 1 in 15 women and is the leading cause of infertility.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Inhaled
Steroids Best Treatment for Children With Asthma
An
NIH-funded study tested the effectiveness and safety of 3 different
asthma medicines in nearly 300 school-age children. The scientists
found that inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective initial
daily therapy for children with mild to moderate persistent
asthma.
Research
Matters | PubMed
MRI
Increases Detection of Second Cancer in Opposite Breast
When
a woman is newly diagnosed with cancer in one breast, there's
up to a 10% chance that clinical exams and mammography will
miss a tumor growing in the opposite breast. An NIH-funded
study found that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help
to detect these overlooked cancers in the opposite breast at
the time of initial diagnosis, which may also lead to earlier
treatment.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Depressed
Adolescents Respond Best to Combination Treatment
A
major clinical trial found that a combination of antidepressant
medication and “talk therapy,” or psychotherapy,
appears to be more effective for treating teens with major
depressive disorder than medication or psychotherapy alone.
The NIH-funded study enrolled 439 adolescents who had major
depression. At both 4 months and 9 months after therapy began,
response rates to the combination treatment significantly outpaced
the 2 single-treatment approaches.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Lower
Sodium Decreases Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk
Several
studies had already shown that lowering your salt intake helps
to prevent high blood pressure, or hypertension. But
a new NIH-funded analysis found that less sodium can also prevent
heart disease. The researchers examined clinical trial data
from studies of more than 3,000 adults with pre-hypertension.
Men and women who reduced their salt intake had a 25% lower
risk of total cardiovascular disease over the next 10 to 15
years.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Diagnosing
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism is rarely
diagnosed before 3 years of age, but the sooner it is identified
and treated the better the outcome for the child. NIH-supported
scientists found that it's possible to detect autism
in some children as young as 14 months of age, the earliest
the disorder has ever been diagnosed. In other children, definite
signs of autism can be seen by about 2, the researchers said.
Their diagnoses were based on close assessment of the children's
social and communication skills.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Vaccine
Shows Promise in Preventing Hepatitis E
An
experimental vaccine—originally created and tested over
the past 2 decades by NIH scientists—appears safe and
effective in preventing hepatitis E, a sometimes-deadly viral
disease prevalent in developing countries. A clinical trial
involving nearly 2,000 healthy adults in Nepal, where the virus
is widespread, found that the vaccine was nearly 96% effective
in preventing hepatitis E during a follow-up period of about
2 years.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Treating
Depression in Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Patients
with bipolar disorder have severe mood swings between mania
and depression. Treatment typically involves mood-stabilizing
drugs like lithium or valproate. Two separate reports—both
part of a large-scale NIH-funded study of bipolar disorder—looked
at how well patients with depression responded when additional
treatments were added to their mood-stabilizing therapy. One
found that adding an antidepressant medication was no more
effective than a sugar pill in reducing depression. (NIH
press release | PubMed).
The other reported that patients tended to get well faster
and stay well if they received intensive psychotherapy for
several months. (NIH
press release | PubMed).
Promising Medical Advances
Findings with Potential for Enhancing Human Health
Soaking
Up Toxic Protein to Stop Alzheimer's Disease
Scientists used
a variant version of a protein called sLRP to soak up a toxic
protein from the bloodstream and prevent its buildup in the
brains of mice. The toxic protein, called amyloid-beta, forms
dense deposits in the brain called plaques that have
been linked to the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The
NIH-funded researchers studied a strain of mice known to develop
Alzheimer-like symptoms. Mice treated with the sLRP variant
protein had improved learning and memory, and amyloid-beta
plaques in their brains were reduced by about 90%.
Research
Matters | PubMed
New
Risk Factors Identified for Type 2 Diabetes
A
collaborative effort by 3 international research teams uncovered
new clues about why some people develop type 2 diabetes and
others don't. The research relied on a relatively new
method, called a genome-wide association study, which rapidly
and cost effectively analyzes and compares genetic differences
between people with and without specific illnesses. The scientists
identified 4 new genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes and
confirmed 6 other genetic variants previously associated with
the disease.
Research
Matters | PubMed
1 | PubMed
2 | PubMed
3
Gene
Variants That Help Control HIV Infection
The
first genome-wide association study of an infectious disease,
conducted by an international group of researchers and funded
in part by NIH, offered a new understanding of why some people
can suppress virus levels following HIV infection. The scientists
identified several genetic variants associated with the amount
of virus, or viral load, in a patient's bloodstream.
Other variants were linked to disease progression. The findings
provide new avenues for developing vaccines and improved therapies
to fight HIV infection.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Second-Generation
Map of Human Genetic Variation
The International
HapMap Consortium published analyses of its second-generation
map of human genetic variation, which contains more than 3.1
million genetic variants—3 times the number reported
in the initial HapMap of 2005. The new HapMap includes DNA
data from 4 diverse populations, based in Nigeria, China, Japan
and Utah in the United States. The improved HapMap will
help researchers find DNA variants that influence the risk
of disease and other traits.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Lack
of Sleep Disrupts Brain's Emotional Controls
Experience
tells us that sleepless nights can lead to overwrought emotions.
Now NIH-funded scientists have a better understanding of why
this occurs. Their imaging studies showed that lack of sleep
can lead to greater activation of the brain's emotional
centers and disrupt the brain circuits that tame emotional
responses. The findings suggest that sleep restores the brain's
emotional circuits and prepares people for the next day's
challenges and social interactions.
Research
Matters | PubMed
HIV's
Potential Weak Spot
Scientists identified
a tiny, unchanging region on an AIDS virus protein that may
be the key to neutralizing the virus. A multi-site research
team, including NIH scientists, used X-ray crystallography
to take detailed 3-D snapshots of an antibody grabbing onto
this stable viral region, which HIV uses to latch onto and
infect T cells. The discovery of this potential viral weak
spot could have a profound impact on the development of an
AIDS vaccine.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Predicting
Future Bird Flu Mutations
To foretell how
the avian flu virus might one day jump from birds to humans,
NIH scientists have been looking at the molecular shapes of
viral molecules to see how they latch onto cells. They
found that just 2 mutations to the viral H5 protein could change
the shape in a binding region and make it easier for the avian
H5N1 virus to latch onto human cells. These studies could help
researchers prepare vaccines and therapies against deadly flu
viruses before they mutate and begin to spread in the human
population.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Stem
Cell Treatment Repairs Damaged Rat Hearts
NIH-funded
researchers developed a procedure for repairing damaged rat
hearts by using cells generated in a dish from human embryonic
stem cells. When the human-derived cells were implanted into
the damaged hearts of rats, new heart muscle was incorporated
into the heart tissue within a month. Further testing
showed that the treatment thickened the heart's walls
and improved their ability to contract. The accomplishment
brings scientists a step closer to a treatment for people who
have had heart attacks.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Insights from the Lab
Exciting Advances in Basic Research
Versatile
Human Stem Cells Created Without Embryos
By
modifying only 4 genes in human skin cells, NIH-supported researchers
found that they could "reprogram" the cells to give
them the characteristics of embryonic stem cells. This major
advance could open doors to innovative therapies in the future,
where people's own cells might be reprogrammed and used
to repair their damaged tissues and organs. The breakthrough
might also eventually put to rest the ethical controversy surrounding
stem cells.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Embryonic
Stem Cell Milestone Achieved in Primates
Researchers
achieved a major milestone in embryonic stem cell research,
isolating embryonic stem cells for the first time from a cloned
primate embryo. The scientists, funded by NIH, showed that
the stem cells could turn into heart or nerve cells in the
laboratory and had other characteristics of established embryonic
stem cell lines. The technique, if developed in humans, could
potentially be used to make personalized stem cells to treat
diseases without worry of rejection by the patient's
immune system.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Tracking
Neural Progenitor Cells in the Human Brain
Scientists
developed the first noninvasive technique for detecting neural
progenitor cells in the living human brain. Neural progenitor
cells give birth to neurons and other types of brain cells.
This new imaging method may eventually point to improved treatments
and diagnostics for a host of brain-related disorders, including
depression, Parkinson's disease and brain tumors.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Structure
of Common Drug Target Unveiled
More than 40
years after beta blockers were first used clinically, NIH-funded
scientists finally got a close-up, 3-dimensional look at the
drugs' molecular target: the β2-adrenergic receptor.
The receptor is one of a family of proteins called G protein-coupled
receptors (GPCRs), which carry signals across the cell membrane.
GPCRs control critical bodily functions, several of our senses
and the action of about half of today's pharmaceuticals. Better
understanding of the receptor's molecular shape promises
to help speed the discovery of new drugs and illuminate many
aspects of human health and disease.
Research
Matters | PubMed
1 | PubMed
2
Brain
Connections Revealed
Using a clever genetic
trick to generate dozens of different colors, NIH-supported
researchers visualized hundreds of cells and their connections
to each other in the brain. The scientists developed DNA constructs,
which they call “Brainbows,” that randomly rearrange
themselves to activate genes for different-colored fluorescent
proteins. When the researchers created transgenic mice with
Brainbows, individual neurons in the brain had distinctive
colors, allowing them to accurately trace specific cells and
their interactions with each other. This new tool will help
scientists better understand how the brain and nervous system
work.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Monkey
Genome Gives Insight into Humans
An international
team of more than 170 scientists sequenced the genome of the
rhesus macaque monkey and compared it to both the chimpanzee
and human genomes. Their analysis revealed that the 3 primate
species share about 93% of their DNA. The team also identified
nearly 200 genes that appear to play key roles in differences
between the species. These include genes involved in hair formation,
the immune response and cell communication.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Proteins
Pair to Form Crucial Hearing Structure
NIH
scientists and their collaborators identified 2 proteins that
appear to pair up at the precise location in the ear where
sound vibrations are turned into electrical signals. The investigators
also showed that a known deafness-causing mutation seemed to
disrupt interactions between the 2 proteins, called cadherin
23 and protocadherin 15. The findings may eventually help scientists
develop more precise treatments for hearing loss, a condition
that affects more than 32 million people in the United States
alone.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Genetically
Altered Mice See a More Colorful World
By
giving mice the gene that allows people to see red hues, scientists
created rodents that can see a wider range of colors. Mouse
eyes normally have only 2 types of light-detecting photoreceptors,
sensitive to blue and green light. NIH-funded scientists
created genetically engineered mice that also had photoreceptors
for red light, which are found in most primates. Tests
showed that the altered mice could perceive different colors
better than normal mice. The study suggests that the brains
of mammals can quickly adapt to new sensory information. It
also provides clues to the evolution of color vision.
Research
Matters | PubMed