PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE® NEWS BUREAU
Contact: Leonard N. Karp
215-575-3720
lkarp@philadelphiamedicine.com
May 24, 2006
For immediate release:
In this month's issue:
- Procedure for Patients at Risk for Esophageal Cancer being studied at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
- MossRehab Physician Among Philadelphia’s "Top Docs"
- Penn Researcher Receives First Annual Prize for Scientific Contributions to Women’s Health from the Society for Women’s Health Research
Editors note: Research, new techniques and improved facilities by Philadelphia International Medicine hospitals and physicians may lead to new ways to treat some of our most challenging diseases. Below are just some examples from our hospitals.
Procedure for Patients at Risk for Esophageal Cancer
being studied at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia – A new nonsurgical procedure for people who suffer from Barrett’s Esophagus is being studied at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Barrett’s Esophagus, the result of prolonged gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a condition where the cells on the lining of the food tube become altered. The lining cells may develop dysplasia (microscopic cell changes), which, in time, may become cancerous.
Jefferson University Hospital is one of 17 sites nationwide to be involved in the clinical study. Patients are eligible to participate when dysplasia has been confirmed on their esophagus, says Anthony Infantolino, MD, lead investigator. The procedure is also being used, on occasion, for patients who have Barrett’s Esophagus but no dysplasia. Patients in this group are not eligible for the study.
The procedure involves the ablation of the precancerous cells found on the upper layers that line the esophagus. If these cells are not removed, a cancer, known as adenocarcinoma, may result. Adenocarcinoma, resulting from Barrett’s Esophagus, is among the fastest growing gastrointestinal cancers.
This simple procedure takes about 30 minutes. It is performed on an outpatient basis by Dr. Infantolino, who is clinical assistant professor of medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. "This procedure is for selected patients who have confirmed dysplasia and who have not had surgery to treat their Barrett’s Esophagus," he says.
To perform the procedure, the patient is sedated. Dr. Infantolino inserts a catheter with a sizing balloon through the mouth and into the patient’s esophagus. Next, he delivers a correctly sized ablation balloon to the affected area. Once at the spot to be treated, he activates a rapid burst of radiofrequency energy (less than one second) to ablate the cells.
"Most patients will have minimal side effects and be able to resume their regular activities within hours," he says.
According to Dr. Infantolino, who is also co-director of the Photodynamic Therapy, Endoscopic Ultrasound and Capsule Endoscopy Program in the division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, patients who traditionally suffer from Barrett’s Esophagus are treated with a class of acid blocker prescription drugs called proton-pump inhibitors (PPI’s).
"This study will also enable us to compare the long-term effectiveness of balloon ablation therapy compared to taking acid blockers alone," he says. "Some of the patients in the study will take the medication and others will undergo the procedure."
"The results of this study will aid in our treatment of patients," Dr. Infantolino adds. "Currently, if the Barrett’s Esophagus is severe and/or if there is low-grade dysplasia, we recommend that a patient who is taking a PPI undergo an endoscopy procedure every one or two years to check on the progress of the cells on the esophagus. This process is known as "watchful waiting."
MossRehab Physician Among Philadelphia’s "Top Docs"
Nathaniel Mayer, MD, director, Jerome M. and Sylvan W. Drucker Brain Injury Center for Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Research and Training, and Director, Motor Control Analysis Laboratory, MossRehab, was named among the Philadelphia region’s "Top Docs," in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation in a Philadelphia Magazine survey.
The survey, conducted by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., a research and information company established to help people find the best healthcare, asked local hospital administrators and a randomized sampling of area physicians to identify those medical professionals who they believed excelled in their specialized field, with respect to the quality of patient care in addition to academic excellence and experience.
"MossRehab is proud of the honor bestowed upon Dr. Mayer who is an internationally renowned physician absolutely dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals recovering from brain injury," said Ruth Lefton, Chief Operating Officer, MossRehab.
Dr. Mayer, who has been named a "Top Doc" multiple times, joined MossRehab in 1976 as Director of the Research Utilization Service, an inpatient rehabilitation engineering and research service. He subsequently founded and became the director of the Drucker Brain Injury Center and, later, he became director of the Motor Control Analysis Laboratory that analyzes upper limb movement problems of patients with traumatic and acquired brain injury. He graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, and completed an internship and residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Temple University Hospital. He is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and has been well published in many professional and academic journals. Dr. Mayer currently serves as editor for The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.
Recognized as a national leader in medical rehabilitation, MossRehab provides high-quality, compassionate medical care for individuals with physical disabilities. MossRehab offers a wide range of specialized services, including comprehensive programs for brain and spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation and orthopedic conditions.
Penn Researcher Receives First Annual Prize for Scientific Contributions to
Women’s Health from the Society for Women’s Health Research
Marisa Bartolomei, PhD, associate professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was awarded the first annual Society for Women’s Health Research Medtronic Prize for Scientific Contributions to Women’s Health.
She was recognized for her work in the field of sex differences research and women’s health. Dr. Bartolomei received a $75,000 award and trophy at the Society for Women’s Health Research’s annual gala dinner held May 8, 2006 in Washington, DC.
"It’s an honor to be chosen by a society that has done so much to promote women’s health," says Dr. Bartolomei. "Being able to increase awareness that there are gender-specific issues in health-for me, being a part of that effort is what this award is all about."
The Society established the award to recognize a woman scientist or engineer for her contributions to women’s health and encourage women to work on issues uniquely related to women’s health. To be considered, each nominee must be in the middle of her career, devote a significant part of her work to women’s health research, and serve as a role model and mentor for both colleagues and students.
Using mouse models, Dr. Bartolomei has found that individual chromosomes have chemical memory of whether they came from the mother or father. Further, she established that this memory can be erased - with negative consequences - early in the embryonic stage by environmental factors. These findings lay the groundwork for future research, which can target disease and developmental problems related to erased chromosomal memories.
In animal models, she has studied how assisted reproduction techniques such as IVF and ICSI can lead to genomic imprinting disorders, which affect how different genes are expressed. Her ideas are being applied to the study of maternal and fetal health. Dr. Bartolomei also studies a phenomenon called X inactivation, how a given X chromosome is activated or inactivated in an embryo. Understanding this process will also shed light on the genetics of X-chromosome-related diseases.
"All of my lab’s areas of investigation impinge on gender-based research," notes Dr. Bartolomei.
In addition to research, Dr. Bartolomei is dedicated to graduate and medical education, having trained numerous pre- and postdoctoral students, clinicians and other health care professionals. She received her PhD in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. Dr. Bartolomei came to the University of Pennsylvania in 1993.