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News Release Archive - 2017

Current News Releases

2017
Released: December 28, 2017


In a study of medical records gathered on hundreds of thousands of African-American women, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have evidence that women with a common form of hair loss have an increased chance of developing uterine leiomyomas, or fibroids.
Released: December 20, 2017

Higher “mutational burden” predicts which cancer types will respond to therapies known as checkpoint inhibitors


The “mutational burden,” or the number of mutations present in a tumor’s DNA, is a good predictor of whether that cancer type will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers shows. The finding, published in the Dec. 21 New England Journal of Medicine, could be used to guide future clinical trials for these drugs.

Released: December 18, 2017


In a study using genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered some new molecular details that appear to explain how electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) rapidly relieves severe depression in mammals, presumably including people. The molecular changes allow more communication between neurons in a specific part of the brain also known to respond to antidepressant drugs.
Released: December 15, 2017


Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University report statistical evidence that children exposed to airborne coarse particulate matter — a mix of dust, sand and non-exhaust tailpipe emissions, such as tire rubber — are more likely to develop asthma and need emergency room or hospital treatment for it than unexposed children.

Released: December 14, 2017


Scientists at Johns Hopkins have used supercomputers to create an atomic scale map that tracks how the signaling chemical glutamate binds to a neuron in the brain. The findings, say the scientists, shed light on the dynamic physics of the chemical’s pathway, as well as the speed of nerve cell communications.

Released: December 14, 2017


Two Johns Hopkins prostate cancer researchers found significant disparities when they submitted identical patient samples to two different commercial liquid biopsy providers. Liquid biopsy is a new and noninvasive alternative to tumor tissue sequencing, and it is intended to specifically detect and sequence tumor DNA circulating in patients’ blood. The results are used to help guide doctors to tailor the best treatment for patients at each point of their disease.

Released: December 12, 2017


An analysis of 16 audiotaped conversations between parents of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and clinicians found that medical staff routinely downplay quality of life issues and leave families more optimistic about their babies’ prognoses than the clinicians intended.

Released: December 11, 2017


Kevin W. Sowers, M.S.N., R.N., F.A.A.N., a distinguished clinician, educator and academic health care leader has been appointed president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine, an $8 billion academic medical center and health system. He is the second person to hold this role.
Released: December 11, 2017


Citing uncertainties about the risks and benefits of an experimental therapy for fetuses whose kidneys do not develop, bioethicists at Johns Hopkins and a team of medical experts are calling for rigorous clinical trials in the use of a potential treatment, known as amnioinfusion.

Released: December 6, 2017

Modern New Zealand reptile may be a close relative


Using modern research tools on a 155-million-year-old reptile fossil, scientists at Johns Hopkins and the American Museum of Natural History report they have filled in some important clues to the evolution of animals that once roamed land and transitioned to life in the water.
Released: December 5, 2017


Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers demonstrated that mice with ovarian cancer that received drugs to reactivate dormant genes along with other drugs that activate the immune system had a greater reduction of tumor burden and significantly longer survival than those that received any of the drugs alone.

Released: December 4, 2017


Results of a national survey of more than 800 physicians suggest that their experiences with patients, family members and friends with breast cancer are linked with their recommendations for routine mammograms. Specifically, physicians who reported knowing at least one patient, family member or friend with a poor breast cancer prognosis and who had not been screened were more likely to recommend routine screening for their younger and older patients, age groups where routine screening is controversial.

Released: December 1, 2017


Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a streamlined method and accompanying efficiency “rules” for introducing new DNA sequences into cells after using the gene-cutting tool known as CRISPR. The scientists say the method, which they based on tests with mouse embryos and thousands of human cells, could improve consistency and efficiency of genome editing.

Released: November 30, 2017


Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers and colleagues have identified a novel drug combination therapy that could prime nonsmall cell lung cancers to respond better to immunotherapy. These so-called epigenetic therapy drugs, used together, achieved robust anti-tumor responses in human cancer cell lines and mice.

Released: November 30, 2017


To commemorate World AIDS Day this year, the Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research, which is affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is hosting the World AIDS Day Symposium. Topics of discussion include the state of HIV research during the past year and newly released research.

Released: November 29, 2017


World AIDS Day: New Research and Experts Available from Johns Hopkins Medicine
Released: November 27, 2017


In a small study using data from daily electronic patient diaries, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have found a link between negative emotions, such as sadness and anxiety, and higher opioid use in people with sickle cell disease whose pain levels were self-reported as relatively low.
Released: November 22, 2017


A study of more than 400 adults with prehypertension, or stage 1 high blood pressure, found that combining a low-salt diet with the heart-healthy DASH diet substantially lowers systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure test — especially in people with higher baseline systolic readings.

Released: November 20, 2017


By analyzing data from randomized clinical trials comparing blood transfusion approaches, Johns Hopkins experts, along with colleagues at Cleveland Clinic and NYU Langone Medical Center, endorse recommendations for blood transfusions that reduce blood use to improve patient safety and outcomes. Publishing this week in JAMA Internal Medicine, the report also provides a how-to guide for launching a patient blood management program.

Released: November 20, 2017


Johns Hopkins scientists report they have successfully used two separate gene technologies to assemble the most complete genome sequence to date of Triticum aestivum, the most common cultivated species of wheat used to make bread.

Released: November 17, 2017


Sexual and reproductive health around the globe often is viewed as a domain for women and girls because they bear the responsibility of contraception, yet due to stricter gender stereotypes, are not equally in charge of decision-making. In order to ensure sexual and reproductive health for all, an equal focus must be put on educating men and boys.

Released: November 16, 2017

Bluefield Innovations, an independent company, to provide up to $65 million in initial funding over five years


The Johns Hopkins University and Deerfield Management announced today the creation of Bluefield Innovations, a collaboration designed to catalyze the development of early stage therapeutics. Funded by Deerfield, an investment management firm committed to advancing health care, Bluefield Innovations will provide up to $65 million in initial funding over five years to support the commercialization of early stage therapeutic research at Johns Hopkins, with additional funding available to advance research that shows strong commercial potential.

Released: November 15, 2017


Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, California
Nov. 11-15

Released: November 14, 2017

Johns Hopkins researchers identify the cell signals responsible for rapid heart failure in children with Marfan syndrome and reverse the disease in mouse models


In experiments with mice that have a rodent form of Marfan syndrome, Johns Hopkins researchers report that even modestly increasing stress on the animals’ hearts — at levels well-tolerated in normal mice — can initiate heart failure. The findings, described August 4 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, revealed a novel cellular pathway in heart tissue that leads to heart failure and may serve as a model for a new standard of treatment for children with this aggressive form of Marfan syndrome.
Released: November 10, 2017


Donald Coffey, a distinguished Johns Hopkins professor and prostate cancer expert, who was the former director of the Brady Urological Research Laboratory and deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, died on Nov. 9 at the age of 85.

Released: November 9, 2017


The following Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine faculty are scheduled to speak at the 2017 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 11-15. To arrange interviews, or for other information, call or email the media contacts listed above.

Released: November 9, 2017

Study suggests doctors understand the issue, but are unsure of their responsibility


A national survey of more than 200 pediatric primary care physicians found that while over three-quarters addressed at least one parental health issue, such as maternal depression or parental tobacco use, during child health visits and a majority recognized the impact of such issues on children’s health, fewer felt responsible for addressing them.

Released: November 8, 2017


Publishing online this week in Cell Host & Microbe, researchers at Johns Hopkins report the discovery of a key underlying immune mechanism that explains why our skin becomes inflamed from conditions such as atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema. Toxin-producing bacteria on the surface of our skin induces a protein that causes our own cells to react and cause inflammation.

Released: November 6, 2017


Johns Hopkins cell biologists report what they believe is the first-ever creation of tiny protein-based gelatin-like clumps called hydrogels inside living cells. The ability to create hydrogels on demand, they say, should advance the long scientific struggle to study the elusive structures—which form in nature when proteins or other molecules aggregate under certain conditions—and to uncover their suspected contributions to human diseases.

Released: November 6, 2017


A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers found that measures of connectivity within specific cerebral networks were strongly linked to long-term functional outcomes in patients who had suffered severe brain injury following a cardiac arrest.

Released: November 2, 2017


What do math, physics and engineering tell us about breast cancer? They could tell us a lot, say Johns Hopkins scientists. They’re using a $5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to unite biologists, clinicians and engineers at the new Johns Hopkins Center for Cancer Target Discovery and Development, or CTD2.

Released: November 2, 2017


A fundamental shift in how cancer research is conducted and how cancer care is delivered in the U.S. is required in order to deliver on the Cancer Moonshot initiative, according to a major new report published today in The Lancet Oncology journal.

Released: November 1, 2017


An international team of researchers led by Johns Hopkins has shown that a topical gel made from a class of common blood pressure pills that block inflammation pathways speeds the healing of chronic skin wounds in mice and pigs.
Released: October 27, 2017

Team awarded five-year, $25 million cooperative agreement from National Center for Advancing Translational Science


The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Northwestern University, the University of Washington and Sage Bionetworks, together with the Scripps Research Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Iowa and the Jackson Laboratory, have been awarded a five-year, $25 million cooperative agreement from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences to create a new Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program: the National Center for Data to Health (CD2H).
Released: October 25, 2017


In a “Perspective” article in The New England Journal of Medicine that is being published online today, leaders at Johns Hopkins, along with their counterparts at Harvard and Stanford universities, call for critical examination of the value of merit-based scholarships for medical students, as well as consideration of potential unintended consequences of merit aid.
Released: October 25, 2017

Johns Hopkins experts discuss why getting the flu vaccination is a good idea


Maryland’s 2017-2018 flu season has officially begun with the first cases recently reported by the Maryland Department of Health. Johns Hopkins experts say getting the flu vaccine remains the best way to prevent the spread of the virus and decrease your chances of contracting it.
Released: October 25, 2017


Johns Hopkins hosts the inaugural Media Medica: Medicine & the Challenge of New Media event Oct. 27-28 as part of the launch of its new Center for Medical Humanities and Social Medicine. The event will explore the changing role of new media in medicine.

Released: October 23, 2017

Small study offers proof of concept and support for wider research


Some scientists have suspected that the most common form of ovarian cancer may originate in the fallopian tubes, the thin fibrous tunnels that connect the ovaries to the uterus. Now, results of a study of nine women suggest that the genomic roots of many ovarian tumors may indeed arise in the fallopian tubes, potentially providing insights into the origin of ovarian cancer and suggesting new ways for prevention and intervention of this disease.

Released: October 20, 2017


In a review article publishing this week in JAMA Internal Medicine, physicians at Johns Hopkins, along with experts from several other institutions across north America, compiled published evidence and crafted an experience-based quality improvement blueprint to reduce repetitive lab testing for hospitalized patients.

Released: October 19, 2017


Karen M. Horton, M.D., has been named director of the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. She had been interim director of the department and chairman of the board of Johns Hopkins Medical Imaging, LLC, since February 2016.
Released: October 18, 2017


Pranita Tamma, M.D., M.H.S. has received the 2017 Pediatric Scholarship Award from the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) for her contributions to the study of antimicrobial resistance and for her antimicrobial stewardship, under the mentorship of Sara Cosgrove, M.D.

Released: October 18, 2017

Findings confirm previous clues found in people


A new study on two specially bred strains of mice has illuminated how abnormal addition of the chemical phosphate to a specific heart muscle protein may sabotage the way the protein behaves in a cell, and may damage the way the heart pumps blood around the body.

Released: October 16, 2017


James C. Harris, M.D., founding director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program at The Johns Hopkins University and the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins University, will be presented with the Catcher in the Rye Advocacy Award to an Individual on Oct. 24 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).

Released: October 16, 2017


Seven faculty members of The Johns Hopkins University have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Announcement of the new members (80 in all) was made today in conjunction with the academy’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Released: October 12, 2017


Working with mice and rats, Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a way to successfully deliver nano-sized, platinum-based chemotherapy drugs to treat a form of bladder cancer called nonmuscle-invasive that is found in the lining of the organ and has not invaded deeper into bladder tissue. The tiny drug-infused particles, they say, potentially offer a less toxic clinical alternative to standard chemotherapy delivered intravenously or through a catheter inserted into the bladder.

Released: October 11, 2017

New studies add to evidence of link between mitochondrial DNA copy number and risk for cardiovascular disease


Johns Hopkins researchers report that the level, or “copy number,” of mitochondrial DNA—genetic information stored not in a cell’s nucleus but in the body’s energy-creating mitochondria—is a novel and distinct biomarker that is able to predict the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths a decade or more before they happen. In the future, testing blood for this genetic information could not only help physicians more accurately predict a risk for life-threatening cardiac events, but also inform decisions to begin—or avoid—treatment with statins and other drugs.

Released: October 11, 2017

Findings Suggest Those in Immigrant Families are More Resilient


A new study of national survey information gathered on more than 12,000 Hispanic children from immigrant and U.S.-native families found that although they experience more poverty, those from immigrant families reported fewer exposures to such adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as parental divorce and scenes of violence.

Released: October 10, 2017


Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Meeting
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Oct. 7-11, 2017
Released: October 10, 2017


Surgeons at The Johns Hopkins Hospital have for the first time used a real-time, image-guided robot to insert screws into a patient’s spine. With last week’s surgery, Johns Hopkins joins the growing number of hospitals in the United States that offer robotic-assisted spine surgery.

Released: October 9, 2017


On October 8 and 9, 2017, Johns Hopkins will host the inaugural National Research & Education Conference of the High Value Practice Academic Alliance, a coalition created by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Faculty and trainees from more than 70 academic institutions representing multiple medical specialties and subspecialties will come together to share oral presentations and posters depicting quality improvement projects that have safely improved health care value.

Released: October 9, 2017

Study reveals mechanism behind heart dysfunction that may translate to human condition


Using fruit flies, Johns Hopkins researchers have figured out why a particular inherited human heart condition that is almost always due to genetic mutations causes the heart to enlarge, thicken and fail. They found that one such mutation interferes with heart muscle’s ability to relax after contracting, and prevents the heart from fully filling with blood and pumping it out.

Released: October 2, 2017

Analysis reveals some surprising trends in suicide attempts and firearm types


A new Johns Hopkins study of more than 704,000 people who arrived alive at a United States emergency room for treatment of a firearm-related injury between 2006 and 2014 finds decreasing incidence of such injury in some age groups, increasing trends in others, and affirmation of the persistently high cost of gunshot wounds in dollars and human suffering.

Released: September 29, 2017


A team of medical experts from Johns Hopkins Go Team is on the island of St. John to provide and support patient care in the aftermath of hurricanes Maria and Irma. In collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies, this humanitarian mission brings much-needed supplies, medicines and medical personnel to the badly damaged clinic and triage center on the island. 
Released: September 29, 2017


Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels announced today the appointment of Dr. Paul B. Rothman to a second term as CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine and dean of the medical faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Released: September 29, 2017


On September 30 Jeeps for Joy will form a Jeep procession and drive from Newark, Delaware to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center to donate more than 100 Build-a-Bear stuffed animals to Children’s Center staff to later distribute to patients. Jeeps for Joy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in need within the Mid-Atlantic region.

Released: September 27, 2017


Researchers from Johns Hopkins, the University of California, Davis, and the Save the Redwoods League have partnered in an ambitious plan to fully sequence the coast redwood and giant sequoia genomes for the first time. Using a new genetic sequencing technology, called the Oxford Nanopore MinION device, researchers hope to sequence and annotate the genomes of these two species. The tree genomes will help to inform efforts to restore the health and resilience of these forests throughout their natural ranges as they face environmental stressors such as climate change.

Released: September 25, 2017


Below are brief descriptions of research results scheduled for presentation by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), Sept. 24–27, in San Diego.

Released: September 25, 2017

Johns Hopkins researchers develop an electronic triage tool to more accurately differentiate patients’ priority levels


When a patient arrives in any emergency department, one of the first steps in their care process is triage, an opportunity for a care team member to identify critically ill patients and assign priority treatment levels.

Released: September 21, 2017


With the number of opioid-related overdose deaths reaching epidemic proportions in the United States, providers and staff at hospitals and health systems are joining together to combat the issue while preventing new cases of addiction.

Released: September 20, 2017


Ellen Mowry, M.D., M.C.R., an associate professor of neurology and epidemiology, and Scott Newsome, D.O., an associate professor of neurology, both of the Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurology, have been approved for a $13.4 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to conduct a study comparing two treatment options for people newly diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Released: September 20, 2017

Gunshot and Stabbing Victims More Likely to Die if Transported to the Trauma Center by Ambulance


Victims of gunshots and stabbings are significantly less likely to die if they’re taken to the trauma center by a private vehicle than ground emergency medical services (EMS), according to results of a new analysis.

Released: September 20, 2017


In an analysis of the epigenomes of people and mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the National Institutes of Health report that drinking alcohol may induce changes to a cholesterol-regulating gene.

Released: September 19, 2017


The Johns Hopkins Hospital will join the ranks of more than 200 organizations that have been accredited as CEO Cancer Gold Standard employers by meeting standards of excellence in cancer prevention, early detection and quality care for their employees. The accreditation is given by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, a nonprofit group of CEOs founded by former President George H.W. Bush
Released: September 18, 2017

Study shows the behavior responds to lithium treatment, just as used in people with the disorder


Johns Hopkins researchers report they have genetically engineered mice that display many of the behavioral hallmarks of human bipolar disorder, and that the abnormal behaviors the rodents show can be reversed using well-established drug treatments for bipolar disorder, such as lithium.

Released: September 14, 2017


A “look back” analysis of more than 600 major colorectal surgeries using a “checklist” tool has added further evidence that racial and socioeconomic disparities may occur during many specific stages of surgical care, particularly in pain management.

Released: September 13, 2017

Novel way to present pancreatic proteins increases the sensitivity of Type 1 Diabetes Tests


Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stanford University and the University of Florida report the development of a novel antibody detection technology that holds promise for improving the accuracy of diagnostic tests for type 1 diabetes in young children and making population wide screening practical.
Released: September 12, 2017

Medical samples transported 160+ miles by unmanned aircraft in Arizona desert


Johns Hopkins researchers have set a new delivery distance record for medical drones, successfully transporting human blood samples across 161 miles of Arizona desert. Throughout the three-hour flight, they report, the on-board payload system maintained temperature control, ensuring the samples were viable for laboratory analysis after landing.

Released: September 11, 2017


Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have preliminary evidence in laboratory-grown, human airway cells that a condensed form of cigarette smoke triggers so-called “epigenetic” changes in the cells consistent with the earliest steps toward lung cancer development.

Released: September 7, 2017

Multi-hospital effort across Johns Hopkins system improves care and saves money, investigators say


A five-year effort across the Johns Hopkins Health System to reduce unnecessary blood transfusions and improve patient care has also resulted in an annual cost savings of more than $2 million, researchers report.

Released: September 6, 2017

Patient demand and profit motives also factor in


A new national survey of more than 2,000 physicians across multiple specialties finds that physicians believe overtreatment is common and mostly perpetuated by fear of malpractice, as well as patient demand and some profit motives.

Released: September 6, 2017

M-1 Ventures’ accelerator program to provide emerging businesses funding and mentorship from experts at Johns Hopkins, Plank Industries and the University of Maryland


Today, M-1 Ventures announced the six startups selected to participate in an intense 16-week program in Baltimore designed to set emerging businesses in the connected health and fitness industry on a fast track to success. This accelerator program operates with the support of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, Plank Industries, the University of Maryland (through UM Ventures), Brown Advisory and the Abell Foundation.

Released: September 4, 2017


Johns Hopkins scientists say they have developed a blood test that spots tumor-specific DNA and protein biomarkers for early-stage pancreatic cancer. The combined “liquid biopsy” identified the markers in the blood of 221 patients with the early-stage disease.
Released: August 31, 2017


Sleep apnea, left untreated for even a few days, can increase blood sugar and fat levels, stress hormones and blood pressure, according to a new study of sleeping subjects. A report of the study’s findings, published in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, adds further support for the consistent use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a machine that increases air pressure in the throat to keep the airway open during sleep. 

Released: August 31, 2017

Researchers find new sleep-promoting cells


Johns Hopkins researchers report the unexpected presence of a type of neuron in the brains of mice that appears to play a central role in promoting sleep by turning ‘off’ wake-promoting neurons. The newly identified brain cells, located in a part of the hypothalamus called the zona incerta, they say, could offer novel drug targets to treat sleep disorders, such as insomnia and narcolepsy, caused by the dysfunction of sleep-regulating neurons.

Released: August 30, 2017


In a mouse study designed to understand how chronic inflammation in sinusitis damages the sense of smell, scientists at Johns Hopkins say they were surprised to learn that the regeneration of olfactory tissue requires some of the same inflammatory processes and chemicals that create injury and loss of smell in the first place.

Released: August 28, 2017


In a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial of 212 patients, Johns Hopkins researchers have found that the routine use of fentanyl for sedation and comfort during coronary angiography reduces the effectiveness of the platelet blocking drug ticagrelor, and it doesn’t appear to provide any better pain relief than just local anesthesia.
Released: August 24, 2017

The 10-year agreement comes as Pacífica Salud embarks on development of a new hospital in the Costa del Este region of Panama City, Panama


Pacífica Salud recently renewed a 10-year affiliation agreement with Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Under the agreement, Johns Hopkins—a global leader in academic health care—will continue providing consulting services in the areas of clinical program and staff development, quality, and patient safety. The signing of the agreement culminates a milestone year for the renowned medical center in Panama, as Pacífica Salud breaks ground on the site where it plans to develop a new hospital in Costa del Este, Panama City, Panama.

Released: August 23, 2017


A Johns Hopkins paleontologist and her collaborative team of scientists report they have clear evidence that the arrival of humans and subsequent human activity throughout the islands of the Caribbean were likely the primary causes of the extinction of native mammal species there.  The evidence, they say, highlights the need for urgent human intervention to protect the native mammal species still inhabiting the region. 

Released: August 22, 2017

Study uses fMRI brain scans to document relationship between neural activity and risk for obesity


In a small study that scanned the brains of teenagers while exposing them to tempting “food cues,” researchers report that reduced activity in the brain’s “self-regulation” system may be an important early predictor of adult obesity.

Released: August 16, 2017


In a bid to detect cancers early and in a noninvasive way, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report they have developed a test that spots tiny amounts of cancer-specific DNA in blood and have used it to accurately identify more than half of 138 people with relatively early-stage colorectal, breast, lung and ovarian cancers. The test, the scientists say, is novel in that it can distinguish between DNA shed from tumors and other altered DNA that can be mistaken for cancer biomarkers.

Released: August 16, 2017

Learning “modules” shown to reduce “missed dose” rates by nurses


Results of a yearlong study funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) with more than 900 nurses at The Johns Hopkins Hospital suggest that well-designed online education can decrease the rate of nonadministration of prescribed and necessary doses of blood thinners to prevent potentially lethal blood clots in hospitalized patients.

Released: August 14, 2017

Review is first publication from national consortium of academic medical centers working to eliminate unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures


Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic have compiled peer-reviewed evidence and crafted a guideline designed to help physicians and medical centers stop the use of a widely ordered blood test that adds no value in evaluating patients with suspected heart attack.

Released: August 14, 2017

Results suggest serotonin loss may be a key player in cognitive decline, not just a side-effect of Alzheimer’s disease


In a study looking at brain scans of people with mild loss of thought and memory ability, Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence of lower levels of the serotonin transporter — a natural brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and appetite.

Released: August 8, 2017


Radiocarbon dating of a fossilized leg bone from a Jamaican monkey called Xenothrix mcgregori suggests it may be the one of the most recent primate species anywhere in the world to become extinct, and it may solve a long-standing mystery about the cause of its demise. The short answer: human settlement of its island home.

Released: August 8, 2017


Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists report they have discovered a biochemical process that gives prostate cancer cells the almost unnatural ability to change their shape, squeeze into other organs and take root in other parts of the body. The scientists say their cell culture and mouse studies of the process, which involves a cancer-related protein called AIM1, suggest potential ways to intercept or reverse the ability of cancers to metastasize, or spread.

Released: August 8, 2017

Named the #1 hospital in Maryland and #3 in the nation on the 2017–18 Best Hospitals list, making it the nation’s top-ranked hospital combined for both adult and pediatric care


Out of nearly 4,700 hospitals reviewed, The Johns Hopkins Hospital ranked #1 in Maryland and #3 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017–18 Best Hospitals list. Thirteen specialties at The Johns Hopkins Hospital are now among the top 10 in the nation. Ten specialties are in the top five.

Released: August 7, 2017


Our brains interpret the world around us, taking in the sights, sounds, textures and smells of the world. But how does our brain respond when we observe art?
Released: August 2, 2017

Most are improperly stored, as well


In a review of half a dozen published studies in which patients self-reported use of opioids prescribed to them after surgery, researchers at Johns Hopkins report that a substantial majority of patients used only some or none of the pills, and more than 90 percent failed to dispose of the leftovers in recommended ways.

Released: July 31, 2017


A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that testing for the presence of orthostatic hypotension, a form of low blood pressure, be performed within one minute of standing after a person has been lying down. Current guidelines recommend taking the measurement three minutes after a person stands up.

Released: July 26, 2017


Richard Chaisson, M.D., primary investigator of these studies and director of the Center for Tuberculosis Research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will be available at IAS 2017 to comment on this research.

Released: July 25, 2017


Alan Scott, Ph.D., associate professor in the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine and codirector of the Genetic Resources Core Facility at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is available to comment on the recent DNA sequencing of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, Neomonachus schauinslandi.
Released: July 24, 2017

Johns Hopkins researchers analyze Medicaid expansion’s effect on emergency department visits across Maryland


As the debate surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) looms in the U.S. Congress, Johns Hopkins researchers are weighing in on one aspect of the law. In 2014, as part of the ACA, Maryland was one of the states that expanded eligibility for its Medicaid program. One of the proposed benefits of expanding Medicaid under the ACA was a reduction in emergency department patient visits. However, some research prior to the ACA implementation found new Medicaid enrollees increased their visits to the emergency department.

Released: July 20, 2017

Johns Hopkins researchers say findings may be a wake-up call for primary care providers


Johns Hopkins researchers who distributed a survey at a retreat and medical update for primary care physicians (PCPs) report that the vast majority of the 140 doctors who responded could not identify all 11 risk factors that experts say qualify patients for prediabetes screening. The survey, they say, is believed to be one of the first to formally test PCPs’ knowledge of current professional guidelines for such screening.
Released: July 17, 2017

A mathematical method to measure the effectiveness of treating Afib


In a small proof-of-concept study, researchers at Johns Hopkins report a complex mathematical method to measure electrical communications within the heart can successfully predict the effectiveness of catheter ablation, the standard of care treatment for atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heartbeat disorder.  This has the potential to let physicians and patients know immediately following treatment whether it was effective, or whether they’ll need to anticipate another procedure in the future. 
Released: July 17, 2017

Discovery suggests that strategies to regulate immune system cell reactivity to injury and cell loss might one day unlock and boost human tissue and cellular regeneration


Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report evidence that zebrafishes’ natural ability to regenerate their eyes’ retinal tissue can be accelerated by controlling the fishes’ immune systems. Because evolution likely conserved this mechanism of regenerative potential in other animals, the new findings may one day advance efforts to combat degenerative eye disease damage in humans.

Released: July 12, 2017

The 16-week M-1 Ventures program to provide dedicated startup support that facilitates the development of innovative health care solutions


Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, Plank Industries, the University of Maryland (through UM Ventures), Brown Advisory and the Abell Foundation announced today that they are providing support for M-1 Ventures, a new Baltimore-based startup accelerator focused on connected health and fitness technologies. The 16-week program will be housed in FastForward East, an innovation hub on the Johns Hopkins medical campus, and will challenge startups selected from a national applicant pool to validate their business models, engage with customers and build on traction they have already generated. Additional support for the program comes from the Maryland Department of Commerce and Village Capital.

Released: July 11, 2017


Johns Hopkins physicians report success in a small study of a modified skin biopsy that hastens the earlier diagnosis of an inherited and progressively fatal nerve disease and seems to offer a clearer view of the disorder’s severity and progression. With a quicker and less invasive way to visualize the hallmark protein clumps of the rare but lethal disease — familial transthyretin amyloidosis — the researchers say they hope to more rapidly advance clinical trials of treatments that may slow the disease and extend patients’ lives.

Released: July 11, 2017

Test tube and mouse studies show TAK228 enhances the tumor-killing effects of radiation and chemotherapy


Laboratory studies suggest that an experimental drug already in early clinical trials for a variety of adult cancers might enhance radiation and chemotherapy for two childhood brain cancers that currently are virtually always fatal.

Released: July 10, 2017

Study also shows that so-called purer form of MDMA called Molly rarely is


Johns Hopkins scientists report that data collected over five years by volunteers who tested pills free of charge at music festivals and raves across the United States suggest that at least some recreational users of illegal drugs may choose not to take them if tests show the pills are adulterated or fake.

Released: July 7, 2017

Scripts generated electronically avoided trio of major errors in opioid drug prescribing


In a small study of opioid prescriptions filled at a Johns Hopkins Medicine outpatient pharmacy, researchers found that handwritten orders for the drugs contribute heavily to a trio of prescribing and processing errors in contrast to those created electronically.

Released: July 5, 2017


Scientists at Johns Hopkins, Rutgers, the University of Trento in Italy, and Harvard Medical School report they have developed a new molecular technique called LASSO cloning, which can be used to isolate thousands of long DNA sequences at the same time, more than ever before possible.

Released: June 29, 2017

Johns Hopkins expert offers reminder of potential dangers this holiday.


The Fourth of July is almost here, and many people are getting ready to revel in the red, white and blue. The holiday is often filled with barbecues, firework displays and patriotic pride, but, for some families, the celebration ends at the hospital. “Fourth of July is a time to celebrate, and it’s important to take time to do so, but it is important to keep safety in mind so you can avoid a trip to the Emergency Department,” says Susan Peterson, M.D., associate medical director for patient safety and quality in the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Released: June 29, 2017

Laparoscopic approach for pancreatitis resulted in fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, less need for opioids


Surgeons at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that their first series of a minimally invasive procedure to treat chronic pancreas disease, known as severe pancreatitis, resulted in shorter hospital stays, less need for opioids and fewer complications, compared with standard surgical approaches.

Released: June 29, 2017

Experiments in single-celled organisms have implications for blocking cancer metastasis and other disease-related cell movements


Johns Hopkins researchers report they have uncovered a mechanism in amoebae that rapidly changes the way cells migrate by resetting their sensitivity to the naturally occurring internal signaling events that drive such movement

Released: June 28, 2017

Proteins impeding immune responses against cancer — not alterations in the genes that make them — could be the “Achilles heel” of some cancers


By comparing variations in protein expression in tumor samples from a single melanoma patient, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center say their findings have the potential to reveal some of the mechanisms underlying response or resistance to immunotherapy drugs. The “proof of concept” findings, published online Feb. 13, 2017, in Clinical Cancer Research, point to distinct variations not in the genetic code of each tumor sample, but in the expression levels of certain proteins encoded by normal genes.

Released: June 27, 2017


Johns Hopkins Children’s Center was ranked #5 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report on its 2017–18 Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center has the distinction of being the only children’s hospital integrated with an adult facility to make the honor roll this year, and continues to be the highest-ranked pediatric hospital in the state of Maryland.

Released: June 26, 2017


The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and WellSpan Health today announced a new clinical collaboration that will benefit patients living with cancer in central Pennsylvania’s Adams, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.

Released: June 23, 2017


The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Brancati Center will provide free community health screenings this Saturday, June 24, at Zion Baptist Church/Oliver Community Outreach Fair.

Released: June 21, 2017


Johns Hopkins researchers report that a molecular diagnostic test accurately distinguishes among the three most common causes of vaginitis, an inflammation of  vaginal tissue they say accounts for millions of visits to medical clinics and offices in the U.S. each year.

Released: June 19, 2017


Experimenting with mice, neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine report new evidence that the eye’s iris in many lower mammals directly senses light and causes the pupil to constrict without involving the brain.

Released: June 16, 2017


Jed Fahey, assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is available to comment on new research showing that sulforaphane—a compound naturally found in broccoli—could potentially manage blood glucose levels in people with type II diabetes.

Released: June 14, 2017

Infectious disease experts say nearly a fifth of prescriptions were unnecessary


A study examining the impact of antibiotics prescribed for nearly 1500 adult patients admitted to The Johns Hopkins Hospital found that adverse side effects occurred in a fifth of them, and that nearly a fifth of those side effects occurred in patients who didn’t need antibiotics in the first place.

Released: June 13, 2017


Officials at Johns Hopkins Medicine announced today an expansion of its five-year affiliation with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Highmark, which provide health care services and insurance to people in Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware. The newly expanded relationship aims to support the care of patients with rare and complex adult and pediatric cancers and some organ-transplant patients, widen the portfolio of cancer clinical trials available to AHN’s patients, facilitate participation in medical education, and collaborate on genomic sequencing and precision medicine research.

Released: June 12, 2017


After more than 44 years of unparalleled service to Johns Hopkins, Ronald R. Peterson has announced plans to retire as president of Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine at the end of 2017.

Released: June 12, 2017

Assessments not keeping up with clinical trial advances


A group of researchers from several institutions in the USA, including Johns Hopkins Medicine, reports that its review of 22 clinical trials of fragile X syndrome (FXS) suggests the need for a wider use of newer and improved treatment outcome measurement tools for this and other several neurodevelopmental disorders. FXS is the most common inherited form of intellectual disability and the most common form of autism associated with a single gene mutation.

Released: June 9, 2017


Increasing our understanding of bladder cancer pathogenesis, using immune surveillance to eradicate local tumors and micrometastases, and attempting to identify molecular subtypes in bladder cancers to support personalized therapies: These are some of the exciting research initiatives being recognized by the Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute 2017 Research Grants Awards.

Released: June 9, 2017


In an expanded, three-year clinical trial of 86 patients with colorectal and 11 other kinds of cancer that have so-called ‘mismatch repair’ genetic defects, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy have found that half of the patients respond to an immunotherapy drug called pembrolizumab (Keytruda). In a report on the findings, which led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve expanded use of pembrolizumab for patients, the researchers also say they found evidence that the immune responses closely aligned with mutations found in their cancers. The report is published online in the June 8 issue of the journal Science.

Released: June 7, 2017

New strategy tested in animals could improve cancer immunotherapies


Scientists at Johns Hopkins have created a nanoparticle that carries two different antibodies capable of simultaneously switching off cancer cells’ defensive properties while switching on a robust anticancer immune response in mice. Experiments with the tiny, double-duty “immunoswitch” found it able to dramatically slow the growth of mouse melanoma and colon cancer and even eradicate tumors in test animals, the researchers report.

Released: June 1, 2017


Combining two checkpoint inhibitors, drugs that remove inhibitory signals and restore the immune system’s ability to fight cancer, may be effective in shrinking melanoma tumors or preventing their growth in some patients who previously received standard therapy, according to new research results from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute. (ASCO Abstract 9520).

Released: May 31, 2017


The Johns Hopkins University and Eisai Inc., the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo, Japan-based Eisai Co., Ltd., announced today that they have extended their drug discovery collaboration through an exclusive licensing agreement.

Released: May 30, 2017

'Price Gouging' Is Worst for Minorities and Uninsured


An analysis of billing records for more than 12,000 emergency medicine doctors across the United States shows that charges varied widely, but that on average, adult patients are charged 340 percent more than what Medicare pays for services ranging from suturing a wound to interpreting a head CT scan.

Released: May 30, 2017

Researchers have found that immune cells latently infected with HIV can proliferate, carrying the virus along with cellular DNA


Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report new evidence that immune cells infected with a latent form of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are able to proliferate, replenishing the reservoir of virus that is resistant to antiretroviral drug therapy.

Released: May 23, 2017

Discovery of personalized immunotherapy approach has roots at Johns Hopkins and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute laboratories and clinics


Today, for the first time, a drug has been FDA-approved for cancer based on disease genetics rather than type. Developed from 30 years of basic research at Johns Hopkins and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute, pembroluzimab now can be used for colon, pancreatic, stomach, ovarian and other cancers if genetic testing reveals defects in so-called mismatch repair genes.

Released: May 22, 2017


In a recent paper published online in the journal Critical Care Medicine, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute of Patient Safety and Quality led a study that demonstrated that health care providers can take steps to curb ventilator-associated events.

Released: May 18, 2017


You might remember him as Hawkeye Pierce on “M*A*S*H,” as Senator Vinick on “The West Wing,” or as the host of PBS’ “Scientific American Frontiers” for more than a decade. This Friday, Alan Alda will be visiting Johns Hopkins to share his thoughts on the importance of clear science communications to faculty, staff and students. Since 2009, he has been running the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stonybrook University, and has been a proponent of science communication and making science more accessible to everyone.

Released: May 18, 2017

The process may cause more harm than good


Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a new way that cells in the brain alert the rest of the body to recruit immune cells when the brain is injured. The work was completed in mouse models that mimic infection, stroke or trauma in humans.

Released: May 16, 2017


In a small and preliminary clinical trial, Johns Hopkins researchers and their collaborators have shown that an experimental gene therapy that uses viruses to introduce a therapeutic gene into the eye is safe and that it may be effective in preserving the vision of people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in the U.S., affecting an estimated 1.6 million Americans. The disease is marked by growth of abnormal blood vessels that leak fluid into the central portion of the retina called the macula, which we use for reading, driving and recognizing faces.

Released: May 10, 2017


Using gene sequencing tools, scientists from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of British Columbia have found a set of genetic mutations in samples from 24 women with benign endometriosis, a painful disorder marked by the growth of uterine tissue outside of the womb. The findings, described in the May 11 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, may eventually help scientists develop molecular tests to distinguish between aggressive and clinically “indolent,” or non-aggressive, types of endometriosis.

Released: May 10, 2017


What:    The annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
When: May 7-11

Where: Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD
(1 W. Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21201)

Released: May 8, 2017


Every year since 2008, the Johns Hopkins Women’s Health Research Group has hosted the Women’s Health Research Symposium to showcase research collaborations across Johns Hopkins’ schools of medicine, public health and nursing. 

Released: May 8, 2017


In experiments with human colon cancer cells and mice, a team led by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have evidence that cancer arises when a normal part of cells’ machinery generally used to repair DNA damage is diverted from its usual task. The findings, if further studies confirm them, could lead to the identification of novel molecular targets for anticancer drugs or tests for cancer recurrence, the investigators say.

Released: May 8, 2017


James Potash, M.D., M.P.H., will rejoin Johns Hopkins Medicine on July 1 as the Henry Phipps Professor and director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Released: May 8, 2017

Researchers urge hospitals to better assess such findings when people arrive with chest pain


In an analysis of medical records gathered from more than 300 hospitalized patients, a team of researchers reports that routine imaging scans used to help diagnose heart attacks generated “incidental findings” (IFs) in more than half of these patients. The investigators say only about 7 percent of these IFs were medically significant and urged imaging experts and hospitals to explore ways to safely reduce the added costly — and potentially risky — days in the hospital the IFs generate.

Released: May 8, 2017


WHAT: The Latino Health Conference 2017, sponsored by Johns Hopkins Centro SOL and the Urban Health Institute, will discuss the value of Latino health research during changing times. The conference brings together renowned researchers to address topics of interest for this year's theme, which has an impact on health care quality and outcomes. There will be a speed mentoring session for young investigators or students interested in pursuing careers in research. Community organizations are invited to attend the conference and reserve their seat for the community-driven research luncheon.

Released: May 4, 2017


Working with mouse, fly and human cells and tissue, Johns Hopkins researchers report new evidence that disruptions in the movement of cellular materials in and out of a cell’s control center — the nucleus — appear to be a direct cause of brain cell death in Huntington’s disease, an inherited adult neurodegenerative disorder.

Released: May 4, 2017


As part of an intensive weeklong boot camp to prepare fourth-year medical students who have matched into a surgical residency, the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery will hold a “Surgical Olympics.”  

Students will rotate through three stations (rated for time and accuracy), hang out in the “Olympic Village” between stations, and wrap up with a Jeopardy-style match.

Released: May 3, 2017


The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) has received a five-year, $15.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue its work supporting HIV research across the university.

Released: May 3, 2017


Johns Hopkins’ Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is celebrating its 50th anniversary on May 4, 2017.

OMIM is a comprehensive database of human genes and genetic disorders authored and updated daily by the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine. In the early 1960s, Dr. Victor A. McKusick pioneered this catalog entitled Mendelian Inheritance in Man (MIM) allowing physicians and medical professionals around the world to diagnose genetic conditions before genetic testing became readily available. OMIM, the online version, was launched in 1985 and became readily available on the internet in 1987. Fifty years later, OMIM is still a fundamental source of information in the scientific community.

Released: May 3, 2017


Flying a stroke specialist by helicopter to a nearby stroke patient for emergency care is feasible, saves money and, most importantly, gets critical care to patients faster than transporting the patient to a hospital first, according to a single-patient, proof-of-concept study by a Johns Hopkins Medicine research team.

Released: May 3, 2017


Using fruit flies, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a specific and very small set of brain cells — dubbed dopamine wedge neurons — responsible for driving the insects’ food preferences toward what they need, rather than what they like.

Released: May 2, 2017


Johns Hopkins University faculty members Stephen B. Baylin, M.D., and Robert F. Siliciano, M.D., Ph.D., have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”

Released: May 2, 2017

Brand new, multimillion dollar outpatient facility offers convenience and brings together essential services for patient care


The Division of Infectious Diseases in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine announces the opening of the John G. Bartlett Specialty Practice at The Johns Hopkins Hospital on Monday, May 8, 2017.

Released: April 29, 2017


John Walley Littlefield, M.D., a renowned physician-scientist whose work dramatically advanced the field of genetics and touched countless human lives, died peacefully on Thursday, April 20, surrounded by his family and loved ones. He was 91.

Released: April 28, 2017


In an analysis of Medicare billing data submitted by more than 2,300 United States physicians, researchers have calculated the average number of surgical slices, or cuts, made during Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), a procedure that progressively removes thin layers of cancerous skin tissue in a way that minimizes damage to healthy skin and the risks of leaving cancerous tissue behind.

Released: April 28, 2017

Half of Survivors Jobless After a Year and Lost Nearly Two-Thirds of Annual Income


According to a new multicenter study, nearly half of previously employed adult survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome were jobless one year after hospital discharge, and are estimated to have lost an average of $27,000 in earnings.

Released: April 28, 2017

Finding in mice could lead to new therapies for damaged organs and cancer


A gene previously identified as critical for tumor growth in many human cancers also maintains intestinal stem cells and encourages the growth of cells that support them, according to results of a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers. The finding, reported in the Apr. 28 issue of Nature Communications, adds to evidence for the intimate link between stem cells and cancer, and advances prospects for regenerative medicine and cancer treatments.

Released: April 27, 2017


Xiaoqin Wang, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical engineering, neuroscience and otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, and director of the Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology at The Johns Hopkins University, has won a $12 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for work with a multi-university team that will focus on targeted neuroplasticity training.

Released: April 27, 2017


A dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting with Johns Hopkins leadership and an open house of the new John G. Bartlett Specialty Practice at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Released: April 27, 2017


Johns Hopkins researchers report that an analysis of survey responses and health records of more than 10,000 American adults for nearly 20 years suggests a “synergistic” link between exercise and good vitamin D levels in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Released: April 27, 2017


Allegheny Health Network in Pennsylvania is the latest health system to join the Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network. Developed by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, the research network is designed to establish a network of academic and community-based clinical researchers who provide new opportunities for research collaborations and accelerate the transfer of new diagnostic, treatment and disease prevention advances from the research arena to patient care.

Released: April 26, 2017

By providing startups education, mentorship, services and affordable space, FastForward 1812 aims to help revitalize Baltimore’s economy


The Johns Hopkins University announced today the opening of its state-of-the-art innovation hub, FastForward 1812. The 23,000-square-foot space near Johns Hopkins’ flagship hospital and schools of medicine, public health and nursing provides Baltimore’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem and area startups sought-after office, co-working and wet lab space to accommodate a variety of startups.

Released: April 26, 2017

Researchers find that removing senescent cells prevents joint degradation and promotes renewal in mouse joints


In a preclinical study in mice and human cells, researchers report that selectively removing old or ‘senescent’ cells from joints could stop and even reverse the progression of osteoarthritis.

Released: April 25, 2017


Working with human brain tissue samples and genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers together with colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, the University of California San Diego Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Columbia University, and the Institute for Basic Research in Staten Island say that consequences of low levels of the protein NPTX2 in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may change the pattern of neural activity in ways that lead to the learning and memory loss that are hallmarks of the disease.

Released: April 25, 2017

Special Effects Pros Help Create Lifelike 3D Simulator for Practicing Brain Surgery


A team of computer engineers and neurosurgeons, with an assist from Hollywood special effects experts, reports successful early tests of a novel, lifelike 3D simulator designed to teach surgeons to perform a delicate, minimally invasive brain operation.

Released: April 24, 2017


Six Johns Hopkins physicians were elected to the Association of American Physicians at the annual meeting of the organization April 21-23 in Chicago.
 

Released: April 24, 2017

Closing disclosure gap for lesbian, gay and bisexual community should improve care


A study that surveyed a national sample of emergency department health care providers and adult patients suggests that patients are substantially more willing to disclose their sexual orientation than health care workers believe.

Released: April 20, 2017

Study in mice identifies neurons that sense touch and motion, a combo needed to actively perceive the external world


Working with genetically engineered mice — and especially their whiskers — Johns Hopkins researchers report they have identified a group of nerve cells in the skin responsible for what they call “active touch,” a combination of  motion and sensory feeling needed to navigate the external world. The discovery of this basic sensory mechanism, described online April 20 in the journal Neuron, advances the search for better “smart” prosthetics for people, ones that provide more natural sensory feedback to the brain during use.

Released: April 20, 2017


The Johns Hopkins Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR) marked its 20-year history supporting large-scale scientific collaboration by securing funding to the center through 2023.  CIDR successfully competed for a seven-year contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) providing up to $213 million in research funding. The renewal contract enables NIH-funded researchers to use CIDR’s sequencing, high-throughput genotyping, analysis and informatics services for a wide array of studies exploring genetic contributions to human health and disease.

Released: April 19, 2017

Mutant forms of HIV complicate disease monitoring and distract the immune system from the functional virus


Researchers at Johns Hopkins and George Washington universities report new evidence that proteins created by defective forms of HIV long previously believed to be harmless actually interact with our immune systems and are actively monitored by a specific type of immune cell, called cytotoxic T cells.

Released: April 19, 2017

Use of sestamibi SPECT/CT scan could spare patients with benign kidney tumors from unneeded surgery


The latest in a series of studies led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that addition of a widely available, noninvasive imaging test called 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT to CT or MRI increases the accuracy of kidney tumor classification. The research team reports that the potential improvement in diagnostic accuracy will spare thousands of patients each year in the United States alone from having to undergo unnecessary surgery.

Released: April 18, 2017

New evidence that, contrary to dogma, a healthy adult gut loses and regenerates a third of its nerve cells weekly


Johns Hopkins researchers today published new evidence refuting the long-held scientific belief that the gut nerve cells we’re born with are the same ones we die with.

Released: April 18, 2017


Although human population studies have linked air pollution to chronic inflammation of nasal and sinus tissues, direct biological and molecular evidence for cause and effect has been scant. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers report that experiments in mice continually exposed to dirty air have revealed that direct biological effect.

Released: April 17, 2017


After nearly 40 years of searching, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have identified a part of the human genome that appears to block an RNA responsible for keeping only a single X chromosome active when new female embryos are formed, effectively allowing for the generally lethal activation of more than one X chromosome during development. Because so-called X-inactivation is essential for normal female embryo development in humans and other mammals, and two activated X chromosomes create an inherently fatal condition, the research may help explain the worldwide human sex ratio that has slightly favored males over females for as long as science has been able to measure it. The results appear online in the April 12 issue of the journal PLOS ONE.

Released: April 13, 2017

Johns Hopkins nurses earn more top honors than nurses from any other health system in the region


Baltimore magazine is honoring 11 Johns Hopkins nurses and nurse leaders for their extraordinary contributions to health care in its third annual “Excellence in Nursing” issue this May.

Released: April 12, 2017


The American Academy of Arts and Sciences today announced the election of 228 new members, including Paul B. Rothman, M.D. and Arturo Casadevall, M.D., of The Johns Hopkins University. 

Released: April 11, 2017


At the annual “Research Matters” conference on Wednesday, April 12, scientists at Maryland’s two academic cancer centers will meet to discuss how scientists are using advanced imaging methods to develop better ways pinpoint and track cancer cells — down to the microscopic level — and precisely target each cell with anti-cancer drugs.

Released: April 7, 2017


Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers received the following honors and awards at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 1-5 in Washington, D.C.

Released: April 5, 2017


In a clinical trial conducted among adults in 11 hospitals, researchers have shown that a hand-held EEG device approved in 2016 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that is commercially available can quickly and with 97 percent accuracy rule out whether a person with a head injury likely has brain bleeding and needs further evaluation and treatment.

Released: April 5, 2017


In a small pilot study of men with schizophrenia, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Sheppard Pratt Health System say they have evidence that adding probiotics — microorganisms, such as bacteria found in yogurts — to the patients’ diets may help treat yeast infections and ease bowel problems. Probiotics may also decrease delusions and hallucinations, but in the study, these psychiatric benefits mostly affected those without a history of yeast infections.

Released: April 4, 2017


See below for brief descriptions of research scheduled for presentation by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy scientists at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 1 – 5 in Washington, D.C.

Released: April 4, 2017


As part of the Maryland Trauma System distracted driving awareness statewide initiative, Johns Hopkins Health System Trauma Centers will host events to educate people about the dangers of distracted driving. The events are free and open to the public.

Released: April 3, 2017

Seventy percent of patients who kept their gallbladders despite biliary pancreatitis had no recurrence four years later


Johns Hopkins researchers say that the findings they published in the current edition of The American Journal of Gastroenterology could have important implications for the field of personalized medicine.

Released: April 3, 2017

Reverse triage, a strategy shown to be potentially effective in sudden increases of adult inpatients, may also be a useful tactic for pediatric hospitals.


A school mass shooting. A bus accident involving children. Heat-related illnesses at a large outdoor event. These are all horrific incidents that could send dozens of young patients to a hospital at one time. When many hospitals nationwide are already filled to capacity, how can hospitals handle an unexpected surge of pediatric patients?

Released: April 3, 2017


More than seven years after the start of one of the first clinical trials of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report that the five-year survival estimate for a limited subset of people with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer taking the drug is 16 percent, compared with a historical survival rate for that group of 1 to 4 percent.

Released: March 30, 2017

Skill transfer between body parts reflects plasticity of brain’s organization, researchers say


The human brain’s cerebellum controls the body’s ability to tightly and accurately coordinate and time movements as fine as picking up a pin and as muscular as running a foot race. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers have added to evidence that this structure also helps transfer so-called motor learning from one part of the body to another.

Released: March 30, 2017


Chronic kidney disease is more common than you think. Nearly one in three adults is at high risk for developing the disease. Some people even have kidney disease and don’t even know it. What do the kidneys do for the body? What are the signs, symptoms and causes of chronic kidney disease? How is it diagnosed, and what are the treatment options? Our experts provide insight on this condition.

Released: March 27, 2017

Experiments removing Ephexin5 protein prevented deficits in animal models of the memory-robbing disease


In experiments with a protein called Ephexin5 that appears to be elevated in the brain cells of Alzheimer’s disease patients and mouse models of the disease, Johns Hopkins researchers say removing it prevents animals from developing Alzheimer’s characteristic memory losses. In a report on the studies, published online March 27 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, the researchers say the findings could eventually advance development of drugs that target Ephexin5 to prevent or treat symptoms of the disorder.

Released: March 27, 2017


In a research effort that merged genetics, physics and information theory, a team at the Schools of Medicine and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University has added significantly to evidence that large regions of the human genome have built-in variability in reversible epigenetic modifications made to their DNA

Released: March 27, 2017


Andrea Poretti, M.D., associate professor of radiology and radiological science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a brilliant physician-scientist in the field of pediatric neurology and neuroimaging, died March 20 at his home in Baltimore, Maryland, from natural causes. He was 39.

Released: March 23, 2017


Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists report data from a new study providing evidence that random, unpredictable DNA copying “mistakes” account for nearly two-thirds of the mutations that cause cancer. Their research is grounded on a novel mathematical model based on DNA sequencing and epidemiologic data from around the world.

Released: March 23, 2017


In a first-of-its-kind study published in the March 1, 2017 edition of Molecular Therapy, researchers from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine showed that gene therapy was able to restore balance and hearing in genetically modified mice that mimic Usher Syndrome, a genetic condition in humans characterized by partial or total hearing loss, dizziness, and vision loss that worsens over time. The hearing loss and dizziness is caused by abnormalities of the inner ear.

Released: March 16, 2017


A new study in mice reveals that eosinophils, a type of disease-fighting white blood cell, appear to be at least partly responsible for the progression of heart muscle inflammation to heart failure in mice.

Released: March 15, 2017

This Friday, March 17, at noon, fourth-year medical students around the country will open their envelopes and find out where they have matched to continue their medical training next year


The wait is almost over for students who will soon graduate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: At noon on Friday, March 17, they will gather together and open the envelopes that let them know where they will spend the next chapter of their lives training for careers in the medical field of their choosing.
 

Released: March 15, 2017


Results of a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers using national data add to evidence that living in inner cities can worsen asthma in poor children. They also document persistent racial/ethnic disparities in asthma.

Released: March 15, 2017

Study identifies mutations outside of traditional vaccine targets as barrier to vaccine development


Unlike its viral cousins hepatitis A and B, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has eluded the development of a vaccine and infected more than 170 million people worldwide. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that a novel laboratory tool that lets them find virus mutations faster and more efficiently than ever before has identified a biological mechanism that appears to play a big role in helping HCV evade both the natural immune system and vaccines.

Released: March 14, 2017

Effect measured in women already diagnosed with mood disorders


In a small-scale study of women with previously diagnosed mood disorders, Johns Hopkins researchers report that lower levels of the hormone allopregnanolone in the second trimester of pregnancy were associated with an increased chance of developing postpartum depression in women already known to be at risk for the disorder.

Released: March 14, 2017

Public health and other experts add to evidence for switching “the pill” from prescription to over-the-counter sales


After reviewing decades of published studies, a team of pediatric, adolescent and women’s health experts concludes that regulatory, behavioral and scientific evidence supports switching oral contraceptives from prescription-only status to over-the-counter (OTC) availability.

Released: March 13, 2017

Newly discovered proteasome appears to play a role in nerve cell signaling, Johns Hopkins researchers report


A subset of protein complexes whose role has long been thought to consist only of chemically degrading and discarding of proteins no longer needed by cells appears to also play a role in sending messages from one nerve cell to another, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report.

Released: March 9, 2017


Working as part of an international research consortium, a multidisciplinary team at The Johns Hopkins University has completed the design phase for a fully synthetic yeast genome.

Released: March 9, 2017

Protein called GRASP1 is needed to strengthen brain circuits


Learning and memory depend on cells’ ability to strengthen and weaken circuits in the brain. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that a protein involved in recycling other cell proteins plays an important role in this process.

Released: March 9, 2017


Johns Hopkins researchers report that a new analysis of health information drawn from a national database reaffirms the missed opportunity doctors have in recommending lifestyle interventions to people with a family history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Released: March 8, 2017


The 2017 class of the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence will be inducted on Monday, April 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Excellence in Patient Care Symposium. The event will be held at The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Chevy Chase Bank Auditorium in the Sheikh Zayed Tower.
 

Released: March 8, 2017

Depression is common in patients with central vision loss, but study suggests that low vision rehabilitation and occupational therapy could decrease its severity


Johns Hopkins researchers report that in-home occupational therapy appears to reduce the rate and severity of depression in people at higher risk for the disorder because of seriously impaired vision.

Released: March 6, 2017

Professional pest management no more effective than do-it-yourself allergen reduction in improving asthma symptoms


The results of a new study reveal that a professional pest management intervention was no better in decreasing asthma symptoms in children allergic to mice than teaching families how to reduce the level of allergens shed by mice in the home on their own.

Released: March 6, 2017


Johns Hopkins inHealth, an initiative of Johns Hopkins aimed at moving the field of individualized health forward, will kick off a brand-new event series called On the Road to Precision Medicine Health Care Leader Series. The series will address some of the challenges and obstacles faced in the field of precision medicine. The inaugural event taking place March 8 at the National Press Club will focus on the future of immunotherapy. Leading experts will gather to discuss topics such as cost, communication, research and health care delivery

Released: March 1, 2017


Working with yeast and human cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have discovered an unexpected route for cells to eliminate protein clumps that may sometimes be the molecular equivalent of throwing too much or the wrong trash into the garbage disposal. Their finding, they say, could help explain part of what goes awry in the progression of such neurodegenerative diseases as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Released: March 1, 2017

Emergency medicine physician promoted to new leadership role within the health system and hospital


Peter Hill, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine, will become the senior vice president of medical affairs for the Johns Hopkins Health System and vice president of medical affairs for The Johns Hopkins Hospital, effective March 2.

Released: March 1, 2017

Their brains appear to compensate for word processing problems in new ways, small study shows


Results of a small study of adults with autism at Johns Hopkins has added to evidence that their brains can learn to compensate for some language comprehension challenges that are a hallmark of the disorder in children.

Released: February 28, 2017

“Negative” findings question earlier reports of a link between CMV and brain cancers


In a rigorous study of tumor tissue collected from 125 patients with aggressive brain cancers, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have found no evidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and conclude that a link between the two diseases, as claimed by earlier reports, likely does not exist.

Released: February 27, 2017


In a small phase I and II clinical trial, Johns Hopkins researchers and colleagues elsewhere found that the high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet was a safe and effective treatment option for the majority of adults experiencing a relatively rare, often fatal and always severe form of epilepsy marked by prolonged seizures that require medically induced comas to prevent them from further damaging the body and the brain.

Released: February 22, 2017


There are neurons in your skin that are wired for one purpose and one purpose only: to sense itchy things. These neurons are separate from the ones that detect pain, and yet, chemical-induced itch is often accompanied by mild pain, such as burning and stinging sensations. But when it comes to sending signals toward your brain through your spinal cord, itch and mild pain can go through the same set of spinal cord neurons, researchers report Feb. 22 in Neuron. This finding explains why pain often accompanies intense, chemical-induced itch.

Released: February 22, 2017

Opportunity to Drive Collaboration between Health System and Senior Care Providers


TOLEDO, Ohio-- Feb. 22, 2017– Welltower Inc. (NYSE: HCN) today announced a strategic collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine intended to promote innovative care and wellness for the aging population and to create programs that increase quality, value and connectivity across the health care continuum.

Released: February 22, 2017


Working with human breast cancer cells and mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have identified a biochemical pathway that triggers the regrowth of breast cancer stem cells after chemotherapy.

Released: February 20, 2017

Tips and guidelines on keeping your heart in tip-top shape


When it comes to your heart health, it’s never too early or too late to start making meaningful changes to your lifestyle. Not only is it important to eat right and move more, but also to know your risks for certain heart diseases and understand your numbers. From learning the best diets for your heart to smart approaches to exercise, our experts provide guidance on keeping your heart in tip-top shape.

Released: February 16, 2017

The Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections


What: The Annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections

When: Feb. 13–16, 2017

Where: Seattle, Washington, Washington State Convention Center

(705 Pike St., Seattle, WA 98101)

Released: February 14, 2017


Lung cancer specialist Benjamin Levy, M.D., has been named the new clinical director of medical oncology and medical director of thoracic oncology for the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital in northwest Washington, D.C.

Released: February 9, 2017

Researchers studying mouse proteins uncover part of “choreography of immunity”


Rearranging the genome is a risky endeavor, and human cells reserve it for special occasions, like making egg and sperm cells. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine announce they’ve learned how an enzyme that reshuffles DNA on one of those rare occasions — during the birth of new white blood cells — helps ensure the process doesn’t go haywire. Their results are described online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Released: February 7, 2017

All patients off immunosuppressive drugs more than a year after transplant in small clinical trial


Physicians at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report they have successfully treated 16 patients with a rare and lethal form of bone marrow failure called severe aplastic anemia using partially matched bone marrow transplants followed by two high doses of a common chemotherapy drug. In a report on the new transplant-chemo regimen, published online Dec. 22, 2016, in Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the Johns Hopkins team says that more than a year after their transplants, all of the patients have stopped taking immunosuppressive drugs commonly used to treat the disorder and have no evidence of the disease.

Released: February 6, 2017

Johns Hopkins researchers to bring surgical quality improvement initiative to hospitals nationwide


The Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, in collaboration with the American College of Surgeons, has been awarded a nearly $4 million contract, with the option of $12 million over three years, for a total of about $16 million from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to improve the outcomes and experiences of surgery patients across the United States. The project, funded and guided by AHRQ, will enable more than 750 hospitals to implement enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, which have been shown to reduce complications, decrease lengths of stay and boost patient experience.

Released: February 2, 2017

Chemical recalibration of brain cells during sleep is crucial for learning, and sleeping pills may sabotage it


Studying mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins have fortified evidence that a key purpose of sleep is to recalibrate the brain cells responsible for learning and memory so the animals can “solidify” lessons learned and use them when they awaken — in the case of nocturnal mice, the next evening.

Released: February 2, 2017

ACO’s efforts to improve patient care and reduce health care costs met with success


The Johns Hopkins Medicine Alliance for Patients (JMAP), the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) of Johns Hopkins Medicine, announces that it has been selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to renew its participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program for the next three years. The Shared Savings Program offers financial incentives to encourage ACOs to improve coordination, communication and overall care for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries while also reducing health care costs.

Released: February 2, 2017

Results reinforce need to provide condoms to drug users, researchers say


Cocaine use has long been tied anecdotally to higher-than-usual rates of impulsive behavior, including risky sex, but the tie-in has been difficult to study with any scientifically controlled rigor.

Released: February 1, 2017

Mouse and human cell studies confirm a common link between proteins and loss of dopamine-making brain cells


Researchers report they have discovered how two problem proteins known to cause Parkinson’s disease are chemically linked, suggesting that someday, both could be neutralized by a single drug designed to target the link. A report on their discovery appears in the Jan. 24 issue of Cell Reports.

Released: January 31, 2017


Reporters, please join Newswise on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. ET for a live event featuring Johns Hopkins’ Vikram Chib and other experts who will scientifically analyze various aspects of this major pop culture event.

Released: January 31, 2017


Our experts, available for interview, can provide some insight on how to successfully start and maintain a healthy lifestyle, including advice on how to kick off the transition to a healthier you, pick the right diet and select strategies that actually help you keep the promises you’ve made.

Released: January 31, 2017


An international research group of 32 experts from nine countries has updated the guidelines for diagnosing the genetic disease cystic fibrosis.

Released: January 31, 2017


Results of a multicenter study of 129 women with advanced breast cancer show that a blood test that spots cancer-linked DNA correctly predicted that most of those patients with higher levels of the tumor markers died significantly earlier than those with lower levels.

Released: January 27, 2017

Study suggests that doctors spend less time with tardy patients in busy clinics


A study examining doctor and patient behavior at three Johns Hopkins Medicine outpatient clinics has found evidence that clinicians spend more face-to-face time with patients when the clinic is on schedule and less when the clinic is running late.

Released: January 27, 2017


The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Interest Group invites medical students from Maryland and Washington D.C. to the first annual PM&R Expo. This “PM&R 101” event will allow future health care providers to get a taste of the different clinical treatments available within physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Released: January 26, 2017


What: The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s 37th annual Pregnancy Meeting
When: Jan. 26–28, 2017
Where: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Released: January 26, 2017

Improper chromosome separation sets the stage for cancer


When a cell is dividing, two identical structures, called centrosomes, move to opposite sides of the cell to help separate its chromosomes into the new cells. More than 100 years ago, scientists observed that cancer cells often have more than two centrosomes, but they couldn’t untangle whether the extra structures were a result of the cancer — or part of its cause. Now, biologists at Johns Hopkins have solved that conundrum, finding that extra centrosomes can single-handedly promote tumor formation in mice.

Released: January 26, 2017


A new survey of 51 youth-serving, nonclinical, community-based organizations in Baltimore, Maryland, found that the majority did not offer HIV testing, nor did they have established links to refer youth to testing. Organizations that did provide HIV tests were more likely to offer general health services and referral services for sexually transmitted infections screening outside of HIV, and had staff members who were more comfortable talking about sexual health issues.

Released: January 26, 2017


Johns Hopkins researchers report that a new peptide holds promise for improving treatment for degenerative retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. These vascular diseases often result in central vision loss as blood vessels grow into tissues at the back of the eye, where such growth should not occur.

Released: January 26, 2017

Achievement believed to be a “first”


Generating mature and viable heart muscle cells from human or other animal stem cells has proven difficult for biologists. Now, Johns Hopkins researchers report success in creating them in the laboratory by implanting stem cells taken from a healthy adult or one with a type of heart disease into newborn rat hearts.

Released: January 25, 2017


Results of a random sample survey of 426 primary care physicians by a team of researchers found that the majority does not support repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in its entirety, and the percentage of those who support complete repeal is lower than that of the general public.

Released: January 24, 2017


The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute will provide free eye screenings for Baltimore seniors as part of its Screening to Prevent Glaucoma (SToP Glaucoma) program. It will be held during an event at the Mary Harvin Senior Center on Thursday, Jan. 26. The free screening events is aimed at eliminating some of the barriers to accessing healthcare faced by Baltimore residents.

Released: January 23, 2017

Ultrasound pulses activate release of drugs from nanoparticles


Biomedical engineers at Johns Hopkins report they have worked out a noninvasive way to release and deliver concentrated amounts of a drug to the brain of rats in a temporary, localized manner using ultrasound. The method first “cages” a drug inside tiny, biodegradable “nanoparticles,” then activates its release through precisely targeted sound waves, such as those used to painlessly and noninvasively create images of internal organs.

Released: January 18, 2017


Daniel O’Connor, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is among 102 winners of Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, which were announced by the White House on Jan. 9. The awards are the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Released: January 17, 2017


Albert H. Owens Jr., M.D., a Johns Hopkins oncologist who played a leadership role in developing oncology as a scientific discipline and clinical specialty — and who also served as president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital — died Jan. 13 at the age of 90.

Released: January 17, 2017

Coronary artery calcium score gives risk assessment to prevent over- or undertreatment of blood pressure


Using data from a national study, Johns Hopkins researchers determined that using heart CT scans can help personalize treatment in patients whose blood pressure falls in the gray zone of just above normal or mild high blood pressure. Previously, the appropriate blood pressure treatment for these patients used risk calculations and some guesswork, potentially leaving many vulnerable to heart disease or taking drugs they don’t need. Nearly one in three adults in the U.S. has prehypertension, blood pressure higher than normal but not considered high yet.

Released: January 16, 2017

Epigenetic changes, not DNA mutations, drive some metastasis


A multicenter team of researchers reports that a full genomic analysis of tumor samples from a small number of people who died of pancreatic cancer suggests that chemical changes to DNA that do not affect the DNA sequence itself yet control how it operates confer survival advantages on subsets of pancreatic cancer cells. Those advantages, the researchers say, let such cancer cells thrive in organs like the liver and lungs, which receive a sugar-rich blood supply.

Released: January 12, 2017

Study shows how and why hairlike structures on cells are lost


Many of our cells are equipped with a hairlike “antenna” that relays information about the external environment to the cell, and scientists have already discovered that the appearance and disappearance of these so-called primary cilia are synchronized with the process of cellular duplication, called mitosis. Now, cell biologists at Johns Hopkins report the discovery of new information about how this “hair loss” and cell duplication are linked through the dramatic clipping of the tips of the cilia — what the scientists dub decapitation — that begins their disassembly.

Released: January 12, 2017


Young scientists interested in bladder cancer research can compete for up to two awards totaling $100,000 from a joint effort between the Johns Hopkins Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute and the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN).

Released: January 11, 2017

New heart disease “staging” system focuses on those previously considered at low risk


Experts at Johns Hopkins and New York’s Mount Sinai Health System have published a suggested new plan for a five-stage system of classifying the risk of heart attack in those with heart disease, one they say puts much-needed and long-absent focus on the risks faced by millions of Americans who pass so-called stress tests or have less obvious or earlier-stage danger signs.

Released: January 10, 2017

Insight into cellular mechanisms illuminates biological target for PTSD therapy


Experiments in mice by researchers at Johns Hopkins suggest that if the goal is to ease or extinguish fearful emotional memories like those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol may make things worse, not better. Results of their study demonstrate, they say, that alcohol strengthens emotional memories associated with fearful experiences and prevents mice from pushing aside their fears.

Released: January 9, 2017


Johns Hopkins researchers who conducted a dozen focus groups with 70 straight and gay/bisexual Hispanic and African-American males ages 15 to 24 report that gaining a better understanding of the context in which young men grow up will allow health care providers to improve this population’s use of sexual and reproductive health care.

Released: January 9, 2017


Johns Hopkins researchers along with academic and drug industry investigators say they have identified a new biological target for treating spinal muscular atrophy. They report they have evidence that an experimental medicine aimed at this target works as a “booster” in conjunction with a drug called nusinersen that was recently FDA-approved to improve symptoms of the disorder in mice.

Released: January 5, 2017


Johns Hopkins Medicine today announced a collaborative agreement with Under Armour Inc. that introduces evidence-based science along with expert insights to the Under Armour Connected Fitness™ platform, which includes a suite of health and fitness applications: UA Record™, MapMyFitness®, MyFitnessPal® and Endomondo™.

Released: January 5, 2017


Robert Wood, M.D., director of pediatric allergy and immunology and professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is available to discuss the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' new Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy and their implications.

Released: January 5, 2017

Discovery could explain widespread acquired resistance among patients treated with immune checkpoint blockade drugs


Results of an initial study of tumors from patients with lung cancer or head and neck cancer suggest that the widespread acquired resistance to immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors may be due to the elimination of certain genetic mutations needed to enable the immune system to recognize and attack malignant cells. The study, conducted by researchers on the cells of five of their patients treated at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, is described online Dec. 28 in Cancer Discovery.

Released: January 4, 2017


Inez Stewart, M.Ed., has assumed the role of senior vice president of human resources for the Johns Hopkins Health System.

Released: January 3, 2017


The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Medicine is expanding to continue improving the quality of patient care. New facilities are needed not only to address a growing demand for health care but also to advance the standard of compassionate, individualized care at Johns Hopkins Medicine.