Science Market Update

After the birth of a child at Emory University Hospital, patients will have the option of donating their umbilical cord blood, at no cost, to a bank that could help save a number of people’s lives. The cord blood can be used to treat blood diseases and disorders, such as leukemia. According to the Emory University News Center, about 20,000 people suffer from life-threatening blood disorders every year, and the banked cord blood could have an enormous impact on their treatment. Normally, umbilical cords are disposed of after a birth. Now at Emory University Hospital, women who are at least 34 weeks pregnant and expecting a single baby are eligible to bank cord blood. They will not be asked to pay a fee or monetary donation.

The board of directors at the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) held a board meeting in March at which they approved $292,500 in research funding for the 2013-2014 research budget year. According to Southeast Farm Press, the projects approved have been submitted primarily from the University of Georgia and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Peanut growers in Georgia spend $2 per ton of peanuts annually towards GPC research, promotion and education. Research makes up 22 percent of the commission’s available funding.

Emory University recently received research funding for the Winship Cancer Institute totaling $10 million from the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation. The gifts will fund the Glenn Family Breast Center at Winship and will be directed towards supporting the breast cancer program’s research goals in Georgia, such as funding clinical trials and recruitment. According to an Emory University news article, the Glenn Scholars program, which donates research money to Winship scientists whose breast cancer research has a high impact, will also benefit from the research funding.

The Emory/Georgia Tech Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center has awarded $630,000 in the form of 11 seed grants targeted towards new research in regenerative medicine. The grant-funded research attends to the issue of how the body (including bone, muscle, nerves, blood vessels and tissues) can take advantage of its own potential to heal or regenerate after disease or trauma.

Science researchers at Emory University recently conducted a study that suggests a drug used to treat autoimmune disorders and rheumatoid arthritis may be used to help treat people with depression who haven’t had success with traditional depression medications. The study was published on September 3rd in Archives of General Psychiatry. According to researchers, inflammation is normally associated with the way the body responds to tissue damage, but persistent inflammation can affect many parts of the body, including the brain.

Research scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered five rare mutations in an “autism susceptibility gene” that seem to increase the risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in boys.  According to an article on Medical Xpress, the number of children diagnosed with autism has recently increased to 1 in 100, so the research now is more relevant than ever.

Emory University has created an intriguing new online news center that collects diverse, captivating multimedia content on a single web-based platform. The Emory News Center launched on January 26th and will be able to reach audiences through a variety of media channels. The approximately 4 million annual visitors to Emory’s website will be able to access exciting new online features and services now that the site has launched.

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The Emory School of Medicine has launched a new Biomedical Informatics Department.  The new department will create more faculty positions and will help encourage opportunities for improved training, education and research in this emerging field.

Michael E. Zwick is a geneticist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and his recently published study in October's Genomics journal on Identifying Autism Susceptibility Genes explores a new PCR technology for rapid, targeted, and highly accurate sequencing and identification of novel genetic variants affecting X chromosome genes.  Autism is four times more common in men, who possess only one copy of the X chromosome, and Zwick's research explores this possible correlation.