A Monthly Research Newsletter from the Woodruff Health Sciences Center of Emory University



			January 29, 2009


Chris Larsen, MD, DPhil			Sound Science: Treating Diabetes with Islet Transplants Listen to Sound Science as Chris Larsen, director of Emory's transplant center, new chair of surgery in Emory School of Medicine, and Emory system-wide surgery chief, discusses the advances and hurdles in treating Type 1 diabetes with islet transplants. Larsen says despite advances, islet transplants still pose significant challenges for both physicians and patients. Read and listen. . .


Gary Miller, PhD			Factoring the Environment into Parkinson's Disease Through a new NIH-funded research center, scientists are exploring how environmental exposure to various pesticides and PCBs, combined with genetics, leads to greater susceptibility to Parkinson's disease. Many banned pesticides still remain in the soil and can take decades to break down. Read more. . .


			GTEC Renews Commitment to Regenerative Medicine The Georgia Tech-Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues (GTEC), a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, recently celebrated its 10th year of innovative research. GTEC's focus has moved from engineering replacement tissues to one that includes tissue regeneration. Read more . . .


Phil Rather, PhD			Resisting a Slimy Enemy Emory microbiologist Phil Rather is on a mission to understand A. baumannii, a virulent, drug-resistant bacterium that has attacked wounded soldiers and is spreading to the general population. Rather is working to disrupt biofilm, a slimy substance that is the secret of the organism's success. Read more. . .


Magnified image of microglia			Blocking Toxic Effects Could Make Clot Buster Safer The clot-busting drug tPA can be a double-edged sword for a brain affected by stroke. The only FDA-approved treatment for acute stroke also can contribute to inflammation and brain damage. New strategies could make tPA safer and more widely useful. Read more. . .