Harvard Medical School News Tips

For Immediate Release, August 5, 1997

Contact:
Peta Gillyatt, (617) 432-0443
Bill Schaller, (617)432-0441

Harvard Medical School News Tips

Basic Science: How Salmonella Wreaks Havoc on the Gut

Summer picnics and barbecues sometimes have gut-wrenching consequences. A warm salad or undercooked burger can provide just the right setting for harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, to flourish. Once ingested, the bugs invade the intestinal lining, causing pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Harvard Medical School researcher Cathy Lee studies exactly how salmonella get into these cells. At least 25 genes work together to run a complex protein- secretion machine that entices gut cells to ruffle up and embrace the invading bugs. SheÏ€s discovered, however, that conditions in the intestine must be just right for these invasion genes to work. Dr. LeeÏ€s research could lead to new ways to thwart food poisoning. Contact: Peta Gillyatt, 617-432-0443 ([email protected])

Research Innovation: Frogs Leap Over Fruitflies in the Lab

In a climate-controlled room illuminated by natural light, 5,000 African clawed frogs live at Harvard Medical School. Their extra-large eggsãabout one millimeter in diameterãare easily accessible and readily develop in a culture dish under the observing eye of a scientist. This made the species, Xenopus laevis, one of the most studied in the earlier days of embryology, but the frogs thwarted most attempts at genetic manipulation and were left behind. Now, a technical innovation developed by Harvard Medical School research fellow Kristen Kroll makes it cheaper and easier for researchers to produce transgenic frogs. The procedure requires only basic equipment found in every embryology lab, costing about $1,000. This may make transgenic frogs the least expensive of all genetically transformed animalsãincluding fruit flies and mice. Contact: Peta Gillyatt, 617-432-0443 ([email protected])

Community Outreach: Out of the Classroom Into the Lab

This summer, 17 high school and college students are taking part in Project Success, a Harvard Medical School program designed to encourage minority students to pursue careers in biomedical science. Each student spends an eight-week paid internship working closely with a scientist. Many have never worked in a lab before, but they plunge into research on the first day. One student is cloning a tumor-suppressor gene, another is studying how tears are secreted, and another is working in a neonatology lab. While the students gain valuable laboratory experience, their scientist-advisers also benefit from a much needed extra set of hands in the lab. Throughout the summer, the students tour local biotech companies, attend scientific seminars, and learn how to write scientific papers. Contact: Peta Gillyatt, 617-432-0443 ([email protected])

From Bench to Bedside: Diagnosing Parkinsonπs Disease With Certainty

Doctors have traditionally relied on characteristic symptoms, including muscle tremor, stiffness, and weakness, to diagnose ParkinsonÏ€s disease. The trouble is that other conditions, including the side effects of certain prescription drugs, can cause similar symptoms. Now, a quick and reliable diagnostic test for ParkinsonÏ€s may be available as soon as next year. Harvard Medical School researcher Bertha Madras, PhD, developed a compound that binds to the specialized nerve cells affected by ParkinsonÏ€s and shows up on a SPECT scan. Alan J. Fischman, MD, at Massachusetts General Hospital is testing the compound, which is called Altropane and made by Boston Life Sciences. Unlike other diagnostic tests under development, which take about 24 hours to produce results, this one can be completed in about an hour. Contact: Peta Gillyatt, 617-432-0443 ([email protected])

Basic Science: Harnessing the Lethal Anthrax Toxin to Benefit Humans

Bacillus anthracis is a nasty organism. The cause of anthrax, a ravaging disease that can devastate human and cattle populations alike, Bacillus anthracis has gained even greater notoriety thanks to its development as a biological weapon by several military powers. A biological weapon of an entirely different sort is what Harvard Medical School researchers, led by John Collier, PhD, and Michael Starnbach, PhD, are trying to build from the potent toxin. They developed an experimental vaccine directed against a model pathogen and then exploited the anthrax toxinÏ€s ability to transport molecules into cells. They did this by manipulating some of the toxinÏ€s components so they become innocuous but can still carry any protein into cells. Though still in early stages, the research may lead to an entirely new class of human vaccines against most viruses, certain bacteria, and parasites. It also represents the first successful attempt to engineer a protein-based vaccine that works by p! riming the immune systemÏ€s killer T cells to respond against infection and to generate a specific immunological memory for future protection. Contact: Bill Schaller, 617-432-0441 ([email protected])

Teaching and Learning: Summer School for Science Teachers

This July, ten science teachers from Boston and Cambridge spent a week at Harvard Medical School learning about the brain as part of the Teacher Institute in Neurosciences. Their new insights on neurology wonÏ€t be the only thing they take back to the classroom. They also will adopt case-based learning methods used to teach medical students at Harvard Medical School. One teacher, Russell Cook, who teaches at Brighton High School, is spending the rest of the summer working in a neuroscience lab and getting an in-depth look at the latest laboratory procedures for studying nerve cells. Throughout the school year, all of the teachers will meet to discuss ways they have been able to incorporate case-based learning and laboratory experiments in their classrooms. The Medical School professors who take part in the Institute hope that the teachersÏ€ innovations will get students excited about science, the first step to considering a career in biomedicine. Contact: Peta Gillyatt, 617-432-0443 ([email protected])

People Around the School: From Jock to Doc: Former Pro Football Player Tackles Medical School

Mark Adickes, HMS Class of 2000, took a different road to Harvard Medical School than did his classmates. He played professional football, including eight years in the National Football League. Adickes, who was a member of the Washington Redskins when they won the 1992 Super Bowl, says that walking into Harvard Medical School for the first time was the most exciting experience of his lifeã≥more thrilling even than walking into the stadium to play in the Super Bowl.≤ He became interested in sports medicine through his personal experiences with knee injuries and thought about pursuing training in physical rehabilitation, until his wife encouraged him to reach for the stars and go to medical school. Contact: Bill Schaller, 617-432-0441 ([email protected])

Community Outreach: Native American Students Encourage Others to Try Out Science Careers

Four years ago, a group of Native American students at Harvard Medical Schoolãwanting to support and maintain ties with their communitiesãcreated a summer research program to encourage more Native Americans to pursue biomedical careers. The Four Directions Summer Research Program has grown from six participants in 1994 to 14 in 1997. Each student does hands-on science in the lab of a Harvard scientist and mentor for eight weeks and also spends time in a clinical setting. This yearÏ€s program co-coordinator, Dan Calac, was the first Four Directions participant to be accepted at Harvard Medical School. He has just finished his second year. Four directions indicates the broad scope of the program in its aim to bring Native Americans together from across North America. It is open to Native Americans who are 18 or older, have a keen interest in medicine or biomedical science, and, most importantly, are dedicated to giving back to their community in their professional life. Contact: Peta Gillyatt, 617-432-0443 ([email protected])

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