HEALTH NOTES
Ear institute to get funding
Hough Ear Institute (HEI) will receive $300,000 in new funding to further its groundbreaking research into treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus.
HEI ranked ninth out of 63 proposals in a competitive grant by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST). OCAST awarded the funds to advance a hearing-loss pill which could preserve and possibly restore natural hearing for millions of people.
The hearing-loss pill, known as NHPN-1010, is currently awaiting Phase 2 testing by Oblato Inc., which holds exclusive rights to the drug. It could ultimately provide a simple, affordable way to prevent hearing loss and restore natural hearing. The new research program funded by OCAST aims to obtain critical preclinical data to support NHPN1010 as a treatment for tinnitus.
“The development of this life-changing pill to restore natural hearing and possibly treat tinnitus wouldn't be possible without support from our partners and for organizations dedicated to moving science forward,” said Dr. Richard Kopke, president and CEO of HEI. “Innovative solutions to problems affecting millions of people cannot happen without consistent funding.”
Connor Cox, who manages the OCAST program, said providing the applied research grant furthers his organization's mission.
“OCAST grows and diversifies Oklahoma's economy by encouraging and promoting bestin-class, results-driven research,” Cox said. “HEI is a perfect example of a home-grown organization doing world-changing work to improve lives and create high-paying jobs in Oklahoma to encourage economic development.”
Mother & Baby Center offers class
The Mother & Baby Center at The Children's Hospital is offering a virtual workshop for families who want to have a baby.
The Zoom workshop will be at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12. Attendees will be joined by fertility specialist Dr. Karl Hansen; Dr. Katie Smith, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist; and Dr. Stefanie Bryant, a high-risk specialist. The physicians will share their expertise and help guide those who have decided it's time to start thinking about planning a family but are unsure of where to start.
Topics will include fertility, prenatal care, high-risk obstetrics and delivery.
Concern about starting a family during a pandemic also will be addressed.
To register, send an email to healthmatters@oumedicine.com. Note “Dreamin' About A Baby” in the subject line. Participants will receive a Zoom link on the morning of the class.
OU researcher earns federal grant
Dr. Matlock Jeffries, an OU College of Medicine researcher and physician, recently received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to further his search for a biomarker that can aid in early diagnosis of osteoarthritis and predict whether the condition will worsen quickly or slowly.
Many people view osteoarthritis as a “wear and tear” condition, but it is an inflammatory disease, Jeffries said. However, unlike other forms of arthritis, it cannot be diagnosed by a blood test, nor can anyone tell how quickly symptoms will worsen. By contrast, rheumatoid arthritis, which affects about 1% of the population, can be definitively diagnosed and treated by at least 20 disease-slowing biologic drugs.
“We need an earlier diagnostic test to help us determine whether a patient has osteoarthritis and, if they have early osteoarthritis, are they going to be among the one-third of people who will rapidly progress and need a joint replacement in the next couple of years? Or are they going to be part of the much larger group that is going to slowly worsen over time?” Jeffries said.
For this research project, Jeffries is focusing on osteoarthritis of the knee. His research is important not only because people need to be diagnosed earlier than they currently are, but his discoveries may significantly benefit the search for a treatment — which could be given before a person reaches the point of needing a knee replacement.
OU Medicine specialist coauthors study
Findings from a study coauthored by Dr. Robert A. Wild, an obstetriciangynecologist at OU Medicine, that explored weight gain in postmenopausal women, will be published this fall in Menopause — The Journal of The North American Menopause Society.
The study was conducted as part of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). Wild performed analysis on its content.
The paper titled "The association between weight-promoting medication use and weight gain in postmenopausal women: findings from the Women's Health Initiative" is scheduled to appear in Volume 27.10, the journal's October 2020 issue.
“This work merits greater exposure in the scientific community, as well as the general population,” Wild said.
“Obesity is a serious chronic illness with global impact. There's little we can do about genetic predisposition or advancing age, but where it's appropriate and reasonable to avoid the use of medications that aggravate or promote weight gain, we must do so.”
The team of investigators sought to quantify the impact of weight-promoting medications and weight changes in postmenopausal women, over a three-year period. Among 40 WHI-participating sites, 76,252 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 were part of the observational study. Weight was measured at baseline and again at three years.