Beyond the Abstract

Food allergies are a major problem – common, potentially deadly, and without effective medicines to prevent them from occurring. But earlier this year, researchers and doctors published a clinical trial reporting an effective new treatment for preventing allergic food reactions. In today’s episode of Beyond the Abstract, Derek and Dan dive into the science behind the new treatment and what it might mean for the future of combating a deadly disease. 

Article discussed

Wood et al., Omalizumab for the Treatment of Multiple Food Allergies. New England Journal of Medicine. 2024 (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2312382)

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

Thousands of patients in the US die every year waiting for an organ transplant, often because there are not enough human organ donors. Xenotransplantation — transplantation from another species to humans — could solve this problem, but has remained the realm of science fiction given many technical obstacles. Now, with advances in gene editing, this pipe dream is becoming reality. In today's episode of Beyond the Abstract, Dan and Derek explore xenotransplantation, tell the stories of the few humans who have received pig organs, and explain why this may herald a new era in transplant medicine.

Articles discussed

Griffith et al. Genetically modified porcine-to-human cardiac xenotransplantation. New England Journal of Medicine. 2022. (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2201422)

Anand et al. Design and testing of a humanized porcine donor for xenotransplantation. Nature. 2023. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06594-4)

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

While almost all women experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, few are debilitated by severe symptoms: a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG has been stigmatized and neglected by the biomedical community, with limited research funding for developing effective treatments. In this episode of Beyond the Abstract, Derek and Dan tell the remarkable story of one scientist who experienced HG herself, and her decades-long journey to find a cure. 

Articles discussed

Her Doctor Said Her Illness Was All in Her Head. This Scientist Was Determined to Find the Truth. Alice Callahan. New York Times, 2023. (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/well/marlena-fejzo-hyperemesis-gravidarum.html)

GDF15 linked to maternal risk of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Fejzo et al. 2023. Nature. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06921-9).

Placenta and appetite genes GDF15 and IGFBP7 are associated with hyperemesis gravidarum. Fejzo et al. 2018. Nature Communications. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03258-0)

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

A new class of medicines has transformed the treatment of obesity -- Wegovy and Ozempic have become household names. While we discussed these GLP-1 medicines on an episode of Beyond the Abstract less than a year ago, the field has progressed so quickly we thought it was already time to review many of these recent developments. In today's episode, Derek and Dan first discuss improved versions of these medicines on the horizon for the treatment of obesity. Derek and Dan then talk about how these medicines are being studied to treat a wide range of diseases outside of obesity, ranging from cardiovascular disease to substance use disorder. 

Articles discussed

Jastreboff et al 2023 NEJM, Triple-Hormone Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity -- A Phase 2 Trial (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2301972)

Wharton et al 2023 NEJM, Daily Oral GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Orforglipron for Adults with Obesity (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2302392)

Lincoff et al 2023 NEJM, Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563)

Kosiborod et al 2023 NEJM, Semaglutide in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obesity (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2306963)

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

Debates around artificial intelligence are everywhere: will ChatGPT usher in a new era of productivity and creativity? Or will advanced AI replace millions of workers? Doctors have similar questions about how AI may influence medicine. In today's episode of Beyond the Abstract, Dan and Derek take a deep dive into all things AI and health. They discuss the current role of AI in medicine and the promises and perils of potential new applications made possible because of ChatGPT and other emerging AI technologies. 

Moor et al., Foundational models for generalist medical artificial intelligence, Nature, 2023 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05881-4).

He et al., Blinded, randomized trial of sonographer versus AI cardiac function assessment, Nature, 2023 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05947-3).

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

It's well known that emotions can affect the heart - we've all had an anxiety-producing thought that leads to the feeling of our heart pounding out of our chest. But what about the opposite: can the heart control our emotions? In today's episode of Beyond the Abstract, Derek and Dan discuss a fascinating new study looking at whether making the heart beat fast can cause anxiety-related behaviors.  

Hsueh et al., Cardiogenic control of affective behavioral state, Nature, March 2023 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05748-8)

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

The effect of inappropriate blood clotting can be devastating, including heart attack and stroke. While there are many medications to reduce the risk of clotting, our understanding of why blood clots and when remains incomplete. In today’s episode of Beyond the Abstract, Derek and Dan share the remarkable story of how a team of researchers discovered new clotting biology, in a story that begins with a surprising observation about hibernating bears and ends with the characterization of a potential new drug target for humans.

Thienel et al. Immobility-associated thromboprotection is conserved across mammalian species from bear to human. Science, 2023.

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating neurodegenerative condition affecting millions of people around the world. Current therapies are only partially effective, despite decades of research aimed at understanding the causes of the disease. Alzheimer’s is largely genetic, and the best-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s comes from mutations in a gene called APOE. Until recently, however, exactly how these mutations increase risk for the disease has not been well understood. In today’s episode, Dan and Derek discuss new research on how mutations in APOE leads to Alzheimer’s disease. They talk about the new biological pathways uncovered, the potential therapeutic potential of the discovery, and a related early-stage clinical trial of gene therapy in Alzheimer’s disease.

 Blanchard et al., APOE4 impairs myelination via cholesterol dysregulation in oligodendrocytes. Nature, November 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05439-w

 The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

Approximately four in 10 Americans are obese, putting millions at increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, liver cancer, and other chronic illnesses. For many years it’s seemed that we’re losing the battle against this modern epidemic. However, the tide may be turning with the recent approval of a revelatory new class of medications. In today’s episode, Dan and Derek dive deep into this new type of treatments. They discuss their discovery, the biology behind them, the pivotal clinical trials showing their efficacy, and the promises and perils of this powerful new tool in the fight against obesity.

Wilding et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine, March 2021. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

Our episode today takes us Behind The Scenes (BTS) on Beyond The Abstract (BTA). Derek and Dan answer your questions on graduate school on everything from how we chose our research topics, how we deal with imposter syndrome and stress, how it feels to have finished our PhDs, and more! We hope you enjoy this change from our usual format. If you have questions you'd like us to answer, DM us @btapod on Instagram!