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Researchers identify viable vaccine targets for hepatitis C infections – News-Medical.Net
By studying individuals who spontaneously clear hepatitis C infections, a team of researchers has identified viable vaccine targets for a disease that infects 70 million worldwide with case numbers increasing every year.
It turns out that a quarter of people who become infected with the hepatitis C virus clear the infection on their own without treatment, while the remaining three-quarters of people develop chronic infections that can last for years. The blood-borne disease which causes liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer is especially prevalent among people who inject drugs.
Direct-acting antivirals developed around a decade ago are 98% effective. But even so, the number of hepatitis C cases has increased year-over-year mainly because early infections are hard to detect, access to treatment is limited and reinfections occur even after treatment.
"That's why there is now a big interest in developing a hepatitis C vaccine," saidAndrew Flyak, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and co-corresponding author of the study, "Convergent Evolution and Targeting of Diverse E2 Epitopes by Human Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies are Associated with HCV Clearance," which published March 21 in the journal Immunity. Justin Bailey, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, is co-corresponding author.
Our study gives us a glimpse into how certain individuals clear a highly variable infection, and we believe this information can inform a vaccine development."
AndrewFlyak, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and co-corresponding author of the study
The study was made possible due to the unique access that Bailey had to samples from people who injected drugs and were at risk of acquiring the virus. This allowed the researchers to track individuals who were hepatitis C negative when they enrolled in the program, and to see upon subsequent clinic visits whether that person acquired the virus. Bailey obtained samples from individuals who cleared the infection on their own and those who developed chronic infection.
Viruses that evolve very rapidly, such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza and hepatitis C, have extraordinary genetic diversity with multiple strains. Combating these types of infections requires special antibodies (blood proteins that recognize pathogens and neutralize them) called broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which can neutralize diverse viral variants.
In previous studies, researchers isolated bNAbs from people who were chronically infected with hepatitis C virus. They found that their bNAbs were using a single antibody gene to encode a variable part of the antibody molecule.
"In order to make an antibody, immune systems use multiple sets of different antibody genes, but for whatever reason the immune systems in people with chronic hepatitis C infections used just one variable antibody gene, called VH1-69," Flyak said. Also, most of the bNAbs from these chronically infected donors targeted a specific region of the hepatitis C virus, namely the front layer of the so-called E2 protein. The immune system in chronically infected individuals has failed to clear the virus.
In the current study, the researchers isolated bNAbs from one person who spontaneously cleared three separate infections. This individual's bNAbs revealed important distinctions. First, these bNAbs were genetically diverse, meaning they are encoded by a variety of variable genes, and not just one segment of the VH1-69 gene. Second, bNAbs from this individual targeted three different regions of the virus' E2 protein, the front layer, as well as a back layer and a b-sandwich.
The data suggests that a hepatitis C virus vaccine should elicit bNAbs to all three regions of the E2 protein rather than just one region of the virus, Flyak said.
"If you have a response to multiple regions, you can have a synergistic effect, you get a response that is much stronger than the sum of its parts," he said.
BNAbs from the individual who cleared the infections also revealed evidence of what is called convergent evolution, where different bNAbs have the same mutations but come from different antibody variable genes. "You see the same mutations in two different broadly neutralizing antibodies it means those mutations are important," Flyak said and they increase the breadth of the antibody response to hepatitis C virus.
Members of Flyak's lab used X-ray crystallography to solve the crystal structures of bNAbs in complex with hepatitis C virus' E2 protein and show how bNAb's mutations interact with the E2 protein. "That information can be used to design better vaccine candidates," Flyak said.
In next steps, the team will collaborate with a larger international group to screen multiple vaccine candidates in animals and eventually identify which ones to bring into human clinical trials.
Clinton Ogega, a former graduate student in Bailey's lab, is the paper's first author. Two postdoctoral fellows in Flyak's lab, Marty Schoenle and Xander Wilcox, contributed to the study.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
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Journal reference:
Ogega, C. O., et al. (2024). Convergent evolution and targeting of diverse E2 epitopes by human broadly neutralizing antibodies are associated with HCV clearance.Immunity. doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2024.03.001.
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Researchers identify viable vaccine targets for hepatitis C infections - News-Medical.Net
Multiple sclerosis has distinct subtypes, study finds, pointing to different treatments – STAT
For years, researchers have been hopeful they could get under the hood of multiple sclerosis. The neurological condition shows up in over 2.5 million people around the world, but it doesnt always look the same. If science could point its light in just the right way, patients might be sorted into disease subgroups, and treated more successfully depending on their kind of MS.
A new study out of Germany gives it a shot, offering up three MS subtypes based on immune markers found in patients blood each group with slightly different disease progression.
The MS connection of the senior author, Heinz Wiendl, could start in his home. His mother had the condition. But thats not really it, he says. He was always fascinated by immunology and neurology, and how MS went from an untreatable disease to a known, druggable condition in less than 40 years.
Hes been in the field for more than half of that time, trying to get a grasp on how the immune system fusses and frays in response to antigens, and how that turns into a difficult chronic condition. MS causes vision problems, fatigue, and weakness or spasms in the arms and legs, among a host of other symptoms. The condition is thought to be more common in women.
Most recently, Wiendl set out to prove a hypothesis hes been building for years: that MS patients have immunological signatures in their blood that match certain versions of the same disease.
With collaborators at a half dozen institutions across Germany, Wiendl, a professor of neurology at the University of Mnster, launched a multi-center cohort study of 500 patients with early-stage MS. Those newly sick people were a right fit because the immunological derailment has happened, but its not yet spread out and diverged, he said. Plus, patients hadnt undergone treatments that changed their immune systems.
And Wiendl, with all his years of research, tried to wipe his mind clean of all presuppositions he had about the disease and go in agnostic. The team assessed the quantity and quality of various immune cell populations, not favoring any in particular. And then they let an algorithm determine whether certain cell populations, or a combination of them, were more prevalent in these MS patients.
Its a little like Lebron James, Wiendl said. If the cameraman is only ever focused on James, the audience will miss what the other players are doing. Sure, the superstar or highly suspect immune cell is captivating, but viewers could miss important plays elsewhere on the court.
If Lebron James in the end happens to make the most goals or baskets, we will find out anyway. But we have not overlooked the others, he said. This is the unsupervised approach the team used.
In the end, there was some superstar-watching: The researchers confirmed that players other researchers had spotted in MS were playing a role in their cohorts, too. But they also found new things, published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine.
Most notably, Wiendl and his collaborators say they found unique stamps of immunological activation that correspond to specific subgroups, or endophenotypes. And each subgroup identified as E1, E2, and E3 had its own disease trajectory when they followed patients for four years.
E1 patients had alterations in the CD4 T cell compartment, the helper cells that can activate other immune cells, and inflammatory proteins that have been associated with autoimmune disease. This group was associated with earlier structural brain damage, greater disease severity, and higher disability their condition was much worse from the beginning, Wiendl said.
Meanwhile, E2 had differences in natural killer cells, which take down sick cells. And E3 patients had changes to highly toxic CD8 T cells, making it a more inflammatory category. E3 patients had a higher relapse rate within the first year, and more MS lesions that point to issues in the blood-brain barrier. Researchers also found more immune cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of E3 patients (this data was available for about 170 of the patients).
There was some overlap, but Wiendl and his colleagues believe the subtypes are distinct and could help predict how patients disease progresses. They dont know exactly how stable the subtypes are over longer periods of time, or if treatment changes it. But Wiendl said cellular signatures were found over time in the handful of patients who went untreated, including up to nine years within one individual, the authors note in the study.
These differing subgroups could suggest the disease arises through a multitude of immune system pathways. Not only that, Wiendl said, but the groups responded differently to treatments over time potentially a valuable insight for drug developers and clinicians.
For example, the inflammatory E3 group for the most part didnt respond to treatment with interferons, commonly used disease-modifying therapies first approved for MS in 1993. But these patients did improve by taking monoclonal antibodies, such as alemtuzumab (Sanofi Genzymes Lemtrada) and ocrelizumab (Genentechs Ocrevus).
The ability of the endophenotypes to predict a patients future condition needs to be checked by other researchers, and in a different population, said Alberto Ascherio, who led a pivotal study linking MS to previous Epstein-Barr infection and was not involved in the German study. He called the new study interesting for those in the field and said that endophenotypes could, in theory, help to personalize treatment.
But the science isnt there yet, Ascherio added. Personalized medicine in MS is still a fashionable word that is more a marketing pitch than a reality.
Wiendl said he hopes other researchers can use the studys data to test and confirm how well different MS treatments work for patients with these immune signatures, and to find other potential therapies. Wiendl also programmed an app with the data, and said he is developing a test to help others discriminate between the E subgroups. His spinoff company has patented the endophenotypes.
Ideally, one day there will be a simple test to classify patients and help doctors find the most effective treatment, Wiendl said.
We really want to transform patient care and not just open the door, he said.
STATs coverage of chronic health issues is supported by a grant fromBloomberg Philanthropies. Our financial supportersare not involved in any decisions about our journalism.
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Multiple sclerosis has distinct subtypes, study finds, pointing to different treatments - STAT
Redefining Cell Biology: Nondestructive Genetic Insights With Raman Spectroscopy – SciTechDaily
A new method can track changes in live cell gene expression over extended periods of time. Based on Raman spectroscopy, the method doesnt harm cells and can be performed repeatedly. Credit: MIT News; iStock
A new MIT-developed method combines Raman spectroscopy with machine learning to noninvasively track gene expression in cells over time. This technique enables detailed study of cellular differentiation and has potential applications in cancer research, developmental biology, and diagnostics.
Sequencing all of the RNA in a cell can reveal a great deal of information about that cells function and what it is doing at a given point in time. However, the sequencing process destroys the cell, making it difficult to study ongoing changes in gene expression.
An alternative approach developed at MIT could enable researchers to track such changes over extended periods of time. The new method, which is based on a noninvasive imaging technique known as Raman spectroscopy, doesnt harm cells and can be performed repeatedly.
Using this technique, the researchers showed that they could monitor embryonic stem cells as they differentiated into several other cell types over several days. This technique could enable studies of long-term cellular processes such as cancer progression or embryonic development, and one day might be used for diagnostics for cancer and other diseases.
With Raman imaging, you can measure many more time points, which may be important for studying cancer biology, developmental biology, and a number of degenerative diseases, says Peter So, a professor of biological and mechanical engineering at MIT, director of MITs Laser Biomedical Research Center, and one of the authors of the paper.
Koseki Kobayashi-Kirschvink, a postdoc at MIT and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, is the lead author of the study, which was published recently in the journal Nature Biotechnology. The papers senior authors are Tommaso Biancalani, a former Broad Institute scientist; Jian Shu, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and an associate member of the Broad Institute; and Aviv Regev, executive vice president at Genentech Research and Early Development, who is on leave from faculty positions at the Broad Institute and MITs Department of Biology.
Raman spectroscopy is a noninvasive technique that reveals the chemical composition of tissues or cells by shining near-infrared or visible light on them. MITs Laser Biomedical Research Center has been working on biomedical Raman spectroscopy since 1985, and recently, So and others in the center have developed Raman spectroscopy-based techniques that could be used to diagnose breast cancer or measure blood glucose.
However, Raman spectroscopy on its own is not sensitive enough to detect signals as small as changes in the levels of individual RNA molecules. To measure RNA levels, scientists typically use a technique called single-cell RNA sequencing, which can reveal the genes that are active within different types of cells in a tissue sample.
In this project, the MIT team sought to combine the advantages of single-cell RNA sequencing and Raman spectroscopy by training a computational model to translate Raman signals into RNA expression states.
RNA sequencing gives you extremely detailed information, but its destructive. Raman is noninvasive, but it doesnt tell you anything about RNA. So, the idea of this project was to use machine learning to combine the strength of both modalities, thereby allowing you to understand the dynamics of gene expression profiles at the single cell level over time, Kobayashi-Kirschvink says.
To generate data to train their model, the researchers treated mouse fibroblast cells, a type of skin cell, with factors that reprogram the cells to become pluripotent stem cells. During this process, cells can also transition into several other cell types, including neural and epithelial cells.
Using Raman spectroscopy, the researchers imaged the cells at 36 time points over 18 days as they differentiated. After each image was taken, the researchers analyzed each cell using single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH), which can be used to visualize specific RNA molecules within a cell. In this case, they looked for RNA molecules encoding nine different genes whose expression patterns vary between cell types.
This smFISH data can then act as a link between Raman imaging data and single-cell RNA sequencing data. To make that link, the researchers first trained a deep-learning model to predict the expression of those nine genes based on the Raman images obtained from those cells.
Then, they used a computational program called Tangram, previously developed at the Broad Institute, to link the smFISH gene expression patterns with entire genome profiles that they had obtained by performing single-cell RNA sequencing on the sample cells.
The researchers then combined those two computational models into one that they call Raman2RNA, which can predict individual cells entire genomic profiles based on Raman images of the cells.
The researchers tested their Raman2RNA algorithm by tracking mouse embryonic stem cells as they differentiated into different cell types. They took Raman images of the cells four times a day for three days, and used their computational model to predict the corresponding RNA expression profiles of each cell, which they confirmed by comparing it to RNA sequencing measurements.
Using this approach, the researchers were able to observe the transitions that occurred in individual cells as they differentiated from embryonic stem cells into more mature cell types. They also showed that they could track the genomic changes that occur as mouse fibroblasts are reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells, over a two-week period.
Its a demonstration that optical imaging gives additional information that allows you to directly track the lineage of the cells and the evolution of their transcription, So says.
The researchers now plan to use this technique to study other types of cell populations that change over time, such as aging cells and cancerous cells. They are now working with cells grown in a lab dish, but in the future, they hope this approach could be developed as a potential diagnostic for use in patients.
One of the biggest advantages of Raman is that its a label-free method. Its a long way off, but there is potential for the human translation, which could not be done using the existing invasive techniques for measuring genomic profiles, says Jeon Woong Kang, an MIT research scientist who is also an author of the study.
Reference: Prediction of single-cell RNA expression profiles in live cells by Raman microscopy with Raman2RNA by Koseki J. Kobayashi-Kirschvink, Charles S. Comiter, Shreya Gaddam, Taylor Joren, Emanuelle I. Grody, Johain R. Ounadjela, Ke Zhang, Baoliang Ge, Jeon Woong Kang, Ramnik J. Xavier, Peter T. C. So, Tommaso Biancalani, Jian Shu and Aviv Regev, 10 January 2024, Nature Biotechnology. DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-02082-2
The research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship for Overseas Researchers, the Naito Foundation Overseas Postdoctoral Fellowship, the MathWorks Fellowship, the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the U.S. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, HubMap, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Klarman Cell Observatory.
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Redefining Cell Biology: Nondestructive Genetic Insights With Raman Spectroscopy - SciTechDaily
Scientists Unravel the Unusual Cell Biology Behind Toxic Algal Blooms – SciTechDaily
The researchers were able to reconstruct the three-dimensional shape of the single chloroplast from several hundred images. Credit: University of Oldenburg / General and Molecular Microbiology group
What are the cellular mechanisms within a single-celled marine algae species responsible for triggering toxic algal blooms? A research group under the direction of microbiologist Prof. Dr. Ralf Rabus from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, has conducted first detailed analyses of the unusual cell biology of Prorocentrum cordatum, a globally widespread species of the dinoflagellates group, using both advanced microscopic and proteomics approaches.
As the team reports in the science journal Plant Physiology, the photosynthesis process in these microorganisms is organised in an unusual configuration which may help them to better adapt to the changing light conditions in the oceans. The results of the study could lead to an improved understanding of the incidence of harmful algal blooms, which may be becoming more frequent due to climate change.
Dinoflagellates are important organisms in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. These unicellular organisms make up a substantial proportion of free-living phytoplankton, which forms the basis of the food web in oceans and lakes. Some species, including Prorocentrum cordatum, can proliferate in warm, nutrient-rich waters and form harmful algal blooms.
Cross-section of a cell of the microalga Prorocentrum cordatum. The nucleus with the chromosomes is on the right. A single barrel-like chloroplast takes up 40 percent of the cell volume. Credit: University of Oldenburg / General and Molecular Microbiology group
We studied this organism because despite its environmental relevance its cell biology and metabolic physiology are still poorly understood, said Rabus. In addition to studying photosynthesis in the microalgae, the researchers also examined the structure of their cell nuclei and their response to heat stress in collaboration with teams from the Universities of Hanover, Braunschweig, and Munich and set out the findings in two other recently published papers.
Using a powerful scanning electron microscope with a focused ion beam at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Munich, the team headed by Rabus and lead author Jana Kalvelage from the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) was able to reconstruct the three-dimensional architecture of the chloroplasts, where photosynthesis takes place. The scientists were able to generate around 600 image layers of a single algae cell and then combine the sections to create a three-dimensional, high-resolution spatial image of the oval-shaped single-celled organisms, which are generally around 10 to 20 thousandths of a millimeter long. The analysis revealed that Prorocentrum cordatum have only a single barrel-like chloroplast that takes up 40 percent of their cell volume.
Proteomic (protein) analyses then revealed marked differences between the photosynthetic apparatus of the microalgae and that of Arabidopsis thaliana, a well-studied model plant in genetics research. In both species, photosynthesis takes place in complex protein structures embedded in the chloroplasts extensive membrane system.
However, in Prorocentrum cordatum the team observed that the conversion of solar energy into biochemical energy takes place in a single large structure consisting of numerous proteins, known as a megacomplex, whereas in the chloroplasts of the plant species, the different steps of photosynthesis occur in spatially separated structures. The team also reported that P. cordatum uses a large number of different pigment-binding proteins to efficiently capture solar energy. This diversity is a special adaptation to the changing light conditions to which the organism is exposed in the oceans, Rabus explained.
Two other studies published last year highlight the microalgaes unusual biology: in the first a German-Australian team of which the ICBM researchers were also members found that the organisms have a very large genome with twice as many base pairs as in humans. The team also discovered that the algae change their metabolism and their rate of growth decelerates in response to heat stress. In a second publication, the team led by Rabus and Kalvelage described the cell nucleus in greater detail, reporting that P. cordatum has 62 chromosomes, an unusually high number that fills almost the entire cell nucleus. The function of a large proportion of the nuclear proteins that were identified by the researchers is currently unknown, the team observed.
We have investigated how this important microalgae functions at the molecular level. These findings form the basis for a better understanding of its role in the environment, Rabus stressed. Further investigations could provide answers to questions such as how the organisms metabolism reacts to other stress factors and why the species is able to adapt to such a wide range of environmental conditions, from those in the tropics to those in temperate climates, he explained.
Reference: Conspicuous chloroplast with light harvesting-photosystem I/II megacomplex in marine Prorocentrum cordatum by Jana Kalvelage, Lars Whlbrand, Jennifer Senkler, Julian Schumacher, Noah Ditz, Kai Bischof, Michael Winklhofer, Andreas Klingl, Hans-Peter Braun and Ralf Rabus, 08 February 2024, Plant Physiology. DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae052
The study was funded by the German Research Foundation.
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Scientists Unravel the Unusual Cell Biology Behind Toxic Algal Blooms - SciTechDaily
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center cardiologist to be honored by American Heart Association – American Heart Association
BOSTON The American Heart Association will present the 2024 Paul Dudley White Award to Dr. Robert E. Gerszten in recognition of his contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine and outstanding record of mentoring the next generation of researchers, educators and health care professionals.
Dr. Gerszten is chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Herman Dana Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He will receive the award at the Boston Heart and Stroke Ball on May 4.
The Paul Dudley White Award has been presented annually since 1974 to a Boston-based medical professional who has made extraordinary contributions to cardiovascular or stroke care. It is named after one of the citys most revered cardiologists, Dr. Paul Dudley White, a founder of the American Heart Association who is regarded as the father of preventive cardiology.
Dr. Gerszten was selected to receive this years award by a committee of area physicians. In choosing Dr. Gerszten, the committee praised him for his work around predicting, preventing, and treating patients with cardiovascular disease. They also credited his more than 30 years as a volunteer for the American Heart Association and his extensive record of mentorship.
Several colleagues nominated Dr. Gerszten for the award. Among them was Dr. Robert W. Yeh, a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Smith Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. In his nominating letter, Dr. Yeh commended Dr. Gerszten for dedicating his life to preventing and treating cardiovascular disease.
He has done this through his groundbreaking research, through the mentorship of multiple generations of physician scientists, through a consistent presence at the bedside caring for critically ill patients, and through his leadership of one of the countrys premier cardiovascular divisions, said Dr. Yeh. He has carried out his lifes work with honesty, integrity, professionalism, grace, good humor and relentless determination.
Dr. Gersztens contributions to the scientific community are extensive. He has played a significant role in our understanding of how metabolic issues impact cardiac health. His research has consistently been published in top scientific journals, and his laboratory has continually been funded by prestigious organizations including the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Gerszten has also served in various volunteer roles for the American Heart Association throughout his career. This includes participating in working groups, grant review activities, and the coordination of community-based fundraising through the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston Heart Walk team. Additionally, he has played a pivotal role in planning Scientific Sessions, an annual American Heart Association conference dedicated to highlighting the latest breakthroughs in cardiovascular research.
Dr. Gerszten is also known for being an exceptional mentor, showing an unwavering commitment to training the next generation of leaders in cardiovascular science. Colleagues credit him for fostering a collaborative work environment and for being an exemplary role model.
Over the past year of working daily with Dr. Gerszten in a leadership capacity, I have found him to represent every single humanistic quality that I might imagine distinguished Paul Dudley White, said Dr. Jennifer E. Ho, a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He cares deeply about the people around him, whether they be colleagues, trainees or patients.
Dr. Gerszten received his bachelors degree from the University of Virginia and his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. He completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania and his clinical fellowship in cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
He lives in Brookline with his wife Elena. He is happiest while fishing off Marthas Vineyard, or even while losing to his two sons in tennis. His career has been deeply impacted by his parents, both of whom dedicated their lives to academic medicine as a physician educator and as a social worker.
The Boston Heart and Stroke Ball is a celebration of the year-round Heart of Boston campaign, which supports the American Heart Associations 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal to reduce barriers to health care access and quality. It will be held on Saturday, May 4, at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport.
Dr. Gersztens commitment to the mission of the American Heart Association has been instrumental in our efforts to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live a full, healthy life, said Eric Green, chair of the Heart of Boston campaign and senior vice president and head of development programs at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. We look forward to honoring his contributions to cardiology and health when we gather at the Heart and Stroke Ball in May.
For more information about the Heart and Stroke Ball, visit heart.org/BostonHB or contact Rachel Adjemian, associate vice president of development, at rachel.adjemian@heart.org.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the publics health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us onheart.org,Facebook,Xor by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
For Media Inquiries:
Chris Camire, Marketing Communications Director
For Public Inquiries:
1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org
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Doctors form new coalition focused on reducing private equity’s role in cardiology, other healthcare specialties – Cardiovascular Business
Thousands of U.S. physicians have joined forces to launch the Coalition for Patient-Centered Care (CPCC), a new organization focused on reducing the involvement and influence of private equity in the American healthcare system.
CPCCs members include more than 5,000 physicians from 46 U.S. states. The OrthoForum, a Tennessee-based group of private orthopedic practices, the Association for Independent Medicine (AIM) and PELTO are also listed as founding members on the organizations website.
According to the newly formed group, it wants to eliminate tax breaks associated with private equity-funded acquisitions and close loopholes that allow private equity-backed groups to circumvent the ban on the corporate practice of medicine. The group also aims to ensure private equity-funded acquisitions of physician practices are regulated just as closely as any other healthcare merger or acquisition.
Independent physicians across specialties including radiology, anesthesiology, cardiology and more will have a better chance of influencing policy in the right direction than any one specialty standing alone, AIM President Marco Fernandez, MD, a veteran cardiac anesthesiologist and CPCC founding member, told Cardiovascular Business.
When private equity takes over, they often hire less-expensive, less-experienced providers and make them work harder, added surgeon Stephen McCollam, MD, another founding CPCC member. From what Ive seen, this results in lower quality care, higher utilization rates of expensive specialty testing due to a lack of experience and lack of confidence in their clinical abilitiesand higher burnout rates. Ultimately, these effects of private equity ownership cost the patient more while providing lower quality care.
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Kapil Yadav, M.D., Joins UAMS to Lead Nuclear Cardiology and Vascular Medicine Program – UAMS News
View Larger Image Kapil Yadav, M.D.
March 18, 2024 | LITTLE ROCK Kapil Yadav, M.D., an established interventional cardiologist in central Arkansas, has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to lead its Nuclear Cardiology and Vascular Medicine Program.
An associate professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the UAMS College of Medicines Department of Internal Medicine, Yadav will treat patients at the UAMS Neighborhood Clinic in Maumelle and at the Outpatient Center on the UAMS campus.
I am delighted that Dr. Kapil Yadav has chosen to move his practice to UAMS, said Paul Mounsey, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAMS Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.A prominent local cardiologist with wide clinical interests, Dr. Yadav will strengthen both our noninvasive cardiology services, particularly nuclear cardiology, and our interventional cardiology group.
Mounsey added, His interest in peripheral vascular disease will add a new dimension to the cardiovascular disease management at UAMS. He will also have an important role in educating our fellows and residents about cardiology.
Yadav, an interventional and endovascular cardiologist, completed a fellowship in interventional and structural cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson in 2018 and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans in 2017.
He completed a residency in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago in 2014, after receiving his medical degree from SMS Medical College in India with rotations at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
UAMS has an outstanding cardiovascular team, and we are growing the program to provide a wide variety of specialized care, Yadav said.
He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology, the National Board of Echocardiography and the Board of Nuclear Cardiology.
To schedule an appointment with Yadav, call 501-686-8000 and request the location that works best for you. He will be at the Maumelle clinic on Fridays.
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Kapil Yadav, M.D., Joins UAMS to Lead Nuclear Cardiology and Vascular Medicine Program - UAMS News
March 19 Doctors on Call Will Focus on Cardiology – KRSL
Local
Written By: Press Release Posted by David Elliott Published Date: 03-18-2024
Doctors on Call, a local production of Smoky Hills PBS, will feature Dr. David Battin with the Heart Center at Salina Regional Health Center on Tuesday, March 19 at 7 PM and will focus on cardiology.
Doctors on Call is a program that provides medical information on a variety of different topics. Medical professionals from throughout the state travel to Bunker Hill to provide information and answer questions from the viewing audience. The doctors presenting each week have expertise in the topic chosen for that program. Questions can be called in during the show or emailed prior to the broadcast.
The program airs live on Smoky Hills PBS at 7 PM on Tuesdays. You can also stream each episode live on the Smoky Hills PBS YouTube channel at http://bit.ly/StreamSmokyHillsPBS.
A schedule of programs and past episodes are available at http://www.SmokyHillsPBS.org.
To submit questions electronically on a specific topic, viewers can send an email to doctors@shptv.org. Questions submitted through email must be received by Noon on the day of the show. During the program, viewers can call 1-800-337-4788.
(Information courtesy SHPBS.)
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Cardiologist shares his long journey from Libya to United States – Cardiovascular Business
Almanfi found himself starting from scratch upon arrival in the United States. The U.S. medical system is notoriously rigorous and closed, requiring foreign-trained physicians to undergo a comprehensive evaluation and certification process. This involved passing standardized exams such as the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) steps, followed by applying for residency through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
For Almanfi, this journey encompassed nearly a decade of dedicated effort, including three years of internal medicine residency and additional training in cardiology and interventional cardiology. The process demanded resilience and persistence, as foreign-trained physicians often encounter bureaucratic roadblocks and lengthy timelines in obtaining licensure and certification to practice medicine in the U.S. The requirement to meet the U.S certifications can be a significant deterrent for individuals who have already established careers in their home countries or seek expedited pathways to practice medicine in the U.S.
"I think if someone has a goal in mind and has determination to do this, maybe they can go through the process. I know it's painful, it can be long, but it can get you to your dream and get you to have a job and have a living and even become a U.S. citizen. That's probably the longest way and probably the official way," Almanfi said.
Almanfi suggests exploring alternative avenues for skill development, such as attending conferences, participating in hands-on training programs and leveraging online resources and simulators to enhance clinical proficiency.
Almanfi's own experiences underscore the significance of networking and utilizing social media platforms as valuable tools for professional advancement. As a social media ambassador for prestigious medical conferences, he has leveraged digital platforms to connect with colleagues worldwide, share insights, and collaborate on educational initiatives. Social media serves as a gateway for international physicians to engage with the global medical community, facilitating knowledge exchange, networking opportunities, and professional development.
"I think social media has became a central part of almost everything in our life nowadays. Not only in politics but also in medicine. I have been doing this for 10 years, which I think has impacted my career. And so I became more involved with physicians not only within the United States, but also outside the United States. Social media, it became like a window for the people there to look at the outside world. And so if you're traveling to the United States, you could see everything through social media, especially if you are connected with people or organizations that have a presence on social media," Almanfi explained.
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Cardiologist shares his long journey from Libya to United States - Cardiovascular Business