Faculty in the News

An article about the promising technology developed by Wake Forest University researchers and designed to address a common problem in treating critically ill patients with kidney issues has received a grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech) to support next steps in research and development.

The novel approach uses light and nitrite to reduce the unwanted blood clotting called “device thrombosis” that often occurs during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), a special type of dialysis used in intensive care units.

Professor and Chair of Physics Daniel Kim-Shapiro and colleagues at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found they could use far-red light – close in wavelength to infrared light, but visible to the human eye – to trigger the conversion of nitrite to nitric oxide, a process that affects blood flow and clotting.

Dr. Kim-Shapiro was also interviewed by Audrey Biesk of WXII News about this promising new technology.

A new paper in Nature Chemical Biology explains how stabilizing nitric oxide (NO), a molecule that regulates blood flow and platelets, creates a potential new treatment for cardiovascular diseases. Using glutathione, an antioxidant thiol, to bind  NO to heme proteins in the blood, researchers found a NO-ferroheme molecule that increased blood flow in mice and prevented clotting in human blood platelet samples. This discovery was made by Wake Forest physic professor Daniel B. Kim-Shapiro along with collaborators from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Wake Forest research team including Laxman Poudel, Elmira Alipour and Yiyang Jiang of the Department of Physics, and Swati Basu of  the Physics Department and the Translational Science Center.

A recent article in the Winston Salem Monthly discussed four key factors in the process of aging that were brought to the forefront in the recent Aging Re-Imagined Symposium.  This symposium was hosted by Wake Forest University and the Translational Science Center.  The article discussed research done by TSC members Christina Soriano and Glenna Batson and highlighted their work with improvisational dance and intervention in adults with Parkinson’s.

Fox News Health featured beets as one of seven foods to boost mental performance. The article highlights work done by TSC researchers showing beet root juice helped to increase blood flow to the area of the brain associated with dementia in older adults.

TSC members Anthony P. Marsh, Ph.D., Stephen B. Kritchevsky, Ph.D., W. Jack Rejeski, Ph.D. and Leanne Groban, M.D., M.S. contributed to the development of a preoperative self-reported mobility assessment tool. The tool predicted early postoperative complications, hospital length of stay, and discharge to a nursing home in older patients scheduled for elective noncardiac surgery. The study was highlighted by Tech Times.

The study, Self-reported Mobility in Older Patients Predicts Early Postoperative Outcomes after Elective Noncardiac Surgery, is published in the journal Anesthesiology.

The Winston-Salem Journal featured the “Aging Re-Imagined” symposium hosted by Wake Forest University in an article highlighting symposium speakers, poster sessions and related events. The article recognized the interdisciplinary work facilitated by the Translational Science Center focusing on efforts headed by members Christina Soriano, Glenna Batson, and Christina Hugenschmidt.

MedicalResearch.com interviewed TSC director Daniel Kim-Shapiro concerning a study that showed improved endurance and blood pressure in elderly patients with heart failure through daily dosing of beet root juice. The interview can be read here.

TSC members Dalane Kitzman, Daniel B. Kim-Shapiro, Swati Basu, Peter Brukaker, and Jack Rejeski  have published a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology-Heart Failure. The study found that a daily dose of beetroot juice significantly improved exercise endurance and blood pressure in elderly patients with heart failure. More about this study can be found here: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-02/wfbm-ddo021116.php.

Two TSC members, Jeff Katula and Christina Soriano, receive seed money from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) to support research on health and wellbeing. For more go to: http://inside.wfu.edu/2015/03/bcbsnc-seed-grants-support-health-wellness-research-across-campus/

Each year, the Wake Forest School of Medicine awards selected investigators, mentors and scientific teams that demonstrate outstanding scientific achievement .  The 2015 winners have been chosen by the selection committee and will be recognized during the Research Awards Day Symposium on May 6th from 11:30 – 2:00 PM in the Commons Conference Rooms, Nutrition Research Center.  The TSC congratulates Dr. Dalane Kitzman, MD, Professor, Cardiology,  for winning the Established Clinical Investigator award.