Research & Training
Selected Research Highlights of 2010
NIH has about 6,000 staff scientists and supports more than 325,000 researchers at more than 3,000 institutions in the United States and around the world. Here's just a small sampling of the accomplishments made by NIH-supported scientists in 2010.
Clinical Breakthroughs
Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Disease
Alzheimer's
Disease Signature Seen in Spinal Fluid
Levels of 2 proteins in cerebrospinal fluid might be used to
identify people with Alzheimer's disease before they show clinical
symptoms. A distinct Alzheimer's signature—reduced levels
of a specific beta-amyloid protein and increased levels of a
phosphorylated tau protein—was found in 90% of Alzheimer's
patients and 72% of people with mild cognitive impairment. The
NIH-funded finding could open new opportunities for developing
Alzheimer’s therapies.
Research
Matters | PubMed
New
Test Detects TB in Less than 2 Hours
An automated test, developed with NIH support, rapidly and accurately
detected tuberculosis and drug-resistant TB bacteria. In a study
of 1,730 patients, the test identified 98% of all confirmed TB
cases in less than 2 hours and up to 90% of TB cases that were
missed by a more common diagnostic method. The finding could
pave the way for earlier diagnosis and more targeted treatment
of this sometimes-deadly disease.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Gene
Variants Tied to Poor Outcomes with Heart Drug
Clopidogrel, a widely prescribed anti-clotting drug, was known
to be less effective for heart patients with 2 copies of a variant
gene, or up to 4% of the population. An NIH-funded study showed
that patients with just 1 variant—another 26% of the population—may
also be at risk. The finding advances our understanding of how
to tailor medications based on genetic makeup.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Immunotherapy
Boosts Pediatric Cancer Survival
A new antibody-based therapy prompted an immune system
attack on tumor cells and significantly improved the survival
rates of children with neuroblastoma, a deadly nervous system
cancer. In an NIH-funded of 226 children with neuroblastoma,
the new immunotherapy plus standard therapy raised the survival
rate to 66%, compared to 46% for those receiving standard therapy.
The study was stopped early because of the positive results.
Research
Matters | PubMed
More
Frequent Dialysis Improves Health of Kidney Patients
Kidney patients can fare better on an almost-daily hemodialysis
regimen than on the standard 3-times-a-week plan, according to
an NIH-funded study. More frequent dialysis led to improved heart
health and blood pressure, better control of blood phosphate
levels, and better overall health. The finding suggests that
simple changes to current treatments might benefit the nearly
400,000 Americans who depend on dialysis to survive.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Patient's
Whole Genome Reveals Disease and Medication Risks
By evaluating the entire genome of a 40-year-old man, scientists
pinpointed gene variants linked to cardiovascular disease and
several other conditions in the man’s family, as well as
diseases not known to be in his family. Some variants predicted
the man’s likely responses to common medications, including
certain heart medications. This NIH-funded study provides a glimpse
into how whole-genome sequencing might one day be used in the
clinic.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Daily
Drug Reduces Risk for HIV Infection
A pill that's currently used to treat HIV infection
can also greatly reduce the risk of acquiring HIV among at-risk
men, according to an NIH-funded study. The clinical trial enrolled
nearly 2,500 men who have sex with men. Men who received a daily
antiretroviral tablet were 44% less likely to acquire HIV infection
during the study than those receiving placebo pills. The finding
represents a major advance toward HIV prevention.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Best
Treatment Differs for Kids With Asthma
Most children who have trouble controlling their asthma with
low-dose inhaled corticosteroids show improvement by increasing
the dose or adding another medication, an NIH-funded study reported.
However, the best option differed for each child. The clinical
study of over 150 children identified characteristics, such as
ethnicity, that raise the likelihood of one treatment working
better than another. The finding highlights the need for a personalized
approach to treating pediatric asthma.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Promising Medical Advances
Findings with Potential for Enhancing Human Health
Progress
on a Universal Flu Vaccine
NIH researchers developed a method to generate antibodies that
attack a diverse array of influenza viruses in animals. The success
moves scientists closer to a universal flu vaccine—one
that protects against multiple viral strains for several years.
After receiving a vaccine that targets a particular viral protein,
followed by a booster shot, animals produced broadly neutralizing
antibodies. Most were protected from death after exposure to
the deadly 1934 flu virus.
Research
Matters | PubMed
The
Health Benefits of Cutting Salt
A computer model of heart disease in U.S. adults suggested that
reducing salt intake by 3 grams per day could cut the number
of new cases of coronary heart disease each year by as many as
120,000, stroke by 66,000 and heart attack by nearly 100,000.
It could also prevent up to 92,000 deaths and save up to $24
billion in health care costs a year, the NIH-funded researchers
estimated.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Stem
Cells Used to Create Cells to Study Heart Condition
Researchers made stem cell lines by reprogramming skin cells
from patients with LEOPARD syndrome, a rare developmental disorder.
The scientists coaxed the cells to become heart cells that had
features seen in LEOPARD syndrome. These cell lines may now help
researchers identify compounds that can reverse the characteristics
of LEOPARD syndrome. The accomplishment is a major step toward
using stem cells to model disease pathways and test potential
treatments.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Where
Kids Get Their Empty Calories
Nearly 40% of the energy consumed by 2- to 18-year-olds comes
in the form of "empty" calories, according to a study
by NIH scientists. Half of those empty calories come from the
solid fats and added sugars in just 6 sources: soda, fruit drinks,
dairy desserts, grain desserts, pizza and whole milk. Experts
recommend that kids limit their intake of empty calories to 20%
or less of their total calories.
Research
Matters | PubMed
First
Genes Tied to Stuttering
NIH researchers and their colleagues identified 3 genes as a
source of stuttering—the first time specific mutations
have been tied to this speech disorder. Nearly 10% of people
who stutter may have mutations in 1 of the 3 genes. The study
of volunteers from 3 countries found that the genes may be linked
to a glitch in cell metabolism, which could point to new approaches
for treatment.
Research
Matters | PubMed
How
Light Boosts Migraine Pain
An NIH-funded study of blind patients showed how light might
intensify headache pain. Light exposure worsened migraine pain
in blind patients who couldn’t perceive images but whose
eyes could detect some light, even if they weren’t aware
of it. Light had no effect on migraine patients who were totally
blind. The finding, which suggests that light-sensing, non-image-forming
eye cells may help trigger migraines, could lead to new approaches
for calming light-induced headaches.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Preventing
Bacterial Infections from Medical Devices
NIH scientists identified a protein that helps bacteria break
away from medical devices like catheters and spread throughout
the body. By treating mice with antibodies that block the protein,
the researchers prevented the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis from
spreading from a catheter to most other organs. The finding gives
insight into how complex bacterial communities called biofilms
cause disease and opens up new avenues for curbing biofilm-related
infections.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Cholesterol
Genes Tied to Age-Related Macular Degeneration
By analyzing the genomes of more than 18,000 people, NIH-funded
scientists identified 3 new genes associated with the blinding
eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Two of the
genes are involved in the cholesterol pathway—a formerly
unknown biological mechanism for AMD disease development. The
finding raises the possibility that new treatment or prevention
approaches might target these genes or pathways.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Insights from the Lab
Noteworthy Advances in Basic Research
Structure
of Receptor Involved in Cancer, HIV Infection
NIH-funded scientists determined the 3-dimensional structure
of a protein involved in HIV infection and many forms of cancer.
Using X-ray crystallography, the scientists captured snapshots
of the protein, called CXCR4, bound to molecules that inhibit
its activity. The images reveal how CXCR4 molecules form closely
linked pairs, with inhibitors bound to their sides. The accomplishment
could point to ways of locking out HIV and stalling cancer's
spread.
Research
Matters| PubMed
Making
a Lung Replacement
NIH-funded researchers made transplantable lung grafts for rats.
The team built on recent advances in decellularization—the
process of removing cells from a structure but leaving the architecture
of the original tissue intact. The scientists showed that the
engineered lungs functioned in the animals. They were also able
to decellularize human lung segments while preserving their architecture.
The study could pave the way for the development of an engineered
human lung.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Controlling
Computers with Your Mind
A brain-computer interface let people control pictures on a computer
screen by activating just a few brain cells. NIH-funded scientists
monitored brain cell activity via wires that sent information
from patients’ brains to a computer. In a simple computer
game, participants were able to use their thoughts to control
the images on the monitor nearly 70% of the time. The findings
shed light on how single brain cells contribute to attention
and conscious thought.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Gut
Bacteria May Influence Metabolic Syndrome
An NIH-funded study suggested that gut microbes, along with part
of the immune system, may contribute to metabolic syndrome. Mice
lacking an important immune receptor grew heavier than control
mice and developed several features of metabolic syndrome. When
gut microbes from these mice were transplanted into control mice,
the recipient mice overate, became obese and diabetic. The next
step will be to explore how gut microbes affect people's eating
behavior.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Coaxing
the Body's Cells to Repair Damaged Joints
NIH-supported scientists developed a technique to regenerate
damaged leg joints in rabbits. The researchers created porous
scaffolds in the shape of leg bone tips and added a gel to aid
cartilage development. By 3 to 4 weeks after surgery, the rabbits
could move around almost as well as normal rabbits. Within 4
months, both bone and cartilage had regenerated. The accomplishment
could point the way toward joint renewal in humans.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Neanderthal
Genome Sequenced
An international research team, including NIH scientists, produced
the first whole-genome sequence of the Neanderthal genome—the
closest evolutionary relative to humans. Neanderthal DNA is 99.7%
identical to present-day human DNA and 98.8% identical to chimpanzee
DNA. Present-day human DNA is also 98.8% identical to chimpanzee.
The analysis suggests that up to 2% of the genome of present-day
people outside of Africa originated in Neanderthals or their
ancestors.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Silk
Helps Make Ultrathin Brain Interface
NIH-funded scientists developed ultrathin flexible
implants made with a silk base that dissolves once it makes contact
with the brain, allowing the electrode array to collapse into
the brain’s grooves and stretch over its rounded surfaces.
The ultrathin implants can record brain activity more faithfully
than thicker implants. The new technology allows for closer interaction
between machines and living tissue, paving the way for more advanced
implantable devices.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Stress
Hormone Causes Epigenetic Changes
Researchers found that chronic exposure to a stress hormone altered
DNA in the brains of mice, prompting changes in gene expression.
NIH-supported scientists found that giving mice a stress hormone
caused epigenetic modifications—changes to DNA that don’t
alter sequences but influence gene expression—to a gene
that has been tied to posttraumatic stress disorder and mood
disorders in people. The finding provides clues into how stress
might affect behavior.
Research
Matters | PubMed
Prepared by Vicki Contie
Edited by Harrison Wein, Ph.D.
January 2010
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