Masters chairs U.S. panel that urges prudence with biotech crops

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San Antonio (Aug. 3, 2004) – A San Antonio scientist chaired the study, released July 27, that recommends further scrutiny of genetically modified crops before additional products are permitted to hit store shelves. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commissioned the study.

Bettie Sue Masters, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, chaired the National Academy of Sciences committee that addressed the issue. The committee primarily consisted of academic researchers. Dr. Masters, a member of the Institute of Medicine under whose auspices the study was conducted, announced the findings of the panel’s 235-page report at a press conference in Washington, D.C. She is the Robert A. Welch Foundation Distinguished Chair in Chemistry at the Health Science Center.

The report emphasized that genetic engineering is a subset of genetic modification. Genetic modification techniques include longstanding, conventional breeding approaches such as selecting plants with desired characteristics for propagation, as well as genetic engineering, which is the process of manipulating a gene using recombinant DNA methods first patented in 1980. Processed foods such as snacks, cereals and soft drinks that contain genetically modified ingredients are proliferating in the marketplace today.

The committee did not conclude that genetically engineered organisms are unsafe for consumers, but members did cast a strong vote for further analysis of these foods before they are released commercially. The panel advised that more examination be aimed at those transgenic food varieties that show the greatest degree of compositional difference from conventional counterparts.

“Foods that are new to humans, whether conventionally bred or genetically engineered, can … create potential health issues,” the report stated.

Dr. Masters and the other members of the committee also urged creation of a system to track the health of individuals who eat genetically engineered crops, but the committee emphasized that research before government approval of the products is of greater value than after-market studies. “We would hope that, for the most part, there wouldn’t be a great deal of post-market tracking,” Dr. Masters was quoted as saying in a story distributed by The Associated Press. The committee also recommended the establishment of an openly accessible and comprehensive database of all types of genetically modified foods and their components in order to assess the differences between them and their conventional counterparts.

Dr. Masters was quoted or mentioned in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other media from coast to coast and overseas. “The FDA, USDA and EPA were very pleased with the outcome and have indicated that they will act upon our report,” she said.

One of Dr. Masters’ colleagues on the panel was Sanford A. Miller, Ph.D., former dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Health Science Center and now a faculty member in the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at Virginia Polytechnic University.

San Antonio Life Sciences Institute funds 1st projects

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San Antonio (July 30, 2004) – The San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI), a joint program of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas at San Antonio, today announced $915,000 for eight research and educational projects conducted jointly by investigators from the two institutions.

The SALSI co-directors report a strong interest on both campuses with extensive interactions between academic colleagues. “The SALSI program has identified important new relationships between the two campuses, building upon the unique strengths at each institution and creating an environment where the sum is greater than the whole,” said Co-Director James Roberts, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the Health Science Center. “Some truly spectacular research programs have been seeded. We are encouraged that this strong response to the pilot program and the high quality of proposals will translate into increased funding for both campuses.”

Co-Director Joe L. Martinez, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology at UTSA, said: “SALSI was launched in December 2003 with substantial investments by the UT System, UTSA and the Health Science Center. This forward-looking strategy will both increase the research effort and bring the research focus of the two campuses closer together by stimulating joint research that will lead to increased federal funding. It shows that UTSA has matured into a true research university that can partner with the Health Science Center.”

The funded proposals and the principal investigators are listed below.

Research:

• Noninvasive Tissue-Based Biosensors for Biomedical Research
Peter J. Hornsby, Ph.D., Physiology, UTHSCSA
Dhiraj K. Sardar, Ph.D, Physics, UTSA

• Radiation-Induced Changes in Hippocampal Functioning
Martin Fuss, M.D., Radiation Oncology, UTHSCSA
Joe L. Martinez, Jr., Ph.D., Cajal Neuroscience Research Center, UTSA

• In Vivo Molecular Imaging of RNA Interference
Zheng Jim Wang, Ph.D., Radiology, UTHSCSA
Cong-Gui Zhao, Ph.D., Chemistry, UTSA

• Development of Assisted Reproduction, Transgenesis & Stem Cell Technologies in the Baboon
Robert S. Schenken, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology, UTHSCSA
John R. McCarrey, Ph.D., Biology, UTSA

• Structure and Function of Francisella Tularensis Virulence Proteins
P. John Hart, Ph.D., Biochemistry, UTHSCSA
Karl E. Klose, Ph.D., Biology, UTSA

• Immunization Against Coccidioidomycosis by Sindbis Viruses Expressing Coccidioides Antigens
Theresa Quitugua, Ph.D., Microbiology & Immunology, UTHSCSA
Hans W. Heidner, Ph.D., Biology, UTSA

Educational/Non-Research:

• Ph.D. in Human Communication Sciences
Randal A. Otto, M.D., Otolaryngology, UTHSCSA
Jan Tillery, Ph.D., Linguistics, UTSA

• Center for Health and Health Care Disparities Infrastructure Core and Faculty Development Program
Martha A. Medrano, M.D., MPH, Psychiatry, UTHSCSA
Mary A. McGehee, Ph.D., Sociology, UTSA

Twenty-six research proposals were submitted in a variety of scientific disciplines ranging from biomechanics to cancer biology to computational sciences to health care disparities. Three educational proposals were received in diverse areas, as well. While the majority of the proposals were judged as scientifically excellent by an external review panel of national and international scientists, limited funding allowed SALSI to fully support only six research proposals whose costs ranged from $97,000 to $185,000. Two of the educational proposals were partially funded.

The second round of proposals for this fiscal year brought 19 research and two educational proposals that are being reviewed. For more information, please see the SALSI Web site:www.uthscsa.edu/ogm/salsi/ref.htm.

Scientists team with Hamamatsu to educate about optical imaging

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San Antonio (July 27, 2004) – About 30 scientists from Israel, Japan, Germany, England, Puerto Rico and Mexico visited The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio this summer for an optical microscopy course. The course director said the program, offered every other year, is on a par with optical biology courses at hallowed institutes such as Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

The Hamamatsu Corp., a $600 million publicly held and traded Japanese company with 20 offices worldwide, partnered with the Health Science Center by providing scholarships for several of the international students to attend the course titled “Optical Microscopy in the Biological Sciences.”

Hamamatsu and the Health Science Center have enjoyed a three-year scientific and educational collaboration, said Victoria C. Frohlich, Ph.D., assistant professor of cellular and structural biology. “Microscopy and other techniques assist studies of aging, cancer, drug delivery and more,” she said. “These are not just ‘oh wow’ pictures, but we are getting information that ultimately will extend to clinical research in many fields.”

The course is one of only three or four in the country. “It is a rare opportunity for younger scientists,” Dr. Frohlich noted. The Health Science Center provides teaching faculty and invites distinguished guest lecturers, while Hamamatsu and other imaging companies provide commercial faculty who acquaint students with the latest technologies for biological imaging. The inaugural course was held in 2000.

The Health Science Center and Hamamatsu recently developed a new product based on scientific research concepts advanced by Brian Herman, Ph.D., professor and chairman of cellular and structural biology at the Health Science Center. “We are the development site,” Dr. Frohlich said. “The Health Science Center is the only place in the world where we are obtaining this kind of data.” She said the device is a “streak” camera that can acquire data faster than other systems. The product is being commercialized by Hamamatsu, with product rollout expected this year.

The optical microscopy course featured millions of dollars of equipment, said Butch Moomaw, biomedical product manager for Hamamatsu Photonic Systems, a division of Hamamatsu Corp. “A course like this is a huge investment for a vendor,” he said. “We do only three or four a year, and we like to work with scientific innovators such as Dr. Herman and his colleagues. It costs tens of thousands of dollars to be here one week.”

The course meets a critical need for training, Dr. Frohlich said. “Teaching of microscopy is a vanishing art, even as microscopy is becoming more advanced. Training eliminates unreliable results. For example, fluorescent tags can show the difference between normal and cancerous cells. A cancer emits light of different colors than a healthy cell. We can also see proteins and protein interactions that can determine health outcomes.”

Martinez Rogers named as National Hispanic Nurse of Year

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San Antonio (July 27, 2004) – Norma Martinez Rogers, Ph.D., R.N., associate professor of family nursing care at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, has been named National Hispanic Nurse of the Year by the National Association of Hispanic Nurses. She was selected from among members in 35 chapters nationwide and was recognized at the association’s awards and scholarships banquet July 16 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Dr. Martinez Rogers is principal investigator of a project titled “Minority Women Offenders: Recidivism Risk/Need Assessment.” This research program, aimed at helping Hispanic and black women in Bexar County who are on federal probation or parole, is funded through the “MESA: Center for Health Disparities” grant in the Health Science Center’s School of Nursing. That grant is from the National Institute of Nursing Research. The women are under the supervision of officers appointed by the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas. The court is in San Antonio.

Dr. Martinez Rogers also is the principle investigator of the “Juntos Podemos” (Together We Can) project, which targets the recruitment of disadvantaged and minority students into nursing and their retention in the field. Through this program, funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, Dr. Martinez Rogers has coupled the strengths of the community, parents of young people and community leaders to assist in strategies to bring minority students to the Health Science Center.

“Dr. Martinez Rogers serves as a role model for our students and faculty in demonstrating how mentoring of colleagues, students and potential students really works,” said Colleen S. Keller, Ph.D., R.N., professor and chair of family nursing care. “Her infectious enthusiasm and creativity in developing innovative programs have been tremendous assets to our department and school.”

Health Science Center welcomes noted husband-wife surgeons

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San Antonio (July 27, 2004) – Minimally invasive neurosurgical craniofacial procedures are now available to children across South and Central Texas and nationwide, thanks to the arrival of David F. Jimenez, M.D., and his wife, Constance M. Barone, M.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Both surgeons, who are fellows of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics, were recruited from the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Dr. Jimenez is professor and director of the Center for Neurosurgical Sciences in the Health Science Center’s School of Medicine. Board certified in general and pediatric neurosurgery, he is a graduate of Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Dr. Barone is head of the Health Science Center’s division of plastic and reconstructive surgery. She earned her medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. She is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery and fellowship trained in craniofacial surgery.

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At the University of Missouri, Dr. Jimenez served as director of the neurosurgery residency training program, director of the surgical epilepsy program and co-director of the center for craniofacial disorders and the pediatric neuro-oncology program (both at the university’s affiliated Children’s Hospital). Steven A. Wartman, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for academic and health affairs and dean, School of Medicine, said Dr. Jimenez brings “a superb mix” of leadership, academic and clinical skills to his new position.

“Dr. Jimenez and Dr. Barone have pioneered the development of a unique surgical procedure for craniosynostosis, a debilitating disorder affecting infants,” Dr. Wartman said. “Children afflicted with this problem have come to them from all over the world to receive this procedure. In addition, Dr. Jimenez brings significant expertise in the area of neuroendoscopy, where he has been able to diagnose and treat complex and deep brain lesions via a small surgical hole rather than using large and extensive craniotomies.”

In the May issue of Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, Drs. Jimenez, Barone and three co-authors reviewed new procedures for the management of sagittal craniosynostosis. Infants born with this condition have narrow, elongated heads prompted by abnormal bone development. In many cases the sagittal suture closes too early and restricts normal growth. The condition occurs in an estimated 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 3,000 births.

For decades, the disorder required extensive surgery with a large operating window in the skull and risk of substantial blood loss. During the past seven years, endoscopy-assisted techniques have begun to change the way it is treated. An endoscope is an instrument that enables physicians to look inside a hollow organ, in this case the cranial cavity or skull.

The couple developed “endoscopic strip craniectomies” to treat the condition and have performed the procedure more than any other surgical team in the world. The procedure lasts about an hour compared to the traditional three to seven hours of surgery. The smaller incisions result in shorter hospital stays and greatly diminished scarring and pain for the infants.

Drs. Jimenez and Barone have extensive lists of publications, awards, memberships and honors. While at Missouri, they established an exchange program to educate Filipino health care providers and treated more than 250 patients on trips to the archipelago.

Since their arrival, Drs. Jimenez and Barone have performed surgeries at University Hospital, the Health Science Center’s primary teaching hospital.

To view a biosketch of Dr. Jimenez, visit: www.uthscsa.edu/HSCNews/archive/Jimenez.pdf

To view a biosketch of Dr. Barone, visit: www.uthscsa.edu/HSCNews/archive/Barone.pdf

Pichot appointed to buprenorphine advisory panel

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San Antonio (July 20, 2004) – John T. Pichot, M.D., director of addiction research for the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and associate professor of psychiatry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, has been appointed to the National Advisory Panel for Buprenorphine Training.

Buprenorphine is a medication that is available by prescription to treat heroin dependence. The national advisory panel oversees an online buprenorphine training program that consists of 12 courses. Clinical Tools Inc. developed the program with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

The continuing medical education courses are available free of charge to Health Science Center faculty and residents on the Clinical Tools Web site at www.addictioncme.com/default.htm.
Dr. Pichot was a principal investigator for NIDA- and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-funded buprenorphine clinical trials conducted for several years at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. He also directs buprenorphine training courses for the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.