Research
The latest research news from UNC Health Care and the UNC School of Medicine.
Study finds genetic risk factor for knee osteoarthritis
Individuals with knee osteoarthritis who had variations in a gene for an anti-inflammatory chemical were twice as likely to progress to severe osteoarthritis as those without the genetic variations.
Omega-3 fatty acids provide no benefit in slowing age-related macular degeneration
Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements does not slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, a newly published study finds. However, some people may benefit from taking lutein and zeaxanthin.
To test or not to test: Blood glucose monitoring for patients with type 2 diabetes
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute awards UNC School of Medicine researchers more than $2 million to study glucose monitoring in non-insulin treated patients living with type 2 diabetes.
Is there a link between postpartum depression and the "love hormone"?
UNC researchers are launching a 5-year study aimed at understanding the role of oxytocin in postpartum depression and bonding between mothers and babies.
Persistent pain after stressful events may have a neurobiological basis
This study is the first to identify a genetic risk factor for persistent pain after traumatic events such as motor vehicle collision and sexual assault.
Dr. Anna Spagnoli named ELAM fellow
The Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program is the only program in North America dedicated to preparing senior women faculty for institutional leadership roles at academic health centers.
Baby knows best: Fetuses emit hormone crucial to preventing preeclampsia
Listening to the hormonal ‘conversation’ between mother and fetus could reveal new opportunities for preeclampsia detection and prevention.
International consortium exploring long-term outcomes of treating hepatitis C releases first data
The research, led jointly by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the University of Florida, suggests that the safety and efficacy of the antiviral drugs telaprevir and boceprevir are similar for patients taking the treatments in real-world settings to what was observed in clinical trials.
Novel monoclonal antibody inhibits tumor growth in breast cancer and angiosarcoma
The antibody, created at the University of North Carolina, is the first therapeutic discovered that targets a protein known as SFRP2.
Inpatients who have STEMI heart attacks more likely to die than outpatients
A new study by UNC researchers finds that patients who suffer a STEMI heart attack while hospitalized are 10 times more likely to die than patients who suffer a STEMI outside the hospital.
Transcription factors regulating blood oxygen linked to melanoma metastases
Researchers at the University of North Carolina have discovered that transcription factors regulating the levels of oxygen in the blood also play a role in the spread of the skin cancer melanoma.
Should doctors be involved in the concealed-weapons permit process?
UNC's Dr. Adam Goldstein and colleagues discuss in the New England Journal of Medicine medical, ethical, and legal concerns about physician involvement in concealed weapons permits. They argue that standards, protocols and new policies are needed for physicians to adequately assess a patient’s physical or mental competency in concealed-weapons permitting.
Owens wins multi-year “Pathway to Independence” K99/R00 grant award
Congratulations to A. Phil Owens, III, PhD, a post-doctoral trainee in the Mackman lab at the UNC McAllister Heart Institute. With this award, Dr. Owens will have support to transition from a mentored research environment with Dr. Nigel Mackman to an independent laboratory setting. Dr. Owens’ research focuses on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and the role of coagulation and platelets in protecting AAA from ruptures.
UNC researchers engineer 'protein switch' to dissect role of cancer’s key players
In the first application of this approach, the UNC researchers showed how a protein called Src kinase influences the way cells extend and move, a previously unknown role that is consistent with the protein’s ties to tumor progression and metastasis.
International study confirms multiple genes contribute to schizophrenia risk
By better understanding the molecular and biological mechanisms involved with schizophrenia, scientists hope to use this new genetic information to one day develop and design drugs that are more efficacious and have fewer side effects.
UNC study finds that hot and cold senses interact
This discovery has implications for how people perceive hot and cold temperatures and for why people with certain forms of chronic pain experience heightened responses to cold temperatures.
For the first time, researchers isolate adult stem cells from human intestinal tissue
The accomplishment provides a much-needed resource for scientists eager to uncover the true mechanisms of human stem cell biology. It also enables them to explore new tactics to treat inflammatory bowel disease or to ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, which often damage the gut.
Hepatitis A virus discovered to cloak itself in membranes hijacked from infected cells
A team led by Dr. Stanley Lemon discovered that hepatitis A virus does not have an envelope when found in the environment, but acquires one from the cells that it grows in within the liver. It circulates in the blood completely cloaked in these membranes.
Newly approved blood thinner may increase susceptibility to some viral infections
A study led by UNC researchers indicates that a newly approved blood thinner that blocks a key component of the human blood clotting system may increase the risk and severity of certain viral infections, including flu and myocarditis.
African Americans experience longer delay between prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment
The study is the first published population-based examination of racial disparities in prostate cancer treatment delay.
