Weill Cornell Medicine

A preclinical study found that EZH2 inhibition combined with T-cell based immunotherapy worked better at shrinking non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas than immunotherapy alone, according to Dr. Wendy Béguelin and Dr. Yusuke Isshiki of Weill Cornell Medicine. Full story: https://bit.ly/3ZFcF0g

Many young people seeking asylum in the United States show increased stress and pain symptoms that strongly predicted cardiovascular disease symptoms, according to Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. This study, led by Dr. Gunisha Kaur of Weill Cornell Medicine, looked at evaluations of refugees from around the world who had visited the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights between 2010 and 2020. Researchers found that 47% of participants reported worrisome symptoms of cardiovascular disease, including heart palpitations, feeling like fainting, stroke and chest pain. The researchers didn't expect the rates of these illnesses or conditions to be this high in such a young, otherwise healthy population. The findings may prompt clinicians who are evaluating this younger population to consider cardiovascular concerns as a real possibility during diagnosis. Full story: https://bit.ly/3ZDGIpd

Thomas W. Stokes has been appointed Cornell University vice president for finance and chief financial officer of Weill Cornell Medicine after serving as an interim in those roles since October 2023. Stokes, an esteemed financial manager, oversees all Weill Cornell Medicine financial operations and reporting and directs the internal administrative offices responsible for these functions. Stokes serves as an integral and influential participant in institutional strategic planning, and he and his teams maintain close working relationships with the Cornell University finance team to ensure campus alignment around positions, responsibilities and communications. He has lead responsibilities for reporting to the Business and Finance Committee of the Weill Cornell Board of Fellows, along with lead responsibility for reporting on Weill Cornell business to the Cornell University Trustees Finance Committee and the Trustees Audit Committee. Join us in congratulating Tom on his new appointment!

Specially packaged DNA secreted by tumor cells can trigger an immune response that inhibits the metastatic spread of the tumor to the liver, according to a new study. The discovery improves the scientific understanding of cancer progression and anticancer immunity and could yield new clinical tools for assessing and reducing risk of cancer spread. In the study, the team examined cancer cells’ secretion of short stretches of DNA packaged on tiny capsules called extracellular vesicles (EVs). All cells use EVs to secrete proteins, DNA and other molecules, and tumor cells are particularly active EV secretors. Researchers discovered that in various cancer types, EV-DNA secreted by tumor cells works as a “danger” signal that activates an anti-tumor response in the liver, reducing the risk of liver metastasis. The study was led by Dr. David Lyden and Dr. Inbal Wortzel of Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Han Sang Kim of Yonsei University and Dr. Yael David and Dr. Jacqueline Bromberg of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Full story: https://bit.ly/49haGCF

A new study shows that SARS-CoV-2 virus infection can cause significant damage to mitochondria in infected cells. That damage activates the immune system, contributing to the storm of inflammatory and other responses in severe COVID-19 cases. Severe COVID-19 has been considered an inflammatory “cytokine storm” condition in which the immune response to a viral infection becomes excessive, flooding the bloodstream and tissues with immune signaling proteins at levels that cause lung-impairing inflammation and other signs and symptoms. The new study, led by researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, extends the scientific understanding of the molecular pathways driving this storm. Full story: https://bit.ly/49pMwWM

The child of Pakistani immigrants who worked in medicine, Dr. Ibrahim Hussain was always encouraged to be a doctor or engineer. His mother was an X-ray tech and his father was a medical engineer. "I had the idea in my mind that I wanted to be a doctor," says Dr. Hussain. And once he got to med school, he was "set on being a radiologist." "I had a book of all the specialties, and I specifically skipped neurosurgery," says Dr. Hussain of Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery. "I thought, 'Why would someone want to train for seven years and have that life?" He applied for research projects with 20 radiologists. "The only one who answered me was a neurosurgeon doing radiology-related research," says Dr. Hussain. "He's the reason I went into neurosurgery." Dr. Hussain treats patients with various spinal disorders and is the independent neurologic consultant for the New York Giants. "One of the more gratifying things about spine surgery is that we're trying to give patients back quality of life," he says. For an elite teen fencer who suffered a traumatic cervical spine fracture, that meant returning to full-time athletics, which enabled him to get a scholarship. For a 75-year-old grandmother, the only goal was to be able to play with her grandkids. Among the most rewarding cases for Dr. Hussain is correcting serious problems like tumors, paralysis and traumatic brain injuries. In one case, a young patient had a fractured skull after being struck by an e-bike. After the operation, Dr. Hussain told the family, "I don't know if he's going to survive, and if he does I don't know what permanent impact or deficit he's going to have." "Three months later, he walked into my clinic and was completely normal," he says. "For all the time and sacrifice we put in, the time away from my kids, those are the wins that keep you going." But for all his technical expertise, Dr. Hussain says that one of the most important skills for a neurosurgeon is establishing a connection with patients. "I can fix almost anything, but for me, the underestimated skill is getting somebody who you've never met to trust you, to know that you're gonna be there for them every step of the way in their recovery."

A new preclinical study suggests that inhibiting an immune signaling protein called TLR7 may help preserve the protective layer surrounding nerve fibers in the brain during both Alzheimer’s disease and ordinary aging. The destruction of myelin sheaths can occur in the context of brain inflammation and can lead to cognitive, movement and other neurological problems. Demyelination is seen in multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurological conditions, as well as in ordinary aging. Demyelination-linked disorders often show sex differences. Nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients are women, and the fact that women on average live longer than men does not fully account for this discrepancy. Women also make up nearly four-fifths of cases of MS, in which demyelination features very prominently. Parkinson’s disease, on the other hand, features demyelination but predominantly affects men. The underlying mechanisms for such sex differences have been largely unknown. In this study, led by Dr. Li Gan and Dr. Chloe Lopez-Lee of Weill Cornell Medicine, researchers looked for underlying mechanisms of demyelination that might help explain these differences. Preclinical models of Alzheimer’s showed TLR7 as a driver of inflammatory demyelination especially in males, but also showed that removing or inhibiting this immune protein can protect against demyelination in both males and females. Full story: https://bit.ly/49bdjFS

Increasing the levels of a chemical naturally produced in the body may prevent the highly addictive nature of opioids without interfering with the drugs' ability to relieve pain, according to a new preclinical study. The chemical, called endocannabinoids, binds to cannabinoid receptors throughout the body that regulate activities, such as learning and memory, emotions, sleep, immune response and appetite. Opioids prescribed to manage moderate to severe pain can become addictive because they produce a sense of euphoria, in addition to relieving pain. These findings, led by Dr. Francis Lee and Dr. Anjali Rajadhyaksha of Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, may lead to a new type of therapeutic that could be taken with an opioid regimen to reduce the risk of addiction to the drugs. “This is one of the first examples showing that engaging the endocannabinoid system can have an antagonistic effect on another reward system—in this case, the opioid system,” Dr. Rajadhyaksha said. Full story: https://bit.ly/4fLyhO8