Joanna Lee

Hypercalcemia is a commonly encountered electrolyte abnormality in outpatient and hospitalized patients with multiple different causes. In cases of parathyroid hormone-related peptide mediated hypercalcemia, consider indolent lymphoid malignancies in the differential diagnosis. In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia specifically, parathyroid hormone-related peptide mediated hypercalcemia can signal relapse of disease.

Introduction Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable disease of unknown etiology. There are currently two US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs that have had modest efficacy for IPF. However, the median survival for IPF patients remains only 3–5 years [1], and new therapeutic targets are urgently needed. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid, regulates both innate and adaptive immune functions [2].

The Vatican might not be a place where you’d normally expect to hear about cutting-edge scientific research, but that was the case in April last year. Several hundred scientists, physicians, and policymakers gathered in Rome for the latest International Vatican Conference, the fourth since launching in 2011. This year’s theme, “Unite To Cure,” brought together leading figures in healthcare, business, journalism, and philanthropy (plus Katy Perry, to give a talk on transcendental meditation).