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Articles by Sarah Avery
A new national standard for safe, scalable AI in health care
Duke University School of Medicine researchers have developed two pioneering frameworks designed to evaluate the performance, safety, and reliability of large-language models in health care. Published in npj Digital Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA), these studies offer a new approach to ensuring that AI systems used in clinical settings meet the highest standards of quality and accountability.
Therapy combination carries risk for cancer patients with brain metastases, study finds
Therapies that unleash the immune system to fight tumors have greatly extended the lives of people with many types of cancer. But there are reports that patients with melanoma and lung cancer whose disease has spread to the brain may experience serious inflammatory reactions after receiving immunotherapy drugs concurrently with radiation.
New drug benefits patients with Sjögren's disease in phase 2 clinical trial
In a phase 2 clinical trial, a new drug under development significantly reduced both the symptoms and disease process of a condition called Sjӧgren's disease (SjD). SJD is marked by eye and mouth dryness, fatigue, and pain and often occurs in association with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus, but it can also be its own primary disease. The international study was led by E. William St. Clair, M.D., the W.
Identifying risk of poor pain outcomes to steer patients to early interventions and avoid opioid overuse
For most people, recovering from an injury or surgery might require a short round of painkillers, but for about 1 in 10 people, pain can trigger protracted and escalating mental, physical and behavioral health problems. Identifying who is at risk of poor pain outcomes could help steer patients to early interventions that set them on a better course while also reducing the potential for opioid overuse. Now, a way to spot those at risk could be as simple as a two-question survey.
Study of heart attack patients finds definitive benefit of cardiac rehab
The benefits of doing cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack might seem obvious, but studies have provided surprisingly underwhelming findings. Now an analysis from Duke Health offers definitive evidence for heart attack patients or those who have had procedures to clear blockages: Cardiac rehab saves lives and keeps people out of the hospital—no matter their age, sex, education level, income level or race.
From the archives: Preservation NC director gives CPR to state’s historic buildings
Editor’s Note: J. Myrick Howard previously was honored as a News & Observer Tar Heel of the Week. This story was originally published Aug. 10, 1997. He was named The N&O’s Tar Heel of the Year in 2023. J. Myrick Howard produces a key to the door of the old Briggs Hardware building on the Fayetteville Street Mall and promptly confronts a circumstance that, at one level or another, defines his life’s work: The door is stuck shut.
Probiotics reduce COVID symptoms and delay disease among unvaccinated
Probiotics, specifically lactobacillus, demonstrated significant ability to delay a COVID infection and reduce symptoms among a group of unvaccinated people who had been in contact with someone in their household diagnosed with COVID. The randomized, placebo-controlled study led by Duke Health researchers suggests that probiotics could be a relatively simple and inexpensive approach to treating people after a COVID exposure.
COVID fighter? Probiotics could treat unvaccinated exposed to deadly infection, Duke researchers say
DURHAM – Probiotics, specifically lactobacillus, demonstrated significant ability to delay a COVID infection and reduce symptoms among a group of unvaccinated people who had been in contact with someone in their household diagnosed with COVID. The randomized, placebo-controlled study led by Duke Health researchers suggests that probiotics could be a relatively simple and inexpensive approach to treating people after a COVID exposure.
AI in healthcare: Duke Health signs pledge for ethical, responsible use
DURHAM – Duke Health is among a leading group of health systems and payers from across the U.S. to sign a pledge advancing ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence technology in health care. The pledge, announced Thursday at the annual conference hosted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, is a voluntary commitment to the principles of safety, security and trust that are fundamental to the future of AI.
Duke Health deploys copilot to help staff integrate AI with Microsoft 365
DURHAM – Duke Health is initiating the first phase of its Copilot deployment, focusing on empowering IT leaders and staff with training and experimental use cases to harness the transformative potential of generative AI. This phase has already shown promising results in enhancing efficiency, notably through the integration of AI with Microsoft 365 applications.
Molecular ‘warhead’ from Duke Health targets bacterium which causes Lyme disease
DURHAM – Using a technique that has shown promise in targeting cancer tumors, a Duke Health team has found a way to deploy a molecular warhead that can annihilate the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Tested in cell cultures using the Borrelia burgdoferi bacterium, the approach holds the potential to target not only bacteria, but also fungi such as yeast and viruses. The findings appear in the journal Cell Chemical Biology.
Single vaccine from Duke institute shows promise against multiple coronaviruses
DURHAM – A vaccine designed to protect against three different deadly coronaviruses shows success in mouse studies, demonstrating the viability of a pan-coronavirus vaccine developed by researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute. Publishing in the journal Cell Reports, the single nanoparticle vaccine included components of a previous vaccine that was shown to protect mice and primates against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19.
Mouse study yields potential new target to combat multiple sclerosis
Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine, studying multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice, identified a protein that could reshape the understanding of MS treatments. The protein boosts the aggressive migration of immune cells into the central nervous system, leading to MS, an autoimmune disease affecting about 1 million adults in the United States. The intrusion of a specific type of immune cell called Th17 is particularly harmful to the brain and spinal cord.
New intravenous lipid nutrition cuts pediatric hospitalizations and infections
A formulation for intravenous nutrition that includes four lipid sources, including fish oil, reduced hospitalizations and urinary tract infections among pediatric patients at Duke Children's Hospital. The new multi-component lipid with fish oil—given to young patients with cancer, bowel conditions and other illnesses that prevent them from eating—has not been as widely used as expected after FDA approval a few years ago.
New blood test targets Parkinson’s; Duke Health neuroscientists lead development
DURHAM – Researchers have developed a blood test that detects Parkinson’s disease, potentially establishing a way to help diagnose the condition before nervous system damage worsens. A new blood-based diagnostic test would be a major advancement for Parkinson’s disease, which afflicts 10 million people worldwide and is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. Led by a team of Duke Health neuroscientists, the study appears Aug.
New blood test that spots a key indicator of Parkinson’s Disease developed by Duke Health
DURHAM – Researchers have developed a blood test that detects Parkinson’s disease, potentially establishing a way to help diagnose the condition before nervous system damage worsens. A new blood-based diagnostic test would be a major advancement for Parkinson’s disease, which afflicts 10 million people worldwide and is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s. Led by a team of Duke Health neuroscientists, the study appears Aug.
Microsoft, Duke Health partner on AI efforts, create innovation lab
DURHAM – Duke Health is embarking on a five-year, innovative partnership with Microsoft aimed at responsibly and ethically harnessing the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technology to redefine the health care landscape.
Can CRISPR gene editing be improved? Yes, says Duke Health researchers
DURHAM – CRISPR gene editing is a breakthrough that has been used to treat diseases such as sickle cell anemia, leukemia and genetic disorders, but it has challenges that limit its broad utility. Identifying the root of those issues led a research team at Duke Health to find an improved approach to gene editing that expands its functionality.
AI-driven biomarker predicts optimum length of treatment for prostate cancer
A biomarker developed with digitalized pathology and artificial intelligence demonstrated it was able to identify which men treated with radiation for high-risk localized prostate cancer could be spared long-term hormone therapy and its potential side effects.
Black men with metastatic prostate cancer may benefit from drug combination
A drug combination that shows little overall survival benefit in white men with advanced prostate cancer has a far greater effect in Black men with the disease, according to interim results from a study led by the Duke Cancer Institute. The study, called PANTHER, administered the hormone therapies apalutamide and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone to parallel groups of Black and white participants with metastatic prostate cancer.
Biologic used by athletes could also ease nerve pain from chemo, diabetes
Autologous conditioned serum (ACS)—a biologic therapy that famous athletes swear by to treat arthritis and sports injuries—also shows benefit for the kind of neurological pain caused by chemotherapy or diabetes. In a study using rodents, Duke Health researchers found that a spinal injection of the conditioned serum eased limb pain for far longer than typical analgesics.
Transforming clinical trials is goal for Duke Clinical Research Institute, UK partner
by Sarah Avery — March 1, 2023 . DURHAM – Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), part of the Duke University School of Medicine, and Protas, a not-for-profit clinical trials organization based in the United Kingdom, have launched a long-term collaboration to transform clinical research by altering the way clinical trials are designed and delivered to better meet the needs of patients and society.
New blood test from Duke researchers could advance osteoarthritis therapies
DURHAM – A new blood test that can identify progression of osteoarthritis in the knee is more accurate than current methods, providing an important tool to advance research and speed discovery of new therapies. The test relies on a biomarker and fills an important void in medical research for a common disease that currently lacks effective treatments.
Duke Health partners with science software firm to make biomedical knowledge ‘computable’
DURHAM – Duke Health is building upon its longstanding history of innovative research by joining with nference, a science-first software company, to transform healthcare by making biomedical knowledge computable. Together, the aim is to accelerate the discovery of state-of-the-art medicine and deliver solutions that will improve the health of the communities we serve.
Fighting burnout: Duke researchers say short inspiring videos boost healthcare workers – watch how | WRAL TechWire
DURHAM – Watching short, web-based tutorials that inspire health care workers to contemplate awe, gratitude and kindness can promote enduring improvements in mental health outcomes such as depression and emotional exhaustion. The quick, daily intervention — developed by Duke Health researchers and tested among hundreds of health care workers — provides a timely and cost-efficient way to address work burnout that has escalated during the COVID pandemic.
Duke study identifies biomarkers that could predict immunotherapy resistance in melanoma
by Sarah Avery — November 25, 2022 . DURHAM – Duke Cancer Institute researchers have identified potential biomarkers that predict the likelihood for checkpoint inhibitor drugs to backfire, driving hyper-progression of melanoma cells instead of unleashing the immune system to fight them. Prior studies have shown that cancer patients who develop hyper-progression while on checkpoint inhibitors have a median overall survival of 4.6 months compared to 7.6 months in patients without the complication.
New gene classifier identifies risk of breast pre-cancer progression, Duke and Stanford researchers report
DURHAM – A team of researchers mapping a molecular atlas for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has made a major advance toward distinguishing whether the early pre-cancers in the breast will develop into invasive cancers or remain stable. Analyzing samples from patients who had undergone surgery to remove areas of DCIS, the team identified 812 genes associated with cancer progression. Using this gene classifier, they were then able to predict the risk of cancer cells recurring or progressing.
What makes HIV so stealthy? Duke researchers may have answer
DURHAM – An immune response that likely evolved to help fight infections appears to be the mechanism that drives human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into a latent state, lurking in cells only to erupt anew, researchers at Duke Health report. Publishing Nov. 14 in the journal Nature Microbiology, the research team provides new insights into the vexing process that makes HIV particularly stealthy, but could also play a role in other viral infections.
Women are more resilient to kidney disease – here’s why, according to Duke research | WRAL TechWire
DURHAM – In the battle of the sexes, women beat men in their ability to recover from kidney injury, but the reasons are not well understood. A study led by Duke Health researchers provides some insights: Females, it turns out, have an advantage at the molecular level that protects them from a form of cell death that occurs in injured kidneys. This protection could be exploited as a potential therapeutic. The findings appear online Nov. 8 in the journal Cell Reports.
New pan-coronavirus vaccine from Duke Human Vaccine Institute shows promise
DURHAM – In laboratory and primate tests, a new pan-coronavirus vaccine developed by the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) has demonstrated wide protection against SARS-CoV-2 viruses and variants, including Omicron BA.5. Publishing in the journal Nature Communications, the DHVI and collaborating researchers reported that three doses of the pan-coronavirus vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies against Beta, Delta and Omicron variants, including the subvariant BA.5. The vaccine was also...
Duke researchers find possible HIV vaccine component
DURHAM – To block infection from HIV, a successful vaccine will require a combination of ingredients, including at least three antibody targets and a substance that boosts immune responses. In a step toward achieving that goal, one potential vaccine component has led to strong protection in primates by eliciting an antibody that binds to part of the virus’s outer envelope, reports a team led by researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI).
Duke researchers report potential new approach to prevent breast cancer from metastasizing in brain
DURHAM – In animal studies led by researchers at Duke Cancer Institute, a drug approved to treat leukemia successfully disrupted the ability of HER2-positive breast cancer tumors from colonizing the brain. The finding, appearing online Aug. 30 in the journal Cell Reports, provides evidence for human trials and suggests a potential new approach to derail one of the main ways that breast cancer turns deadly.
Study: Genetic risk for heart disease is far less predictive of problems than actual lifestyle risk factors
DURHAM – A genetic risk for heart disease is far less predictive of problems than actual lifestyle risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes — even among younger adults. In a finding published July 26 in the journal Circulation, researchers led by a team at Duke AI Health found that genetic tests do little to accurately identify cardiovascular risks compared to a simple risk equation that uses basic health measures.
RTI, Duke Clinical Research Institute to partner on long COVID test data
DURHAM – The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) has been named the Clinical Trials Data Coordinating Center for large-scale national research studies aimed at understanding and improving the treatment of long COVID.
Duke Health: Gene editing tech demonstrates success in preventing, treating COVID
DURHAM – In what is believed to be a first, a research team led by Duke Health has demonstrated a way to use CRISPR technology to successfully prevent and treat COVID infections. The proof-of-concept experiments, conducted in mice, modified a currently available lipid nanoparticle to deliver a specific CRISPR/Cas13 mRNA that generates an inhospitable environment in the lungs for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Duke awarded $27M federal grant to build structural models of HIV
DURHAM – Researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) received a federal grant totaling more than $27 million over five years to focus on building structural models of HIV that will help guide the development of therapies and vaccines.
Few patients have infected heart devices removed despite lifesaving benefits
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Medicare patients whose implantable heart devices became infected were less likely to die from the complication if they had the hardware removed compared to patients who only received antibiotics, according to the largest study on the topic, led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute.
Duke scientists report progress in fight against breast cancer with combo therapy research
by Sarah Avery — March 22, 2022 . DURHAM – In a study that upends current concepts of immunotherapies for breast cancer, researchers at Duke Cancer Institute have described a newly identified process for how the drug pertuzumab works in tandem with trastuzumab. The combination therapies have been front-line treatments for HER2-positive breast cancers, but the way they work has not been well understood.
Study shows mRNA vaccine technology can be used for HIV vaccines
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110514 Using mRNA technology like that in the COVID-19 vaccines, researchers have demonstrated a successful way to deliver a potential HIV vaccine, researchers at Duke Human Vaccine Institute report. Publishing online March 15 in the journal Cell Reports, the research team describes an important advancement in what is a complex vaccine development process.
Study: One in seven breast cancers in US may be overdiagnosed
breast cancercancer researchDuke Health by Sarah Avery — March 1, 2022 . DURHAM – About one in seven breast cancers detected by mammography screening are over-diagnosed, according to a Duke Cancer Institute study designed to clarify the risk of breast cancer over-diagnosis using contemporary screening technology in the U.S. The study, publishing online Feb. 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, should inform decision-making about mammography screening for women aged 50 and older.
MRI scans show few brain differences in children with ADHD
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain MRI scans of children aged 9 to 10 years with ADHD showed few differences in structural brain measurements compared to their unaffected peers, according to a study led by a Duke University School of Medicine researcher.
Omicron antibodies persist six months after Moderna vaccine boost but are six times lower
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A booster dose of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine showed signs of waning antibody levels against the omicron variant after six months, but the antibodies still remained effective against the variant in laboratory tests, according to a Jan. 26 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Hospital room surfaces pose low risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Hospital rooms where COVID patients were treated had little to no active virus contaminations on surfaces, according to a study at Duke University Hospital that adds to the body of research on how the pandemic respiratory virus is spread. The finding, published online in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, concludes that contaminated surfaces in the hospital environment are unlikely to be a source of indirect transmission of the virus.
Duke vaccine institute lands contract worth up to $365M for potential treatments
by Sarah Avery — December 30, 2021 . DURHAM – The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute a contract that enables it to compete for projects advancing investigational vaccines to production for use in early clinical trials.
Video: Physicians discuss details of omicron variant
December 6, 2021 by Sarah Avery, Duke University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Duke Health researchers discuss the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 omicron variant so far and what it may bring to the U.S. Drs. David Montefiori and Cameron Wolfe also outline what people making holiday plans should consider as more is learned about the variant's potential reach.
Duke lands $17.5M federal grant to develop next-generation coronavirus vaccine
by Sarah Avery — October 21, 2021 . DURHAM – The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded $17.5 million over three years to the Duke Human Vaccine Institute to develop a vaccine that protects against multiple types of coronaviruses and viral variants.
New screening tool improves ability to identify patients at risk of suicide
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A suicide screening tool developed by researchers from Duke Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs is far more accurate at identifying patients at risk for attempting suicide than current clinical assessments, which often have poor accuracy rates that can lead to the loss of life. With suicide rates on the rise in the United States even before the COVID pandemic exacerbated mental health issues, the need for a more accurate screening tool is critical.
Pioneering therapy provides long-term survival for babies lacking thymus
The chest of an adult, showing the location and size of the adult thymus. Credit: LearnAnatomy/Wikipedia/CC BY 3.0 An investigational treatment pioneered by a Duke Health pediatrician resulted in a one-year survival rate of 77% among children born with a rare condition in which they lack an immune system.
Cancer death rates declined more steeply in states that expanded Medicaid
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Cancer deaths were lower in the five states and District of Columbia that expanded Medicaid early-on as part of the Affordable Care Act, compared to states that did not expand the federal insurance, according to a study lead by Duke Cancer Institute.
Duke surgical team is first in US to implant new model of artificial heart
by Sarah Avery — July 15, 2021 . DURHAM – A surgical team at Duke University Hospital, led by Drs. Jacob Schroder and Carmelo Milano, successfully implanted a new-generation artificial heart in a 39-year-old man with heart failure, becoming the first center in North America to perform the procedure. The artificial heart was developed by CARMAT and has been studied in Europe, where it is approved for use.
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