This year, researchers at Harvard Medical School’s Blavatnik Institute continued to illuminate biological phenomena, deepen understanding of disease mechanisms, inform the development of new therapies, and otherwise help solve scientific challenges , medical and healthcare.
The vibrancy of the HMS community – including our affiliated hospitals and academic and biotechnology collaborators across greater Boston – inspires this critical research and propels it forward to improve the lives of people around the world.
Here are the 10 articles on basic sciences, social sciences and clinical research that have received the most attention from readers on our own channels and in the news media.
First, a genetically modified pig kidney is transplanted into a human
The landmark procedure, conducted by HMS physician-scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and based on research by HMS geneticists, has raised hopes of improving and saving lives amid a shortage of human organs and reduce health disparities associated with organ failure and transplantation.
“The success of this transplant is the culmination of efforts by thousands of scientists and doctors over several decades,” said Tatsuo Kawai, professor of surgery. “We hope that this transplant approach will provide a lifeline to millions of patients around the world who suffer from kidney failure. »
Does AI help or hurt the performance of human radiologists? It depends on the doctor
A study by HMS researchers with colleagues at MIT and Stanford University showed that AI improves the performance of some radiologists but worsens it for others – highlighting the importance of personalizing radiology tools. AI assistance rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
“We find that different radiologists indeed respond differently to using AI – some are helped by it while others are harmed by it,” said co-senior author Pranav Rajpurkar, assistant professor of biomedical informatics.
Published in Natural medicine.
Resident physician exam results linked to patient survival
Researchers shed light on the extent to which new doctors’ performance on tests reflects their patients’ results. They found that higher scores on certification exams are linked to lower risks of death or patient readmission to the hospital.
“These results confirm that certification exams measure knowledge that directly translates to better patient outcomes,” said lead author Bruce Landon, professor of health care policy.
Published in JAMA.
A new artificial intelligence tool for cancer
A model that analyzes the characteristics of a tumor’s microenvironment has marked a major advance in supporting diagnosis, guiding treatment choice and predicting survival in several types of cancer, as well as accelerating identifying patients unlikely to benefit from standard treatments used in certain cancers.
“Our ambition was to create an agile and versatile ChatGPT-like AI platform capable of performing a wide range of cancer assessment tasks,” said the study’s lead author, Kun-Hsing Yu, assistant professor of biomedical informatics.
Published in Nature.
The Surprisingly Simple Recipe to Start Growing a Member
In a first, scientists have identified the proteins needed to restart limb formation in mice and chicks, deepening our understanding of evolution and embryonic development and contributing to the long-term goal of regenerating lost limbs. due to injuries and illnesses.
“It is important to understand the fundamental properties of cells that have therapeutic value,” said ChangHee Lee, co-first author of the study and a genetics researcher in the lab of co-senior author Cliff Tabin.
Published in Development cell.
Measuring lung function more accurately and equitably
As health care providers began removing race from equations that assess lung function, an analysis estimated the effects on patients, providers and policies.
“Our study aims to quantify the impact of using race to define what constitutes normal variation and what is classified as deficiency or disease. We discovered profound clinical, financial and professional implications for how race is operationalized in pulmonary function tests,” said first author James Diao, who conducted the research as a fourth-grade medical student. year in the laboratory of Arjun (Raj) Manrai and is now a resident physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
How can even a faulty copy of the BRCA1 A gene may fuel breast cancer
Research found that a single defective copy of the tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 is enough to make breast cells more vulnerable to cancer and trigger tumor growth. The findings add a twist to the prevailing idea that cancer occurs when two mutated copies are present. This discovery also offers new clues in terms of prevention.
“Our results show that the two-times cancer development hypothesis offers only a partial explanation,” said the study’s lead author, Joan Brugge, Louise Foote Pfeiffer Professor of Cell Biology.
Published in Natural genetics.
Why do gliomas tend to recur in the brain?
Researchers have identified the neurons that connect to these most common brain cancers, providing insight into what drives their formation and spread and providing a basis for identifying much-needed new treatment strategies to prevent their recurrence.
“By unraveling the drivers of glioma-neuron interactions and identifying unique mechanisms, we can explore strategies to interrupt them, potentially stopping tumors in their tracks and preventing their return,” said first author Annie Hsieh, who led work as a researcher. in the laboratories of Bernardo Sabatini and Marcia Haigis.
Published in PNAS.
Researchers leverage AI to repurpose existing drugs to treat rare diseases
A new AI tool screens existing drugs to identify promising therapies for thousands of diseases, including those for which no treatment is currently available. This advance offers renewed hope to patients with rare and neglected diseases and the clinicians who care for them.
“This is precisely where we see the promise of AI in reducing the global burden of disease, in finding new uses for existing drugs, which also provides a faster and more cost-effective way to develop therapies than designing new drugs from scratch,” the official said. researcher Marinka Zitnik, assistant professor of biomedical informatics.
Published in Natural medicine.
Evolution has tamed the once-deadly western equine encephalitis. Should we still be worried?
Researchers have identified how the western equine encephalitis virus lost its ability to infect humans over time, providing important clues for pandemic preparedness.
“It was a true scientific detective story,” said lead author Jonathan Abraham, associate professor of microbiology. “The virus has continued to surprise us and taught us important lessons about how to study viruses. »
Published in Nature.