Samuel Wickline, MD

The drug could pave the way for treatments for those who are at risk of sudden rupture due to abdominal aortic aneurysms.

A study conducted by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that an experimental drug therapy protects mice against sudden death brought on by the rupture of a major blood vessel in the abdomen.

The research, which was published in the journal Biomaterials Advances, could lead to a new approach to treating abdominal aortic aneurysms, a condition in which the wall of the abdominal aorta, a major blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body, weakens and bulges outward. Without notice, the weak spot can begin to leak blood or possibly burst, causing a serious emergency that, if not treated quickly, almost always ends in death. The larger the aneurysm, the more probable it may burst unexpectedly… Continue reading.

An experimental drug therapy protects mice from sudden death due to the rupture of a major blood vessel in the abdomen, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

The findings, available online in Biomaterials Advances, may lead to a new strategy in treating abdominal aortic aneurysm, a condition in which the wall of the abdominal aorta — a major vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body — starts to weaken and bulge outward. The weak spot can start leaking blood or even rupture without warning, triggering a life-threatening emergency that nearly always results in death if not treated promptly. The larger the aneurysm, the more likely it will suddenly burst… Continue reading.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a rare inflammatory bowel disease, primarily affects premature infants and is a leading cause of death in the smallest and sickest of these patients. The exact cause remains unclear, and there is no effective treatment. No test can definitively diagnose the devastating condition early, so infants with suspected NEC are carefully monitored and administered supportive care, such as IV fluids and nutrition, and antibiotics to fight infection caused by bacteria invading the gut wall. Surgery must be done to excise damaged intestinal tissue if the condition worsens.

A new preclinical study by researchers at the University of South Florida Health (USF Health) Morsani College of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine offers promise of a specific treatment for NEC, one of the most challenging diseases confronting neonatologists and pediatric surgeons. The team found that inhibiting the inflammatory and blood-clotting molecule thrombin with targeted nanotherapy can protect against NEC-like injury in newborn mice.

Their findings were reported May 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences… Continue reading.

Despite advances in cancer survival, more than 90 percent of people with pancreatic cancer die within five years. Most patients with pancreatic tumors (and half of those with colorectal cancers) carry a mutation in the KRAS gene, which normally controls cell growth and death.

The KRAS oncogene was discovered more than 35 years ago and is considered one of the most desirable targets in cancer biology — particularly for cancers (like pancreatic) often diagnosed late and in desperate need of improved therapies to prolong survival. Yet KRAS has earned a reputation as being “undruggable” by researchers who continue searching for effective ways to inhibit the mutated form of RAS proteins driving the growth of deadly tumors… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Samuel Wickline, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences; Professor, Molecular Pharmacology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, to its College of Fellows.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.”

Dr. Wickline was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for “pioneering advancements in molecular imaging with ultrasound and MRI/MRS, and biocompatible nanotechnologies targeting myriad diseases.”