Pathology and Lab Medicine

Host: Harold Bays, MD, FNLA

Dr. Harold Bays welcomes Dr, Alan Remaley, clinical pathologist and Section Chief of the Lipoprotein Metabolism Section in the Cardiopulmonary Branch of the National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, MD. Their discussion centers on LDL cholesterol from a variety of little-known aspects: its history as a biomarker for disease status, the ways in which it gets specifically measured, and the rise of lipid-altering pharmacotherapies to combat excessive LDL levels.

Host: Ana Maria Rosario

Pancreatic Cancer strikes fear into the hearts of every practicing internist, pathologist, oncologist, and general surgeon on behalf of their patients, and unfortunately for us all, it’s on the rise. By 2030 it will be expected to climb to the number-2 spot for causes of cancer death. What new insights can we bring to the recognition and identification of pancreatic cancer to help curb that trend? Joining host Ana Maria Rosario at Omnia Education’s Stages in Women’s Health in New York is Dr. Aimee Lucas, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD

National organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology have published updated guidelines for cervical cancer screening. Crucial variations in these guidelines make implementing a sound, effective clinical protocol for management of gynecologic screening and treatment a challenge; and it is imperative that women's healthcare providers have a thorough understanding of clinical implications.

This Omnia Education program is presented by Dr. Thomas C. Wright, Jr., MD, Professor of Pathology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Guest: Steven N. Austad, PhD
Host: Mary Leuchars, MD

The bowhead whale is the longest-living mammal on Earth. Its lifespan can exceed 200 years. What can we learn about fostering human longevity from the extraordinarily long-living animals in what author Dr. Steven Austad calls "Methuselah’s Zoo" (so named for Methuselah, the oldest figure in the Bible, said to have lived for 969 years)? Dr. Austad, professor of cellular and structural biology at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at the University of Texas Health Science Center, talks to host Dr. Mary Leuchars.

Guest: Elizabeth Montgomery, MD
Host: Jay Goldstein, MD

Gastroenterologists and pathologists often rely on each other to care for patients. How can clinicians and pathologists best facilitate each other's work for the good of the patient? Dr. Elizabeth Montgomery, professor of pathology and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explores the interaction between gastroenterologists and pathologists with host Dr. Jay Goldstein. Also, Dr. Montgomery outlines biopsy tips for gastroenterologists.

Guest: Michelle Mack, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA

You've seen forensic investigators on TV detective shows like Law and Order and CSI but what is the job really like? Physician Assistant Michelle Mack, Director of Forensic Investigation at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in the District of Columbia, talks with host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell about how she puts together the puzzle surrounding a death investigation. The two also discuss how her PA training plays an integral role in her job and how she deals with the emotional side of a very difficult job.

Guest: Don Siegel, MD, PhD
Host: Lee Freedman, MD
What are cellular vaccines and how do they differ from what we think of as conventional vaccines? What are the various types of approaches that we can potentially use for inducing anti-cancer immunity? Dr. Don Siegel, vice chair and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Penn Medicine, talks with host Dr. Lee Freedman about the exciting potential of cellular vaccines as cancer therapy.

Guest: Robert Harman
Host: Bruce Japsen

Human stem cell treatments are only just emerging in clinical trials. but man's 'best friend' is already benefitting from pain relief and important treatments that are commercialized. And this work in dogs and cats could one day benefit human patients. Dr. Robert Harman, CEO and founder of Vet-Stem, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the latest efforts by a stem cell therapy developer to use fat cells for treatments, a therapy gaining momentum in pets and soon to be moving through clinical trials for humans.

Guest: Neal Goldstein, JD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD

On October 30, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule, which includes revisions to the Stark regulations that tighten the prohibition on physician referrals and the anti-markup rules for diagnostic testing. Attorney Neal Goldstein explains that the changes made by CMS are an attempt to create a formulation that preserves the legitimate provision of in-office diagnostic services, while also cutting back on the proliferation of arrangements that have allowed physicians to profit from the diagnostic work of pathologists, radiologists and other specialists. Mr. Goldstein highlights the key tests for establishing compliance with the new anti-markup rules, though acknowledges that these revised regulations may unwittingly cause controversy within the pathology laboratory industry. Host Dr. Larry Kaskel explores the practical implications of these changes for the private and group physician practice.

 

Guest: Arlin Rogers, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Arlin Rogers, PhD, chief of comparative pathology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, details a new genome study which is helping to explain why men are saddled with liver cancer more often than their gender counterparts. Dr. Rogers aims to raise awareness for the influence of hepatitis B and C, and the role of an important cell mediator, in this disease trajectory. Find out more with host Dr. Maurice Pickard.

Guest: Randal Mills, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen

2008 was a watershed year for stem cell-based treatment, with the first product of this kind going before an FDA review for approval. Learn more from Randal Mills, PhD, chief executive officer of Osiris Therapeutics, as he unveils details of his company’s stem cell-based medicine with host Bruce Japsen. How might the submission of this medicine for FDA approval start us down the path toward an array of stem cell products?

Guest: Randal Mills, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen

While politicians debate whether there should be federal funding of embryonic stem cells, they might be over-looking a key point: the fact that all of the momentum in stem cell research is not in cells derived from human embryos at all. Randal Mills, the chief executive officer of Osiris Therapeutics tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how all of the major clinical research in the U.S. is in adult stem cells.

Guest: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD

Where do we stand with stem cell research, and what does the future hold for this controversial field of investigation? Host Dr. Bruce Bloom discusses stem cell research with Dr. Ophir Klein, of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco.

Guest: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD

What are the mechanisms behind animal tooth regeneration, and what can tooth stem cell research tell us? Your host, Dr. Bruce Bloom and Dr. Ophir Klein, of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco discuss stem cell research and the potential clinical applications pointed to by the study of the mouse incisor.

Guest: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD

Dr. Ophir Klein, of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco discusses his research on the mouse incisor and its continual growth correlated with stem cells, with your host, Dr. Bruce Bloom. Listen in as the Dr. Klein explores the world of stem cell research on the mouse incisor as related to overall and specific organ development.

Guest: Jonathon Moreno, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD

Dr. Johnathan Moreno speaks with host Dr. Maurie Pickard about this year’s ground breaking research in the reprogramming of skin cells to act like stem cells. They also discuss the need for new embryonic cell lines that continue to be the gold standard. Continued progress in this area of research, however, is likely to be slowed due to the denial of federal funds, preventing the institution of guidelines of the National Institute of Health to facilitate the wide and rapid exchange of laboratory discoveries.

Guest: Douglas Losordo, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen

A journal Nature report that scientists cloned an embryo of a monkey and harvested its stem cells have grabbed headlines, but just how much progress are we really making in stem cell treatments? Dr. Douglas Losordo, head of the program in Cardiovascular Medicine at Northwestern University tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about progress in stem cell treatments.

Guest: John A. Kessler, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD

John A. Kessler MD is Davee Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Chairman of the Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Medical School. He discusses applying molecular neurobiology to clinical problems of spinal cord injury and stroke. Dr. Bruce Bloom hosts.

Guest: John A. Kessler, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD

John A. Kessler MD, Davee Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Chairman of the Davee Department of Neurology at Northwestern University Medical School, is one of the world’s leaders in stem cell research to repair central and peripheral nerve damage. He joins us to talk about the biology of embryonic stem cells and neural stem cells, including the mechanisms regulating neuronal and glial differentiation.

Guest: Lee Philip Shulman, MD, FACOG, FACMG
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
Few would quibble with the notion that every patient, irrespective of age, needs genetic screening. When it comes to prenatal testing, early answers are ideal for expectant mothers and their families. Dr. Lee Shulman, professor and chair of reproductive genetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, examines AFP-serum markers, triple and quad screens, and the increasing accuracy we’re now seeing among first trimester non-invasive testing.