In the world of medical research, it is the equivalent of pitching a perfect baseball game for the results of a study’s findings to be published in either Science or Nature, the two most prestigious scientific journals in the world. Researchers at Rush have hit a grand slam.
Recently, the results of four groups of researchers each have been published in these peer-reviewed journals. This accomplishment is unprecedented at Rush and promises to increase Rush’s reputation for research excellence worldwide.
Science and Nature are known for publishing research findings that represent important breakthroughs in the various fields of study. Having four papers come out nearly simultaneously over the past three months in these esteemed research journals demonstrates the level of excellence of the research taking place at Rush.
The authors of the four studies and their findings are as follows:
Thomas DeCoursey, PhD, professor, Department of Molecular Biophysics and Physiology, and colleagues in the department presented new insights into the mechanism of how the channel functions within cells. The study identified a specific amino acid, called aspartate 112, that is critical to the exceptional selectivity of what is known as the human voltage-gated proton channel, which regulates a number of basic biological processes. Nature published the study online in October.
Jeff Kordower, PhD, the Jean Schweppe Armour Professor of Neurological Sciences and director of the Rush Research Center for Brain Repair, in collaboration with researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, reported a significant advancement in a potential form of stem cell therapy. The study focused on human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), a promising source of cells for use in regenerative medicine. Kordower and his colleagues reported their success in grafting PSC neurons in the brains of several animal models, indicating promise for their use in developing therapies in Parkinson’s disease. Nature published the study online in November.
Joshua Jacobs, MD, the William A. Hark, MD/Susanne G. Swift Professor and chairperson, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and Markus Wimmer, PhD, associate professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, along with researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, presented findings about the human body’s response to friction in metal on metal implants used in hip replacement surgery. The study found that a lubricating material that the human body produces consists of a graphitic, carbon-based material, opening the possibility that future implants could utilize the material to improve their durability. The study is in the Dec. 23 issue of Science.
David Bennett, MD, the Robert C. Borwell Professor of Neurological Sciences and director of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, and Denis Evans, Alla V. and Solomon Jesmer Professor of Medicine, were part of a team that examined the toxicity of a peptide known to be an important contributor to Alzheimer's disease (AD). They collaborated with investigators at the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass., which is affiliated with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Modeling the peptide in yeast, the team identified factors and processes connected to AD that previously were unknown. The results were published in Science in October.
In addition to the investment in basic science research that supported these and other studies at Rush, the Medical Center also has taken steps to help bring basic science discoveries to the patient bedside in the form of new treatments to advance our shared mission.
Basic research is the engine that drives discovery and innovation. At Rush, bench scientists and clinical researchers have developed a collaborative relationship that deploys promising laboratory findings into clinical applications.
