Snapshots: Research, clinical and other news in brief

[WEEK OF OCT. 12]

Journal of Proteome Research names MacCoss editor 

Michael MacCoss, a professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, has been appointed editor in chief of the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Proteome Research. The journal reports on global protein analysis and function.  

MacCoss is a leader in mass spectrometry-based proteomics, an approach to measuring proteins and their interactions. He has made foundational contributions to improve the rigor and reproducibility of protein measurements, as well as developed and contributed to widely adopted software tools for proteomics and mass spectrometry. 

“I hope to make the Journal of Proteome Research an outward-facing hub: the journal for pioneering methods, computational tools and biological discoveries, while aggressively expanding our reach into clinical and translational medicine," he said. Find details about MacCoss' appointment.

Remote monitoring boosts exercise in pulmonary fibrosis

People who have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) often worry for their safety while exercising because of poor lung function. A randomized controlled trial found that a remotely monitored, home-based rehabilitation program may help people with IPF to stay more active and maintain quality of life. 

Participants used smartphone-connected activity and heart-rate monitors and fingertip pulse oximeters while completing a 12-week, structured exercise program at home. The researchers found that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increased 28% among participants who received the monitored exercise intervention, and decreased 35% in the group that received monitoring but no exercise regimen. The findings suggest adding remote monitoring to a home exercise program may make rehabilitation more accessible for this patient population. 

The study was conducted in the lab of Mary Beth Brown, and the first author is Claire Child, both in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. The paper was published in Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 

Primary care training targets long COVID care gaps

In a study, researchers identified core competencies for education to help primary care clinicians diagnose and manage long COVID, a complex condition that can affect multiple body systems. 

Through surveys and focus groups, the researchers asked 26 long COVID specialists, clinicians, patients and community members about barriers to care, clinical scenarios and training needs. The group identified the most urgently needed clinical skills as recognizing long COVID symptoms and variability among patients; better understanding of the long COVID diagnosis and related conditions; non-medicinal treatment options; and helping patients manage their symptoms.

The high prevalence of long COVID necessitates improved diagnosis and management, aligned with medical education, to expand treatment availability, the authors wrote. Enhanced training could help standardize care and support improved outcomes for patients. Rachel Geyer, a family medicine research scientist, and a team from the UW Medicine Long COVID Clinic collaborated on the paper. It was published in BMC Primary Care.
 

[WEEK OF OCT. 5]

Rural research of acupressure, other topics

The University of Washington School of Medicine and Oregon Health & Science University secured $4.6 million in renewed National Institutes of Health funding to expand clinical research in rural communities. Dr. Sebastian Tong, an associate professor of family medicine at UW School of Medicine, will help lead a study in Oregon and Wyoming evaluating auricular point acupressure (see display photo) as a self-management strategy for chronic pain.  

The study will compare in-person and remote support with educational resources alone, helping researchers assess how the intervention can be implemented in rural settings. “Rural communities experience higher rates of chronic pain, as well as poorer access to comprehensive pain services,” Tong said. “This study brings access to a non-drug treatment for chronic pain that would otherwise not be available to these residents.”  

The 36-month award to UW’s WWAMI region Practice and Research Network and OHSU’s Oregon Rural Practice-Based Research Network also supports a rural maternal health study and research infrastructure. Find details about the studies. 

$3.5 million NIH grant to study how care work affects health 

University of Washington researchers are part of a $3.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to study how jobs with care tasks and responsibilities affect workers’ physical and mental health. About 20% of U.S. workers provide caring labor in healthcare, education and social services, yet little is known about how working conditions in these fields affect workers’ health and well-being. The study will combine analyses of national data with 125 care-worker interviews to examine how working conditions shape health and contribute to retention and labor shortages.  

The study’s principal investigators are LaTonya Trotter (Bioethics & Humanities) of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Janette Dill, University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Co-investigators are Mignon Duffy, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Bianca K. Frogner (Family Medicine), UW School of Medicine. The research is supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research, part of the National Institutes of Health. 

Ethics study of cloud-based genomic data-sharing 

UW researchers, working with colleagues at the Geisinger College of Health Sciences in Pennsylvania, have received a $2.3 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  

Their project aims to examine the role that NIH cloud platforms play in promoting a more diverse range of users and research uses, thereby “democratizing” genomic data science. The researchers will examine patterns of data access and use before and after cloud-platform adoption, elicit U.S.-based scientists’ perspectives on the use of cloud platforms, and convene a national meeting to propose new approaches to ensuring more inclusive and equitable access and use of cloud-based genomic data. 

The four-year award will be jointly led by Stephanie Malia Fullerton, professor of bioethics and humanities at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Sarah C. Nelson, senior research scientist in biostatistics with the UW School of Public Health. Find details about the project. 

[WEEK OF AUG. 24]

Nature hikes offered for people with dementia 

For the fourth year, UW Medicine’s Memory and Brain Wellness Center is offering monthly nature hikes around Puget Sound for individuals diagnosed with dementia before age 65. Led by a recreation specialist from Seattle Parks and Recreation, these two- to three-mile hikes allow people with early onset dementia, each with a family member or friend, to get physical activity and social connection in a small-group setting.  

The next hike will start at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. It will explore the Oxbow Loop trail near North Bend. Participants must register in advance for each hike, and the specific meet-up location will be shared with registrants. Find more information, along with registration links, at the program site: Shared Outdoor Adventures for Resilience.  

DEA bans synthetic drug three 7-OH related compounds

On Aug. 25, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration made three 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) related compounds illegal to sell or possess by placing them into Schedule I for two years. 7-OH is an opioid and a minor component of the kratom plant. Until this week, it was legally sold over the counter in a synthetic, highly concentrated form. These 7-OH products are unsafe and have led to addiction and overdose.  

People who are addicted to the drug may switch to more dangerous substances as a result, increasing their risk of overdose and other harms, said Caleb Banta-Green, an addictions expert at UW Medicine. He and several clinical colleagues wrote about 7-OH and the care of people who are concerned about the safety of using it and kratom. 

Acute myeloid leukemia trial funded with $15 million 

Fred Hutch Cancer Center researchers will lead a clinical trial studying treatment options for older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer. The principal investigator is Dr. Mohamed Sorror, a hematologist-oncologist and clinical researcher with Fred Hutch and the University of Washington School of Medicine.  

The 18-center U.S. study will enroll about 800 patients to compare stem cell transplantation with non-transplant therapy after patients reach remission. Researchers estimate that, for roughly one-third to one-half of older AML patients, it's currently unclear which treatment approach is better. The trials will measure survival along with quality-of-life factors such as physical and cognitive function and frailty. The initiative is supported by $15 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Find more study details. 

Technology supports exercise as patient-care component 

A new clinical care model integrates physical activity into routine healthcare by having clinicians ask patients about their activity levels during clinic visits and use a University of Washington-developed ExerciseRx digital platform to support individualized exercise plans. Patients track their activity with smartphones or wearable devices, complete home exercises, and share their progress with their healthcare team.  

The researchers found this technology can help personalize activity and exercise at scale across multiple patient populations, potentially supporting better health outcomes. The authors suggest that combining routine physical activity assessment with digital tools could make exercise support more accessible and easier to incorporate into healthcare. Co-authors are Dr. Cindy Lin and Theresa Kehne, both in Rehabilitation Medicine at the UW School of Medicine. The paper was published in PM&R Journal.  

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