FYI…UCSF in the News is a daily summary of news stories published worldwide that highlight UCSF, its affiliated programs, and issues that affect the University.  To read the full news story, click the individual headlines listed below.

On the second Wednesday of each month, FYI…UCSF in the News includes an additional "Research Roundup" section that lists research papers authored by UCSF faculty and published in the journals Cell, Health Services Research, JAMA, Lancet, Nature, NEJM, Nursing Research, and Science.

UCSF PRINT AND ONLINE COVERAGE

  • Delaying Diabetes (Forbes)
    Forbes reported last November: "A new type of drug, called an anti-CD3 antibody, aims for the first time to delay or prevent development of diabetes by arresting the immune system's attack on pancreatic islet cells. ...'We are trying to create a cease-fire in the immune system,' says University of Oxford immunologist Herman Waldmann, who invented the Tolerx drug. When Waldmann started touting this idea in 1993 as a strategy for treating various autoimmune disorders, the idea was so fringy that it took him two years to get his first big study published. Both Waldmann and ucsf diabetes center director Jeffrey Bluestone, who invented the MacroGenics drug, were originally hoping their idea would yield safer organ transplant drugs."
  • UCSF Task Force Investigating (Petrelis Blog -- Reports & musings from the veteran Gay and AIDS human rights)
    Advocate Michael Petrelis reports: "The meeting between gay health advocates and leaders from UCSF took place yesterday, and the best news to emerge was the announcement that the university has established a task force to investigate what it did wrong in creating the gays and staph infection hysteria." Political artist and writer Clinton Fein wirtes on mpetrelis blog: "On Tuesday, February 5, 2007, three members of San Francisco's community met with Barbara French and other representatives from UCSF to address an issue that began weeks ago, and continues to generate headlines. In addition to Ms. French, present were: Kieran Flaherty, Director of State Government Relations; Shane Showdon, Director of LGBT Resources; Aimee Levine, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs, Beth Mooney, assistant to Ms. French and Dr. Chip Chambers, a scientist and professor involved in the MRSA study at the center of the storm. (See photos). Their willingness to listen to our concerns, clarify their actions, offer candid assessments and share their active and ongoing approach to addressing the issues that gave rise to the situation, was even more productive than I had hoped."
  • Heath Ledger died from accidental drug overdose, medical examiner says (Seattle Times)
    The Seattle Times reports: "Actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose of six drugs -- painkillers and sedatives -- the New York City Medical Examiner's Office said Wednesday, leading doctors to warn of the dangers of mixing prescription drugs. What stands out in the list are the two pain-relief narcotics: oxycodone and hydrocodone, said B. Joseph Guglielmo, chairman of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco. 'People who are chronically on narcotics become tolerant of the benefit of taking pain away,' he said. 'But they don't become tolerant to the depression in respiratory drive.'"
  • MRSA media fiasco spawns activist group (Bay Area Reporter)
    The BAR writes: "In the wake of recent coverage of multi-drug-resistant staph infection in men who have sex with men, a new group is forming in San Francisco. The group -- which hasn't been named yet -- hopes to deal with the stigma around drug-resistant staph, as well as educate and encourage communication among community members, journalists, doctors, researchers, and health department officials. The group's formation is a result of media coverage and a news release last month touting a study at the University of California, San Francisco." --- UCSF researchers Binh An Diep and Dr. Henry Chambers are mentioned.

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