Solomon Research Finds Link between Foie Gras and Disease

Alan Solomon, MD, Professor, Department of Medicine and Director of the Human Immunology and Cancer/Alzheimer’s Disease and Amyloid-Related Disorders Research Program, led a team that discovered a link between foie gras prepared from goose or duck liver and the type of amyloid found in rheumatoid arthritis or tuberculosis.  Their experimental data, appearing in the June 26, 2007, edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has provided the first evidence that a food product can hasten amyloid development.

Based on the findings of the study, Dr. Solomon and his team concluded that this and perhaps other forms of amyloidosis might be transmissible, like “mad cow” and other related diseases. Until now, no other infectious sources of food products have been found.

“It is not known if there is an increase of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, or other amyloid-related disease in people who have eaten foie gras,” cautioned Dr. Solomon.  “Our study looked at the existence of amyloid fibrils in foie gras and showed that it could accelerate the development of AA amyloidosis in susceptible mice.  Perhaps people with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or other amyloid-associated diseases should avoid consuming foie gras and other foods that may be contaminated with fibrils.” Other investigators have reported that meat derived from sheep and seemingly healthy cattle may represent other dietary sources of this material, he said.

 

Dr. Solomon was also recently awarded a five-year renewal on a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute that now is one of the longest active NIH grants in NIH history and is the longest running NIH grant in UT history.  The grant, originally awarded to Dr. Solomon in 1965, has been renewed continually for the past 42 years and has provided more than $12 million to fund Dr. Solomon’s work at UT.

GSM Represented on UTHSC Faculty Senate
Janet L. Purkey, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, will be joined by Bruce E. Woodworth, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, as UTGSM representatives to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Faculty Senate. The UTHSC Faculty Senate includes in its membership two faculty each from the College of Medicine units in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Dr. Woodworth said of his appointment, "It is very important that the faculty senate in Memphis hears from us in Knoxville. Our concerns and goals, while similar in many ways, are definitely different in some important ways. We must be able to communicate regularly as many of their issues have a direct impact on us even though we are on the other end of the state."

UTGSM faculty members may contact either Drs. Purkey or Woodworth with questions regarding the faculty senate. The UTHSC Faculty Senate Handbook is also available online.

McCoy Named ABOMS Board Examiner
Dr. J. Michael McCoy, Professor, Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Pathology and Radiology, has been named a Board Examiner for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS). The ABOMS is the certifying board for the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery in the United States and is recognized and approved by the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association. Dr. McCoy is a Diplomate of the ABOMS as well as the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.

"I will examine candidates during the oral portion of the certifying board exam--those who have already passed the written certifying portion. Close to 200 candidates take the oral certifying examination each year.  Since I am also a pathologist, I will examine the candidates primarily regarding the clinical surgical cases that have a pathologic basis," said Dr. McCoy. The examination lasts one week and takes place once a year.

Daley Awarded IRIS Award from TDA
Brian J. Daley, MD, FACS, CNSP, and Professor, Department of Surgery, was recently awarded the 2007 Iris Award from the Tennessee Dietetic Association (TDA) and the Knoxville District Dietetic Association. The Iris Award is given annually to a non-dietitian who has made great advancements, contributions, and commitments to the field of medical nutrition therapy. Dr. Daley is well known to the TDA community and has contributed significantly to the field of nutrition in critical care.

Dr. Daley was also recently elected to membership in the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). The ASN is the premier research society dedicated to improving the quality of life through the science of nutrition.

Phipps Attends Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Students
Jonathan E. Phipps, graduate student in the UT Comparative and Experimental Medicine program and the Human Immunology and Cancer Program, was recently selected as one of 400 US and international graduate students to attend the 57th Annual Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates. The meeting was held in Lindau, Germany, from July 1-6, 2007. Since 1951, Nobel prizewinners in chemistry, physics or physiology/medicine have met to discuss issues of importance to their fields with students from around the world. Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine attended this year's meeting. The students attended lectures with the Nobel Laureates and met with them daily in small informal discussion groups.

RNA interference (RNAi) is the foundation of Phipps' current research project. "The lecture given by Dr. Craig C. Mello provided insight into where the idea for RNAi came from as well as what the immediate future holds. From the informal discussion with Dr. Mello I learned a lot about where RNAi might go," said Phipps.

Phipps was one of 10 graduate students sponsored by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).
"This was a richly rewarding experience for me. I have come away from the Lindau meeting with a renewed sense of excitement for science and my career. I have also come away with a new sense of belonging with my fellow delegates, both foreign and domestic, from the interaction opportunities that were provided by this meeting," Phipps concluded.

Phipps is pursuing his PhD degree under the mentorship of Jonathan S. Wall, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine and Director of the Preclinical Diagnostic and Molecular Imaging Laboratory.

McCarty Kennedy Award Goes to McNeilly
The Department of Medicine announced that Mackey C. McNeilly, RN, has been awarded the Sixth Annual Lisa McCarty Kennedy Oncology Nursing Merit Education Award. The award was presented on July 9, 2007, at a luncheon. Lisa McCarty Kennedy was the niece of Dr. Richard A. Obenour, Professor, Department of Medicine. Lisa was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1992. She bravely and gracefully battled her cancer for two years. "Hers was not a long life in terms of years, but it was a life well lived with a positive and unselfish attitude. She was a loving wife and an adoring mother," said Dr. Obenour.

To honor her memory, Lisa's family and friends established this award with the UT Graduate School of Medicine and UT Medical Center. The annual award is presented to an outstanding nursing staff professional that provides compassionate patient care, is a positive role model, and is dedicated to improving patient care. "It is an honor and a surprise to receive this award," said McNeilly. The award includes a stipend for the recipient to attend a national continuing education meeting.

UTGSM Launches New Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine announces the launch of a new fellowship program focusing on cardiovascular disease. This three-year program, directed by Dale Wortham, MD, Professor, Department of Medicine, is one of only four in the state of Tennessee. The program will accept two fellows a year for a total of six fellows in the program.

Rubinder Ruby, MD, and Gayathri Baljepally, MD, are the first two fellows in the UT program.  “The vast amount of experience and knowledge of our faculty coupled with the broad spectrum of clinical cardiac conditions we will evaluate will result in the best cardiologists any community could need,” said Dr. Ruby.  


The New Torch Campaign – Employees Care
It is with excitement and sincere gratitude that the Torch Campaign committee is thrilled to announce that the UT Graduate School of Medicine and the UT Medical Center family has raised more than $168,000 towards health care programs throughout our campus. We are over 80 per cent to our goal of raising $200,000 in the 2007 Torch Campaign.

As you may know, the Torch Campaign raises support for UT Graduate School of Medicine and UT Medical Center programs. Thousands of patients, students and employees will benefit from the kindness of our employee family. Here are just a couple of examples on how your gift helps the community, yourself and your co-workers:

• More than $20,000 has been raised for UT Graduate School of Medicine gift funds
• More than $9,000 has been raised for an endowment at the UT Graduate School of Medicine to establish an Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars
• The UT Graduate School of Medicine Research and Education Fund has received nearly $2,000 in support
• More than $2,300 has been raised to support UT Graduate School of Medicine renovation initiatives, such as the Preston Medical Library and Family Practice Facility

You can still participate in the Torch Campaign and join us in our effort to raise $1 million over the next five years. For further information about the New Torch Campaign – Employees Care, please contact Rachel Greene in the Office of Development at 305-6611.

Annual Retired Physicians Luncheon
On August 6, 2007, Dean James J. Neutens and Mr. Joe Landsman welcomed more than 25 retired physicians and their spouses to campus for the 14th Annual Retired Physicians Luncheon. John E. Kesterson, MD, and Joseph B. Moon, MD, served as luncheon co-chairs. Dr. Kesterson is an Emeritus Clinical Professor from the Department of Surgery, having retired in 1987. Dr. Moon retired in 2005 as Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. This annual gathering is a special time for all participants, reuniting colleagues and giving all the opportunity to see and learn about the health care advancements achieved at the UT Medical Center and Graduate School of Medicine. If you are interested in attending the next event, please contact Rachel Greene in the Office of Development at 305-6611.