IRP Discoveries

COVID-19 Causes Persistent Protein Perturbations

New IRP Research Hints at Possible Culprits Behind Long-COVID

transparent human body combating COVID infection

Nearly five years after COVID-19 first raged across the United States, most people have some immunity to the disease through vaccination or a prior infection. However, COVID not only remains a continued threat to vulnerable individuals, but also has saddled some patients with lasting symptoms. New IRP research provides a starting point for better understanding that ‘long-COVID’ phenomenon by identifying an array of substances in the blood whose levels are abnormal months after people catch the illness.

Rooting Out Genetic Risks for Gum Disease

IRP’s Oral Health Experts Explore Why It’s Not Always About Brushing and Flossing

illustration of inflammation in the gums

When you dig into that bowl of candy this Halloween, you may want to keep in mind that those sweets are not only fueling your sweet tooth, but also an army of creepy crawlies living in your mouth, busily forming a sticky film of plaque and attacking your gums.

As Dental Hygiene Month comes to a close this October, we spoke with IRP Clinical Research Specialist Laurie Brenchley, R.D.H., a dental hygienist and clinical study coordinator in the laboratory of IRP senior investigator Niki Moutsopoulos, D.D.S., Ph.D. Together, Brenchley and Dr. Moutsopoulos are studying the link between oral health and the immune system, with a specific focus on cases in which genetic factors increase susceptibility to severe gum disease, more formally known as periodontitis.

Moms’ Microbes May Influence Babies’ Future Health

IRP Mouse Study Suggests Intervention Might Reduce Health Problems Associated with C-Section Births

mother holding her baby

Every kid’s first gift from their mom is half of her DNA, but nearly a third of children born nowadays miss out on a bonus present. That’s because babies born via vaginal delivery are exposed to the microorganisms that live in the vagina, but infants born via Cesarian section are not. A new IRP mouse study suggests that an intervention designed to make up for this missed opportunity could reduce the risk of certain health problems that are more common in babies born via C-section.

Camel-Derived Therapy Infiltrates Cells to Treat Multiple Sclerosis

IRP Mouse Study Shows Promise of Treatment Strategy

camel in the desert

Earth’s jungles, deserts, and oceans are chock-full of wonderous creatures that have inspired a wide array of cutting-edge technologies, from strong yet flexible clothes made of synthetic spider silk to the plant-derived aspirin and morphine that have long been used as painkillers. Over the past few years, scientists at NIH and elsewhere have added sharks and camels to that list due to unique molecules their immune systems make. IRP researchers recently showed that one of those molecules could potentially be used to treat the devastating neurological disease known as multiple sclerosis.

Open SESAME: A New Way to Clear the Heart’s Passageways

Minimally Invasive Procedure Provides Help for Ailing Hearts

open door in heart

In the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, two magic words were necessary to open the cave where treasure was hidden. At NIH, researchers are applying those same special words, ‘open sesame,’ to unlock a chamber that is similarly difficult to access. In this case, however, it’s the left ventricle of the human heart.

“Enter one of the greatest acronyms in medicine: Open SESAME,” says IRP senior investigator Robert Lederman, M.D., who leads the IRP’s Laboratory of Cardiovascular Intervention. “That’s what we’re doing: opening up space in the heart.”

Creating Building Blocks for Muscle Regeneration

IRP Study Points to Strategy to Speed Healing and Reduce Age-Related Atrophy

human musculature

Whether due to exercise or injury, our muscles are constantly breaking down and regenerating. Just like construction workers need a hearty lunch to fuel their hammer swings and nails to hammer, our cells need both energy and specific materials to rebuild our bodies. New IRP research has produced important insights into how cells create the energy and building blocks needed to repair our muscles, pointing to potential avenues for helping people recover from muscular injuries or retain more muscle as they age.

Comparing Two Ways to Blast Tumors

IRP Study Is Examining the Long-Term Effects of Treatments for Children With Cancer

cancer cell being destroyed by a high-energy beam

Not long after German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen identified X-rays in 1895, doctors began using them to treat cancer. They soon realized, however, that this new ‘radium’ therapy — the forebearer of modern-day radiation therapy — could also cause cancer. Today, we know that radiation therapy poses much greater risks to children than adults because their cells are dividing more rapidly than those of adults, making the cells more sensitive to radiation. Children also have more years of life ahead of them during which a cancer instigated by their treatment might develop.

Dysfunction in Janitorial Gene Contributes to ALS

IRP Study Points to Treatment Target for Fatal Neurological Disorder

person taking out the trash

Just like we throw out our busted toasters and other appliances, our cells must continuously dispose of malfunctioning equipment to keep themselves working optimally. In certain neurological diseases, though, neurons die because they can’t get rid of misbehaving molecules. New IRP research provides crucial insights into a key player in this process, suggesting that restoring the function of a particular gene or boosting the levels of the enzyme it produces could help patients with the devastating disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Illuminating the Brain’s Hidden Secrets

New Molecules for PET Scans Shed Light on Psychiatric Disorders

PET scans of the brain

For most kids, witnessing a classmate get teased for strange behavior or learning struggles is an unfortunate but common part of life. Growing up, IRP senior investigator Robert Innis, M.D., Ph.D., viewed the situation differently when he observed it during a high school geometry class.

“Some of my classmates were criticizing one student like he was a bad person,” he remembers. “I kept thinking, ‘You can’t blame him. It’s the chemistry in his brain that causes him to act that way. Don’t think you’re so high and mighty. It’s just your chemistry!’”

That interest in brain chemistry and how it relates to normal and abnormal behavior laid the foundation for Dr. Innis’s research in neuropsychiatry and brain imaging. As we observe World Brain Day on July 22, we took the opportunity to talk with Dr. Innis about his research, which uses a technique called positron emission tomography (PET) to measure the levels of various proteins in people’s brains and learn about their function in both healthy states and neuropsychiatric diseases.

Metabolic Inflexibility Drives Increased Appetite

IRP Research Could Aid Personalized Weight Loss Recommendations

person eating an over-sized burger

We all know the stereotype of the picky child who shuns vegetables unless they’re smothered in ranch dressing or cheese. Surprisingly, the human body can also be similarly choosy about how it fuels itself. New IRP research shows that people whose bodies prefer to raid their sugar depots rather than use stored fat during a period without food consume more calories after their fast, suggesting a possible explanation for why some people are more prone to gaining weight over time or have less success with certain weight loss interventions.