The Jena School for Microbial Communication (JSMC is funded by the German Excellence Initiative.JSMC is an ambitious Graduate School with over 150
PhD
students who are educated in a structured, interdisciplinary training program based on top?level fundamental research. It conceptionally combines different research areas to a comprehensive picture of microbial communication (
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de . Institutes at five faculties of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, six nonuniversity research institutes as well as 12 partner companies are participating in this cutting?edge research and training program.
The Graduate School of Excellence ‘JSMC’ invites applications for 14
PhD
Student Fellowships Research projects on several topics in Natural and
Life Sciences
WE EXPECT :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
(e.g., Biology, Chemistry,
Bioinformatics
, Geosciences, Medical Sciences, etc. . Candidates about to obtain their degree are welcome to apply
b. high motivation and interest in joining one of the interdisciplinary research areas of the JSMC
c. creativity and interest in shaping your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (the language of instruction at the JSMC
WE OFFER :
1. a highly communicative atmosphere within a scientific network providing top?level research facilities
2. a
PhD
stipend paid for three years according to the regulations of the DFG (German Research
Foundation as well as generous research funding
3. a comprehensive mentoring program with efficient supervision by a team of supervisors
4. a top?level
PhD
training program with courses in state?of?the?art research technologies and soft skills
5. Jena – the German City of Science 2008: a young and lively town with dynamic business activities, successful scientific centers of innovation and a vibrant cultural scene around the famous Friedrich Schiller University
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena is an equal opportunity employer.
- The application procedure takes place exclusively online via the JSMC website :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de
- To apply, please acquaint yourself with the open
PhD
projects and the application process described on this website. Applications can only be considered upon receipt of the completed ‘Statement of Interest’ form, submitted by email to
apply-jsmc@uni-jena.de before the deadlines listed below.
- Selected applicants will be invited to the JSMC Recruitment Meeting in Jena, Germany, in June 2012.
- Awarding decisions will be made shortly thereafter, allowing the
PhD
projects to start immediately.
QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE DETAILS WITH
PhD
RESEARCH PROJECTS OFFERED :
57/2012 : Microbial origin of banded iron formations (supervised by Falko Langenhorst, Geosciences, Univ. of Jena
Banded Iron Formations are controversial (meta- sedimentary rocks composed of alternating layers of iron-rich and amorphous silica-rich layers. In the context of early earth evolution, the formation of BIFs is considered as a microbially mediated process that involves iron-metabolizing microorganisms. To better understand the genesis of BIFs, the project comprises detailed mineralogical and geochemical investigations of banded irons from Western Australia, and the experimental laboratory simulation of microbially mediated precipitation of iron minerals.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural Sciences (geobiology, geology, mineralogy
Microbiology
and/or chemistry . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. desirable methodological skills: experience in optical and/or electron microscopy methods, geochemical analysis as well as
Microbiology
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
61/2012 : Semisynthetic Nosiheptide Derivatives Enabling an Improved Selectivity Profile (supevised by Hans-Dieter Arndt, Organic Chemistry, Univ. Jena
The natural product nosiheptide (1 will be obtained by fermentation and its scaffold (2 modified by chemical synthesis in order to uncover novel or improved properties. These semisynthetic derivatives compounds will be screened for improved activity and selectivity and tested for their antibacterial activity and regulatory impact on producer colonies of receptive, mostly soil?dwelling bacteria.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/ "> www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect:
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
, preferably in (Bio Organic Chemistry, Pharmacy,
Biochemistry
, or Chemical Biology. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required methodological or other skills: Working knowledge in synthetic chemistry, analytical compound characterization (NMR, MS , biochemical activity assays (at least 1 out of 3
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
62/2012 : The role of E. coli-induced alterations of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome-System (UPS for the Innate Immune Response and function of the human endothelium (supervised by Hortense Slevogt Septomics Research Center, Jena
The Ubiquitin-Proteasome-System (UPS represents an important non-lysosomal cellular protein degradation machinery for the degradation of intracellular proteins to restore cell homeostasis. We will investigate the composition of the UPS in endothelial cells following infection with E. coli in vitro and in a mouse model. The BMBF funded Host Septomics Research Group is part of the Center for Innovation Competence “Septomics” at the Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena. Our team analyzes the pathogen-host interactions with a strong focus on the host’s innate responses.
More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required methodological or other skills: experiences in at best in infection mice models to study the pathogenesis of human infectious diseases, using state-of-art instruments and in vivo approaches will be a distinct advantage
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
63/2012 : The metabolic profile of the marine microalga Ostreococcus (supervised by Severin Sasso, Molecular
Botany
, Univ. Jena and by Georg Pohnert, Analytical Chemistry, Univ. Jena Using analytical and physiological experiments, this
PhD
project aims at elucidating how regulatory networks control metabolism in the unicellular marine alga Ostreococcus tauri. The results should help to understand how this cosmopolitan marine species adapts to changes in environmental conditions, and to engineer algae for biotechnological applications.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in
Biochemistry
, chemistry, biology or a related subject.
Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest in joining one of the interdisciplinary research areas of the JSMC
c. creativity and interest in shaping your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (the language of instruction at the JSMC
64/2012 : Evolutionary Systems Biology of Metabolic Microbial Interactions (supervised by Christoph Kaleta, Theor. Systems Biol., Univ. Jena and by Christian Kost Max Planck Inst. for Chemical Ecology, Jena
The uneconomical utilization of resources is a frequently observed phenomenon in microbial cell cultures growing at high rates and has important implications for biotechnological production processes. The aim of this project is to use a combination of state-of-the-art theoretical and experimental techniques to study the relevance of overflow metabolism for microbial adaptation and the development of metabolic interactions in microbial communities.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in
Bioinformatics
,
Biochemistry
or related studies. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required methodological or other skills: structural modeling of metabolic networks, recombinant DNA techniques are of advantage
c. high motivation and interest in joining one of the interdisciplinary research areas of the JSMC
d. creativity and interest in shaping your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (the language of instruction at the JSMC
65/2012: A Systems Biology approach to studying zygomycoses (supervised by Stefan Schuster
Bioinformatics
, Univ. Jena
The aim of the project is to analyze, by mathematical modeling and computer simulation, different strategies of the human immune system against zygomycoses and the strategies of the Zygomycetes. For example, methods from evolutionary game theory can be used. The models will be built on, and validated by, experimental data from groups at the HKI. The model results will serve for the planning of new experiments. The ultimate goal is to derive suggestions for therapeutical interventions.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
(e.g.
Bioinformatics
,
Biochemistry
, mathematics . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. desirable methodological skills: Mathematical modelling of biological processes
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
66/2012 : Survival strategies of humanpathogenic zygomycetes inside macrophages (supervised by Kerstin Voigt, Leibniz Inst. f. Natural Product Research and Infection Biol., Jena
The aim of the project is to monitor the interplay between zygomycetous pathogens and human hosts at the cellular level. Murine cell lines of macrophages will be infected with spores from pathogenic zygomycetes and investigated with confocal laser scanning microscopy. In parallel the zygomycetes will be subjected to amoebae to test the hypothesis that the survival strategies for soil-borne, potentially human pathogenic fungi after ingestion by macrophages and amoebae are similar. The parameters derived from fungus-macrophage/amoebae interactions will be modeled by systembiological (game theoretical approaches.
More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
(Biology, Veterinary or Human
Medicine . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. a solid background in standard techniques of
molecular biology
and
Microbiology
is
expected. Knowledge of and hands?on experience in fluorescence microscopy, infection biology,
or cell culture techniques are advantageous.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
67/2012 : Bacterial endosymbionts in plant-pathogenic fungi (supervised by Christian Hertweck Leibniz Inst. f. Natural Product Research and Infection Biol., Jena
The plant-pathogenic fungus Rhizopus microsporus and the bacterium Burkholderia rhizoxinica form a unique symbiosis, in which the fungus hosts the bacterial endosymbiont for the production of a phytotoxin causing rice seedling blight (Nature 2005 . Interestingly, reproduction of the fungal host has become totally dependent of the bacterial symbiont (Curr Biol 2007 . Analysis of the whole genome sequence of B. rhizoxinica (BMC Genomics 2011 has granted insights into the evolution and the genetic potential of endofungal bacteria. In this project we aim at studying the molecular basis of the bacterial-fungal interaction at the genetic, biochemical and chemical levels.
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
68/2012 : The Role of Photoreceptors in Photoperiodic Control in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (supervised by Maria Mittag, General
Botany
, Univ. Jena and by Severin Sasso, Molecular
Botany
, Univ. Jena
Using physiological and
molecular biology
methods, this
PhD
project aims to investigate the role of different photoreceptors from the green alga Chlamydomonas in the molecular mechanism of photoperiodic control with regard to its life cycle. The underlying mechanism will be compared to that of the long-day plant Arabidopsis in collaboration with T. Mizoguchi (Japan . More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-
projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in
molecular biology
,
Biochemistry
, biology or a related subject. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
69/2012: Signals and metabolic changes causing phenotypic plasticity in phytoplankton (supervised by Georg Pohnert Analytical Chemistry, Univ. Jena
The project will address the hypothesis that morphological changes in unicellular pyhtoplankton resulting in colony formation follow a substantial metabolic reprogramming of the cells, which, in turn, is under the control of multiple external stimuli. Studies will apply mass spectrometry based metabolomic methods, structure elucidation of the metabolites involved in aggregation, microscopic analysis, and in situ mesocosm and shipboard experiments. The project will focus on two major model species, Phaeocystis sp. and Skeletonema costatum and will be conducted within an international collaborative network.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
70/2012: Modeling circadian clock-regulated phenotypic responses in plant-microorganism interactions (supervised by Ian T. Baldwin, Max Planck Inst. for Chemical Ecology, Jena and by Stefan Schuster,
Bioinformatics
, Univ. Jena
The circadian clock in plants coordinates physiological processes to annually or daily repeated conditions. However, plants also have to mobilize resources acquired through photosynthesis to efficiently cope with attacks by herbivores and pathogens. The project aims to investigate the consequences of the resulting arrhythmicity on a plant’s underlying phenotypic responses and the fitness value of the circadian clock by means of biomolecular techniques and image analysis. The experimental data will be analyzed with modern
Bioinformatics
tools to identify genes and metabolites mediating the phenotypic responses.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
(eg. in
Biochemistry
,
Bioinformatics
, etc. . Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. required skills: programing abilities; a strong background in mathematical modeling and interest in plant biology would be a plus.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
71/2012 : Streptomycete siderophores as chemoattractants (supervised by Erika Kothe,
Microbiology
, Uni. Jena
The role of siderophores in soil microbial communities has rarely been investigated. In preliminary studies, fungi and bacteria in soil showed directional growth towards siderophore producing streptomycete strains, suggestion a function of the siderophores as attractors. The project aims to quantify this effect and to analyze its molecular basis using the example of the well studied basidioymcete Schizophyllum commune and of Streptomyces strains resistant to various heavy metals. Biomolecular tools such as Clondiag CHIPS, RT-PCR, as well as proteomics will be applied.
More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. a solid background in standard techniques of
molecular biology
and
Microbiology
.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
72/2012 : Interaction of the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus with macrophages resulting in modulation of the endocytosis pathway (supervised by Axel A. Brakhage, Leibniz Inst. f. Natural Product Research and Infection Biol., Jena
A. fumigatus prevents conidia degradation in phagolysosomes by inhibition of phagolysosomal acidification. The project aims to elucidate the mechanisms of the fungal interference with the endocytosis pathway and to understand the cross-talk between the fungus and macrophages at the molecular level. Fungus/macrophage interactions will be monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy, focusing on the vATPase as well as on intracellular changes in metabolite and protein patterns. The project will be situated at the Hans Knoll Institute, Jena.
More projects details :
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their degree are welcome to apply.
b. a solid background in standard techniques of
molecular biology
and
Microbiology
. Knowledge of and hands-on experience in fluorescence microscopy, infection biology, or cell culture techniques are advantageous.
c. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
d. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
e. an integrative and cooperative personality as well as enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
f. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
73/2012 : Insect gut microbiota: community structure and control (supervised by Wilhelm Boland, Max Planck Inst. for Chemical Ecology, Jena
In this project, metagenomic analyses together with the recent advancements in next-generation sequencing and modern imaging mass spectroscopic techniques will be applied to understand the principles maintaining the core microbiota in the gut of herbiv¬orous Lepidoptera as well as its function. Further, the enzymatic aspects involved in the production of a potential regulatory element secreted by the insects into their gut will be investigated. The project will be situated at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena.
More projects details:
www.jsmc.uni-jena.de/phd-program/fellowship-application/vacant-projects/
We expect :
a. a Master’s degree (or equivalent in Natural or
Life Sciences
. Candidates about to earn their
degree are welcome to apply.
b. high motivation and interest to join one of the interdisciplinary research areas of JSMC
c. creativity and interest to shape your own thesis project
d. an integrative and cooperative personality with enthusiasm for actively participating in the lively JSMC Community
e. very good communication skills in English (instruction language at JSMC
APPLICATION DEADLINE :
- March 16, 2012 for applicants who will require a visa to enter Germany.
- April 16, 2012 for applicants who will not require a visa to enter Germany (Please note: after March 16, 2012, applications from non?EU?nationals can only be considered if attendance at the recruitment meeting is possible within two weeks of receiving notice of the invitation .
Deadline : 16.03.12
Corrupting the Science. Corporations suppress research, intimidate scientists, manipulate study designs, ghostwrite scientific articles, and selectively publish results that suit their interests.
Shaping Public Perception. Private interests downplay evidence, exaggerate uncertainty, vilify scientists, hide behind front groups, and feed the media slanted news stories.
Restricting Agency Effectiveness. Companies attack the science behind agency policy, hinder the regulatory process, corrupt advisory panels, exploit the "revolving door" between corporate and government employment, censor scientists, and withhold information from the public.
Influencing Congress. By spending billions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions, corporate interests gain undue access to members of Congress, encouraging them to challenge scientific consensus, delay action on critical problems, and shape the use of science in policy making.
Exploiting Judicial Pathways. Corporate interests have expanded their influence on the judicial system, used the courts to undermine science, and exploited judicial processes to bully and silence scientists.
LSD “helps alcoholics to give up drinking”, BBC News has today reported.
This unusual claim is based on a review examining research into the powerful hallucinogenic and its potential to treat alcoholism. The review analysed the results of six medical trials performed between 1966 and 1971, a time when LSD was still used for the treatment of some psychiatric conditions. Although it seems unthinkable now, the drug was prescribed to some patients until evidence began to suggest that it could cause long-term harm, leading it to be withdrawn.
Although the review suggested that LSD could help dependent people to stop drinking, the limitations of the quality, methods and age of the research gathered mean that the researchers cannot support using the drug to treat alcohol misuse or dependency. Since the research was conducted, social and medical perceptions of drug harms have changed considerably, and it is highly unlikely the benefits - if any - would outweigh the risks, particularly as there are now many options for helping people with alcohol problems.
LSD is a class A drug that is illegal to possess or sell. The effects of taking LSD are highly unpredictable, and while some individuals may experience enjoyable hallucinations it carries high risk of considerable personal and psychological harm, both at the time of taking the drug and in the longer-term.
Where did the story come from?
This study was carried out by researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU and Harvard Medical School. It was funded by the Research Council of Norway and published in the
peer-reviewed Journal of Psychopharmacology.
The Daily Mail gives slightly overinflated coverage of this story, which doesn’t take into account the review’s numerous and significant limitations. BBC News does make it clear that the review looked at trials from the 1960s and 1970s.
What kind of research was this?
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide was first created in a lab in the 1930s, and in the decades that followed there was great interest in whether the psychedelic chemical could have medical uses. As the drug significantly alters how people think and perceive their surroundings, there was some speculation that it could open patients’ minds to psychotherapy.
This speculation centred on whether the substance could help people with severe mental health problems, although it was also considered as a potential treatment for more minor conditions, such as anxiety and phobias. Given its perceived benefits, LSD was administered to psychiatric patients for several years; but as it became associated with recreational use and negative effects for patients, it was withdrawn from medical use.
According to the authors of this new research, numerous clinical investigators have claimed that treating alcoholics with individual doses of LSD in combination with psychosocial interventions may help prevent further alcohol misuse. They suggested this could work by allowing patients to understand better their behavioural patterns and therefore become motivated to build and maintain a sober lifestyle.
This was a systematic review and meta-analysis, which aimed to combine the results of all relevant trials that have used LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide to treat alcoholism. A systematic review of
randomised controlled trials (RCTs is the best way of reviewing the available evidence on the health effects of a particular intervention. Systematic reviews are, however, often inherently limited by the different methods of the individual trials that they combine, including the populations they studied, how the intervention is given (such as frequency, dose and duration and outcomes measured.
What did the research involve?
The researchers searched PubMed and PsycINFO databases to identify any published trials that included key terms relating to LSD, alcohol and dependence. They included any RCTs of LSD treatment for alcoholism. In RCTs, an intervention such as LSD-use is compared with a “control treatment”, such as standard treatment or no specific treatment. The researchers described that the control treatments in eligible trials could involve any type of other treatment, including using “low doses” of LSD (up to 50 micrograms, which was lower than the intervention doses . Two reviewers analysed the studies and extracted data.
Primary outcomes of interest were alcohol misuse, which was defined as “alcohol use or consequences of alcohol use, as systematically measured by interview or self-report at the first reported follow-up”. Secondary outcomes of interest were alcohol misuse in the short-term (approximately three months , medium-term (approximately six months and longer-term (approximately 12 months . They also looked at reports of abstinence and adverse events. Where possible, they pooled the results of individual studies. If any trials had included people with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia or psychosis, the researchers excluded these from their analyses.
The researchers identified six eligible trials, all of which were dated between 1966 and 1971. Five trials were conducted in the USA and one in Canada. The trials included 536 individuals (general age range 30s-50s; all male except two females , of whom 61% were randomly assigned to receive “full-dose” LSD and 39% a control treatment or no intervention. The trials all gave a single oral dose of LSD as the intervention, with doses ranging between 210 and 800 micrograms (average 500 . Control conditions included “low-dose” LSD (25 or 50 micrograms , amphetamines, ephedrine sulphate (a stimulant drug or no drug treatment. All participants were said to be seeking treatment for alcoholism and had been admitted to alcohol-focused treatment programmes before being recruited to the trials.
The researchers said that the individual trials varied in their preparation for the LSD treatment session, with most studies providing only brief participant information, with often little or no description of the possible effects of LSD. During treatment, the most common procedure was described to be “simple observation with brief reassurance by clinical staff”. In only three studies did the treatment groups also receive clinical interviews, psychotherapy or active guidance. After the experimental drug session, only one study included multiple review sessions that reviewed the experiences during the drug session. The other five studies provided either only one brief review session or no review session at all.
All of the trials defined their methods for assessing the effects of the drug on alcohol use, but these varied between trials (such as using rating scales on alcohol use, assessing abstinence or using social adjustment rating scales .
What were the basic results?
Five trials gave “categorical” data (for example, whether a patient was improved or unimproved , and in these five trials 59% of those taking LSD (185 of 315 and 38% of controls (73 of 191 had improvements in their alcohol use at first follow-up. The pooled results of all six trials demonstrated increased odds of improvement in alcohol misuse, with LSD treatment compared to control (
odds ratio 1.96, 95%
confidence interval 1.36 to 2.84 . This, they calculated, meant six people would need to be treated with LSD for one person to gain benefit at the time of first follow-up.
When the researchers divided the trials up into those assessing short-term (two to three months , medium-term (six months and longer-term effects (12 months , significant improvements were only seen at short- and medium-term follow-up.
Three trials reported on abstinence rates but only found a benefit of LSD at short-term follow-up.
In total the trials reported eight adverse reactions at the time of taking the drug. These included becoming agitated, acting “bizarrely” and having a seizure.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers concluded that “a single dose of LSD, in the context of various alcoholism treatment programmes, is associated with a decrease in alcohol misuse”.
Conclusion
Fifty years ago, researchers and doctors considered LSD to be a possible treatment for patients with mental health problems, until evidence showed that it could cause long-term psychological problems in some people. This review of six previous trials cannot be considered to provide evidence that LSD could be beneficial for people with alcohol problems. This is in no small part due to the questionable methods of the reviewed trials, the most recent of which was carried out 41 years ago.
Although LSD may have been considered suitable for testing in a trial at a time when its recreational use was quite common, it is highly unlikely that it would be considered now, given how considerably social and medical perceptions of drug harms have changed since then. This is notable by the attitudes displayed in the previous trials, which reportedly gave the participants very little information ahead of their LSD treatment session: most studies provided only brief participant information with often little or no description of the possible effects and risks of taking LSD. This would be considered unethical and unacceptable in trials today.
There was also very little follow-up of patients to see the long-term effects of taking LSD. Only one study included multiple review sessions assessing the individual’s experiences of taking the drug; the other five studies provided either only one brief review session or no review session at all. Therefore, how individuals are affected by taking LSD – regardless of its effects on their subsequent alcohol use - are unknown. At the time of taking the drug, there were eight reports of participants being agitated, acting “bizarrely”, having a seizure or having other “unspecified” adverse reactions.
LSD is a class A drug that is illegal to possess or sell. The effects of taking LSD are highly unpredictable, and while some individuals may experience “pleasant” hallucinations, the individual is putting themselves, and potentially others, at high risk of considerable personal and psychological harm, both at the time of taking the drug and in the long term.
Given the potential danger, it seems unlikely that LSD would be considered for future testing in people with alcohol dependence. It’s particularly important to note that we now have a range of medicines and psychological interventions for treating alcoholism that weren’t available at the time of this previous research.
Links To The Headlines
LSD 'helps alcoholics to give up drinking'. BBC News, March 9 2012
LSD could treat alcoholism because 'trips' make you reassess addiction. The Daily Telegraph, March 9 2012
Can LSD cure alcoholism? Trials show 59 per cent of problem drinkers improve after a single dose of powerful hallucinogen. Daily Mail, March 9 2012
Links To Science
Krebs TS, Johansen PO.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychopharmacology. Published online March 8 2012
Prominent academic physicians at multiple universities have allegedly been involved in ghostwriting. Below are just a few examples:
Gloria Bachmann, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dennis Charney, Dean, The Mount Sinai Medical Center
Dwight Evans, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
Steven Haffner, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
Martin Keller, Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University
Marvin A. Konstam, Director, Cardiovascular Center, Tufts University School of Medicine
Stan Kutcher, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University
Jeffrey Lisse, Rheumatology Section Chief, The University of Arizona
Charles Nemeroff, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami
Bruce G. Pollock, Head of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Gary S. Sachs, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Harvard
Alan Schatzberg, Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford
Barbara B. Sherwin, Canada Research Chair in Hormones, Brain and Cognition, McGill University
Kimberly Ann Yonkers, Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics, Yale School of MedicineWhat do medical journals say about ghostwriting?
The
Journal of the American Medical Association
(
JAMA
published studies exposing the ghostwriting program used to push sales of Vioxx. In an
accompanying opinion,
JAMA
’s editors excoriated doctors who sign their names to ghostwritten studies and wrote, "Individuals, particularly physicians, who allow themselves to be used in this way, especially for financial gain, manifest a behavior that is unprofessional and demeaning to the medical profession and to scientific research."PLoS Medicine
filed suit with
The New York Times
to gain access to hundreds of documents showing how companies used ghostwritten materials to convince women to use hormones after menopause. The journal then published
an archive of the documents, a study of the documents, and an
editorial that stated:
It's time to get serious about tackling ghostwriting. As has been shown in the documents released after the Vioxx scandal, this practice can result in lasting injury and even deaths as a result of prescribers and patients being misinformed about risks. Without action, the practice will undoubtedly continue. How did we get to the point that falsifying the medical literature is acceptable? How did an industry whose products have contributed to astounding advances in global health over the past several decades come to accept such practices as the norm?
Founded in 1981, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO's investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government.
# # #
SALT LAKE CITY — After years of delays, Dr. Daniel Simmons, a longtime professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Brigham Young University, is about to get his day in court.
In October 2006, Simmons and BYU sued drug giant Pfizer, claiming the pharmaceutical company unfairly profited from his discovery and cheated the professor out of professional credit and compensation. The lawsuit involves potentially millions, perhaps even billions of dollars in royalties for BYU and has resulted in more than five years of legal wrangling.
The dispute revolves around the drug Celebrex, a revolutionary drug to treat arthritis and inflammation. The so-called “super-aspirin” blocks the COX-2 enzyme, reducing pain and inflammation without triggering the sometimes deadly gastrointestinal effects of some other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin. COX is scientific shorthand for the enzyme cyclooxygenase.
Back in 1991 and into 1992, Simmons and BYU had a research agreement with Monsanto, later acquired by Pfizer.
According to BYU, Dr. Simmons' research about the COX-2 enzyme was critical in the development of Celebrex, yet Monsanto ended the agreement, without including him or the university in the credit or compensation.
"The agreement was to share his discovery with the company and to share in any reasonable royalties that resulted from their collaboration,” BYU said in a prepared statement. “The company then used Dr. Simmons' work as a road map to develop the blockbuster drug Celebrex."
Pfizer claims the company met all of its obligations under the agreement. In a prepared statement it said, “Many years ago, Monsanto had a research agreement with BYU and Dr. Simmons, and the company met all of its obligations under the agreement. Years later, BYU and Dr. Simmons made unfounded allegations against Pfizer in an effort to capitalize on the company’s commercial success. The lawsuit has no merit.”
Brent Hatch, an attorney for Pfizer, said, "It's a big case and the judge was exceptionally well-prepared. He was very thorough in his questions. We're very much looking forward to receiving his decisions."
Judge
Ted Stewart will rule on pretrial motions submitted Friday in anticipation of a May 29 trial date. Both sides will then take jurors down a road two decades in the making, unveiling documents, detailing science, and relying on expert witnesses and patent law to reach a decision.
BYU officials previously said it worked for years to reach an agreement before heading to court, but to no avail. Pfizer was penalized in October 2009 for causing unnecessary delays in the case, and was ordered to pay BYU $825,315 for costs that included attorney fees.
The trial is scheduled to last six weeks.
E-mail:
spenrod@ksl.com
“Stem cells beat kidney rejection,” says BBC News. The broadcaster says that an injection of stem cells given alongside a kidney transplant could remove the need for a lifetime of treatment to suppress the immune system.
The news is based on research detailing the outcomes of eight experimental kidney transplants where the organ came from a living donor. In addition to having their kidney removed, the donor also donated blood stem cells, which can develop into any type of blood cell, including immune system cells. After the recipient patient had received chemotherapy and radiotherapy to suppress their own immune system, the donor kidney and stem cells were transplanted. The aim was to help prevent the organ from being rejected by altering the recipient’s immune system to match that of the donor kidney. Five of the eight patients were able to have their immunosuppressant drugs reduced within one year. Furthermore, there was no evidence that the donor’s transplanted immune cells had started to attack the recipient’s healthy tissue, a possible complication of this type of treatment.
Although this is only early-stage research, the results of this small case series are promising and could have implications for the future of organ transplants, particularly in those cases where the donor and recipient are not an immunological match to each other.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago and other institutions in the US. Funding was provided by the US National Institute of Health; the Department of the Army, Office of Army Research; the National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research; the WM Keck Foundation; and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons Collaborative Scientist Award. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine.
The BBC News website provides good coverage of this research.
What kind of research was this?
This was a case series reporting on the results of eight patients receiving kidney transplants alongside haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs – cells that can develop into any type of blood cell . These were taken from “mismatched” donors (either related or unrelated to the recipient . If they are “mismatched”, the donor and recipient do not share the same human leukocyte antigens (HLAs , which are proteins located on the surface of immune cells and other cells in the body. The immune system recognises “foreign” HLAs and will attack cells that carry them, potentially leading to rejection. If donor cells carry the same HLAs there is less chance that the host’s immune cells would recognise the transplant tissue as foreign. This is why the ideal situation is to find a suitable HLA-matched donor for individuals awaiting a transplant, although this is often not possible.
The research investigates a theory known as “chimerism” (named after a mythical creature made up of parts of different animals , where the transplant recipient has both their own immune cells and those that come from the donor. The hope is that this will prevent the body from rejecting the transplant. However, there is a chance that this could increase the risk of what is known as graft versus host disease (GVHD , which is where the donor’s immune cells instead attack the healthy tissue of the host. HSC transplant also carries a risk of what is known as “engraftment syndrome”, which is characterised by a fever, skin rash and other symptoms.
What did the research involve?
This case series reported the outcomes of eight adults (age range 29-56 years who were receiving a kidney transplant from a living, unmatched donor. A special technique was used to retrieve relevant cells from the donor’s blood, including both HSCs and “graft facilitating cells” (FCs – which are a type of immune cell derived from HSCs .
Prior to transplant of the donor kidney and HSCs/FCs, the recipients were first treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy to suppress their own immune system and reduce the chance of rejection. After the transplant they received continued treatment with two drugs to suppress their immune system and reduce the chance that their bodies would reject the transplant. They were discharged from hospital two days after the transplant and managed as outpatients.
The researchers monitored the patients to look at how the procedure was tolerated and whether GVHD or engraftment syndrome occurred.
What were the basic results?
By one month after transplant the level of chimerism in the recipients’ blood (where they demonstrated cell lines coming from both their own stem cells and the donor’s stem cells was reported to vary between 6 and 100%.
One patient developed a viral blood infection and blood clot in one of their kidney arteries two months after transplant. Two patients demonstrated only slight chimerism and were maintained on low-dose immunosuppressive treatment. However, five patients demonstrated “durable chimerism” and were able to be weaned from immunosuppressive treatment by one year. None of the recipients developed GVHD or engraftment syndrome.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers conclude that transplant of HSCs is a “safe, practical, and reproducible means of inducing durable chimerism”. It also appeared to be tolerated with no signs of GVHD or engraftment syndrome.
If confirmed in larger studies, the researchers say that this approach to transplantation could free some patients from the need for immunosuppressive treatment within one year of transplantation.
Conclusion
This research reported on the cases of eight patients who were receiving a kidney from an unmatched living donor. Alongside the kidney transplant, to the recipients were also given a transplant of the donor’s haematopoietic stem cells, which have the ability to transform into a range of blood cell types. The aim was that slightly altering the recipient’s immune system to produce cells that “matched” those of the donor kidney would help prevent the organ from being rejected. Five of the eight patients were able to have their immunosuppressant drugs reduced within one year. Furthermore, no patients developed a serious condition called graft versus host disease (where the donor’s transplanted immune cells start to attack the recipient’s healthy tissue , and no patients developed another complication of HSC transplant, known as engraftment syndrome, which includes fever, skin rash and other symptoms.
Importantly, this is only early-stage research, reporting the results of treatment in only eight people. Further follow-up in these patients will be needed, in addition to study in much wider groups of patients. However, the results are promising and could have implications for the future of kidney transplant and the transplant of other organs, particularly in people for whom it has not been possible to find a suitable matched donor.
Analysis by
Bazian
Links To The Headlines
Stem cells beat kidney rejection. BBC news, March 9 2012
Breakthrough in kidney transplant 'could cut waiting list'. The Daily Telegraph, March 9 2012
Links To Science
Krebs TS Johansen PO.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychopharmacology, published online before print March 8 2012
Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology Volume 53, Issue 9, pages 783–792, September 2011
DANIEL A ROSSIGNOL1, RICHARD E FRYE2 1International Child Development Resource Center, Melbourne, FL, USA 2Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology and Children’s Learning Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
This systematic review and meta-analysis is a good summary of existing knowledge about the role of abnormalities of melatonin secretion in children with autism, the possible genetic mechanisms underlying this, and the benefits of treatment with melatonin on sleep behavior and possibly some daytime autistic behaviours (including improvements in behavioural rigidity, ease of management for parents and teachers, social interaction, temper tantrums, irritability, playfulness, academic performance and alertness .
The article is available at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.03980.x/full
A reminder that our list of Victorian sources of Melatonin from compounding pharmacies is available at
http://www.wch.org.au/genmed/clinical.cfm?tab=m&type=title&doc_id=2399
under “melatonin”.
MIKE
Aim The aim of this study was to investigate melatonin-related findings in autism spectrum disorders (ASD , including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorders, not otherwise specified.
Method Comprehensive searches were conducted in the PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, and ERIC databases from their inception to October 2010. Two reviewers independently assessed 35 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, meta-analysis was performed on five randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, and the quality of these trials was assessed using the Downs and Black checklist.
Results Nine studies measured melatonin or melatonin metabolites in ASD and all reported at least one abnormality, including an abnormal melatonin circadian rhythm in four studies, below average physiological levels of melatonin and/or melatonin derivates in seven studies, and a positive correlation between these levels and autistic behaviors in four studies. Five studies reported gene abnormalities that could contribute to decreased melatonin production or adversely affect melatonin receptor function in a small percentage of children with ASD. Six studies reported improved daytime behavior with melatonin use. Eighteen studies on melatonin treatment in ASD were identified; these studies reported improvements in sleep duration, sleep onset latency, and night-time awakenings. Five of these studies were randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover studies; two of the studies contained blended samples of children with ASD and other developmental disorders, but only data for children with ASD were used in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis found significant improvements with large effect sizes in sleep duration (73min compared with baseline, Hedge’s g 1.97 [95% confidence interval {CI} CI 1.10–2.84], Glass’s ? 1.54 [95% CI 0.64–2.44]; 44min compared with placebo, Hedge’s g 1.07 [95% CI 0.49–1.65], Glass’s ? 0.93 [95% CI 0.33–1.53] and sleep onset latency (66min compared with baseline, Hedge’s g?2.42 [95% CI ?1.67 to ?3.17], Glass’s ??2.18 [95% CI ?1.58 to ?2.76]; 39min compared with placebo, Hedge’s g?2.46 [95% CI ?1.96 to ?2.98], Glass’s ??1.28 [95% CI ?0.67 to ?1.89] but not in night-time awakenings. The effect size varied significantly across studies but funnel plots did not indicate publication bias. The reported side effects of melatonin were minimal to none. Some studies were affected by limitations, including small sample sizes and variability in the protocols that measured changes in sleep parameters.
Interpretation Melatonin administration in ASD is associated with improved sleep parameters, better daytime behavior, and minimal side effects. Additional studies of melatonin would be helpful to confirm and expand on these findings.
Mike
Prof Mike South,
Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
No comments:
Post a Comment