Research Notes

Seizure Drug Cools Hot Flashes

In the July issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rochester researchers report that the seizure drug gabapentin is as effective as estrogen in treating menopause symptoms. Estrogen is no longer the preferred therapy because recent, large studies have shown that the hormone increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease for some women.

Fruit Fly Fuels Diabetes Research

The creation of an extraordinarily long-lived fruit fly by genetics researchers at the University has led scientists down an unexpected new path in the fight against diabetes. Dirk Bohmann, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Genetics at the Medical Center and Henri Jasper, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology in the College, have received $2.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to study a cell-signaling system in the special fruit flies that responds to stress. The scientists have seen early signs that the system also targets the insulin receptor that is central to diabetes.

Rochester Chosen for MS Center

The Medical Center is bringing together experts who normally focus on Alzheimer’s disease, HIV vaccines, and spinal cord repair, as well as multiple sclerosis, in a unique center designed to stimulate research on MS, thanks to a grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The Rochester center is the only one established in the United States by the society this year.

Early Treatment Helps Youngsters

Children diagnosed with autism who undergo intensive treatment early on have impressive results, many needing little or no assistance in school, according to a Rochester-led study published in the Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics. The study is one of the first to compare the two treatment options in a community agency instead of in a university program.

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