patients
Music in the Atrium
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
How Can You Take Part in Clinical Research? Looking Beyond “First in Human”
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
For a remarkable journey through the front lines of clinical research, I’d like to invite you to join me in viewing First in Human, which premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET on the Discovery Channel. This three-part docuseries, to be aired August 10, 17, and 24, provides an unprecedented look inside the NIH Clinical Center here in Bethesda, MD, following four of the many brave patients who’ve volunteered to take part in the clinical trials that are so essential to medical breakthroughs.
You’ll learn about what it’s like to take part in an experimental trial of a new treatment, when all standard options have failed. You’ll see that the NIH Clinical Center and its staff are simply amazing. But keep in mind that you don’t have to travel all the way to Bethesda to be part of outstanding, NIH-funded clinical research. In fact, we support clinical trials all across the country, and it’s often possible to find one at a medical institution near your home. To search for a clinical trial that might be right for you or a loved one with a serious medical problem, try going to ClinicalTrials.gov, a web site run by NIH.
You’ll Want to See This! “First in Human” Debuts August 10
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
For over 60 years, the NIH Clinical Center—the world’s largest hospital dedicated to clinical research—has been at the forefront of developing treatments for our most deadly and damaging diseases. It’s here at our “House of Hope” in Bethesda, MD, where, among many other medical firsts, chemotherapy was first used to treat cancerous tumors, gene therapy underwent its first human tests, surgeons first successfully replaced the heart’s mitral valve, and the first anti-viral drug for HIV/AIDS met with early success.
Now, in a Discovery Channel documentary called First in Human, millions of people all around the globe will get a chance to see the doctors, nurses, and other staff of NIH’s remarkable research hospital in action. Narrated by Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons, the three-part series debuts at 9 p.m.-11 p.m., ET, Thursday, August 10. The second and third segments will air at the same time on August 17 and 24. For a sneak peak, check out the video clip above!
Honoring Our Promise: Clinical Trial Data Sharing
Posted on by Drs. Kathy L. Hudson and Francis S. Collins
When people enroll in clinical trials to test new drugs, devices, or other interventions, they’re often informed that such research may not benefit them directly. But they’re also told what’s learned in those clinical trials may help others, both now and in the future. To honor these participants’ selfless commitment to advancing biomedical science, researchers have an ethical obligation to share the results of clinical trials in a swift and transparent manner.
But that’s not the only reason why sharing data from clinical trials is so important. Prompt dissemination of clinical trial results is essential for guiding future research. Furthermore, resources can be wasted and people may even stand to be harmed if the results of clinical trials are not fully disclosed in a timely manner. Without access to complete information about previous clinical trials—including data that are negative or inconclusive, researchers may launch similar studies that put participants at needless risk or expose them to ineffective interventions. And, if conclusions are distorted by failure to report results, incomplete knowledge can eventually make its way into clinical guidelines and, thereby, affect the care of a great many patients [1].
Cool Videos: Accelerating Discoveries Toward Better Health
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
One of the biggest challenges in biomedical research today is breaking down the barriers that slow the translation of new scientific discoveries into treatments and cures. Today’s video drives home that point through a parody of the Emmy Award-winning TV series, “Breaking Bad.”
Shot in Albuquerque by the University of New Mexico’s Clinical and Translational Science Center, this film focuses on a dramatic but obviously fictional example of what it takes to move fundamental knowledge about biology into a therapy that can make a difference in a patient’s life. Here’s the plot in a nutshell: “Walter White explains to his class that clinical and translational science is about accelerating basic science to clinical science and then into practice, bringing new discoveries and technology to the people. This parody shows how Walter and Jesse Pinkman bring basic science to clinical practice, and enable a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient to walk again.”
Links:
Clinical & Translational Science Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Clinical and Translational Science Awards (National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences/NIH)
NIH Common Fund Video Competition
NIH support: Common Fund; National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Celebration of Science
Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins
Biomedical research has had a major positive impact on nearly all of our lives. Due in large part to NIH-supported research, a baby born in the United States today can expect to live to nearly age 79—about three decades longer than one born in 1900. But, with so many people still in desperate need of treatments and cures, much more remains to be done.
To show you a few of the many ways in which researchers are now working to save, extend, and improve lives, I’d like to share this video from the recent “Celebration of Science” forum at NIH. Not only will you hear from a leader in Congress, you’ll see how research is touching the lives of some ordinary people: an HIV-positive woman with dreams of having children, a young man using his brain waves to control a robotic arm, and teenage twins up against a mysterious disease. Take a look—we even have a celebrity cameo from a Seinfeld star!
