Certain tick bites are believed to trigger a bad reaction to red meat, public health researcher Jamie Romeiser explains in this week's "HealthLink on Air." Romeiser, who experienced the reaction, tells about alpha-gal syndrome, named after a carbohydrate molecule, and how the bite of a lone star tick sets the process in motion. She is an assistant professor of public health and preventive medicine at Upstate.
Also on the program, researchers are working to find new treatments for hydrocephalus, a disorder of excess fluid in the brain. Dr. Satish Krishnamurthy, a neurosurgeon at Upstate, has dedicated a good portion of his career to caring for patients with hydrocephalus while also researching new treatments. Now Upstate is teaming up with another SUNY school, Binghamton University, as it looks for improved shunts, or drains for the fluid buildup. Krishnamurthy explains the disease and what the researchers hope to achieve. He is a professor of neurosurgery who specializes in pediatric neurosurgery, neurocritical care and minimally invasive surgery.
And, a new targeted therapy might be an option for some patients with high-risk bladder cancers who would rather not have their bladders removed. Dr. Joseph Jacob tells about promising clinical trials of TAR-200 that involve patients from Upstate Medical University. He’s an associate professor of urology at Upstate, specializing in urologic oncology.
Listen to Healthlink on Air every Sunday at 6 a.m. on WRVO.