In their latest Medical Discovery News column, Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel explore the latest gene therapy for Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, a neuromuscular genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the Dystrophin gene.

Dr. Melvyn Schreiber, one of the first radiology residents at UTMB and longtime faculty member and leader at the university, announced his retirement in December. “It’s really been a privilege to work here and to do the work I’ve done,” Schreiber told the Daily News. “I think I’ve had a positive impact on the people around me and on society in general. And that pleases me.”

Jerry A. Mansfield accepted the position of vice president and chief nursing executive and will begin work on Feb. 1.

UTMB’s Dr. Samuel Mathis tells The Healthy that alcohol raises blood pressure by increasing renin—a protein that constricts arteries—and decreasing nitrous oxide, which is a compound that relaxes them. Drinks with added sugars and those with high-alcohol content can exacerbate the blood pressure-raising effects, Mathis said.

The United Kingdom is soon to join Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States in routinely vaccinating children against chickenpox, write Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp in their latest Vaccines Smarts column.

The first thing we should do when in conflict is to listen, says Dr. Samuel Mathis in his weekly column. The holidays can be stressful but Mathis provides tips to help deal with conflicts that may arise.

A tuberculosis vaccine has been around for about 100 years but it does not prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their latest Medical Discovery News column. But a new TB vaccine, made of two bacterial proteins from the TB bacterium could change that.

UTMB’s Dr. Stanley Watowich is one of the principal investigators who will work with a local partnership of institutions to create the Gulf Coast Consortium Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub. The NIH awarded a four-year $4 million grant to support the creation of the hub meant to support development and commercialization of transformative health care treatments based on research discoveries.

In their latest Medical Discover News column Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel dig into the story of how, and who, discovered the structure of DNA. Dr. Rosalind Franklin is often left out of the conversation but she was an integral part of the process, Herzog and Niesel write.

UTMB’s Dr. Manuela Murry tells The Daily News she is excited about the new RSV immunization, nirsevimab. While the shot is in low supply in other parts of the country, UTMB has plenty.