The Food and Drug Administration has approved two new pneumococcal vaccines that broaden protection. Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp explain the importance of this advance in their Vaccine Smarts column. “Following these recommendations should protect 90 percent of adults at increased risk of pneumococcal infection, hospitalization and death,” they write.

The new horizon for medical devices is microrobotic systems that can do their work in the human body. Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel explore that horizon in their regular Medical Discovery News column. “In many cases, scientists know what the devices need to be able to do, but the devices need to have power so they can do their work deep within a human,” they write.

What's the role of nutrition in cancer care? The Galveston County Daily News, February 17, 2022 The University of Texas Medical Branch’s faculty in Family Medicine offer consultations in Integrative Oncology and is opening a new clinical referral program led by Dr. Sagar Kamprath, a graduate of the Fellowship in Integrative and Behavioral Medicine and an expert in nutritional medicine. “This clinic will address the needs of cancer patients across the spectrum of cancer care and will initially focus on survivors of breast cancer, one of the most frequent cancers,” writes Dr. Victor S. Sierpina in his regular newspaper column.

Tilman Fertitta’s sold-out San Luis Salute Mardi Gras bash in Galveston Feb. 25 will honor Dr. Barbara Thompson, professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The traditional pomp and circumstance includes presentation of not only the honoree but also the Knights of Momus court, dignitaries and distinguished guests. The Houston Chronicle and KPRC reported that gala proceeds benefit the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

A small study of nonvaccinated men who died of COVID-19 complications suggests the testes may be a sanctuary for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, raising questions about potential consequences for reproductive health among those infected. Results from the Brazilin and U.S. study emphasize the importance of testicular damage in severe COVID-19, said Dr. Rafael Kroon Campos, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He told Medscape Medical News that other viruses have also been shown to infect or otherwise cause testicular damage such as Zika, Ebola and the closely related SARS-CoV-1. “It is critical to continue to investigate the impact of the disease in testes, including the impact of different variants of concern on testicular damage,” he said. Thailand Medical News also reported the preprint study posted Feb. 8 at MedRxiv.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been a challenge to find blood and blood components, said Juan David Garcia, UTMB administrative director of laboratory services in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Services. “Blood centers just don’t have enough people donating,” Garcia said. “Our supply has been an issue but we have been working with more than 10 different blood suppliers around the country including Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, and others to maintain the adequate number of units available at UTMB.”