UTMB News

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.”

UTMB researchers published a study in 2020 that examined potential impact of living near refineries using a population-based analysis. Dr. Stephen Williams, professor and chief of the Division of Urology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, is one of the authors. “There is an association we found with proximity to an oil refinery and increased types of all cancer and particularly bladder cancer, which is quite provocative,” told the Beaumont TV news crew Monday.

A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides robust protection against the omicron variant, according to research from a team of scientists at Pfizer, BioNTech and the University of Texas Medical Branch. The non-peer-reviewed study found that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are insufficient to induce robust antibody neutralization against omicron, but a third increases the magnitude of neutralization. The effect remained robust at 4 months after the third dose, according to the study.

Researchers are working to understand how the brain works and the biology of behavior, writes Dr. Sally Robinson in her regular newspaper column. “These studies are beginning to help understand individuals with conduct disorders and explosive rages and also help understand school shootings, muggings and road rage,” she writes. “Children with increased irritability and anger should seek medical help.”

“Meditation is something I often prescribe in my writings and integrative medicine practice,” Dr. Victor S. Sierpina writes in his regular column for the newspaper. “It’s an evidence-based method for improving health and well-being, managing stress, pain, multiple physical and mental problems and the general chaos of life.”

Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster appears to protect against the Omicron variant for at least four months, according to a new study. “The current vaccine is good for prevention of severe disease, hospitalization and death,” said Dr. Pei-Yong Shi, distinguished chair in innovations in molecular biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch and senior author of the study.

The University of Texas Medical Branch uses a population health analytics engine to find and address potential gaps in care, said Craig S. Kovacevich, associate vice president of community and population health at UTMB. This allows his staff to use large amounts of data they've collected, looking at the clinic, provider and patient level. “One of the other components that we have done a lot of work in is really diving into the no-shows, trying to see which patients are not showing up and then doing some deep dives," he said.

Rizwana Sultana, a pediatric sleep medicine specialist and assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, says the design of your bedroom should be tailored specifically to you. “Use a design which appeals to you, feels comfortable and provides a sense of calm,” Sultana said.

New research from the University of Texas Medical Branch shows that a behavioral test to determine anosmia—the loss of the sense of smell—could help determine the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and therapeutics. “This test may contribute to the speedy testing of antivirals and potentially to the development of therapeutics to help aid those suffering from anosmia related to COVID-19,” said Dr. Slobodan Paessler, a virologist at UTMB.

Dr. Victor S. Sierpina shared insights from a speech by Dr. Kendall Campbell, the chair of family medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. “We just cannot move forward without hope,” Sierpina wrote. “By joining hope with our deepest purposes, we create value for not only ourselves but for those around us.”

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun a clinical trial for their omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine candidate. For background, CNN also reported that a new preprint lab study suggests that antibodies against the omicron coronavirus variant remain robust four months after a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. “Additional real world effectiveness data and laboratory investigations will further inform the duration of protection, potential need for an additional dose at a later time, and whether an Omicron modified vaccine is required,” said the study from researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Pfizer and BioNTech. Many national and international news outlets shared the CNN story.