A University of Oklahoma study published today in JAMA Surgery reports that acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) – a blood-saving method in which a patient’s blood is collected before going on heart-lung bypass and reinfused near the end of cardiac surgery – remains underused in the United States at 14.7%. Yet the study found that ANH lowered the likelihood of a transfusion by 27%, a decrease in blood use that could cut costs substantially while still protecting patient safety and outcomes.

National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya visited the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center on Friday, Aug. 29, to tour the facility and discuss the university’s efforts to improve health outcomes across the state. Bhattacharya was joined by the NIH Acting Director for Legislative Policy and Analysis, members of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation and University of Oklahoma leadership. 

Scott Davis, research administration director in the Office of Research Administration at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences campus in Oklahoma City, has received the Julia Jacobsen Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of University Research Administrators.

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), a rare and aggressive type of lung cancer, has a high chance of metastasis, no standard treatment and a poor survival rate. A study published in Nature Communications provides a new understanding of the disease and uncovers a potential target for treatment.

Amylin, a hormone that controls appetite and blood sugar by activating three different receptors in the brain, could be the basis for the next blockbuster obesity drugs. A University of Oklahoma study published today in the journal Science Signaling reveals a new understanding of how amylin receptors react upon being activated, an advancement that will be crucial to the field of drug development.