Obstetrics & Gynecology

News and Events

Programs and providers of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine are often the focus of news stories and features appearing in major national media. We invite you to review some stories that typify the breakthrough accomplishments of our remarkable team and highlight the impact our care has had on patient’s lives.

Key Gut Protein Balances Immune Protection and Tolerance

photo of woman with hands over stomach and drawing of intestines superimposed

A protein produced by gut immune cells orchestrates both immune protection against pathogens and immune tolerance of gut bacteria, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The discovery illuminates the complex biology of the gut immune system and could lead to better-targeted treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

In the study, published July 7 in Immunity, the researchers sought a better understanding of an immune protein called TL1A. Found at high levels in the gut tissues of patients with IBD, and linked to a variety of inflammatory conditions in genetic studies, TL1A is considered a promising therapeutic target, though its molecular links to inflammatory disease are not well understood. The researchers determined that in gut immune cells TL1A exerts much of its immune-stimulating effect against pathogens through a protein called BHLHE40, a master-switch for many genes. To their surprise, they found that the protein also has a critical role in maintaining immune tolerance to beneficial microbes that normally live in the gut, helping prevent unnecessary inflammation.

Fixing America’s Nursing Home Crisis Requires New Ideas and Strategies

Elder woman using walking cane at nursing home with nurse holding hand for support.

As the oldest Baby Boomers turn 80, the country’s nursing homes are bracing for an anticipated surge. The number of people who need help with dementia, disabilities and the activities of daily living is growing at a time when the number of nursing home beds is shrinking. Nearly 10% of nursing homes in the United States closed between 2011 and 2021. In addition, direct care providers are leaving the industry in droves.

In a perspective published July 4 in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Mark A. Unruh and Dr. Hye-Young Jung, both associate professors of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, along with Dr. Vincent Mor of Brown University, warn that the mismatch between need and capacity will strain families, hospitals and healthcare systems across the country if nothing is done to reverse it. They also offer insights and recommendations to help solve what they call a serious and unprecedented healthcare crisis.

“We hope the article will increase awareness of an important issue that will affect many families across the country in the coming years but has received little attention,” Dr. Jung said.

PSA Levels Alone May Not Reflect Prostate Cancer Growth

woman

Patients with advanced prostate cancer may need periodic imaging scans to catch tumor growth even with stable levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein in the blood that doctors routinely monitor for cancer progression, according to an analysis led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Duke University. In some cases, cancer progression was detected on scans even when PSA levels were undetectable.

The recent study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, analyzed data from more than 2,500 men enrolled in two multinational phase 3 clinical trials testing enzalutamide to slow or stop tumor growth in patients with advanced prostate cancer. This drug targets the androgen receptor, a protein that prostate cancer cells use to receive growth signals from male hormones such as testosterone. The trials (ARCHES and PROSPER) assessed cancer spread or growth on imaging scans, alongside changes in PSA levels during treatment. The researchers examined cases of radiographic progression—when cancer growth or spread is detected by imaging such as X-rays, CT scans or bone scans.

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