Out of a pandemic, lifesaving research and more

Those diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes likely will benefit in years to come from a new treatment approach discovered and advanced by a University at Buffalo pediatric endocrinologist.

And a new $8.1 million infusion into a continuing national study of postmenopausal women, including more than 4,000 from Western New York, continues to help all women better understand what steps they can take to maintain good health and live longer.

The global coronavirus pandemic in 2020 stretched the regional health system – and underlined its importance – but breakthrough research and planning that serves as its cornerstones endured during this time of great uncertainty.

“Covid is an awful, awful disease that is deserving of everyone's attention but, as we're working day to day, we have to remember and recognize that glioblastoma is far more lethal than Covid. That drives us on,” said Dr. Robert Fenstermaker, who with Dr. Michael Ciesielski will start expanded clinical trials this spring on SurVaxM, a vaccine that shows great promise in extending the lives of people with the most common form of brain cancer.

That sense of passion, and common desire to help bring the pandemic to an end, will continue to fuel the roughly 1 in 5 workers regionwide in health-related fields.

Here's a look at six ongoing projects that are shaping health care in Buffalo – and beyond.

UB Center for Successful Aging: Helping roll out the latest research to adding more life to your years, this center was started four years ago on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to bring research from the benchtop into practical use. Scientist Nikhil Satchidanand, center, and Dr. Jeff Mador, right, work with Marine Corps veteran Bill Pichcuskie at VA Medical Center as part of a study on how exercise can address chronic disease and boost wellness. 

Health equity: Patient navigators and community health workers did their best to assure that those in underserved communities got the access they need to the regional health system, even though some of these lower-paid workers were laid off for a time as health care systems cut costs. Maribel "Bella" Irizarry, coordinator with the Buffalo Urban League Community Health Worker Program, has spent part of the pandemic supporting the food pantry in the Clemmon H. Hodges Senior Community Center.  

Covid-19: The Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute and its High-Throughput Crystallization Screening Center helped fellow researchers around the country crystallize different parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the spiked protein believed key to virus infection, to hasten coronavirus drug and treatment efforts. Sarah Bowman, associate research scientist at screening center director, works with research samples in the refrigerated lab.

Diabetes: The latest clinical trial led by Dr. Teresa Quattrin showed that nearly three times the number of those given the immunotherapy drug golimumab (brand name Simponi) extended the period they could continue to produce insulin compared to the one-third of patients given a placebo. The results were first reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Quattrin, left, a pediatric endocrinologist at Oishei Children’s Hospital and senior associate dean for research integration in the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, visits with Jacob Ode, 15, of Grand Island, one of 84 patients who participated in the trial. 

Cancer: Dr. Robert Fenstermaker and Dr. Michael Ciesielski continue to see success with a unique cancer immunotherapy vaccine developed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. SurVaxM will start final-stage clinical trials this spring that could make it a breakthrough treatment within two or three years for glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer. MimiVax, the Roswell-based spinoff company they created, is working with $10 million upfront as part of a $148 million contract as development continues for a vaccine that also has treatment implications for multiple myeloma, neuroendocrine, medulloblastoma, melanoma, kidney and breast tumors.

Women’s Health: From 1993 to 1998, more than 160,000 generally healthy American postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79, enrolled in the study designed to yield major discoveries about related chronic diseases and longevity. Hormone therapy recommendations changed as a result of this study, which involved more than 4,000 women in the region. Robin Baumeister is the new research activities administrator and manages the University at Buffalo Women’s Health Initiative biorepository on South Campus.