The Gene Messenger: Advancing Neurological Gene Therapy

07/12/23 • 24 min

After establishing that neurological gene therapy can help address brain cells damaged by Parkinson’s, Dr. Michael Kaplitt and his team have set their sights on a new mission: preventative intervention. For patients with an inherited form of Parkinson’s caused by a GBA gene mutation, Dr. Kaplitt and his colleagues are working to deliver genes that can stop the degeneration of damaged braincells, as well as initiating the use of focused ultrasound to treat essential tremors. In this episode, Dr. Kaplitt details the mechanisms of his work and the advancements he’s working on today.

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The Matchmaker: Creating New Pathways for Kidney Transplantation

In the United States today, there are over 110,000 people waiting for an organ transplant. And, Dr. Sandip Kapur says, 92% of those patients are waiting for a kidney. In this episode, Dr. Kapur describes a simple philosophy that helped guide Weill Cornell Medicine into one of the top kidney transplantation centers in the nation: offer the maximum amount of opportunities to transplantation that could exist. That means working with multidisciplinary teams to innovate every step of the kidney transplantation process– from making donor surgeries minimally invasive, to matching donors and recipients in new ways through the National Kidney Registry, and even pioneering research into immunotherapy, to improve success rates and patients’ quality of life post-surgery.

For more information visit nyp.org/Advances

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Heart Healer: Pioneering Treatments for Heart Failure for Longer Life Expectancy

Heart failure impacts more than 8 million people in the United States today, but with the right treatments, the course of the disease can be corrected. Dr. Nir Uriel is determined to do just that. He’s spent his career pushing forward advancements to better diagnose and treat advanced heart failure patients. These advancements include a new, magnetic levitated pump that can improve the outcomes of patients denied transplantation due to their age or severity of disease, as well as breakthrough testing that analyzes cell-free DNA to detect transplant rejection, changing the course of immunosuppressive therapy. Dr. Uriel is also pioneering the use of technology to remotely monitor heart failure patients, and diagnose heart failure before symptoms even occur. In this episode, Dr. Uriel details his multifaceted methods to treating heart failure, the value of a team approach, and the importance of empathetic, patient-centered care.