xt7jm61bph4k https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7jm61bph4k/data/mets.xml University of Kentucky. Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Kentucky University of Kentucky. Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies 2008 volumes. Call Number: LD2762.9 .K38c. Accession Number: 2018ua049 journals LD2762.9 .K38c English Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection University of Kentucky Odyssey Magazine Research -- Kentucky -- Periodicals Education -- Research -- Periodicals Research -- Kentucky Odyssey: The Magazine of University of Kentucky Research and Graduate Studies, Summer 2008 text images Odyssey: The Magazine of University of Kentucky Research and Graduate Studies, Summer 2008 2008 2008 2026 true xt7jm61bph4k section xt7jm61bph4k ar(h

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 Lee T Todd Jr. President
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James W, Tracy,
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Agriculture
\l Scott Smith, Dean

Arts and Sciences
Philip llarltng, lntenm Dean

Business and Economics
Dmanathan Sudharshan, Dean
Communications

and Information Studies

J Daudjohnson, Dean
Dentistry

Sharon l’. lurner, Dean

Design

\lirhael v\. Speaks, Dean
Education

Rosetta Sandlogr‘, Interim Dean

Engineering
Thomas \\ lester, Dean

Fine Arts
Robert Sha\, Dean

Graduate School
jeannine Blackncll, Dean

Health Sciences
lort Gonzalez, Dean

Law
Allan \\ \estal, Dean

Medicine
Jar \. l’erman, Dean

Nursing
lane Kirsrhltng, Dean

Pharmacy
kenneth R Roberts, Dean

Public Health
Stenhcn \t. \\\att, Dean

Social Work
kat Hoffman, Dean

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Cover Story

Resurrecting the Iliad 12

Armed with a robot-mounted laser scanner, two UK research-
ers from the Center forVisualization and Virtual Em'ironments
travel to Venice, Italy, to realize their goal of offering Homers
lliad to the world with the click of a mouse.

In Brief 2

Tracy newVP for Research - fasting can reduce
brain injury impact - saliva helps diagnose
heart attack - microneeciles more efficient
for drug delivery - book clubs spark student
interest ° soil sciences superstar comes to UK
- mighty mouse fights cancer ° lung cancer
blood test licensed V

 

 

 Features
The Mystery of the Toxic Workplace El

.»\ l'l\' team of researchers \yorking tlnongh the .\lorris Kldall
l’aikinsons ltisease Research H ntcrot lixcidlcnce estahlishes
a link liet\yeen tiichloroethylene and l’aikinson‘s.

   
   
 
  
  

Fighting Cancer with a Safe Tan 13
hi a t"\lrilliliri1ill\ approach to stop skin cancer. l'K‘s .lohn
ll l Ira/in is making on the hasic science behind a lotion that
naturally creates a tan and protects against l'\' damage.

Democratic Bridge Building l8
ll\ engineers pool citizen input to guide the design of two
ln'idges til a mnlti»hillion—dirllar proiect in Louisyille and
sonthern lndiana

2007—2008 University Research Professors it
.layakrishna Amhati: Working to ('ure Macular Degeneration
Richard Kryscio: Science by the Nimihers

Peter Nagy: Adyancing Science—dine Now at a Time

Fighting Relapsed Leukemia 24
l'Ks Dianna lloyyard tonml that the comhination of a new
drug. liortezomih. Wllll a standard chemotherapy drug rapidly
kills acute myeloid leukemia stem cells. the cells thought to
he responsihle tor leukemia relapse.

Biosecurity Down on the Farm 26

.\nimal health data from ('entral Kentucky is henig col—
lected and shared thanks to a proiect conducted through
l'Ks l.i\'estock llisease Diagnostic ('enter. The information
is statistically analyzed to identity possihle clusters of ill-

ness or disease.

Defusing Terrorism 29

Timothy \lc\'eigh showed the world that ammonium ni-
trate i;\.\i can he a deadly weapon. l’reyenting another
()klahoma ('ity~like lilast is What l'lx' scientist Darrell
Taulhee aims to do in a project to create a fertilizer that
won't liaye nearly the blast impact of \.\.

Research Update
On the Trail of Stolen Statues 33

'l‘riggered by a snapshot she took ll years earlier of a memorial
statue that helonged to a Kenyan trihesman. Monica lldyardy
turns detectiye to return African art to its rightful owners.

  

 

 

Tracy Is UK's New Research VP

Jim Tracy, UK‘s new vice president for research, knows exactly when he got bit by

the science bug. His grandfather, a mapmaker and self—taught geologist. is responsible

Tracy says.

“We’d be driving along the highway, come to a cut through the hills,and he‘d stop on
the side of the road.We would walk up to the layers of rock, and he’d tell me about
the different layers and why they had formed the way they did. Some of my earliest
recollections are of him handing me a flower or showing me a bee or scooping up
a handful of dirt to show me slime moldl can almost guarantee you that l was the
only first grader in Ohio who could scientifically explain slime moldfsays Tracy with
a smile.

Tracy says he was almost a Kentuckian by birth. He was born and raised in the
small community of Portsmouth—“as far south as you can go in Ohio.” His father was
a professor of English, and Tracy grew up surrounded by books. There was never any
doubt, he says, that he would get a college education.

His vita: a BS. in chemistry and physics from Bowling Green State University (1972)
and a PhD. in biochemistry from Purdue (1976). He did a seven-year stint as a re—
search assistant professor in geographical medicine—studying drugs to treat tropical
diseases—at Case Western Reserve University before taking a position at the University
of Wisconsin—Madison, where he became one of the founding members of
the School of Veterinary Medicine. Tracy climbed the academic ladder ‘
at Wisconsin—Madison and became a full professor in 1990 and. 1() {if
years later, became associate dean for research in the university‘s ) A
School of Veterinary Medicine.

“I was interested in coming to UK for two main reasonsl felt I
had accomplished everything l’d wanted to at Wisconsin—Madison.
and in looking for a new position in research administration,l was
extremely impressed with DrTodd’s Top 20 business plan." He adds
that UK is the only school he knows of that has articulated a specific
goal like this and drawn up a detailed plan of how to achieve that
goal.“All efforts toward these goals advance research at UK
and benefit citizens of the commonwealth," says Tracy,
who has been at UK since last October.

One of his priorities is to work toward meet—
ing the goals of the university’s strategic plan
for 2006 to 2009, including efforts to increase
interdisciplinary research collaborations across
campus, he says. “My primary role as chief
research officer is to create a climate where
discovery and learning can flourish.”

“With wide—ranging experience at a top-tier
public university, Dr. Tracy brings the vision,
experience and energy needed to steer UK
toward its Top 20 research goals,“ says UK
Provost Kumble Subbaswamy

_JW Jim Tracy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
   

 

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 Fasting Can Reduce Brain-Injury Impact

Researchers at the University of Kentucky have found
that fasting within the first 24 hours of a moderate
traumatic brain injury reduces the damage to brain
tissue and improves cognitive function.

Using rats as their model system, a research team
led by Patrick Sullivan of the UK Spinal Cord and
Brain Injury Research Center found that fasting after
such an injury increases the amount of brain tissue
that is preservedThis dietary therapy also preserved
the rats‘ ability to use and develop spatial memory.
indicating that the tissue spared is functional.

   

Laurie Davis

Saliva Can Help Diagnose Heart Attack

liarlv diagnosis of a heart attack may now be possible
using only a few drops of saliva and a new uano-bio-
chipzu‘cording to findings from a team of scientists at
the l'lx' colleges of dentistry and medicine. University
of Louisvillel lniversity of'l'exas Health Science Center
at San Antonio. and l'niversity of Texas at Austin.

Since 3000. ['K researchers have tested saliva from
30 people who had a heart attack and 35) healthy
subjects for 32 proteins associated with atheroscle~
rosis. thrombosis and acute coronary syndrome'l‘he
findings from the ongoing study show that not only
are biochemicals associated with these conditions in
higher concentrations in saliva of heart attack victims.
but specific salivary biochemicals are as accurate in
the diagnosis of heart attack as current blood serum
tests.conducted when a patient having a heart attack
is admitted to the hospital,

This new device takes advantage of the recent
identification of a number of blood serum proteins
that are significant contributors to—and indicators
of—cardiac disease.

“These are truly exciting findingssince use of these
tests could lead to more rapid diagnosis and faster
entry of patients into treatment scenarios that can
save lives." says (‘raig Miller a scientist with the UK
('enter for()ral Health Research l lis colleague Jeffrey
libersole says. “We are rapidly meeting our goal of

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
  
  
  
 
 

“In this study we were primarily interested in
the preservation of mitochondrial function since
mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and
responsible for the production of most of the energy
used by the cell.” explains Laurie Davis, a graduate
student and lead author on the article reporting these
findings. which appeared in the Journal of Neurosci-
ence Research.

The UK team also investigated ketone bodieswhich
are produced by the liver from fat in response to
a prolonged decrease in glucose levels. Giving the
animals ketones increased preservation of brain
tissue compared with a control group of untreated
animals.

“In previous studies, we showed that ketones pre—
serve mitochondrial function after neuronal injury,”
Davis says.“This finding could indicate that ketosis.
the production of ketones. is the underlying mecha-
nism responsible for the beneficial effects of fasting
after brain injury, and could represent a potential
therapeutic intervention forthe treatment of traumatic
brain injury.”

—Dan Adkins, UK Public Relations

identifying compounds in saliva that are diagnostic
of heart attack“

The nano»bio-chip test could someday be used to
analyze a patients saliva on board an ambulance. at
the dentist's office or at a neighborhood drugstore.
helping save lives and prevent damage from cardiac
diseaselhe device is the size of a credit card and can
produce results in as little as 13 minutes.

“Many heart attack victims. especially women. ex—
perience nonspecific symptoms and secure medical
help too late. after permanent damage to the cardiac
tissue has occurred." says John McDevitt. a UT»Austin
professor of chemistry and biochemistryand designer
of the nano-bio‘chip."Our tests promise to dramati—
cally improve the accuracy and speed of cardiac
diagnosis."

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death
in developed countries, including the United States.
In 2008, an estimated 770.000 Americans wi i ave a
new coronary attack, and about 430,000 will h. e a
recurrent attack ” *0 of
——Ann Black .1, UK Public Relation

rsity of Kent

,1 niveisitv ot lc\as

  

    
    
  
 
 
 
 
 

  

Microneedles Enhance Drug Delivery

In a first-of-its-kind study involving human subjects,
researchers at the University of Kentucky College of
Pharmacy and the Georgia Institute of Technology
have demonstrated that patches coated on one side
with microscopic needles can facilitate transdermal
delivery of a drug that normally cannot pass through
the skin.

By painlessly punching a series of microscopic
holes in the outer layer of skin, microneedles prom—
ise to expand the range of drugs and vaccines that
can be delivered transdermally. And microneedles
offer other advantages over oral or injected drugs,
including an ability to produce therapeutic drug
levels with lower doses.

Transdermal drug delivery has proven successful
in a number of applications, including pain man—
agement and hormone replacement, but has been
limited to a narrow range of compounds that easily
pass through the skin.

Daniel Wermeling, associate professor in the UK
pharmacy practice and science department who led
this work. says,“This proof—of—concept study shows
that microneedles work in humans for transdermal
drug delivery.” He emphasizes that microneedles
present a new opportunity to deliver current
and future biotech drugs,which are almost

  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
   

and antibodies. Because these types
of drugs are large molecules
and/or water soluble, they
can’t pass through the
skin and must be
delivered with a
hypodermic
needle.

4 Odyssey

exclusively proteins,peptides,vaccines.

The research team included microneedle inven—
tor Mark Prausnitz (Georgia Institute of Technol—
ogy),Wermeling and UK colleagues David Hudson
(psychiatry department fellow). Audra Stinchcomb
(pharmaceutical sciences associate professor). and
Stan Banks (a pharmacy graduate student).

Working with a small group of healthy volunteers.
the UK researchers first prepared a section of skin
on each subject's arm by pressing and removing
thumb-sized patches that contained St) stainless
steel microneedles. each about l/f10th of an inch in
length. Nextgel containing naltrexone. a skin—imper—
meable compound used to treat opiate and alcohol
addiction.was applied to the prepared area and cov—
ered by an adhesive patch and protective dressing

The concentration of the drug in each subject's
bloodstream was monitored for 72 hours, The
researchers quickly saw levels of the drug reach
pharmacologically active concentrations and those
levels remained steady for at least «18 hours in the
six test subjects

Control subjects were treated in the same. way. but
without the microneedle preparation prior to ap-
plication of the naltrexone gel. None of the control
subjects had detectable levels of the drug in their
bloodstream.

Microneedle administration also reduced the
amount of drug required to reach therapeutic levels.
replacing a 50 milligram tablet with 10 to 12 milligrams
Of drug in the gel. Use of the microneedles also pro-
duced steady bloodstream levels of the drugwithout
the initial peak that occurs with oral delivery.

“There are a number of ways microneedles can be
used.” says. Prausnitz. who has been developing the
devices for more than 10 years.“This study addressed
the simplest use of microneedles—the needles are
inserted and removed from the skin.and a drug patch
applied.To understand how broadly microneedles
can be used in medicinewe will also need to study
delivery of other therapeuticssuch as lidocaine.
insulin and flu vaccine."

—Ar1n Black/0rd. UK Public Relations

 

“.54.“... .

 

 

 4:4“- ._. , ‘4

 

 

 

 

 

Sparking an Early Interest in Reading
A class of 4” graders in Kent Island. Maryland.
in 1986 changed .lanice Almasi‘s life.Ahnasi.
now the Carol Lee Robertson Endowed Profes~
sor of Literacy in the UK College of Education.
had been reading about the benefits of peer
book discussions. so she tried that approach
in her classroom.

As I witnessed the outcome
olds debating the interpretation of a line in

 

nine year

a book and actually listening intently to each
others understanding of the, text—a chill shot
down my spine.“Almasi recallsAfter teaching
that class, she knew she would go into full—
time doctoral study and knew exactly what
her work would focus on.

For the past 17 years. she has been study—
ing the learning environments of elementary
classrooms and the discussions that follow
when students read. She created a model
where students interact as if they're members
of Oprah’s Book Club. rather than answering
questions directed to them from the teacher,
the traditional approach almost all of us
experienced.

In her most recent study of this peer-discus—
sion model, Alrnasi selected schools where
kindergartners, first graders, second graders,
and third graders were divided into experi—
mental and comparison groups. ATennessee
school served as the rural site. and schools
in New York as an urban site and a suburban

site. Around Still children were a part of this study. which
followed them from kindergarten through third gradeThe
experimental group practiced peer discussion; the compari—
son group read and discussed texts in the more traditional
way. responding to teacher-directed questions.

One, goal was to measure any difference in attitude
toward reading and motivation to read of children in
the two study groupsTo determine this,Almasi used two
different measures—an attitude survey and a motiva-
ti(')n—to—read profile. Although she found only a modest
change in students‘attitudes in the two groups at the
end of the study she saw significant differences in their
motivation to read.“The children in the peer discussion
group viewed reading as significantly more important
and valuable." Almasi says.

Another intriguing facet of this study was the socializa—
tion patterns of the children in the two groups. “Before
we started the study. we confidentially asked the, students
who in class they would choose to work, play or read
with. Usually there were a handful of ‘social stars” in
the class that almost all of the other children wanted to
do things with. Then there were several whom nobody
picked—the ‘isolates.’ There was a pattern of elitism.
Would our program impact these patterns? That's what
we wanted to find out."

At the beginning of the studyAlmasi says. the patterns
in the experimental and control group were very similar
in terms of social stars and isolates. But by the end of
the three—year study, there were almost no isolates in the
experimental group and even fewer social stars. “The
reading discussion groups became more egalitarian.The
children listened to and respected the opinions of all
of the other children,” Almasi says. She adds that if peer
discussion of text continues, a longer—range effect of this
change in socialization might be an extended sense of
equality among students and less of a tendency toward
forming cliques.

“The peer discussion model, based on democratic prin-
ciples of discussion, breaks the mold of teacher—centered
educahonf

Almasis work in reading methods, reading theory and
reading research design has recently been nationally
recognized. Later this year she will join the board of
directors for both the National Reading Conference and
the International Reading Association.

—.’l/li(‘/i(1e/(1 Riley

 

  

 

Soil Sciences Superstar Comes to UK

Here’s Paul Bertsch,the newest hire in UK's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences,
by the numbers. Published articles: more than 150 in environmental chemistry,
biogeochemistry, toxicology and soil physical chemistry, and mineralogy. Invited
presentations and seminars: over 200. Other talks and published abstracts: over
300. Recognitions and awards: nearly an uncountable number. And though his
career is far from finished, he’s already won two Career Achievement Awards.
(Oh, and he’s also the new president of the Soil Science Society of America.)

SO how did UK snag this superstar?

“The one constant in my career so far as a scientist is an intense interest in
solving important problems through an interdisciplinary approach,"says Bertsch,
a professor of environmental chemistry and toxicology, from his office in ag
science north. “During the interview process,l saw a lot of inter-connection
between disciplines here, and l was pleased to be offered an opportunity to
help establish an interdisciplinary program in environmental research.” He adds
that he was also impressed with the university’s Top 20 by 2020 plan.

Bertsch is no stranger to the UK campus. He earned his doctorate here in
soil physical chemistry-mineralogy in 1983 and worked as a research specialist
and assistant professor in the agronomy department for nearly two years after
that.“So, yes, this is a homecoming of sorts,” he says, “though UK has changed
quite a lot in 24 years. From what I’ve been able to tell, every department in
the sciences is stronger and there‘s been an obvious expansion, lots of new
construction," he adds, nodding beyond his window to the noise of the UK
hospital addition being built.

Kumble Subbaswamy, UK provost,says,“With his extensive experience in build—
ing and leading interdisciplinary programs in environmental science, Dr. Bertsch
will be able to build on UK’s current efforts to reach nationally competitive
levels in this area of critical importance to Kentucky.” Bertsch is the College
of Agriculture’s first hire under the provost’s initiative to recruit world—class
scientists to the university.

Scott Smith, the dean of the college, sees the hiring of Bertsch as fitting in
with agriculture’s strategic goal of being a leader in environmental sciences.
“As the college moves aggressively to advance our work on management of
natural resources, Paul Bertsch will provide a focal point for faculty leadership
of those efforts,” Smith says.“His hire will complement and grow the programs
of the Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment.”

“Environmental sciences is an area the college already has a good bit of

strength in,and this could take us to another level,“

. adds Nancy Cox,associate dean of research

“ in the College ongriculture,who chaired

the provost’s committee that conceived

of the idea to recruit renowned sci—
entists to the university.

Bertsch admits plainly that he’s
“happy to be here,” and says his
return to the university involves an
interesting deja vu coincidence. “My

lab is currently being renovated—the
same lab I worked in when l was a
graduate student in the doctoral pro-
gram here. lt’s a bit eerie to think ill be
inhabiting the same space."

—JW

 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   

 

Mighty Mouse Fights
Cancer

A mouse resistant to cancer,
even very aggressive types,
has been created by re-
searchers at the University of
Kentucky. The breakthrough
stems from a discovery by
UK professor of radiation
medicine Vivek Rangnekar
and a team of researchers
who found a tumor—suppres—
sor gene called Par-4 in the
prostate. The researchers
discovered that this gene
performs the slickest trick
an anti-cancer agent can:
it kills cancer cells, but not
normal cells.

Funded by several grants
from the NIH. Rangnekars
study is unique in that mice
born with this gene don‘t
develop tumors. The mice
grow normally and have no
defectsln fact,the mice pos—
sessing Par—4 actually live a
few months longer than lab
mice without the. gene. indi—
cating that Par—4 mice have
no toxic side effects.

“We originally discovered
Par—4 in the prostate, but it‘s
not limited to the prostate.
The gene is expressed in
every cell type that we‘ve.
looked at. and we’ve seen
that it induces the death of a
broad range of cancer cells.
including, of course. cancer
cells in the prostate." says
Rangnekar. “The interesting
part of this study is that this
killer gene singles out cancer
cells. It will not kill normal

 cells, and there are very few selective
molecules out there like this.“

To further investigate the potential thera-
peutic benefits of this selective assassin,
Rangnekar’s team put it into the egg of
a mouse. That egg was then implanted
into a surrogate mother “The mouse
itself does not express a large number
of copies of this gene, but the pups do
and then their pups start expressing the
gene," says Rangnekar exuberantly “So
we‘ve been able to transfer this activity
to generations in the mouse."

To further establish the power of Par—4,

his group removed the gene from several
miceThe result: tumors developed in vari-
ous tissues of the animal.

Rangnekar speculates that this gene
may one day be transplanted into a
patient’s bone marrow to fight cancerous
cells in the body. This process could be
combined with chemotherapy and radia—
tion,which on their own have highly toxic
effects on healthy cells, in order to lower
toxicity. But Rangnekar admits there is
much more work to be done before this
research can be applied to people.

“I look at this research from the stand-
point of how it can be developed to
benefit the cancer patient, and that’s what
keeps us focused,” says Rangnekar. “The
pain that cancer patients go through—not
just from the disease, but also from the
treatment—is excruciating. If you can
treat the cancer and not harm the patient,
that’s a major breakthrough. That’s hap-
pening with these animals, and I think
it’s wonderful."

The research was published in the
journal Cancer Research. Rangnekar holds
the Alfred Cohen, MD, Endowed Chair in
Oncology Research and serves as the as-
sociate director for translational research
at the UK Markey Cancer Center.

—JW

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
   
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 

Lung Cancer Blood Test
Licensed

Lung cancer research by two Uni-
versity of Kentucky faculty members,
featured in The Wall Street Journal
and on the global radio program
The Voice of America, is now mov-
ing an important step closer to the
marketplace. Markey Cancer Center
researchers Edward Hirschowitz
and Li Zhong have spent the last
five years working on a blood test
that has been 85 percent accurate
in predicting non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC) years before the
cancer could be detected by a CT
scan.

Approximately 213,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer
each year, and 85 percent of those will die within the first five
years of diagnosis. Kentucky has the highest incidence of and
death rate from lung cancer—49 percent higher than the national
average.

The Maryland-based company 20/20 GeneSystems lnc.,which de-
velops diagnostic products for early disease detection, has entered
into an agreement with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (OCD), a John-
son & Johnson company, to license—and ultimately market—the
Hirschowitz and Zhong blood test.The agreement provides 20/20
with funding for further development of the blood test as well as
incentives to market it.

The researchers have been awarded $1.5 million in funding for
the development of the test from various sources and recently
received an additional four years of funding from the National
Institutes of Health. Hirschowitz says moving this test from the
laboratory to the clinic involves assuring the reliability and ap-
plicability to the general population (with more patients, differ-
ent demographics). Studies currently are under way to confirm
the reliability of the test on a larger group of blood samples.”
successful, 20/20 plans to introduce the test within the next year.
It would become the first blood test to predict cancer since the
prostate specific antigen test was introduced in the 19705.

“Only 25 percent of non-small cell lung cancer is diagnosed at
an early, curable stage," says Jonathan Cohen, president and CEO
of 20/20.“By partnering with world leaders like OCD we hope to
help establish the first accurate blood test for lung cancer that can
detect the disease years earlier than the current gold standard.”

The test identifies panels of antibodies generated by the body’s
immune system in response to very early stage NSCLC.Studies have
shown that the presence and amounts of these antibodies in the
blood predicted NSCLC with 85 percent accuracy, suggesting that
the disease may be present three to five years before reaching
the necessary size needed for diagnosis by a CT scan.
~—Amy Ratliff, UK Public Relations

  

  

 

hen Kathryn Rutland. a UK student work-
ing toward a masters degree in public health walked
into Don Gashs office in the fal ll of 2005 he couldn t
have guessed that they would soon be launched on
a medical investigation that would for the first time
convincingly link a common degreasing agent with
Parkinsons disease
“Some months beforel had suggested that as part
of her coursework Kathryn do a detailed clinical
history of 10 patients who were part of a study here
on Parkinsons disease" says Gash. chairman of UK‘s
anatomy and neurobiology department.“Her focus
was on possible genetic factors that caused the onset
and progression of the disease But after she talked
with the man known then as Patient Number lt).she

rushed to my office and convinced me that, instead

we should focus on a possible environmental factor
that might cause Parkinscm's"

Rutland explained to Gash. an affable man who
has been studying Parkinson‘s disease for nearly 30
years that this patient hadc leaned grease from met éitl
gauges at a Berea. Kentucky factory for 25 years. dip-
ping the gauges in a vat of trichloroethyleneorT(‘E.a

chemical solventlt soaked through his cotton gloves.

when he wore them.and into his skin.lt splashed onto

his clothes. and he breathed in its vapors.The man.

whose name is Eddie Abney (he later went public
with his story) was sure that his exposure to Tt‘E
was the cause of his Parkinsons disease and added

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that several of his co-workers had also developed
Parkinson's
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especially those who had been closest

“Kathryn really caught fire on this trail of clues.
and it helped that she has a detectives 111entality."

says Gash, He was familiar with previous research on
the possible toxicity of'l'(‘E and papers published on

other toxic substances that might cause Parkinson‘s

and he directed Rutland to these sour'cesv'lit'E had
been identified as an environmental contaminant in
at least 852 of the l.-l$§tl Superfund priority sites listed
by the EPA Superfund is the federal governments
program to clean up the nations uncontrolled hazard-
ous waste sites.There was also a recent assessment
by the National Academy of Sciences on the health
risks of chronic exposure to Tt'h and nervous sys-
tem toxicity which. the EPA admitted. was not well
understood by scientists.

"And there were some relevant scientific studies."

Gash says.“including a breakthrough study lIl 1983
that has been referred to as the ('ase of the Frozen
Addicts? He sets the scene. "Hospital emergenc\
rooms in theS an lianc lsco Bay are a we re sudde nl\
confronted with mysteriously frozen patients—young
men and women who. though conscious. could
neither move nor speak" Doctors were baffled until
neurologist .lWilliam Langston. recognizing thesymp-
toms of advanced Parkinsons disease. administered
L—dopa—the only known effective treatment—and
‘uiifroze his patient.

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“Langston determined that his patient and five oth»
ers had all used the same tainted batch of synthetic
heroin. laced with a toxin that destroyed an area
of their brains essential to normal movement. The
same area. the substantia nigra. slowly deteriorates
in Parkinsoiis disease"

A more recent study in Germany was also revelatory
In 2002. researchers at the University of Wilrzburg
found that in rats'l‘CE was converted to a neurotoxin
that led to mitochondrial dysfunctions—-mitochondria
are the cells' power sources—in substantia nigra do—
pamine neuronsThe team specu