WSU to Study Iraq Toxins' Effect
Spokesman-Review
by Bert Caldwell
Research to examine how exposure might damage offspring of soldiers
Washington State University scientists will use a $1.7 million grant to study what multi-generation genetic damage might be done by toxins U.S. troops could encounter in Iraq.
The research using laboratory rats, not humans, will be the first for the military to examine the epigenetic effects of pesticides, herbicides and other compounds, said lead scientist Michael Skinner, director of the university's Center for Reproductive Biology.
Previous studies have looked at the health effects of other substances, notably the Agent Orange used to defoliate jungles in Vietnam, on the soldiers directly exposed, he said, not on their children or grandchildren.
"The science really had not caught up with the trans-generational stuff," said Skinner, one of several WSU pioneers in the field of epigenetic, or multi-generational, inheritance.
Besides herbicides and pesticides – which and in what combinations has not been determined – the study also will look at the effects of explosives residues, he said.
The four-year study will allow researchers to see how any changes in genetic chemistry that develop are passed along through two subsequent generations of rats, he said, noting that only the first two years of research have been funded.
Among the problems that might develop are kidney disease, or changes in the male and female reproductive organs, he said.
If any genetic markers are identified in rats, Skinner said, follow-up research could look at whether they might show up among members of the military as well.
That would be of particular interest to Dave Holmes, interim chief operating officer of the Institute for Systems Medicine, which was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense grant passed through to Skinner.
Holmes' son, Tim Hammond, did two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps.
"They sprayed all kinds of stuff on them," Holmes said.
Although the grant money, the first awarded ISM, will fund work in Pullman, he said the organization's supporters hope any subsequent clinical studies will be done in Spokane.
"There's a lot of excitement about making it happen," he said.
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VA to develop clinical kiosk for patient self assessment
By Mary Mosquera
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Veterans Affairs Department plans to develop a kiosk-based system for its mental health clinics that would allow patients who have limited computer literacy or cognitive disabilities to conduct self-assessments of their conditions.
With the audio and Web-based system, patients would sit at kiosks in VA health centers and, using a console and browser, conduct the assessment as part of their routine mental health care.
Information from the Patient Assessment System (PAS) would be converted into a standard data format, incorporated in VA’s VistA electronic medical record system and used to generate chart notes for clinicians.
Clinical data is often lacking in electronic medical records related to some illnesses and most psychiatric disorders, a situation that makes it more difficult to improve care, VA said in an announcement. Besides collecting information, the self-assessment system would summarize the findings for the patient and offers healthcare education.
VA said it initially plans to deploy the system at four VA mental health clinics in different regions of the country as part of routine care, including Los Angeles, Honolulu, Washington, D.C., and Albany, N.Y.
The VA is looking for vendors to develop software for the system, according to the May 14 notice on Federal Business Opportunities Web site.
