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 secure 50,000 networked medical devices
CIO determined to finish task this year
The Veterans Affairs Department has launched an initiative to isolate all 50,000 networked medical devices by December, after experiencing computer virus and malware infections of 122 networked medical devices in the last 14 months that had the potential to harm patients, according to VA Chief Information Officer Roger Baker.
“VA faces a critical challenge in securing our medical devices from cyber threats — and securing them is among the highest priorities for VA,” Baker told the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
The VA currently operates about 50,000 networked devices to assist in patient diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. The devices are especially challenging to secure because their operation must be certified, and application of virus protection updates and patches is restricted.
Starting in 2009, VA officials mandated that all medical devices at Veterans Health Administration facilities connected to the VA network implement a device isolation architecture, which uses a local area network. The VA also set up a comprehensive device protection program that includes assessment, communication, training, validation, scanning, remediation and patching, Baker said.
The VA expects to secure all medical devices through the isolation architecture by year’s end, Baker said.
