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t m c » p u l s e | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 9 15 t m c » p u l s e | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 9 Trending topics in health, science and medicine By Shanley Pierce E-CIGARETTES AND YOUTH "The FDA is focused on regu- lation. The CDC is focused on surveillance. NIH and NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) are focused on more research. But the reality is, we can't solve this problem, this crisis, this epidemic from Washington, D.C. We need states who control a lot of the retail envi- ronment to look at the policies, the parents and teachers who see use on a day-to-day basis to become aware of these products and to understand the steps they can take to help us turn around this epidemic." — JEROME ADAMS, M.D. U.S. Surgeon General GENETICS "Genomic technologies, like gene editing and low-cost DNA sequencing, will continue to transform the fields of human genetics and medicine. In the new year, we will see continued exam- ples of clinical successes of gene therapy and gene editing in the treatment of somatic tissues or organs, especially in rare genetic diseases and cancer. In contrast, the scientific and ethical opposi- tion to germline gene editing will raise society's awareness to guard against rogue exper- iments while also supporting con- tinued thought- ful debate on this topic." — BRENDAN LEE, M.D., PH.D. Chair of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY "We are at the forefront of incorporating immunotherapy into our treat- ment portfolio and have recently launched a broad range of cutting-edge clinical trials in many gynecological cancers. In addition, there will be an increasing focus on personal- ized treatments. Genetic testing for ovarian and endome- trial cancer patients is key, as there are new drugs that are particularly effective in women with inherited mutations." — KAREN LU, M.D. Professor and Chair in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center POPULATION HEALTH "This is an exciting time in terms of both unprecedented vaccine access and the introduc- tion of new vaccines. Unfortunately, opposing these exciting trends is a growing and ominous anti-vaccine movement, now well established in North America and Europe, but working its way into … Africa, Asia and Latin America. … The anti-vaccine movement successfully blocked vaccination programs for measles, influenza, and other childhood vaccines, as well as the introduc- tion of new HPV vaccines for cer- vical cancer, so we must continue our efforts to debunk vaccine myths in the years to come." — PETER HOTEZ, M.D., PH.D. Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of the Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development REGENERATIVE MEDICINE "Biologics are no longer new tech- nologies. Both cell therapies and scaffold technology are now established as effective therapeutic tools. In 2019, multiple consortia com- prised of industry, not-for-profit organizations and academia are actively engaged in, and com- mitted to, solving the greatest needs to enable manufacturing of organs and tissues—illustrating that the field has come of age and is worth the investment." — DORIS TAYLOR, PH.D. Director of Regenerative Medicine Research at Texas Heart Institute TECHNOLOGY "Operations performed in the abdomen, pelvis, chest, cardiovas- cular and neurological systems will continue to become more targeted with the expanded use of ever more sophisticated intraoperative image guidance and pre-procedural planning with enhanced functional and struc- tural imaging platforms, from CT to MRI to PET. Gloved surgeons' hands will increasingly rarely feel the warmth of the patient's body as technologies and devices … fill the interface between the surgeon and patient's body." — BARBARA BASS, M.D. Executive Director of the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE) HEALTH POLICY "In health care, I expect the polit- ical debate will go in one of two directions. One direction will be around modifications, expansions and improvements in Medicare as a vehicle for ensuring access to health care and with a particular recipe for handling costs. … The second touchstone is around the Affordable Care Act, its promise and potentially its substitution. The ACA is still functioning, but it's going to undergo some challenges." — STEPHEN LINDER, PH.D. Associate Director of the Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute ASK THE EXPERTS: PREDICTIONS FOR 2019