Members of the WSU Department of Neurology wrote two chapters of a book recently published by Cambridge University Press. The book is the first to be dedicated specifically to Schwann cells in normal and diseased nerves.

Department of Neurology faculty members Robert P. Lisak, M.D.; Joyce A. Benjamins, Ph.D.; Michael E Shy, M.D.; John Kamholz, M.D., Ph.D.; and Jun Li, M.D., Ph.D., worked on the chapters. Dr. Lisak, WSU chair of neurology, is also a member of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology; Dr. Benjamins is also a member of the departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Immunology & Microbiology; and Drs. Shy and Kamholz are members of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics.

The book, “The Biology of Schwann Cells: Development, Differentiation and Immunomodulation,” is edited by Paticia Armati, Ph.D., of the University of Sydney. Schwann cells are an important cell in the peripheral nerves and are responsible for making and maintaining myelin in the peripheral nerves, Dr. Lisak said.

Myelin acts in many ways like insulation in electrical circuits, ensuring that messages are sent between nerves. In addition, Schwann cells have other supportive functions in the peripheral nerves. Abnormalities of myelin and/or of the Schwann cells, lead to many diseases of the peripheral nerves and also influence the recovery from diseases involving the peripheral nerves.

These diseases include nerve trauma; inherited diseases including the many forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; inflammatory/autoimmune diseases including many types of the Guillain-Barre Syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; infectious diseases including leprosy; certain toxic neuropathies; and certain forms of diabetic neuropathy.

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Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday we received the formal site visit report from the ACGME on WSU/DMC graduate medical education programs reviewed on Nov. 14, 2006. I am pleased to report that the ACGME has continued full accreditation of our programs for a period of two years.

The ACGME Institutional Review Committee cited six specific concerns requiring improvement or correction; I assure you that Wayne State University and the School of Medicine are committed to working with the Detroit Medical Center to resolve all concerns of the ACGME in a comprehensive and timely manner.

This positive outcome brings many specific questions from many different constituencies and perspectives. To address these issues, we will work with the DMC and Dr. Mark Juzych, our designated institutional official, to develop a comprehensive communications plan that will answer your questions, help you understand our deliverables and our plan to address each citation, and enable you to communicate our commitment and stability to the constituencies with whom you interact, including the students that you hope to recruit for PGY-1 positions. I will provide further information as soon as it is feasible.

For this positive outcome, I thank the School of Medicine faculty, and our students, residents and fellows for their commitment to the continued excellence of medical education at Wayne State University. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the WSU Board of Governors, President Irvin Reid and Provost Nancy Barrett, who stood by us throughout this challenging process --with a clear vision for delivering outstanding GME programs to the citizens of this region. Finally, I thank Drs. Paul Bozyk and Ben Atkinson, whose leadership on behalf of the Residents Council models the integrity and courage that we strive to inspire in the physicians who are trained at Wayne State University.

You can be assured that the School of Medicine remains committed to

• Continuing our valued educational partnerships;
• Expanding our presence in the city of Detroit;
• Educating our students and training our residents and fellows in the best possible teaching environments;
• Recruiting and retaining outstanding physicians to teach our students and serve our community;
• Upholding our mission of delivering the highest quality patient care supported by education and research; and
• Providing compassionate care to the region's uninsured and underinsured.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Mentzer, Jr., MD
Dean, School of Medicine
Senior Advisor to the President for Medical Affairs
Wayne State University

"A Cancer Vaccine is Born: The Story of the Human Papillomavirus" will be the subject of tomorrow's Hot Topics in Molecular Medicine lecture series. Featuring Dr. Robert Rose, associate professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the program will begin at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 14, in Scott Hall's Jaffar Auditorium.

Along with two colleagues, Dr. Rose developed the key technology behind two vaccines that may eliminate cervical cancer, a disease that each year kills 250,000 internationally, including 4,500 Americans. Using "the Rochester technology," two vaccines have been developed, one of which is already on the market.

The human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, with an estimated 24 million active cases and 5.5 million new cases each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Various strains of HPV cause the great majority of cases of cervical cancers. Despite this fact, public ignorance about HPV is high.

Recent studies have shown that there are elevated levels of HPV infection among women, with leading levels among young women. Although cases of HPV are not formally reported in the United States, available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that at least 75 percent of the reproductive-age population has been exposed to the sexually transmitted HPV. Cervical cancer, which is associated with HPV infection, is now the ninth most common cancer among women in the United States.

The Hot Topics in Molecular Medicine lecture series, a program of the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, is free and open to the public. A discussion and catered reception will follow the talk. Complimentary valet parking is available at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

WSU School of Medicine featured in Time

Time magazine recently featured Dr. Morris Goodman, WSU distinguished professor of anatomy and cell biology, in a story about the human genome and genetic evolution. The story also mentions David Reich, of the Massachussetts Institute of Technology's Broad Institute, who works in concert with the WSU Department of Neurology. The WSU Multiple Sclerosis Center, led by Omar Khan, M.D., WSU associate professor of neurology, enrolled the most African-Amertican patients in a recent collaborative genetic mapping effort involving WSU, MIT and the University of California-San Francisco.

The WSU School of Medicine will host its annual holiday party for faculty, staff and students 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 8, in Scott Hall's Cafeteria. Enjoy pizza, beverages and a live disc jockey. Adults only, please.