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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Houston Methodist Researchers Step Up and Face the Challenges of the COVID-19 Virus When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, although the scientific and medical communities had limited information about how to treat people infected with the novel virus, Houston Methodist was well positioned to meet the urgent need for diagnostics, treatments, vaccines and critical medical technologies. Throughout the pandemic, our research groups continued their studies without interruption. In fact, Houston Methodist researchers submitted 32 more funding proposals during 2020 than they did the previous year. Many investigators quickly pivoted their research focus to COVID-19-related challenges by participating in more than 50 preclinical studies and clinical trials that resulted in more than 170 COVID-19-related published journal articles and 16,000 media placements.
Houston Methodist Leads the Way in Treating COVID-19 Patients with Innovative Therapies that Boost the Recovery Process Houston Methodist was the first academic medical center in the nation to receive FDA approval to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma therapy — a plasma transfusion from a recovered individual that contains antibodies against the virus. Although some other organizations had suboptimal results with this treatment, our patients benefited from it because we carefully analyzed and optimized our processes to select the patient populations that would be the optimal candidates. Other institutions treated broad populations much less likely to respond to Houston Methodist’s type of treatment. Eric Salazar, MD, PhD
James M. Musser, MD, PhD
In anticipation of the FDA issuing regulatory guidelines, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Eric Salazar, MD, PhD, and James M. Musser, MD, PhD, Fondren Presidential Distinguished Chair, developed the therapy protocol. They were the first group in the nation to publish data demonstrating that the therapy is safe and effective. Their work rapidly resulted in five high-profile, peer-reviewed publications on convalescent plasma donors and recipients.
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There is so much to be learned about this disease while it’s occurring. If an infusion of convalescent serum can help save the life of a critically ill patient, then applying the full resources of our blood bank, our expert faculty and our academic medical center is incredibly worthwhile and important to do.
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– Marc L. Boom, MD President and Chief Executive Officer Ella Fondren and Josie Roberts Presidential Distinguished Centennial Chair Houston Methodist
