Changing the Course of Disease
ACHIEVING OUTCOMES ONCE THOUGHT TO BE IMPOSSIBLE At Temple Health, we are pushing boundaries, making discoveries and challenging long-held assumptions about patients once considered untreatable. Using powerful new medicines and technologies, Temple physicians are attacking the root cause of disease and not simply managing symptoms. Our treatments are increasingly more targeted and effective, helping to avoid harmful side effects while greatly improving long-term health and quality of life. In our laboratories, hundreds of scientists are working to transform promising research findings into practical new therapies for heart and lung disease, cancer, and neurological disorders. Our goal is to alter the course of serious disease. In all of our activities—from clinical care to research to medical education—Temple Health is committed to providing tomorrow’s treatments, today.
“Treatments of the future are being developed and perfected today at Temple.”
Larry R. Kaiser, MD, FACS Senior Executive Vice President for Health Sciences, Temple University Dean & Professor of Surgery, Temple University School of Medicine President & Chief Executive Officer, Temple University Health System
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TREATING HEART PATIENTS ONCE TOLD THEY WERE UNTREATABLE The dizziness and labored breathing were concerning, but little did the 83-year-old patient know she was at great risk of dying. Tests revealed a narrowed heart valve that was cutting off blood flow to her heart. Open surgery to repair it wasn’t an option because of her age. Fortunately, cardiologist Howard Cohen, MD, and cardiovascular surgeon Grayson Wheatley, MD, could offer this patient an advanced procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The procedure improves blood flow by inserting a new valve that is threaded through an artery using minimally invasive techniques. The result was lifesaving—with minimal pain and a speedier recovery. The physicians at the Temple Heart & Vascular Institute excel in treating patients with the most complex heart issues. Our interventionalists and surgeons offer minimally invasive, robotic and hybrid procedures to treat heart valve problems, coronary artery disease, heart beat irregularities, and other defects of the heart and aorta. These new options are helping many patients with hearts once considered to be beyond repair.
11:04 am
CHANGING THE COURSE OF SERIOUS LUNG DISEASE A sedentary life tethered to an oxygen tank—that was the reality for a nearly bedridden 63-year-old patient with a history of pulmonary problems. When her doctor couldn’t help her anymore she came to the Temple Lung Center. At Temple, Namrata Patel, MD, identified the cause of the patient’s breathing problems, diagnosing her with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis. It looked like the patient might need a lung transplant, but Dr. Patel was able to offer her an innovative medication regimen that quickly improved her breathing. Today, the patient’s quality of life has dramatically improved and her doctors say she doesn’t need a transplant. With advanced lung treatments and a long list of clinical trials, Temple has earned a national reputation for helping patients regain their ability to breathe more comfortably and live life more fully. Many next-generation lung treatments are now being developed in Temple’s Center for Inflammation, Translational and Clinical Lung Research. As these treatments move from lab to bedside, even more patients may reclaim a better quality of life.
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TARGETING CANCER WITH THE BODY’S OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM Imagine activating your own immune system to fight cancer. That is what researcher Hossein Borghaei, DO, is making progress on at Fox Chase Cancer Center – Temple Health. While the human immune system is a powerful defender against foreign invaders like bacteria and parasites, it is less effective against cancer cells. Dr. Borghaei and a team of Fox Chase researchers are having success in turning immune cells against tumors—opening the door to new therapies that are now moving rapidly through the research pipeline. Fox Chase and Temple Health are partnering to transform research ideas into treatment options. The result: dozens of promising anti-cancer agents that may soon become practical therapies. Our nationally renowned physicians already offer powerful new treatments for patients who were previously considered untreatable. And using sophisticated technologies and personalized therapies, Fox Chase – Temple physicians are now also working to alter the underlying course of serious disease.
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TRANSLATING SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES INTO BETTER TREATMENTS Temple Health is pushing the boundaries of science to help reduce the devastating effects of heart and lung disease, cancer, neurological disorders, and other serious conditions. Already, numerous scientific discoveries have advanced out of Temple’s labs and into clinical trials—work that may one day profoundly improve human lives. For example, Joseph Cheung, MD, PhD, recently discovered how the body’s cells react to traumatic events such as heart attacks and kidney failure. His work has accelerated the clinical testing of new therapies for preventing permanent organ damage. This type of “translational research” has the potential to help millions of patients recover more quickly from injury and live healthier lives. Dr. Cheung is just one of hundreds of Temple researchers who are working to create a speedier connection between basic scientific discoveries and game-changing therapies for the hardest-to-treat diseases.
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Tomorrow is Innovation. Tomorrow is Discovery. Tomorrow is Here.
Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System and by Temple University School of Medicine. Temple University Health System (TUHS) neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.