Experimental testosterone patch shows promise for treating diminished sexual
function in surgically menopausal women
According to a recent study, an experimental testosterone patch offers new hope
for women who suffer from diminished sexual function as a result of surgical
menopause (removal of the ovaries and uterus). Glenn Braunstein, M.D., Chair of
the Department of Medicine at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, presented the
findings at the Endocrine Society Meeting in San Diego earlier this month. This
is the first-ever study conducted with a testosterone skin patch to treat sexual
problems in surgically menopausal women, and these preliminary results indicate
that transdermal testosterone is both beneficial and well tolerated in these
women.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center present first documentation of
man-made chemical contaminants in the amniotic fluid of unborn babies
Scientists from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and the University of
Calgary in Alberta, Canada, will present on Monday, June 14, findings of a study
that for the first time has detected and measured contaminants from certain
pesticides and industrial chemicals in the amniotic fluid of unborn babies. This
study was not designed to determine whether exposure to these contaminants
produces ill effects on fetuses or newborns. Instead, it is seen as a first step
in a long-term process of identifying contaminants and later assessing their
potential impact.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center study identifies for first time a molecular
mechanism behind hormonal response to stress
A two-year study led by Shlomo Melmed, M.D., of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has
identified for the first time a molecular mechanism that transduces (translates
and conveys) stress signals from the brain to other parts of the body after
physical or psychological trauma. This discovery will provide a tool for
researchers studying the endocrine responses that modulate the protection
against immune and inflammatory insults like blood-borne infections, shock and
inflammation as well as stress. The findings were published in the June 7, 1999
issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.