For years, patients have been warned that combining grapefruit juice with medications can have a dangerous result. Grapefruit juice interferes with the breakdown of certain drugs in the human body, often causing the level of a drug to increase in potency. But physician-scientists at the University of Chicago Medical Center saw potential in this interaction.
Cancerous tumors need blood vessels to grow, but a drug with promise for cancer treatment can inhibit this development. When taken by mouth, however, less than 15% of this drug is absorbed by the body. University of Chicago Medical Center physicians believed that if they could find a way to increase the strength of the drug, if they could get more of the drug to reach its target — the tumor — they could stop the cancer from advancing.
In a study directed by clinicians at the University of Chicago Medical Center, they’re doing just that. This drug, when washed down with a glass of grapefruit juice, is now showing promise in patients with advanced tumors for which there are no other treatment options. Could a piece of fruit have the potential to forever change the way cancer is treated?
At the University of Chicago Medical Center, we ask questions like this every day — in the halls of our hospitals, and in our labs — as we work to unlock the cure for cancer tomorrow through groundbreaking clinical research, and advance patient care today with pioneering surgical, radiation and chemotherapy treatments and procedures.
As one of only two programs in Illinois designated by the National Cancer Institute as an official Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Chicago Medical Center is consistently ranked among the top cancer treatment centers in the country. Our unique approach to care allows us to offer patients innovative and minimally invasive treatment options, such as gene therapy, organ-sparing surgical procedures and more.
The University of Chicago Medical Center is working to change the lives of those touched by cancer all over the world. How can we change yours?
We offer advanced diagnosis and treatment for all types of cancer:
When doctors in New Orleans found a volleyball-sized tumor intertwined with major organs and arteries in 2-year-old Makayla Dillon’s abdomen, her family couldn’t find a surgeon who was willing to remove it. The surgery was deemed to be too risky by every doctor the family consulted. And Makayla was left with little hope of survival.
It wasn’t until her mother brought her to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital that Makayla finally received the treatment she needed. Here, our pediatric surgeons devised a plan that would allow them to safely remove Makayla’s tumor, and end her fight with cancer.
Jenna Mosconi began experiencing extreme difficulty eating and digesting food, and was losing drastic amounts of weight — fast. Several other doctors incorrectly diagnosed Jenna with heartburn, digestive problems and even anorexia, but our physicians discovered that she had a rare heart condition called Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome, or MALS. With an accurate diagnosis, our surgeons were able to use minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery to remove from Jenna’s heart a misshapen artery, which was impeding blood flow to her digestive tract.
At the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, we understand that operating on children requires more than just smaller tools. It requires a different way of thinking. Our pediatric surgeons are encouraged and empowered to think like scientists, to take on the complex cases that no one else will, and to use the novel and minimally invasive surgical techniques and technologies that will give kids a fighting chance. With groundbreaking surgical approaches to treat the following:
At Comer Children’s Hospital, we also offer hope for children with difficult-to-treat neurological diseases, spinal disorders, hip diseases, cerebral palsy, and problems requiring plastic and reconstructive surgery.
» Learn more about our comprehensive pediatric surgical program.
Snow fleas are insects that, as the name suggests, make their home in the snow. After studying these insects, researchers have discovered that the source of their tolerance to cold is a protein with characteristics similar to anti-freeze. Based on these findings, physician-scientists at the University of Chicago Medical Center are developing a way to harness the power of this protein to store organs at lower temperatures without damaging healthy tissue. If successful, this protein could enable us to transport organs longer distances and give the gift of time to more patients waiting for liver transplants.
As the oldest liver transplant program in the Midwest and the fourth oldest in the nation, the University of Chicago Medical Center has a rich history of innovation in transplant care. Since performing the first human organ transplant in an animal model, our team has led the way, offering an unmatched level of expertise and clinical capabilities.
Transplant surgeons and hepatologists at the University of Chicago Medical Center are among the most experienced professionals in the region, and have performed more than 1,650 liver transplants to date. We are also the only center in Illinois that can perform transplant procedures on both children and adults.
Our expertise has made us a world leader in complex multiple-organ transplant procedures. Our liver transplant experts have collaborated with other University of Chicago Medical Center specialists to successfully perform heart-liver and heart-liver-kidney transplants, completing more combined heart-liver-kidney transplants than any other medical center in the nation.
In addition to novel surgical techniques and procedures, specialists at the University of Chicago Medical Center have pioneered anti-rejection therapies that avoid the use of steroids, developed innovative liver cancer treatment protocols and laid the groundwork for ethical guidelines surrounding living donor transplantation. We also are the only Medical Center in the area taking part in the testing of a Liver Assist Device (LAD) that could offer patients a bridge to transplant — or possibly even a long-term solution. These are just a few of the ways we’re changing the lives of those in need of liver transplants all over the world.
» Learn more about our comprehensive liver transplant program.
There is no cure for the common cold, but what if a cold virus could be used to help fight other diseases? Physician-scientists at the University of Chicago Medical Center have discovered a way to use radiation to cause a particular gene to secrete a compound — tumor necrosis factor — that can stop tumor growth in pancreatic cancers. But getting the tumor necrosis factor to its target — the tumor — presented a challenge, until we found a way to bond the gene to a cold virus, allowing the gene to spread to all the right places. This new discovery could help physicians at the University of Chicago Medical Center’s gastrointestinal oncology program fight some of the most difficult cancers.
With world-renowned programs in both gastroenterology and cancer care, and a commitment to groundbreaking clinical research, the University of Chicago Medical Center is leading the way in the diagnosis, treatment and management of a wide variety of cancers of the digestive system. We treat patients with more common gastrointestinal cancers, including colon and rectal cancers, and less frequently occurring cancers, such as cancers of the pancreas, stomach and liver, as well as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).
Most gastrointestinal cancers are best treated with a combination of therapies, and patients who come to the University of Chicago Medical Center for gastrointestinal oncology benefit from the expertise of a team of specialists that take a multidisciplinary approach to care. Here, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other specialists work together to identify the optimal treatment strategy for each patient.
Through innovative, minimally invasive and organ-sparing surgical techniques, together with the latest in combined chemoradiation therapies, our doctors offer patients the highest chances of success against their disease, and the ability to maintain the highest quality of life. Our capabilities include:
The University of Chicago Medical Center is working to change the lives of those affected by gastrointestinal cancers all over the world.
» Learn more about our comprehensive gastrointestinal oncology program.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a devastating heart condition for which there is no known cure. But after studying the cells responsible for PH, physician-scientists at the University of Chicago Medical Center realized that they are strikingly similar in nature to cancer cells.
In both diseases, cells grow abnormally. In cancer, this causes the tumor to increase in size and spread throughout the body; in PH, the cell growth causes thickening in the arteries that supply the lungs, constricting breathing and blood flow.
Because cancer medications work to shrink the abnormal cell growth of tumors, our physician-scientists believed they could possibly slow the growth and thickening of pulmonary artery walls as well. This unconventional thinking led our physicians to begin looking for better treatment options for PH, giving new hope to patients suffering from this painful and debilitating heart condition.
At the University of Chicago Medical Center, our cardiology team is leading the way in the treatment of a full spectrum of heart diseases and conditions, including pulmonary hypertension. With access to the most advanced tools, technology and techniques — from the latest in diagnostic imaging with advanced 3D echo and 256-slice CT capabilities, to innovative drug and gene therapies, minimally invasive devices and a full range of surgical options — our cardiac care services are considered among the best in the region.
Our team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiac surgeons and critical care specialists have pioneered many of the cardiac imaging, treatment and surgery techniques used around the world. From developing innovative heart-healthy action plans for patients at risk for disease, to performing complex angioplasties and surgical procedures, including heart transplantation, we’re changing the lives of people with heart disease all over the world.
Lear more about our comprehensive cardiology services.
» Learn more about our Pulmonary Hypertension treatment discovery.
Bacteria have long been seen as something harmful to our bodies — tiny microorganisms that can cause illness and infectious diseases. But in recent years, physicians and scientists have discovered that bacteria can actually be beneficial to the human body. In fact, a study conducted by the University of Chicago Medical Center shows that bacteria might even be able to prevent illness and disease.
While studying Crohn’s disease and Colitis, two painful, life-altering gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, scientists at the University of Chicago Medical Center observed that patients without the presence of healthy bacteria in their GI tract were at a heightened risk to develop these diseases. Based on this finding, our team believes that a certain species of intestinal microflora could be used to prevent Crohn’s disease, Colitis and other GI disorders — a discovery that could revolutionize how GI diseases are treated.
At the University of Chicago Medical Center, the physician-scientists that make up our gastroenterology team are recognized worldwide for their ability to take what they learn in the lab and use it to advance patient care, pioneering novel treatments and procedures for patients with digestive and bowel diseases. Among other distinctions, our team was responsible for discovering the first gene that increases the risk of Crohn’s disease, and today conducts more than 20 clinical trials for IBD, in addition to the groundbreaking research into the causes and potential cures of Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease. This year, we will perform more than 9,000 colonoscopic procedures and conduct over 300 GI cancer trials.
The University of Chicago Medical Center features one of only 12 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported Digestive Disease Research Core Centers in the country, as well as a recently launched Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, where physicians from many disciplines work together to find new treatment options for these diseases.
The University of Chicago Medical Center is working to change the lives of those affected by gastrointestinal disorders all over the world. How can we change yours?
Learn more about our comprehensive gastroenterology program, which includes:
Bone marrow transplants are a proven way to treat leukemia. But in the past, they could only be performed if the donor and recipient had a 100% DNA match — something only biological siblings share. Because a bone marrow recipient’s body will reject any genetic material that does not match perfectly, parents were unable to act as donors for their children, as they only share 50% of their kids’ DNA.
Today, physician-scientists at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital are working to change that — with a pioneering new procedure that gives parents the ability to donate bone marrow to their children. By using the power of magnets to filter a parent’s DNA, extracting the matching genetic material needed for a transplant, the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital is giving kids suffering from leukemia new hope.
With the region’s most experienced physicians in bone marrow transplant from parent to child, and a pediatric oncology program that is closely linked with an adult program, the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital provides a level of expertise that is simply unparalleled.
Our physicians, surgeons, researchers and specialists bring the insight that comes from working with both children and adults, in our labs and in our hospitals, to everything they do. From groundbreaking transplant techniques and new drugs for resistant tumors, to assessing and managing long-term risk through our genetic testing and Childhood Cancer Survivor’s Program — we work every day to find new and better ways to help kids get well, so they can get back to being kids.
And as one of only two medical centers in the nation that have the capacity to conduct all three phases of clinical trials, we currently have more than 90 cancer research studies available to young patients — allowing us to integrate agenda-setting science into patient care in a way no other hospital can, and often giving patients access to new treatments and procedures years before other hospitals.
It’s how we’re changing the lives of families around the world.
At the University of Chicago Medical Center our surgeons perform a wide range of heart surgeries, from more common procedures like coronary bypass surgery and mitral valve repair, to complex heart remodeling to treat severe heart failure. This breadth of expertise means that our surgeons bring advanced skills to every surgical case -– using innovative techniques to make surgeries more effective, while reducing the risk for complications.
Our surgeons are committed to helping you understand your unique heart condition and options for treatment including:
We are dedicated to the pursuit of innovative treatments and procedures that save lives and provide options where once there were none. Because at the core of our clinical practice is a quest for discovery for new and better ways to care for our patients.
The University of Chicago Medical Center is working to change the lives of those affected by heart disease all over the world. How can we change yours?
The cardiothoracic surgeons at the University of Chicago Medical Center were among the first in the nation to perform minimally invasive heart surgery — a procedure that gives cardiac surgeons access to the heart through a small incision in the side of the chest. University of Chicago Medical Center heart surgeons have performed more minimally invasive procedures than any other medical center in Illinois. Every member of our cardiac surgery team has specialized expertise in minimally invasive techniques, making us one of only a few hospitals in the world that can offer the complete range of minimally invasive procedures for heart conditions.
Heart surgeons at the University of Chicago Medical Center are recognized leaders in the surgical treatment of heart failure. Here, our surgeons have pioneered many procedures for heart failure, and are developing innovative devices and new surgical techniques to treat the condition. Heart failure patients may need surgery to replace faulty heart valves, bypass narrowed arteries, or implant sophisticated devices to boost circulation. Because each case is different, our surgeons carefully select the best approach to treat the underlying problems that cause heart failure.
If you’ve been told your heart condition is inoperable, we may be able to help.
