HJBR Sep/Oct 2020

28 SEP / OCT 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs BAM15 differs from the existing weight-man- agement medications, which largely work by reducing the amount of food a person eats or the calories their bodies absorb. BAM15 works by making the mitochondria, the power plants of the cell, less efficient. The result is that the mito- chondria burn more energy. Researchers believe BAM15 could be used to treat a number of health conditions including diabetes, fatty liver disease and some forms of cancer. In the new study, Pennington Biomedical sci- entists show for the first time, that mice given BAM15 are resistant to weight gain by burning more calories than their untreated counterparts. Other benefits of BAM15 include: • Reducing blood sugar and insulin levels, regardless of weight loss. • Improving sensitivity of skeletal muscle to the effects of insulin. Skeletal muscle insu- lin resistance is a primary risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. • Reducing fat accumulation overall by restricting fat from building up in the liver, kidney, and blood. Accumulating too much fat in one’s liver, kidneys, or blood can dam- age the organs and lead to heart disease. The study “BAM15 Mediated Mitochon- drial Uncoupling Protects Against Obesity and Improves Glycemic Control” was published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. IHFunds Research into Metabolic Basis of Disease A new National Institutes of Health grant estab- lished a Metabolic Basis of Disease Center at Pen- nington Biomedical, allowing young scientists to delve into the mechanisms of diabetes, pre- eclampsia, and anxiety-driven eating. “The grant provides Pennington Biomedical with the opportunity to establish a new research focus that will hopefully be a significant benefit for the state of Louisiana, which has a dispropor- tionately high incidence of metabolic diseases,” said Jacqueline Stephens, PhD, professor, center director and the primary investigator of this new five-year Center of Biomedical Research Excel- lence (COBRE) grant. “This grant is perfectly aligned with the research center’s mission and fully embraces the importance of understanding the basic mech- anisms that regulate metabolic health. This research is vital to helping solve the epidemic of obesity and its related illnesses,” said John Kir- wan, PhD, executive director. “The COBRE will provide for the development and training of the next generation of independent scientists.” The initial research projects include: • Research by Susan Burke, PhD, assistant professor of research at Pennington Bio- medical, will investigate lipid metabolism – how fats are broken down and burned – in the pancreas. The project will provide crit- ical insights into the contributions of pan- creatic lipid metabolism during aging and obesity. • Studies by Jenny Sones, DVM PhD, assistant professor of theriogenology in veterinary clinical sciences at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, will determine how reproductive fat tissue contributes to preeclampsia, a condition of dangerously high blood pres- sure that can occur during pregnancy.   • Research from the laboratory of Emily Qualls-Creekmore, PhD, assistant profes- sor and director, behavioral neurosciences, will seek to identify the neural circuit and molecular mechanisms that link metabolism and anxiety.  These studies may help in find- ing a new treatment for anxiety-associated eating disorders. Local Organizations Receive COVID-19 Recovery Grants Louisiana Healthcare Connections announced that six community-based organizations have been awarded funding through the health plan’s COVID-19 Recovery Grants Program. The COVID-19 Recovery Grants Pro- gram awards grants of up to $5,000 each to assist eligible organizations in implementing innova- tive solutions to address the social service and healthcare needs of those affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic. Organizations selected for funding awards include: • Avoyelles Council on Aging, in Marksville, La., for its meal program • CrescentCare, in New Orleans, La., for its Food for Friends program • Family Tree Information, Education & Counseling Center, in Lafayette, La., for its Healthy Start program • Iberia Homeless Shelter, in New Iberia, La., for its Iberia Emergency Shelter program • The Life of a Single Mom, in Baton Rouge, La., for its COVID-19 Relief Program • Union Christian Academy, in Farmerville, La., to purchase Chromebooks for distance learning programs The COVID-19 Recovery Grants Program con- tinues to accept funding proposals from non- profit, Louisiana-based organizations that serve the Medicaid population. Grant proposals are reviewed weekly. Proposals may be approved, declined, or held for consideration for later fund- ing. Organizations with approved proposals will receive grant funds within 30 days. Additional information about COVID-19 Recov- ery Grants Program as well as the formal RFP are available online at www.LouisianaHealthConnect. com/grants. Questions may be directed to Com- munityGrants@LouisianaHealthConnect.com . Behavioral Health Recovery Outreach Line Provides Support for Preventing Crises Louisianans on the verge of a crisis can always find a listening ear through the new Behavioral Health Recovery Outreach Line. By calling (833) 333-1132, individuals can find real-time sup- port to avoid, prevent, or intercept a crisis from occurring. The Office of Behavioral Health is implement- ing this pre-crisis phone line as one of its strate- gies to support the emotional health of Louisi- ana communities in coping with the stressors of COVID-19. This line offers recovery support facil- itated by trained specialists to assist healthcare professionals and persons in recovery from sub- stance use, mental health, serious mental illness, or co-occurring disorders. Trained specialists and clinicians are on call 24/7/365 in multiple languages to assist people through a caring qualified support provider when someone needs help before a crisis occurs. Calls received by specialists may range from some- one having a tough day, to a person who has self-identified the warning signs of mental or emotional changes, to relapse prevention and support.