VA Research Wrap Up: New findings on suicide prevention, blast exposure, and cancer

VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published three News Briefs highlighting research finding on suicide prevention, blast exposure and a potential new lymphoma treatment.

Telehealth therapy shows promise in suicide prevention

VA Office of Suicide Prevention researchers showed that VA’s Suicide Prevention 2.0 Clinical Telehealth Program significantly improved Veterans’ coping, depression and self-efficacy, and that it reduced suicidal thoughts and hopelessness.

More than 2,700 Veterans received approximately nine sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (CBT-SP) via telehealth over a period of about three months. CBT-SP is an evidence-based treatment shown to be effective for suicide prevention, but it is not available at all VA sites due to a shortage of trained clinicians. The Suicide Prevention 2.0 Clinical Telehealth Program fills this gap by offering the therapy remotely. The findings suggest telehealth-based CBT-SP is a feasible and practical approach to reach more Veterans. View the full study from ‘Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.’

Low-level blast exposure may contribute to leaky gut

VA researchers from the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in New York learned that low-level blast exposure during mortar fire training is linked to changes in intestinal permeability biomarkers and cognitive symptoms, such as dizziness and concentration difficulties.

The researchers collected blood samples and physical and psychological test data from 22 service members before, during and after a 3-month mortar fire training period, along with nine service members not exposed to mortar fire as controls. They found exposure to low-level blasts during training significantly increased biomarkers of intestinal permeability, which can lead to undigested food particles, toxins and bacteria entering the bloodstream. Those with signs of intestinal permeability also demonstrated decreases in cognitive functioning. The researchers further found service members with a prior mild traumatic brain injury had increased intestinal permeability biomarker levels.

The findings suggest blast exposure can cause gut permeability and add to evidence that digestive tract functioning can affect cognitive function. View the full study from ‘Military Medicine.’

Natural compound has potential as lymphoma treatment

South Texas VA researchers demonstrated the dietary supplement alpha-ketoglutarate has potential as a treatment for B cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

When administered to mice, the compound—which occurs naturally in the body and has been used as a supplement to promote wound healing, healthy aging, and other benefits—caused a rapid and long-lasting decrease in the energy available to cancer cells. The compound did not cause any adverse health effects.

Cancer researchers have long believed targeting the cellular processes that drive cell growth and division could lead to a breakthrough in cancer treatment. The idea is to cut off the cancer cells’ energy supply to starve them. The supplement reduces cancer cells’ amino acids, depriving them of energy and the ability to grow, repair and replicate. While future research is necessary to move from animal models to humans, the findings open promising new possibilities for the prevention and treatment of lymphoma. View the full study from ‘Blood.’

For more Office of Research and Development updates, visit ORD online or go to https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/.