July 12, 2023
Page 5
Donors Needed to Prevent Blood Shortage
Red Cross,
Warner Bros.
Discovery
partnering to
encourage blood
donations
The American Red Cross
continues to see a concerning
trend – blood donations are
being sent to hospitals faster
than they are coming in. The
Red Cross has collected about
50,000 fewer blood donations
than needed over the last two
months. Donors are asked to
make an appointment to give
blood or platelets now to avoid
a looming blood shortage.
To help head off a more serious
situation, the Red Cross is team-
ing up with Warner Bros. Dis-
covery for the 35th anniversary
of Shark Week and the theatrical
release of Meg 2: The Trench.
Two Red Cross Donors. Photo courtesy of redcross.org
The public is encouraged to cel-
ebrate a summer of sharks and
help shore up the national blood
supply by giving in July.
In thanks for helping, the Red
Cross is offering several incen-
tives to donors who come out
to give blood or platelets in the
coming weeks. Additionally, in
response to the great need for
blood, those who hurry in to help
by coming to give July 1-16 will
receive a limited-time bonus $15
gift card by email to a merchant
of their choice.
• July 1-11: All who
come to give will get an exclu-
sive Red Cross dry bag, while
supplies last.
• July 12-Aug 12: Those
who come to give will be auto-
matically entered for a chance
to win a three-night New York
getaway for two with a private
shark dive adventure at Long
Island Aquarium.
• July 17-31: Presenting
donors will receive an offi-
cially licensed Shark Week
T-shirt, while supplies last.
Donors will also be automat-
ically entered for a chance to
win a three-night New York
getaway for two with a private
shark dive adventure at Long
Island Aquarium.
By scheduling and keeping
appointments in July, donors can
help provide for those in imme-
diate need of lifesaving care. To
schedule an appointment to do-
nate, download the Red Cross
Blood Donor App, visit Red-
CrossBlood.org or call 1-800-
RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
THC Use Linked to Fetal Development Changes
Researchers
Warn of Potential
Impacts on Brain
Development and
Long-term Health
By Nicole Rideout
Oregon Health & Science
University researchers showed
that consuming THC while preg-
nant could potentially affect de-
velopment of the fetus and lead
to life-long health impacts for
offspring. The preclinical study
was published today in the jour-
nal Clinical Epigenetics.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,
or THC, is the main psychoac-
tive ingredient in cannabis, a sub-
stance growing in popularity and
availability in the United States.
The prevalence of cannabis use in
pregnancy is also rapidly increas-
ing, especially during the first tri-
mester — a time when the fetus is
most vulnerable to environmental
exposures — to mitigate common
symptoms like morning sickness.
However, the potential effects of
prenatal cannabis use on fetal de-
velopment remain inconclusive,
in part due to a lack of safety data.
This study aimed to identify the
potential long-term health impacts
of THC use during pregnancy.
In a non-human primate model,
OHSU researchers found that ex-
posing a pregnant subject to THC
altered the placental and fetal epig-
enome —including the chemical
OHSU researchers in a preclinical study confirm consuming THC while pregnant could potentially
affect the development of the fetus and lead to life-long health impacts for offspring. (Getty Images)
modifications to DNA responsible
for gene regulation and expres-
sion, that is telling genes what,
where and when to do something.
Researchers also found that that
these changes to gene regulation
and expression are consistent with
those seen with many common
neurobehavioral conditions, in-
cluding autism spectrum disorder.
“Cannabis is one of the most
commonly used drugs and is wide-
ly available across the country, so
there is a common perception that
its completely safe to use,” said the
study’s lead author Lyndsey Sho-
rey-Kendrick, Ph.D., a computa-
tional biologist in the Division of
Neurosciences at OHSU’s Oregon
National Primate Research Cen-
ter, or ONPRC. “The reality is that
cannabis still carries many health
risks for certain populations, in-
cluding those who are pregnant. If
we’re able to better understand the
impacts, we can more effectively
communicate the risks to patients
and support safer habits during the
vulnerable prenatal period.”
In a model using nonhuman
primates, researchers adminis-
tered THC in a daily edible and
compared its effects to a group
receiving a placebo. Specifically,
researchers evaluated the epigen-
etic changes in several key areas
that indicate healthy prenatal de-
velopment: the placenta — the
disc of tissue that connects the
umbilical cord and uterus — and
fetal lung, brain and heart.
When looking at these areas,
analyses showed that THC ex-
posure altered the epigenome,
meaning a process in which the
information encoded in a gene is
turned into a function or observ-
able trait. Genes — the segments
which make up DNA — are all
specifically coded to contribute
to different functions of the body
and brain, so any impact on epi-
genetic processes due to drug ex-
posure is concerning, especially
during a critical developmental
window such as pregnancy.
Researchers found that sig-
nificant changes involved genes
associated with common neuro-
behavioral disorders, including
autism spectrum disorder and
attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. These conditions are
linked to adverse health out-
comes in childhood and adoles-
cence, including poorer memory
and verbal reasoning skills, and
increased hyperactivity, impul-
sivity and inattention.
The research team, which
includes Eliot Spindel, M.D.,
Ph.D., Elinor Sullivan, Ph.D.,
Owen McCarty, Ph.D., and Jason
Hedges, M.D., Ph.D., hopes find-
ings from this study will add to
the limited existing literature on
THC use during pregnancy, and
help guide patient counseling and
public health polices focused on
cannabis in the future.
“It’s not common practice for
providers to discuss cannabis
use with patients who are preg-
nant or trying to conceive,” said
the study’s corresponding au-
thor, Jamie Lo, M.D., M.C.R.,
associate professor of obstetrics
and gynecology (maternal-fe-
tal medicine), OHSU School of
Medicine, and Division of Re-
productive and Developmental
Sciences at the ONPRC. “I hope
our work can help open up a
broader dialogue about the risks
of cannabis use in the precon-
ception and prenatal period, so
we can improve children’s health
in the long run.”