Clinician's Roundtable

What if a rare, progressive neuromuscular disease like thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) could not only be stabilized, but partially reversed? Based on findings from a pooled analysis of pediatric patients, pyrimidine nucleoside or nucleotide therapy reduced mortality risk up to 95%, with nearly 75% of patients regaining at least one motor milestone. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to explore these survival and functional outcomes is Dr. Caterina Garone, Associate Professor of Medical Genetics in the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna in Italy.

How fast does thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) progress without intervention? That’s the question explored by the largest dataset to date on untreated pediatric-onset TK2d, and the results reveal a median survival of just 2.6 years from symptom onset. Additionally, more than 80% lost at least one motor milestone, and many experienced escalating care needs, including ventilatory and feeding tube support. Here with Dr. Charles Turck to discuss the findings that highlight the urgent need for earlier diagnosis and intervention is Dr. Cristina Dominguez-Gonzalez, a physician in the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid.

From minimizing wrong-drug and dosing errors to easing cognitive burden in the OR, ready-to-administer (RTA) medications are enhancing both safety and efficiency in anesthesiology and perioperative care. Join Dr. Charles Turck and Dr. John Hertig as they explore key medication safety challenges, compare FDA-approved versus 503B compounded products, and share strategies for effectively integrating RTA medications into clinical workflows. Dr. Hertig is a member of both the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.

Caring for individuals with thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency can place extraordinary demands on families, yet caregiver experiences are often overlooked in clinical care. To shed light on this burden, a mixed-methods study explored the physical, emotional, and financial impacts on caregivers. Here with Dr. Charles Turck to share the findings and how we can better support these families is Dr. Philip Yeske, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Science and Alliance Officer.

Emerging research suggests that the effects of obesity extend beyond metabolism, reaching the brain in ways that may influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Tune in as Dr. Stephen Wong discusses how fat-derived vesicles act as molecular messengers, potentially linking systemic inflammation and lipid imbalance to neurodegenerative changes. Dr. Wong is the John S. Dunn Presidential Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering at Houston Methodist Hospital and Associate Director at Houston Methodist Cancer Center. He’s also a Professor of Radiology, Neurosciences, Pathology, and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

A cross-sectional study in Frontiers in Endocrinology assessed the triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index as a potential screening marker for prediabetes in children and adolescents with obesity. Hear from ReachMD's Ryan Quigley as he discusses the findings from this research and explores how the TyG index could provide an accessible tool for early risk stratification.

Emerging data reveal a troubling trend: individuals with higher body mass index are significantly less likely to receive routine cancer screenings, raising urgent concerns about care equity. Join Dr. Vance Albaugh, Assistant Professor of Metabolic Surgery at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana State University, as he dives into the findings from this analysis.

How often are ICU patients conscious during intubation despite paralysis? Hear from Dr. Yana Zemkova as she discusses new findings on the incidence of awareness with paralysis and the urgent need for improved monitoring in critical care. Dr. Zemkova is Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine specializing in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine at the University of Iowa, and she spoke about this topic at the 2025 CHEST Annual Meeting.

A large retrospective study across 38 endocrinology clinics in Turkey showed that liraglutide led to meaningful weight loss and metabolic improvements—even at slightly reduced doses. Hear from ReachMD's Ryan Quigley as he reviews recent real-world data on this GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Obesity impacts how the lungs function in a variety of ways, and understanding these impacts is essential for interpreting pulmonary function tests, identifying restrictive or obstructive patterns, and managing ventilation. Learn more with Dr. Sujith Cherian, who's an Associate Professor in the Divisions of Critical Care, Pulmonary, and Sleep Medicine at University of Texas Health-McGovern Medical School and the Director of Interventional Pulmonology and Pleural Diseases at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston. He also spoke about this topic at the 2025 CHEST Annual Meeting.