Missing crucial doses of medicines and vaccines could become a thing of the past thanks to Rice University bioengineers’ next-level technology for making time-released drugs. This is a huge problem in the treatment of chronic disease,” said Kevin McHugh, corresponding author of a study about the technology. “It’s estimated that 50% of people don’t take their medications correctly. With this, you’d give them one shot, and they’d be all set for the next couple of months.” When...

The GENCODE project showed that roughly 70% of the human genome is transcribed into RNA, including many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), defined as RNA molecules longer than 200 nucleotides that lack protein-coding potential. However, recent evidence suggests some lncRNAs may produce “hidden” proteins whose potential role in cancer remains unknown. To investigate this, researchers led by Yiwen Chen, Ph.D., used an integrative genomic strategy combining CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas....

Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, partly due to a tumor microenvironment that is highly resistant to immunotherapy. Data for nonmyelinating Schwann cells, which wrap around small neuronal axons to provide support and to promote new sprouting, suggests these cells may facilitate pancreatic tumor invasion into the nervous system. To further understand the role of these cells, researchers led by Liuqing Yang, Ph.D., and Chunru Lin, Ph.D., characterized the gene signature of tumor-associated nonmyelinating...

To determine the appropriate treatment approach for metastatic cancer, it is critical to identify a tumor’s primary site of origin. Specific biomarkers to assist with proper diagnosis could benefit clinicians and patients. PAX8 is commonly used to determine if a tumor is of gynecologic origin, but it also is highly expressed in other cancers such as thyroid and renal carcinomas, making it difficult to reliably diagnose tumors with ovarian and endometrial origin. To identify a...

According to Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Texas needs to establish a state research institute to tackle a growing brain health crisis – which will contribute to healthier and more productive communities. Brain diseases have profound impacts on public health, according to author Harris Eyre, fellow in brain health at the Baker Institute’s Center for Health and Biosciences. These diseases can cause tremendous pain and suffering for individuals of all ages and their...

With firearm injury now the leading cause of death in children and adolescents in the U.S., researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch are working to fully define the spectrum of fatal and non-fatal firearm injuries to guide efforts to address this public health crisis. A UTMB study found that nearly 5,000 children and adolescents were injured or killed by firearms every year from 2008 to 2019 – 1.4 times higher than what was...

Risk model-based lung cancer screening strategies, which select individuals based on personal risk, are more cost effective than current recommendations based solely on age and smoking history, according to a study led by the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network (CISNET) Lung Working Group, which includes researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The findings suggest that incorporating personal lung cancer risk models should be considered for future recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)....

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Replay announced the launch of Syena, a new oncology-focused product company pioneering T cell receptor (TCR) natural killer (NK) cell therapies. Building on the intellectual property and technology from MD Anderson and Replay, Syena has the potential to create the next generation of cell therapy, combining the safety, potency, and scalability of NK cells with the ability of TCRs to target intracellular tumor antigens. The new company’s TCR NK cell...

Patients with a disorder of the esophagus that makes swallowing difficult now have a local option for advanced endoscopic surgery that can provide relief. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital surgeon Aman Ali, M.D., recently performed the first-ever peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedure in Fort Bend County to treat a patient with achalasia, a disorder caused by nerve damage to the esophagus. People with achalasia have difficulty swallowing food and liquids and often will regurgitate undigested...

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is performing an advanced procedure that uses a tiny beam of high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light to remove plaque from patient arteries.   The procedure, called coronary atherectomy, is typically performed on patients with stents who still have plaque, or build-up of fatty deposits, in their arteries. Interventional cardiologists typically use a catheter outfitted with a diamond-coated drill to cut through these deposits inside the artery.   However, with new technology,...