New work from a UVA Engineering researcher could help physicians enlist the aid of our own specialized human cells to fight off or diagnose diseases such as cancer.

Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed PeptiVerse, an open-source AI platform that predicts key chemical and biological properties of peptides, including whether they are likely to dissolve, enter cells, avoid toxicity and last long enough in the body to have an effect. The platform could help researchers screen peptide drug candidates earlier and support generative AI systems for drug design.

AMHERST, Mass. — Bladder cancer, one of the 10 most common cancers, is notoriously difficult to treat, with up to 80% of patients experiencing a post-treatment recurrence. A common practice is to surgically remove the entire bladder, but this leaves the patient incontinent. Now, a research effort led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been awarded a five-year grant providing up to $3.45 million from the National Institutes of Health to develop a new way to prevent the cancer’s recurrence, without removing the organ or aggressive repeated treatments.    

Repeatedly losing and gaining weight may do more than frustrate dieters — it also accelerates muscle loss in middle-aged people, according to new UC San Francisco research that comes as weight-loss medications transform obesity treatment.