What happens when the relief of surviving brain cancer is accompanied by struggles to remember and concentrate, negatively impacting your quality of life? This is the unfortunate reality for many cancer survivors. But what if we could protect the brain from cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI)? Paving the way is a new study by UC Irvine researchers, including Munjal Acharya, An Do, Robert Krattli, and Andrea Tenner, along with Trent Woodruff of the University of Queensland. “We’ve identified a new, targeted way to protect the brain from the harmful side effects of cranial radiation therapy, a standard of care for brain cancers that often causes irreversible cognitive decline,” says Acharya. “This opens a realistic pathway to preserving quality of life for millions of brain cancer survivors currently facing this unmet medical need.” The findings appear in a paper published by the journal Cancer Research.

An international study conducted by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and the Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cooperative Group reveals that age-based classifications in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may be outdated and overly simplistic.

Vitamin B6, which is absorbed from a broad range of foods, helps bolster immune system function and neurotransmitters in the brain. But some patients with chronic conditions like diabetes might experience low concentrations of vitamin B6, leading to reduced mental and physical health function, with possible symptoms including irritability, depression, anemia, numbness or muscle twitching. Expensive blood draws are currently the only way to monitor B6 levels, but a team led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, the James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, has developed a new, non-invasive approach that could allow for continuous monitoring, even at home.  

An interdisciplinary team of University of Central Florida (UCF) researchers is creating a single low-cost test to detect HIV and Hepatitis B and C simultaneously, that may be used in resource-limited settings. The university recently was awarded a $537,619 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With quicker and more accessible results, the test has potential to save lives.