Depression may be tied to subtle changes in the brain’s memory center, according to a new study from USC. Analyzing high-resolution brain scans from more than 2,000 cognitively healthy adults ages 50 to 90, researchers found that people with depression had smaller volume in a specific hippocampal subfield involved in memory retrieval and pattern separation. The association remained even after accounting for major Alzheimer’s disease risk factors, including amyloid and tau proteins and the APOE ε4 gene variant, suggesting that depression may affect hippocampal structure through pathways that are at least partly distinct from these well-known markers of dementia risk.

New collaborative research from multiple departments at VCU—including VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center—points to a specific multifunctional protein, MDA-9, as a significant driver of head and neck tumors and a mediator of drug resistance. The findings of this study suggest that a new small molecule inhibitor, IVMT-Rx-4, could open the door for enhanced targeted treatment options for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).