UIC researchers have successfully repurposed an FDA-approved cancer drug, doxorubicin, to treat drug-resistant strains of herpes. Their work appears in the journal Drug Resistance Updates. 

Penn Engineers have redesigned a key component of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the delivery vehicles used in mRNA vaccines, to steer mRNA toward lymph nodes while reducing off-target accumulation in the liver. The modified “aroLNPs” delivered at least tenfold less mRNA to the liver than the lipid used in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, while preserving strong immune responses. The advance could enable more precise, lower-dose vaccines and expand the potential of mRNA therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease.

TCF3::HLF-positive B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a rare and highly aggressive childhood cancer that causes severe damage to bones through mechanisms that remain unclear. To tackle this gap, researchers from Japan have developed a new mouse model that closely mirrors the disease as seen in humans. With it, they uncovered an inflammatory feedback loop that accelerates leukemia growth and bone destruction, highlighting a potential therapeutic target to combat disease progression and protect bone health.

Ahead of Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29, new research links Agent Orange exposure to more aggressive bone marrow cancers, identifying genetic mutations tied to earlier diagnosis and faster progression—evidence that could strengthen the case for service-connected care for aging Vietnam veterans.

Microscopic sensors that are as thin as a strand of hair but capable of taking multiple measurements simultaneously could revolutionise the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases like cancer.