Cancer research in the US is world class because of its broad base of funding − with the government pulling out, its future is uncertain

Since 1971, the US has led the world in funding cancer research and developing new treatments that have driven down death rates. This may soon no longer be the case.

Jeffrey MacKeigan, Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University • conversation
April 28, 2025 • ~12 min

‘Pac-Man with a ponytail’ proteins regulate everything from night vision to heartbeats – studying what GRKs look like could improve an array of drugs

Master switches of cell communication, G protein-coupled receptor kinases are the target of many drugs across a range of diseases.

Priyanka Naik, Ph.D. Candidate in Structural Biology, Purdue University • conversation
March 7, 2025 • ~7 min

p53 is both your genome’s guardian and weakness against cancer – scientists are trying to repair or replace it when it goes awry

The gene that codes for p53 is the most frequently mutated in cancer. Researchers are targeting different parts of its complex pathway to restore its ability to stop cancer.

Prosper Obed Chukwuemeka, Ph.D. Candidate in Integrative Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
Feb. 20, 2025 • ~7 min

Will AI revolutionize drug development? Researchers explain why it depends on how it’s used

Researchers have applied AI to every step of the drug development process. But this might not be enough to design safe and effective drugs.

Christian Macedonia, Adjunct Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan • conversation
Jan. 3, 2025 • ~9 min

MicroRNA is the Nobel-winning master regulator of the genome – researchers are learning to treat disease by harnessing how it controls genes

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the 2024 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their discovery of microRNAs, molecules that turn genes on and off – and cause disease when they go awry.

Andrea Kasinski, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Purdue University • conversation
Oct. 7, 2024 • ~9 min

Drugs of the future will be easier and faster to make, thanks to mRNA – after researchers work out a few remaining kinks

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the promise of using mRNA as medicine. But before mRNA drugs can go beyond vaccines, researchers need to identify the right diseases to treat.

Li Li, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School • conversation
Jan. 4, 2024 • ~9 min

CRISPR and other new technologies open doors for drug development, but which diseases get prioritized? It comes down to money and science

Drug development takes a great deal of time, money and effort. While future profits play a big factor in which diseases gets prioritized, advocacy and research incentives can also tilt the scale.

C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut • conversation
Dec. 14, 2023 • ~10 min

MicroRNA is the master regulator of the genome − researchers are learning how to treat disease by harnessing the way it controls genes

When just one of the thousands of microRNAs in people go awry, it can cause diseases ranging from heart disease to cancer.

Andrea Kasinski, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Purdue University • conversation
Nov. 29, 2023 • ~9 min

Lab-grown meat techniques aren't new – cell cultures are common tools in science, but bringing them up to scale to meet society's demand for meat will require further development

Cell cultures are common tools in biology and drug development. Bringing them up to scale to meet the meat needs of societies will require further development.

André O. Hudson, Dean of the College of Science, Professor of Biochemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology • conversation
June 27, 2023 • ~6 min

Your body naturally produces opioids without causing addiction or overdose – studying how this process works could help reduce the side effects of opioid drugs

Unlike opioid drugs like morphine and fentanyl that travel throughout the body, the opioids your body produces are released in small quantities to specific locations.

John Michael Streicher, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, University of Arizona • conversation
May 30, 2023 • ~7 min

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