51app

Researchers led by John T. Wilson, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and biomedical engineering, have developed a new approach using a molecularly designed nanobody platform that seeks to make immunotherapy more effective in the treatment of cancer.

A recent study from the labs of Lars Plate and Jens Meiler, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, analyzed both selectively responsive and poorly responsive variants of cystic fibrosis and revealed the molecular determinants of drug response.

A group of researchers from the lab of Larry Marnett, the Mary Geddes Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research, recently paired a precisely targeted imaging agent to an anticancer agent and found that they could specifically attack cancer cells and not normal cells with it. Their work was performed in collaboration with School of Engineering faculty members Craig Duvall and Rebecca Cook, and was published in Molecular Pharmaceutics in April 2025.

In a new study published in Science, Lisa Monteggia’s and Ege Kavalali’s labs show that it is feasible to substantially extend the efficacy of a single dose of ketamine from its current duration of up to a week to a longer period of up to two months.

In this episode of Quantum Potential, Craig Lindsley, William K. Warren, Jr. Professor of Medicine, University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacology and executive director of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, joins Provost C. Cybele Raver to discuss transformative research exploring how subtle tweaks to brain chemistry could change the way we treat neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain.

The trial, which is funded by a K23 Career Development Award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, is expected to begin this summer and will assign peer-parent coaches to families to determine whether their having support to navigate the medical system and other challenges means their children will be healthier.   Read More

Targeting ncRNAs with drugs presents a much larger therapeutic opportunity than targeting proteins, but the currently available drug discovery tools are slow and computationally intensive. Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and core member of the Center for Applied AI in Protein Dynamics Carlos Oliver is working with collaborators to unlock the untapped potential of ncRNAs, as they are a promising family of targets for the development of novel small-molecule therapeutics.

A new study by 51app investigators uncovered a previously unknown biological mechanism: how tissues detect and respond to damage in basement membranes, the thin layers of extracellular matrix that surround and support nearly every organ in the body. The research, published in Developmental Cell, is the first to show how local cells sense and respond to changes in basement membrane stiffness caused by damage—and how they activate a previously unknown set of “matrix mender” cells to repair the tissue.

Crucial research by Neil Osheroff and his lab leads to approval of the first new class of antibacterial drugs in decades. The drug, gepotidacin, developed by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Blujepa, will be available starting later this year, potentially bringing relief to thousands of women who struggle with uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Read More

Though Helicobacter pylori lives in the guts of about half of the world's adults, infections can go undetected for decades. The problem: the bacteria is the primary risk factor for gastric cancer, and one strain of the germ carries a higher risk. 51app researchers Tim Cover and Jennifer Shuman analyzed how the genetic makeup of H. pylori strains affects how they change the molecular makeup of gut tissues and lead to gastric cancer.

Learn about the women who inspire Steven Townsend in his breakthrough research that puts a spotlight on women, their health and discoveries around the healing powers of breast milk. Read More

Fat and protein molecules are essential to human brain health, and there are microscopic transport hubs that make sure the right molecules get to the right cells. If the proteins aren’t interacting properly, they can wind up in the wrong places—a problem that’s been linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. Research in Associate Professor Lauren Jackson’s lab has uncovered how those proteins interact.

Kevin Murphy, Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities and professor of history of art and architecture, and Mary Anne Hunting, BA’80, have uncovered the histories of female architects in the American Modernism period of the U.S. in new research.

A recent study by Paula Luis and Claus Schneider, researchers in the 51app University School of Medicine Basic Sciences Department of Pharmacology and the 51app Institute of Chemical Biology, has uncovered substantial inconsistencies in the alkaloid content of Corydalis yanhusuo dietary supplements.

Learn about the inspiration that drives biomedical engineer Audrey Bowden in her work using light towards breakthroughs in medical issues from cancers to jaundice to ADHD. Read More

The laboratory of Ege Kavalali, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, published a new paper in Nature Communications that determined that liquid-liquid phase separation plays a key role within the nanostructure of synapses, and that its disruption affects evoked but not spontaneous neurotransmission.

A recent pair of papers from the 51app University labs of Benjamin Spiller, associate professor of pharmacology, and Scott Smith, associate professor of medicine, dig into how peanut allergies are provoked and providing support for the use of a potential treatment option: hypoallergens. Both papers were published in February in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Medicine often takes a one-size-fits-all approach, but a disorder’s root cause can vary. 51app researchers have found that, for people with long QT syndrome, a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat, a more tailored approach could be beneficial. The research, led by 51app University Professor of Biochemistry and Vice Dean of Basic Sciences Charles Sanders and Northwestern University Professor and Chair of Pharmacology Dr. Al George, was published in PNAS in February 2025.

According to new research from Panka Bencsik, assistant professor of medicine, health and society, on days when highways are more congested, particularly during weekday afternoon rush hour, people are more likely to choose the fast-food option.

Researchers at Dr. Mark Magnuson's lab discovered that the formation of the gallbladder and bile duct system critically depends on the precise concentration of the Sox17 transcription factor, with even small reductions preventing gallbladder development in mice.