A new study led by Andrew Emili, Ph.D., uncovers how small molecules within bacteria interact with proteins, revealing a network of molecular connections that could improve drug discovery and cancer research. “Our work in E. coli shows that small molecules interact dynamically with many proteins inside cells and change their behavior. In cancer cells, these interactions could be major drivers of tumor growth, proliferation and potentially even immune evasion,” he says.

Medscape shares insight for providers on managing conversations about weight gain and management. Jonathan Purnell, M.D., says, “Weight and obesity have such a strong current within our society of blame the victim, as well as self-blame by the victim, so it is a delicate one to bring up.”

Media outlets report on a new non-opioid pain reliever approved by the FDA — the first to be approved in more than two decades. Kimberly Mauer M.D., says, “The more options we have, the better we’re able to treat each and every patient … .[Insurance coverage] might limit some patients getting it, so we just have to kind of see, and it’s hard to tell until it kind of gets out on the market.”

Researchers at OHSU, the VA Portland Health Care System, the University of Washington and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System receive a $4 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense to study whether a thrashing form of sleep disorder that disproportionately affects military veterans leads to Parkinson’s disease. “Ultimately, we’re looking for a way to enhance the function of the glymphatic system during sleep,” says Miranda Lim, M.D., Ph.D. “The first step is to better understand the glymphatic system itself.”

Allison Lindauer Ph.D., speaks to OPB Think Out Loud about a new that estimates in the next three decades, around 42% of adults over the age of 55 will develop dementia. She says dementia is “very, very common. And not only is it common, there also continues to be a fair amount of stigma associated with it. As a society we need to bravely step forward and decide that this is a biological illness that we have to address. It’s not the fault of anybody or a reflection on how they live their lives; it’s a bad thing that happens to families.”

Axios covers research from Jonah Sacha, Ph.D., on a novel approach to influenza vaccination that could provide broad protection against multiple strains — including the H5N1 bird flu virus — without the yearly injection. The vaccine method Sacha and his team are working on stitches pieces of the influenza virus with a common herpes virus, which infects most people and produces mild or no symptoms but elicits a T cell response. “It persists at very low levels, and so those T cells that you make will always be out in the field operating and will target influenza as soon as it comes into the body,” he says.

Flavio Rocha, M.D., moderates a session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium on a new study suggesting older patients' survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer has a significant association with baseline vulnerabilities and quality-of-life factors. Rocha says, “As a surgeon, I frequently see more elderly patients, some of whom are frail and some who are not. It's very difficult for us to decide who is going to be the operative candidate from that standpoint.”

Riding Beyond, a program that aids breast cancer survivors with the help of horse therapy, receives a grant from the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute’s Community Partnership Program to build a reliable information and referral model for breast cancer survivors and thrivers to address common issues following the conclusion of medical treatment.

Texas Children’s News highlights a recent OHSU-led study published in Nature Communications that reveals the complex orchestration of neurons in the brain that turns raw noise — the compression of airwaves and pressure on the inner ear — into the ability to, for instance, understand speech, enjoy music and discern train whistles from car horns.

In a story from The New York Times about childhood vaccine schedules and why doctors recommend getting specific shots at specific times, Ben Hoffman, M.D., says babies should start receiving annual vaccines to protect against flu and COVID-19, both of which can be deadly for infants. He says, “I have seen families who have unfortunately missed opportunities to get vaccines, and those vaccines then can’t do the job of protecting their kid.”