UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Blocking opioid system with naloxone inhibited meditation-based pain relief in men, but increased it in women. Chronic pain sufferers experienced more relief than healthy participants. Study highlights need for sex-specific pain therapies to improve outcomes and reduce opioid reliance.

Sara Sjölund, diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018, found hope in an experimental treatment by Dr. Paul Mulholland, which uses ipilimumab immunotherapy to shrink tumors before surgery or further treatment. The treatment has significantly reduced Sara's tumor, and similar success has been seen in other patients like Ben Trotman and Professor Richard Scolyer. A full-scale trial is planned for next year, aiming to offer the drug early in diagnosis to potentially cure brain cancer.

EMBARK study's phase 3 findings show delandistrogene moxeparvovec (Elevdys) for DMD did not impact cardiac measures vs placebo over 52 weeks, maintaining a manageable safety profile. No relevant differences in cMRI left ventricular parameters or global circumferential strain were observed between gene therapy and placebo groups.

Rutgers professor Pham Tiep solves two long-standing mathematical problems, enhancing understanding of symmetries and random processes, with solutions published in prestigious journals.

Two UCF College of Medicine cancer researchers, Alicja Copik and Debbie Altomare, received $100,000 each from the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation to support their innovative breast cancer projects. Copik focuses on enhancing natural killer (NK) cells to fight cancer, while Altomare studies cellular pathways influencing cancer growth and immunity. This marks the first time two College of Medicine researchers have received the state cancer support in the same year.

Arizona's public universities are driving research into market solutions, supported by a new grant focusing on tech transfer in life sciences, biomedicine, and high-tech. The initiative aims to enhance economic growth and engagement among underrepresented groups through data collection and analysis, fostering entrepreneurship and job creation. Successful tech transfer examples include Gatorade, ASU's Mindset Medical, and NAU's BioMotum.

Concerns rise over H5N1 bird flu's potential to cause a pandemic, with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) being the primary drug for treatment. However, experts warn that the drug's effectiveness is limited, especially for standard-risk patients, and there is a lack of new treatments due to low profitability for drug companies. The risk of H5N1 evolving into a more virulent form remains, highlighting the need for better preparedness and incentives for antiviral development.

UF researchers developed a gene therapy for LCA1, improving vision in a trial. High-dose recipients saw a 10,000-fold increase in light sensitivity. The therapy showed minor side effects and is set for phase 3 trials. Atsena Therapeutics aims to commercialize the treatment.

USC's Keck School of Medicine launches a $2.7 million NIH-funded, multi-site study to understand how type 1 diabetes affects brain development in children, aiming to refine clinical guidelines and therapeutic approaches.

Families face complex decisions in DMD treatment, with FDA-approved exon-skipping therapies, AAV gene therapy, and ongoing trials. Byrne highlights the role of advocacy groups in education and the potential for combination treatments.