NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

Schrödinger, a computational chemistry company, resists AI hype in drug discovery, emphasizing physics-based methods. CEO Ramy Farid highlights AI's limitations, using it selectively with curated datasets. Schrödinger's approach focuses on molecular interactions, differentiating it from AI-only methods. The company has a successful track record, including cofounded firms and an internal drug pipeline.

NIH received approval to reallocate $147 million to the RECOVER Initiative, adding to the $515 million announced earlier, totaling $662 million. This funding supports ongoing research, including clinical trials, observational studies, and pathobiology studies, aiming to understand and treat long COVID. RECOVER-TLC, a new program, will focus on clinical trials, engaging with patients and researchers. Additional pathobiology studies will examine biological mechanisms of long COVID, building on previous research.

Huntsman Cancer Institute joins myeloMATCH, a National Cancer Institute-sponsored program matching AML/MDS patients with trials based on genetic signatures, aiming to advance precision medicine. Patients undergo bone marrow biopsy for diagnosis and are assigned trials based on disease type and response to therapy, using groundbreaking technology to detect measurable residual disease (MRD).

Towana Looney received a gene-edited pig kidney transplant at NYU Langone Health, marking a breakthrough in xenotransplantation. The procedure, involving 10 gene edits, aims to address the organ supply crisis. Looney, who had been on dialysis for years, is now in better health and the first to receive such a kidney.

Substance use among adolescents remained low in 2024, continuing a trend since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by NIH, found stable or declining use of most drugs, with alcohol, nicotine vaping, and cannabis seeing the most reported use. Factors contributing to this trend are under investigation to inform future interventions.

UNC researchers, Bryan Roth and Grégory Scherrer, developed a gene therapy using chemogenetics to reduce pain in mouse models. The system, mHCAD, targets peripheral nervous system neurons, reducing pain perception. Delivery via adeno-associated virus could make this therapy a future treatment for chronic pain.

Huntsman Cancer Institute joins an innovative clinical trials program, myeloMATCH, to match AML and MDS patients with trials based on their genetic signature, aiming to improve precision medicine and personalized cancer care.

Alzheon's ALZ-801 showed a 29% reduction in p-tau181 levels after 6 months, indicating memory enhancement and disease-modifying effects in early Alzheimer's patients. A Phase 3 study is ongoing.

Rutgers Health researchers, funded by a $686,376 grant, study medical cannabis's therapeutic benefits, side effects, and risks, including cannabis use disorder (CUD). Previous research shows nearly 20% develop CUD after three months of use. Lead researcher Tammy Chung highlights gaps in understanding risks and guidelines for therapeutic vs. recreational use.