2023 Medicine and Science News

Structures of Parkinson’s disease-linked proteins offer a framework for understanding how they work together

12/21/2023

See how researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital used cryo-electron microscopy to solve structures of the LRRK2/Rab29 complex, showing potential routes for drug treatment against Parkinson’s disease
GPCR structure: Research reveals molecular origins of function for a key drug target

12/21/2023

St. Jude researcher Madan Babu with Brian Kobilka, Michel Bouvier, and Franziska Heidenreich probe the individual contribution of each amino acid in G-protein coupled receptor which binds adrenaline to expand understanding of top drug target
Unraveling predisposition in bilateral Wilms tumor

12/18/2023

Learn how scientists at St. Jude gained new understanding of the genomic events that predispose children to bilateral Wilms tumor, cancer in both kidneys.
Prediabetes treatment may reduce heart and kidney risks in childhood cancer survivors

12/13/2023

Childhood cancer survivors have a higher prevalence of prediabetes & diabetes than peers. Learn how treating these conditions may protect heart & kidney health.
James R. Downing, MD, recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People for the second consecutive year

12/02/2023

James R. Downing, MD, listed as one of 100 influential people in healthcare in 2023.
Modular chimeric cytokine receptors improve CAR T–cell therapy for solid tumors

11/30/2023

Adding a modular chimeric cytokine receptor to CAR T cells increased their efficacy. Learn how this modular system could improve brain and solid tumor therapy.
St. Jude revealed functional targets of oncogenic HOXA9 in high-risk pediatric leukemia

11/28/2023

St. Jude scientists identified 229 genes regulated by undruggable oncogenic HOXA9. Learn how it may lead to better treatments for high risk pediatric leukemias.
Promising target for CAR T Cells helps cancer trick the immune system

11/21/2023

GRP78 is a promising CAR T-cell immunotherapy target for brain and solid tumors. Discover why it’s special, including how cancer uses it to trick immune cells.
Robust chromatin map explains heterogeneity of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

11/20/2023

Find how mapping chromatin accessibility & regulation in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) subtypes may uncover therapy response heterogeneity cause.
St. Jude scientists identify T-cell differentiation nodes to improve cancer-killing

11/15/2023

Discover how T-cell differentiation nodes can be promoted or blocked to improve immunotherapy anticancer efficacy according to new T-cell exhaustion research.
Fusion oncoprotein forces cell fates toward rhabdomyosarcoma

11/15/2023

Fusion positive pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RBD) can come from non-muscle cells with a fusion oncoprotein. Find how the St. Jude discovery may change treatment.
‘Highly cited’ St. Jude scientists named to annual list

11/15/2023

Learn more about the St. Jude scientists who are among the most highly cited researchers in the world, a distinction that reflects the value of their work among other investigators.
Giles Robinson, M.D., named director of the Neuro-Oncology Division at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

11/07/2023

Dr. Robinson is now also co-leader of the Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program in the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Scientists reveal structures of neurotransmitter transporter

11/01/2023

See how researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital used cryo-electron microscopy to solve structures of a neurotransmitter (dopamine, serotonin) transporter VMAT2 responsible for packing vesicles in neurons for signaling.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, ALSAC announce new board leaders

10/16/2023

The boards of St. Jude and ALSAC have new chairs and vice-chairs who will oversee the bold commitments of the ongoing strategic plan.
3D genome architecture influences SCID-X1 gene therapy success

10/06/2023

Lentiviral gene therapy for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency disorder (SCID-X1) is safe. Discover how 3D DNA structure explains biology & safety.
Genetics help explain childhood cancer survivors’ mortality risk from a second cancer

10/02/2023

Childhood cancer survivors are at higher risk for second cancer & associated mortality. Find how genetic variants increase risk & can be used to protect health.
Predicting phase separation of cancer-causing fusion oncoproteins with machine learning

09/28/2023

See how machine learning was used to gain insight into condensation behavior and oncogenic mechanisms of fusion oncoproteins.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Unveils The Domino’s Village

09/27/2023

St. Jude partners with Domino's to build a six-story building for patients and families. The multimillion-dollar housing facility is part of Domino's 10-year commitment to St. Jude.
St. Jude refines definition and hones treatment of hyperdiploid leukemia

09/20/2023

Hyperdiploid B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia has evaded a consensus definition. Find the definitions that best correlated with better patient outcomes.
Specialized T cells in the brain slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease

09/07/2023

T cells can slow Alzheimer’s disease progression in a model system. Find how the neuro-immune study may be the future of neurodegenerative disease research.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital announces more than $50 million in funding for employee-generated transformational projects

08/30/2023

St. Jude has announced funding for employee-generated ideas. Find out about the approved projects
St. Jude shows cancer resistance protein can have its cake and eat it too

08/18/2023

See how one protein responsible for chemotherapy resistance functions and how we can prevent future drug resistance to improve treatment
Immune cells present long before infection predict flu symptoms

08/17/2023

Who will get sick from influenza infection has long been a mystery. Learn how immune cells may predict susceptibility to symptoms long before flu infection.
St. Jude names Sarah Currie chief nursing executive and senior vice president

08/07/2023

Award-winning NICU expert spent 21 years at Children’s Wisconsin, 4 years as executive director of perinatal/ neonatal services.
Mutation accessibility fuels influenza evolution

07/28/2023

See how a new model developed by St. Jude scientists looking at influenza evolution can predict future virus mutations.
Jinghui Zhang, PhD, elected Fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology

07/27/2023

Zhang is one of 15 other scientists being honored by ISCB in 2023.
Pediatric Early Warning Systems save lives in Latin American hospitals

07/08/2023

Learn how Pediatric Early Warning Systems save the lives of children with cancer in Latin America by identifying early when they are in need of supportive care.
Pediatric hepatoblastoma model hints at DNA damage repair pathway for novel therapeutics

07/07/2023

See how creating a new research model to study hepatoblastoma (liver cancer) gave St. Jude scientists clues into potential therapeutic targets
Immune and tumor cell “tug-of-war” controls anti-cancer activity

07/05/2023

Cancer cells & the immune cells that activate the anti-cancer response compete over the nutrient glutamine. Discover how it may improve cancer therapies.
Base editing shows potential superiority for curing sickle cell disease

07/03/2023

Adenosine base editing restarted fetal hemoglobin expression in cells from patients with sickle cell disease. Find how St. Jude & Broad are advancing to a cure.
St. Jude in top five of elite ranking of hospitals treating children with cancer

06/21/2023

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals for Cancer rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists.
Biostatistician Deo Kumar Srivastava, Ph.D., named ASA fellow

06/20/2023

He is being recognized by the American Statistical Association for his leadership role in numerous St. Jude survivorship studies.
Victor J. Torres, Ph.D., named chair of newly formed Department of Host-Microbe Interactions at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

06/12/2023

Dr. Victor J. Torres is leading a newly-formed department called the St. Jude Department of Host-Microbe Interactions, which will focus on treating and preventing disease-causing infections in children.
Damon Runyon launches new pediatric cancer fellowship in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

06/08/2023

$9 million initiative addresses shortage of top young scientists entering pediatric cancer research careers.
St. Jude finds NLRP12 as a new drug target for infection, inflammation and hemolytic diseases

06/01/2023

NLRP12 bridges hemolysis, inflammation and multi-organ damage. Learn how this ‘on’ switch for innate immune cell death could be a drug target to prevent pathology.
Genetic change increased bird flu severity during U.S. spread

05/30/2023

Find how H5N1 avian influenza viruses increased disease-causing abilities & gained the capability to enter mammalian brains as they spread west across North America.
SWI/SNF complexes “bookmark” cell identity during division

05/24/2023

Read about how Scientists at St. Jude determined how the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex helps cancer cells remember how to be cancerous after division.
Epigenetic landscape modulates pioneer transcription factor binding

05/24/2023

St. Jude scientists are studying how pioneer transcription factors access tightly wound DNA. Learn about how their findings may impact therapeutic development.
Capturing transporter structure paves the way for drug development

05/23/2023

Learn how St. Jude scientists captured six new structures of the Spns2 transporter, providing insights to aid therapeutic design for cancer and other diseases.
St. Jude scientist M. Madan Babu elected to the Royal Society of London

05/10/2023

Director of the St. Jude Center of Excellence for Data-Driven Discovery named a fellow of the 360-year-old British scientific organization.
St. Jude tool gets more out of multi-omics data

05/04/2023

NetBID2 finds hidden drivers by extracting more from multi-omics data. Learn how the computational tool can find druggable targets in cancer and other diseases.
Study shines light on impact of environment on neurocognitive outcomes

04/28/2023

Find how the neighborhood economic hardship index predicts baseline and long-term outcomes in pediatric brain tumor patients treated with radiation therapy.
Clinical trial improves neurocognitive outcomes for childhood craniopharyngioma

04/18/2023

Proton therapy for craniopharyngioma had better neurocognitive than & similar survival outcomes as historical photon therapy. Read the phase 2 clinical trial.
Prime editing shows proof of concept for treating sickle cell disease

04/17/2023

Genomic prime editing, a new DNA-changing technology, fixed sickle cell disease mutations in patient cells. Learn how it could lead to cure for genetic anemias.
St. Jude scientists to receive coveted awards at AACR annual meeting

04/11/2023

Two St. Jude investigators will receive awards at the 2023 AACR meeting. Learn about their careers & the science they & their St. Jude peers will be sharing.
Combination therapy overcomes BET inhibitor resistance

04/10/2023

St. Jude scientists found that combination of BET and GSK3 inhibitors can overcome treatment resistance in a type of childhood leukemia. Read about the study.
Healthy lifestyle associated with reduced mortality risk in childhood cancer survivors

04/05/2023

A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) provides strong evidence of the importance of a healthy lifestyle for adults who were treated for cancer as children
Humans vs. Bacteria: Differences in Ribosome Decoding Revealed

04/05/2023

St. Jude scientists found that human ribosomes decode mRNA slower but more accurately than bacteria. Read about the study’s implications for drug development.
St. Jude tool targets cancer-causing fusions’ weak spot

04/05/2023

Learn how St. Jude research cataloguing the oncogenic fusions in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) could lead to cures using genome editing (CRISPR-Cas9).
Greg Armstrong, M.D., MSCE, named Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

04/04/2023

National leader in the field of childhood cancer survivorship will spearhead research and advancements.
Method for improving seasonal flu vaccines also aids pandemic prediction

03/29/2023

Influenza (flu) vaccines and pandemic predictions can be improved; learn how St. Jude scientists found impactful hemagglutinin mutations contributing to both.
Integrated structural biology provides new clues for cystic fibrosis treatment

03/22/2023

Learn about how the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator works and how findings from St. Jude will help therapeutic development.
Kevin Krull, Ph.D., promoted to chair of the Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences

02/28/2023

The renamed department will investigate the biological mechanisms underlying the effects of catastrophic disease on the brain.
St. Jude approach prevents drug resistance and toxicity

02/27/2023

Explore how St. Jude scientists overcame drug resistance and drug toxicity, using X-ray crystallography to avoid the detoxification pregnane X receptor (PXR).
Octavio Ramilo, M.D., named chair of the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

02/16/2023

Internationally renowned expert will focus on growing St. Jude into a global leader in infectious diseases research.
St. Jude expands patient education resource on childhood cancer

02/15/2023

This free online resource of information and education for families facing childhood and adolescent cancer has a truly global reach.
A molecular ticket to ride: St. Jude scientists capture the cellular train that enables transport in cilia

02/13/2023

Find out how Scientists at St. Jude solved the 3D structure of a cellular train in cilia, IFT-A, at nearly ten times the resolution of previous efforts.
Access matters: lack of resources is associated with increased mortality in childhood cancer survivors

02/10/2023

Find how increased mortality in childhood cancer survivors is independently associated with local resource deprivation and certain chronic health conditions.
Detect minor clones in blood cells: St. Jude looks deep to find source of accelerated aging in childhood cancer survivors

02/08/2023

Explore how deep sequencing childhood cancer survivors found the mutational fingerprint of a toxic chemotherapy associated with a marker of accelerated aging.
St. Jude scientists create more efficient CAR immunotherapies using a molecular anchor

02/02/2023

Discover how chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) with a new anchor domain increased anti-cancer activity of cellular immunotherapies in cancer models.
Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti, Ph.D. named 2022 AAAS Fellow

01/31/2023

Immunologist recognized for her achievements in innate immunity, developing new concepts in inflammasome biology, inflammatory cell death.
Catherine Corbin named chief business innovation officer at St. Jude

01/30/2023

Expert in human-centered design to lead new St. Jude department focused on advancing strategic plan.
St. Jude names leading researcher as new chair of oncology department

01/26/2023

Julie R. Park, M.D., to succeed longtime chair Ching-Hon Pui, M.D.
Pioneering approach advances study of CTCF protein in transcription biology

01/25/2023

Scientists at St. Jude used an innovative degradation system on CTCF, learning more about this protein’s role in transcription. Read about the findings.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital unveils 45,000-square-foot Family Commons

01/23/2023

Made possible by a $50 million donation from AbbVie, Family Commons is a space for patients and their families to relax and gather in between clinic appointments.
Structural insights reveal how SPOP protein contributes to cancer

01/23/2023

St. Jude scientists have captured the 3D structure of the SPOP protein, revealing how it contributes to cancer. Read about the implications for therapeutics.
Pharmacotyping of childhood leukemia provides a blueprint for ‘true precision medicine’

01/05/2023

St. Jude scientists performed the largest study yet examining drug sensitivity in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia across genomic subtypes and its association with treatment response.

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