Cancer is a daunting healthcare challenge, and is still affecting millions worldwide, despite the enormous research resources that have been directed at finding effective treatments over the past decades. Many anti-cancer treatments remain poorly specific for the tumours they are intended to treat, and often suffer from modest efficacy and serious off-target effects. Part of the problem is the inherent variability between many tumours and their resulting unpredictable responses to standard chemotherapy. However, the latest advancements in precision oncology may be the start of a new paradigm, potentially providing targeted therapeutic payloads that can successfully address the specific and unique issues underlying a given patient’s cancer. Researchers such as Prof. Diana Jaalouk and her colleagues at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon are pioneering innovative tools that are changing the way we understand and treat this complex disease. Two remarkable recent technologies, CRISPR-Cas9 and PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (or PROTACs for short), are at the forefront of this precision revolution. While distinct in their approach, these tools share a common goal: targeting cancer with precision and minimizing harm to healthy cells. Together, they are set to reshape the therapeutic landscape.

In recent years, natural products such as kratom, which derives from a Southeast Asian tree called Mitragyna speciosa, and cannabidiol (or CBD) which derives from the Cannabis plant, have gained significant popularity for their potential to relieve anxiety, manage pain, and enhance mood. While both substances are often praised by users for their plant-based origins, and are often considered safer than synthetic pharmaceuticals as a result, the scientific community is working to uncover the complexities behind how these compounds interact, not just with the human body but with each other. After all, plant-based compounds are still active, and have the same potential for benefit and harm as any drug. People who use kratom are also more likely to use CBD, meaning that they could potentially experience a drug interaction if both substances are ingested around the same time. A recent study by Dr. Erin Berthold and her colleagues at the University of Florida sheds new light on the pharmacokinetic interactions between kratom and CBD, revealing findings that are both fascinating and important for public health.

We think of our brains as safe and secure within our skulls, and not easily influenced unless we consume a mind-altering substance, suffer a traumatic injury or undergo invasive brain surgery. However, recent research shows that our brain activity can be influenced non-invasively using nothing but sound and that this technique could have therapeutic potential. As a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley, Dr. Ben Sorum began to think about these types of question while in the Lab of Dr. Stephen G. Brohawn. Now, Dr. Sorum’s current research at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University explores how ultrasound, which can be non-invasively administered from outside the brain and through the skull, can activate specialized proteins in brain cells, changing their activity. The technique, if further developed, may play a key role in the future of neuromodulation, a field with enormous potential for treating neurological disorders.