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Scientists from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new method to bioprint miniature tumor organoids that are designed to mimic the function and architecture of real tumors. The improved process allows researchers to use an advanced imaging method to study and analyze individual organoids in great detail, which can help researchers identify personalized treatments for people with rare or hard-to-treat cancers.

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In an international study co-led by UCLA, scientists have shown that a new targeted therapy drug can extend the amount of time people with a subtype of glioma are on treatment without their cancer worsening. The finding suggests a possible new treatment option for people with the slow-growing but deadly brain tumor.

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A study involving UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers found when ribociclib, a targeted therapy drug, is added to hormone therapy there are significant survival benefits for patients with early hormone-receptor (HR) positive/HER2 negative breast cancer.

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A brief roundup of news and story ideas from the experts at UCLA Health. For more information on these stories or for help on other stories, please contact us at [email protected].

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This study provides provides the first physiological evidence from inside the human brain supporting the dominant scientific theory on how the brain consolidates memory during sleep. Further, deep-brain stimulation during a critical time in the sleep cycle appeared to improve memory consolidation.

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New UCLA-led research suggests that patient mortality rates, readmissions, length of stay, and health care spending were virtually identical for elderly hospitalized patients who were treated by physicians with Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degrees.

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The discovery suggests that one possible approach to treat glioblastoma would be a therapy that targets the metabolic process in patients who have that genetic alteration.

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The commonly used U.S version of the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) should not be routinely used to select younger postmenopausal women for bone mineral density testing. But the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool (OST) is excellent at identifying women with osteoporosis-level bone mineral density, which is the goal of these screenings, while FRAX is not.

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Physicians and scientists from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center will discuss the latest research and clinical trial results on combination therapies for breast cancer, a potential new treatment for patients with recurrent glioma, and advances in PSMA PET guided radiotherapy for patients with prostate cancer, among other topics, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting.

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Polygenic scores – estimates of an individual’s predisposition for complex traits and diseases – hold promise for identifying patients at risk of disease and guiding early, personalized treatments, but UCLA experts found the scores fail to account for the wide range of genetic diversity across individuals in all ancestries.

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Through a novel pairing of epidemiology and toxicity screening, UCLA and Harvard researchers were able to identify 10 pesticides that were directly toxic to key neurons.

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A study led by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests that IL-21, a soluble molecule involved in activating the immune system, can be a potential therapeutic target to help reduce endocrine autoimmune side effects caused by checkpoint inhibitor cancer therapy.

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The anti-dementia medication lecanemab and its ancillary costs could add $2 billion to $5 billion in annual Medicare spending if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revise their coverage decision. Currently, the medication is covered only for patients who are enrolled in clinical trials.

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UCLA researchers have developed an “all-in-one,” next-generation statistical simulator capable of assimilating a wide range of information to generate realistic synthetic data and provide a benchmarking tool for medical and biological researchers who use advanced technologies to study diseases and potential therapies.

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Researchers have developed a zebrafish model that provides new insight into how the brain acquires essential omega-3 fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and linolenic acid (ALA), creating the potential to improve understanding of lipid transport across the blood-brain barrier.

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A sharp increase in the price of the gout drug colchicine, the result of an unusual FDA policy, led to lower use and poorer disease control. The findings have implications for other drugs, whose price could be similarly affected by government policies and manufacturer decisions.

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People who perceived that they had cognitive difficulties such as memory problems during COVID were more likely to have lingering physical manifestations of the disease than people who did not report cognitive issues.

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Ten nurses from UCLA Health are among 30 honored by the Simms/Mann Family Foundation in a generous program to recognize the mettle of nurses in Los Angeles. The program, Off the Chart: Rewarding Nursing Greatness, Powered by the Simms/Mann Family Foundation, recognized 30 nurses working at three medical centers in the region.

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The California Center for Rare Diseases at UCLA has been designated as a NORD Rare Disease Center of Excellence, becoming one of 40 U.S. academic medical centers selected to be a part of the first-of-it-kind national network of U.S. medical institutions dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and researching all rare diseases.

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Physicians and scientists from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA will be joining thousands of urology experts on April 28 to May 1 for the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting.

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In a new translational study from UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, researchers analyzed genetic changes in the organs of recently deceased patients to understand how metastatic cutaneous melanoma spreads in those who had initially benefited from precision therapies.

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Physician scientists from the UCLA Department of Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA will present on the latest scientific advancements at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting April 27-May 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

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UCLA Health investigators are leading a new, six-city trial of injectable buprenorphine for treatment of methamphetamine use disorder in adults who also use opioids.

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New UCLA research suggests that a novel machine-learning technique known as "causal forest" was about five times more efficient than the current clinical practice of treating patients with high blood pressure.

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A type of cell usually characterized as the brain’s support system appears to play an important role in OCD, providing a surprising new clue about potential therapeutic strategies for the disorder.

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Research led by scientists at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that responses to a type of immunotherapy called PD-1 checkpoint blockade in patients with advanced melanoma depended on whether or not they had previously received another immunotherapy – CTLA-4 blockade – as well as other factors.

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A new study from UCLA researchers finds sex-specific brain signals that appear to confirm that different drivers lead men and women to develop obesity.

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Pregnant women whose household tap water had higher levels of lithium had a moderately higher risk of their offspring being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics.

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Overdose mortality among people age 65 and older quadrupled over 20 years, suggesting the need for greater mental health and substance use disorder policies addressed at curbing the trend.

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New UCLA research in mice suggests that “dormant” cone photoreceptors in the degenerating retina are not dormant at all, but continue to function, producing responses to light and driving retinal activity for vision.

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MitoQ, a mitochondrial antioxidant that is available to the public as a diet supplement, was found in a mouse study to reverse the detrimental effects that HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) have on mitochondria in the brain, heart, aorta, lungs, kidney and liver.

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Below is a brief roundup of news and story ideas from the experts at UCLA Health. For more information on these stories or for help on other stories, please contact us at [email protected].

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A UCLA-led team has developed an inexpensive, universal oral COVID-19 vaccine that prevented severe respiratory illness and weight loss when tested in hamsters, which are naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. It proved as effective as vaccines administered by injection or intranasally in the research. If ultimately approved for human use, it could be a weapon against all COVID-19 variants and boost uptake, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and among those with an aversion to needles.

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Researchers may have found why viral infections hit males more severely than females. They found that female mouse and human NK cells have an extra copy of an X chromosome-linked gene called UTX. UTX acts as an epigenetic regulator to boost NK cell anti-viral function, while repressing NK cell numbers.

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A new study represents a first step towards generating highly detailed 3-dimensional maps of lung tumors using genetically engineered mouse models.

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Sleeping fewer than six hours per night around the time of vaccination was associated with a robust decrease in antibody response, researchers found.

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For the first time, a research team has identified and analyzed the steps by which immune cells “see” and respond to cancer cells, providing insights into reasons some treatments may be effective for certain patients but not others.

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Older Black men have a higher chance of dying within 30 days of surgery than do Black women and white men and women – with their odds of death 50% higher after elective surgery compared with white men.

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The UCLA Health Homeless Healthcare Collaborative has received a $25.3 million, two-year state grant to expand access and enhance coordination of medical and behavioral health care provided to people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

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Today, the WORLD Policy Analysis Center (WORLD) at UCLA, launched “Equality within Our Lifetimes,” the most comprehensive analysis to date of laws and policies related to gender equality in all 193 U.N. member states. While the U.S. performs well in some areas, it has become even more of an outlier when it comes to care.

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Patients with higher levels of a key molecule involved in the formation of new blood vessels were more likely to have cognitive impairment or evidence of brain injury, a consortium of academic medical centers reported.

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UCLA Health tip sheet: A brief roundup of news and story ideas from the experts at UCLA Health.

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A $20 million gift from Andrea and Donald Goodman and Renee and Meyer Luskin will fund a new center at UCLA focused on the microbiome and its effect on health.

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Smoking tobacco and vaping electronic cigarettes may increase healthy young people’s risk for developing severe COVID illness.

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Many patients don’t receive much rehabilitation therapy following a stroke, despite strong evidence that higher amounts can reduce long-term disability, a large new multi-site study found.

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A UCLA-led study provides the first scientific evidence that brick and mortar pharmacies in Northern Mexican tourist towns are selling counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. These pills are sold mainly to US tourists, and are often passed off as controlled substances such as Oxycodone, Percocet, and Adderall.