Led by Greg Scherrer, PharmD, PhD, and Chong Chen, MD, PhD, at the UNC School of Medicine, research published in Nature reveals a new pain control pathway from the cortex to the cerebellum crucial to placebo analgesia – when the expectation of pain relief leads to pain alleviation without a therapeutic intervention, such as with a drug.

Researchers in the lab of Jenny Ting, PhD, the William Kenan Distinguished Professor of Genetics and professor of microbiology and immunology, have made numerous findings about how cell death from SARS-CoV-2 infection may directly influence disease progression.

Researchers in the lab of Jean Cook, PhD, chair and professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, have identified the cellular processes that occur when you take a cancer drug meant to stop rapid cell growth in tumors.

A research team led by Kathleen M. Caron, PhD, the Frederick L. Eldridge Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the UNC School of Medicine, has connected the dots between a small protein, the brain’s lymphatic system, and migraine pain.

Researchers in the lab of Ben Philpot, PhD, the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at the UNC School of Medicine and associate director of the UNC Neuroscience Center, have identified a small molecule that could lead to a safe and effective treatment for the neurodevelopmental condition known as Angelman syndrome.

This year’s match results show that only 91.8% of pediatric residency slots were successfully filled by programs compared to a higher percentage in years past. This ongoing outcome has many physicians in the field worried about the declining interest in pediatric subspecialties. Katherine Jordan, MD, and Priyanka Rao, MD, at the UNC School of Medicine wrote a JAMA perspective piece asking, “Where are all the pediatricians?”

After a thorough systematic analysis, Micheal Sandbank, PhD, at the UNC School of Medicine and other researchers across the United States found that evidence was lacking that higher intensity interventions provided increased benefits for young autistic children.

Christian Hendershot, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Clinical and Translational Addiction Research Program at the UNC School of Medicine, presented early findings from the first completed randomized controlled trial of semaglutide for reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers.

To raise awareness and assist couples with job searches, UNC-Chapel Hill researchers launched an evidence-based tool showing how research-intensive institutions rank in partner hiring – providing insights on where they may be excelling and where they may be deficient. Jill Fisher, PhD, professor of social medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, co-led the project.

This five-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is led by Toni Darville, MD, director of the UNC Children’s Research Institute, in collaboration with scientists at Vaxcyte, Inc. and the University of Chicago.

The UNC School of Medicine lab of Bryan Roth, MD, PhD, and colleagues at UCSF, Stanford and Harvard determined that a protein prediction technology can yield accurate results in the hunt to efficiently find the best possible drug candidates for many conditions.

The UNC School of Medicine lab of Zoe McElligott, PhD, and colleagues found that the animal tranquilizer xylazine activates opioid receptors in the brain, suggesting a reason why the treatment naloxone triggers a more severe withdrawal response when given to individuals on fentanyl/xylazine and suffering from respiratory depression.

Tag: Press Releases

Scientists Discover Brain Circuits for Placebo Effect Pain Relief

Study Reveals “Cell Death Cascade” in Airway Cells Infected with SARS-CoV-2

Researchers Learn How Cancer Cells Divide Despite Treatment

Study Suggests Lack of Lymphatic System Drainage in Brain Can Cause Migraine Pain

Researchers Identify Potential Treatment for Angelman Syndrome

Disinterest in Pediatric Care? Jordan and Rao Pen Perspective Piece on Pediatric Workforce Decline

New Study Suggests Higher Amounts of Intervention May Not Be More Helpful for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Clinical Trial on Semaglutide Shows Promise for Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder, Warrants Further Trials

Do Institutions Support Partner Hiring? A New Tool Ranks Universities

UNC School of Medicine Leads $9.3-Million Study to Create Chlamydia Vaccine

Researchers Wrestle with Accuracy of AI Technology Used to Create New Drug Candidates

Scientists Discover Surprising Details about Xylazine in Combination with Fentanyl