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April 22, 2025
AI-backed saliva test shows promise for flagging chemotherapy risk, early results indicate
Early results from a new study suggest that a simple saliva test with powerful artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms could help doctors identify cancer patients at high risk for severe side effects from a widely used chemotherapy drug.
The drug, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), has been in use since the 1950s, making it one of the oldest chemotherapy agents still used today. It remains a cornerstone of cancer treatment, used in nearly a third of chemotherapy treatments for colorectal, breast, head and neck, pancreatic, and stomach cancers.
5-FU disrupts how cells make and use DNA. Cancer cells divide rapidly and need to copy their DNA continuously. The drug mimics DNA building blocks and jams the process, halting cancer cell growth. But some patients carry genetic differences that prevent their bodies from breaking down the drug properly. In those cases, 5-FU can build up to toxic levels, causing serious and sometimes life-threatening complications.
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Molecular and Neurobiological Studies in Rett Syndrome and Other MECP2 Disorders , homeMay 1, 2025, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Huda Zoghbi, M.D., Professor, Pediatrics, Molecular and Human Genetics, Neuroscience, and Neurology; Director, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine; Member, National Academy of Medicine | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
Date: Apr 10, 2025 -
Creating a healthier future. For everyone.
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is one of the nation’s fastest-growing academic biomedical research enterprises and a destination for world-class researchers. The institute’s Virginia Tech scientists focus on diseases that are the leading causes of death and suffering in the United States, including brain disorders, heart disease, and cancer. Since its founding in 2010, the research institute has experienced unprecedented growth: doubling its enterprise and lab facilities in Roanoke, while also investing in brand-new laboratories on the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C.
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Research in Progress Seminar , homeApril 29, 2025, 4 to 5 p.m. | Alyssa Lyon | Spring Research in Progress Seminar Series
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Molecular and Neurobiological Studies in Rett Syndrome and Other MECP2 Disorders , homeMay 1, 2025, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Huda Zoghbi, M.D., Professor, Pediatrics, Molecular and Human Genetics, Neuroscience, and Neurology; Director, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine; Member, National Academy of Medicine | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture
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A Novel Bispecific Antibody to Target the Brain Tumor Microenvironment , homeMay 2, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Khuson Yun, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Chair, Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Cancer Research Center – Roanoke
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Dissertation Defense: Recovery Outcomes and Temporal Correlates in Individuals with Polysubstance Use , homeMay 6, 2025, 9:30 a.m. | Fatima Quddos | Graduate Student Dissertation Defense
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Virulence (Harmfulness) — A Matchless Web of Dynamic Interactions Between Microbes and Host Cells , homeMay 6, 2025, 5:30 p.m. (Reception and hors d'oeuvres at 5 p.m.) | John C. Alverdy, Sarah and Harold Lincoln Thompson Professor, Executive Vice Chair and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine | Timothy A. Johnson Medical Scholar Lecture Series
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Transformation of Information from the External World by Cortical Circuits During Learning , homeMay 9, 2025, 11:00 a.m. | Alison Barth, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University | Co-Sponsored by the Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
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Your generous support of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's rigorous biomedical research enterprise makes a difference for our faculty, students, and patients. Every donation helps accelerate the pace of new discoveries to help patients with cancer, neurological disorders, heart disease, and even rare genetic disorders. Private donations fast-track our progress.