Robert Eil, M.D., is awarded a grant from the AACR-MPM Oncology Charitable Foundation Transformative Cancer Research Program to test the hypothesis that cancer cell death suppresses T-cell function through potassium (K+)-sensitive signal transduction

A cover story investigates the sudden bankruptcy of IVF financing firm IntegraMed and applauds OHSU for honoring the company’s financing packages to ensure patients are able to obtain care.

A feature story about the emergence of new coronavirus variants includes comment from Benjamin Bimber, Ph.D. He says: “The only way to [stop emergence of new variants] is to stop the spread of the virus…Every time the virus replicates, it’s an opportunity to mutate:”

OHSU Doernbecher and Nike announce a virtual installment of the annual Doernbecher Freestyle event to safely help raise funds for the children’s hospital despite the pandemic.

Mark Pennesi, M.D., Ph.D., is leading OHSU’s involvement in a Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating an experimental human retinal progenitor cell therapy as a potential treatment for the blindness-causing disorder retinitis pigmentosa.

A compound developed at OHSU appears to protect nerve fibers and the myelin that covers nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The discovery may could be useful for people who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis early in the disease’s progression.

A new study, conducted at OHSU, finds that the proportion of adults 40 to 59 years old who have polyps larger than 9mm on colonoscopy has increased in recent years. David Lieberman, M.D., says: “We have seen an increase in rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) before age 50, so it follows that there could also be an increase in rate of cancer precursor lesions such as polyps greater than 9mm.

OHSU will deploy three mobile testing vans to increase the availability of testing in communities lacking easy access.

A Portland Business Journal article discusses OHSU’s ramp up of scientific research following a brief closure due to the pandemic. Peter Barr-Gillespie, Ph.D., says: “There are significant number of projects that are paused indefinitely, but those research groups oftentimes can do something else under the guidelines we have. I don’t know of any labs that are in trouble because they can’t do any work whatsoever. Most labs have lots of irons in the fire and different areas they can pivot to and still get work done. Whether that’s a long-term strategy — well, it’s not.”

In a story about whether changing the time period between when people receive their first and second COVID vaccine shots could help end the pandemic faster, Mark Slifka, Ph.D., says: “Especially with these new mRNA vaccines, there isn’t enough information in human subjects about how durable the immune responses are between a primary vaccination and a boost. These aren’t traditional vaccines and so there is still a lot that we need to learn.”