ONCOLOGY: Intersection of Cancer Pathways Mapped
The hyperactive activity of a little-known protein links two essential cellular processes that run rampant in many types of cancer. Two research teams in the labs of Wenyi Wei (right) and Pier Paolo Pandolfi converged on the oncoprotein from different directions and showed that it plays a central role in tumor growth, progression, and spread. The researchers hope the findings, published in the April Nature Cell Biology, will lead to more targeted combination therapies based on a cancer’s molecular signature.

MENTAL HEALTH: Survey Finds Iraqi Minds Resilient Despite War
In March, after resolving a couple of team-member kidnaps and clearing security hurdles, the Iraqi government finished the first ever national survey on mental health. The results revealed a sweet-and-sour story. Iraqis seem to be resilient in the face of violence and destruction, so mental health issues are not as prevalent as the researchers expected. But most of those who are suffering from a mental disorder are not getting adequate treatment. “There’s an enormous level of unmet need,” said Ronald Kessler, lead author of the study.

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING: Bacterial Viruses Boost Antibiotic Action
Researchers from HMS and BU, including first author Timothy Lu, have devised a new combined therapy that puts the punch back into defunct antibiotics. The therapy involves bacterial viruses engineered to knock down the defenses of bacterial cells, clearing the way for antibiotics to finish them off. Results, described March 2 in the online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that the combined therapy magnified the power of antibiotics manyfold.

Copyright 2009 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College