July 19 - Cancer discovery; dementia diagnosis tips
Section 1
A possum walks through a planter off Ring Road. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
A. Jane Bardwell, left, and Lee Bardwell, both from UCI’s Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, identified a protein that’s activated in tumor cells, which could lead to new therapies for deadly cancers.
Cancer protein discovery could lead to treatments
Better treatments for some of cancer’s deadliest forms could be closer thanks to a UCI-led discovery about how a certain protein is activated in tumor cells. The finding, spearheaded by researchers with the School of Biological Sciences, could lead to therapies for the especially dangerous melanoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, as well as the most common type of childhood brain cancer and adult skin cancer. A paper describing the project appears in Life Science Alliance.
How to get help if you suspect dementia or cognitive decline
If you think you or a loved one may be displaying more than the usual signs of forgetfulness, it may be time to consult a doctor. But what kind of physician is best able to evaluate your cognitive abilities? UCI Health neuropsychologist Hayley B. Kristinsson offers insights and tips.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
How long will a COVID infection protect you from reinfection?
The length of immunity conferred by a COVID-19 infection is shrinking, doctors say. But you are still unlikely to get reinfected with the same subvariant within a few weeks or months. So if you just had BA.5, you probably won’t get it again this summer, they say. But you could get a different subvariant.
Pandemic may have caused jump in antibiotic resistance
Drug-resistant infections and deaths rose during the pandemic, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The likely cause was the use of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients who had bacterial infections in their lungs as a complication from the coronavirus. The more antibiotics that get used against infections, the more people build a tolerance or resistance to them.
Cases are up, but this wave is different
Although hospitalizations are rising, patients are generally less sick, and intensive care units are less crowded than in previous waves, the Los Angeles Times reports. A Bay Area health official also sees hopeful signs, telling SFgate.com: “All the latest evidence reassures us that going forward, long COVID won’t be as significant to the long-term impact of pandemic as we thought it might be.”
UCI IN THE NEWS
Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
UC plans to expand enrollment with more online, summer programs and transfer students
EdSource, July 19
Cited: UCI
These maps show how alarmingly fast California is losing trees as climate warms
San Francisco Chronicle, July 18
Cited: Jon Wang, a postdoctoral researcher, and James Randerson, professor of Earth system science
New Home Kidney Test Uses Smartphone to Monitor Kidney Health
Healthline, July 18
Cited: Dr. Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, chief of the Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation at UCI Health
#UCICONNECTED
Professor Elizabeth Cauffman congratulates Isaac, left, and Andrew, the latest graduates of the Road to Reentry program in Orange County Jail. Photo by Mimi Ko Cruz/UCI
UCI-inspired jail programs add new graduates
Instead of caps and gowns, they wore orange jumpsuits. And the speakers at their “commencement” were sheriff’s officials. Isaac and Andrew recently became the latest graduates of Road to Reentry, an Orange County Jail program with strong UCI ties that aims to reduce recidivism. Elizabeth Cauffman, a professor of psychological science, helped design Road to Reentry and Orange County Young Adult Court, a similar initiative that graduated its 15th, 16th and 17th participants in June.
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