Katie Kokolus

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common type of malignant brain tumor, has a very high mortality rate, due in part to poor responses to chemotherapy. Treatment of GBM requires anti-cancer agents to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the biological membrane that protects the brain and other parts of the central nervous system from pathogens and toxins in the blood. While the BBB serves an important protective function, it also presents challenges to drug delivery.

The process of drug discovery encompasses a variety of methods, including experimental, computational, translational, and clinical. When successful, this process yields new, efficacious therapeutic approaches that benefit health and wellness. Part of drug discovery involves synthesizing and testing many compounds to determine which yields the most effective results. While we can complete the testing phase relatively quickly, synthesizing new molecules can take significantly longer.

An exciting new report in The Lancet describes a near-zero risk of mortality from cervical cancer in young women who receive the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The HPV vaccine has become an integral component of the public health strategies across many countries. As of February 2025, 148 countries associated with the World Health Organization (WHO) have included the HPV vaccine in their national immunization programs.