IRP Discoveries

Leveraging AI To Combat Cervical Cancer

IRP Researcher Identifies Precise Disease Biomarkers

doctor holding an electronic tablet

Over the last few decades, advances in cervical cancer screening and prevention have fundamentally changed the approach to dealing with one of the most common forms of cancer in younger women. While doctors have been able to detect cancerous and pre-cancerous cells with a Pap smear since the 1940s, the more recent discovery that the human papillomavirus (HPV) causes more than 90 percent of cervical cancers now affords greater accuracy to regular screening tests. What’s more, IRP researchers truly changed the game by developing a vaccine against HPV, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006. 

Still, despite these extremely positive developments, much work remains to be done, as cervical cancer continues to kill about 4,000 American women each year. In honor of World Cervical Cancer Awareness Month this January, we spoke with IRP Senior Investigator Nicolas Wentzensen, M.D., Ph.D., about his efforts to bring that number as close to zero as possible.

Heavy Drinking Linked to Smell and Taste Alterations

IRP Research Utilizes National Study’s Data to Explore Under-Examined Phenomenon

woman tasting soup

From the spicy Bloody Mary and sweet piña colada to salty margaritas and bitter cheap beers, alcoholic drinks span the entire spectrum of tastes. It’s not a far leap, then, to think that the sense of taste can influence alcohol consumption habits, and vice-versa. A recent IRP study dove into this question, ultimately discovering a number of ways that smell and taste perception differ in people with high-risk drinking habits.

Tracking Sickle Cell Symptoms With Infrared Light

New IRP Study Supports Non-Invasive Way to Gauge Blood Vessel Health

infrared lamp

Nobody likes being jabbed with a needle for blood tests, but for people with sickle cell disease, it’s a necessary and frequent annoyance to make sure their condition is under control. However, blood tests may become less needed in the future for those patients thanks to new IRP research that has identified ways to measure certain health metrics using non-invasive, light-based technologies.

Antiviral Drug Stems the Spread of Parkinson’s-Promoting Protein

Study Shows Promise of New Treatment Approach in 3D Brain ‘Organoid’ Model

older man having difficulty eating soup

Our cells’ survival depends on their ability to take in the nutrients and other substances that they require. Unfortunately, this capacity is a double-edged sword, as cells can bring in both valuable resources and ticking time bombs. However, IRP researchers recently identified an existing drug that may be able to combat Parkinson’s disease by reducing cells’ penchant for snatching up the toxic proteins involved in Parkinson’s disease.

Attacking HIV At Its Core

IRP Researchers are Developing Vaccines Targeting the ‘Achilles Heel’ of a Wiley Infectious Threat

DNA molecule surrounded by viruses

In the 40 years since HIV, the virus behind AIDS, was first definitively identified, treatments have changed the disease from a sure death to a long-term chronic illness. Yet, as we passed the 36th annual commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1, it remains a dangerous health threat. Consequently, many researchers are attempting to develop vaccines to prevent or treat HIV, including IRP senior investigator Barbara K. Felber, Ph.D. Dr. Felber has been pursuing an effective vaccine since the discovery of HIV in the early 1980s using a unique approach that is not only making headway toward that important goal, but also offering insights into other infectious diseases, as well as cancer immunotherapy.

COVID-19 Causes Persistent Protein Perturbations

New IRP Research Hints at Possible Culprits Behind Long-COVID

transparent human body combating COVID infection

Nearly five years after COVID-19 first raged across the United States, most people have some immunity to the disease through vaccination or a prior infection. However, COVID not only remains a continued threat to vulnerable individuals, but also has saddled some patients with lasting symptoms. New IRP research provides a starting point for better understanding that ‘long-COVID’ phenomenon by identifying an array of substances in the blood whose levels are abnormal months after people catch the illness.

Rooting Out Genetic Risks for Gum Disease

IRP’s Oral Health Experts Explore Why It’s Not Always About Brushing and Flossing

illustration of inflammation in the gums

When you dig into that bowl of candy this Halloween, you may want to keep in mind that those sweets are not only fueling your sweet tooth, but also an army of creepy crawlies living in your mouth, busily forming a sticky film of plaque and attacking your gums.

As Dental Hygiene Month comes to a close this October, we spoke with IRP Clinical Research Specialist Laurie Brenchley, R.D.H., a dental hygienist and clinical study coordinator in the laboratory of IRP senior investigator Niki Moutsopoulos, D.D.S., Ph.D. Together, Brenchley and Dr. Moutsopoulos are studying the link between oral health and the immune system, with a specific focus on cases in which genetic factors increase susceptibility to severe gum disease, more formally known as periodontitis.

Moms’ Microbes May Influence Babies’ Future Health

IRP Mouse Study Suggests Intervention Might Reduce Health Problems Associated with C-Section Births

mother holding her baby

Every kid’s first gift from their mom is half of her DNA, but nearly a third of children born nowadays miss out on a bonus present. That’s because babies born via vaginal delivery are exposed to the microorganisms that live in the vagina, but infants born via Cesarian section are not. A new IRP mouse study suggests that an intervention designed to make up for this missed opportunity could reduce the risk of certain health problems that are more common in babies born via C-section.

Camel-Derived Therapy Infiltrates Cells to Treat Multiple Sclerosis

IRP Mouse Study Shows Promise of Treatment Strategy

camel in the desert

Earth’s jungles, deserts, and oceans are chock-full of wonderous creatures that have inspired a wide array of cutting-edge technologies, from strong yet flexible clothes made of synthetic spider silk to the plant-derived aspirin and morphine that have long been used as painkillers. Over the past few years, scientists at NIH and elsewhere have added sharks and camels to that list due to unique molecules their immune systems make. IRP researchers recently showed that one of those molecules could potentially be used to treat the devastating neurological disease known as multiple sclerosis.

Open SESAME: A New Way to Clear the Heart’s Passageways

Minimally Invasive Procedure Provides Help for Ailing Hearts

open door in heart

In the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, two magic words were necessary to open the cave where treasure was hidden. At NIH, researchers are applying those same special words, ‘open sesame,’ to unlock a chamber that is similarly difficult to access. In this case, however, it’s the left ventricle of the human heart.

“Enter one of the greatest acronyms in medicine: Open SESAME,” says IRP senior investigator Robert Lederman, M.D., who leads the IRP’s Laboratory of Cardiovascular Intervention. “That’s what we’re doing: opening up space in the heart.”