Most drugs used to treat the types of inflammation that damages the brain in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s cannot get around the notorious “blood-brain barrier.” UVA researchers may have found a way around that roadblock.

UVA has discovered an unknown biological process that controls the production of red blood cells. These vital cells carry oxygen throughout the body. The discovery could help doctors develop new treatments for anemias that affect millions of people.

UVA’s Dr. Karen Ballen was the co-investigator of a study that found stem-cell transplantation was a far more effective treatment for scleroderma than the most commonly prescribed drug treatment.

A UVA researcher has made biological material glow bright and red, with big benefits for cancer research, drug development and more.

Although brachytherapy is the best treatment for cervical cancer, it costs hospitals money, the researchers found. That may explain its declining use.

The next step: Find or design a drug that can inhibit the triggering enzyme.

UVA researchers have discovered that about 10 percent to 15 percent of prostate cancers and lymphomas have a certain genetic flaw that makes them particularly susceptible to chemotherapy and radiation – which are not always the first-choice treatments.

Unlike previous uses of focused ultrasound that employed the technology to destroy unwanted tissue, the new study is attempting to use the technology to help evoke an immune response.

The small study found that patients with Parkinson’s disease saw improvement in their tremor after being treated with focused ultrasound, and researchers are calling for a larger trial to confirm their findings.

Breastfeeding provides a protective effect even if it is not the exclusive feeding method, the researchers found.