UC Irvine School of Medicine Reaches Round 3 of STAT Madness
Source: UCI School of Medicine
“Our findings demonstrate the pivotal role of the circadian clock in enhancing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy,” says the study’s corresponding author, Selma Masri (right), PhD, associate professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry. She’s shown with lead author Bridget Fortin, doctoral student in the Department of Biological Chemistry. Steve Zylius / UC Irvine
UC Irvine School of Medicine’s research team has made it through to Round 3 of STAT Madness, an annual competition by STAT that brings together the best biomedical research from the past year. Research from institutions across the country face off against each other in a bracket-style matchup in which votes determine the winner.
Selma Masri, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry, is still in the competition for her research on “Timing Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapy.”
Round 3, also known as the Round of 16, features 16 teams. UC Irvine faces the New York University School of Global Public Health in this round.
To participate in voting, you must create a free STAT account. Once you have created an account, you can vote up to five times per round. Submit your votes by Monday, March 24, at 1 a.m. PT.
UC Irvine had two qualified submissions in Round 1, which included another team’s research on “Potential Cocaine Addiction Treatment.” Only one UC Irvine team remains and is aiming to go further than any UCI team has before.
Read more to learn about our research in this competition:
Selma Masri, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Chemistry
"Circadian control of tumor immunosuppression affects efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade"
TIMING COLORECTAL CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY: Most people think of the circadian clock as the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. But the circadian clock does a lot more than tell you when it’s time to go to bed; it also plays a key role in regulating your immune system. Researchers from UC Irvine found that in mice with colorectal cancer, immune cells peak rhythmically over the course of the day along with the circadian clock. They also found that giving immunotherapy treatment at certain times of day, when the level of a certain type of immunosuppressive cell is peaking, might make it more effective at fighting cancer.
Kevin T. Beier, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Geoffrey W. Abbott, PhD, Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics
"Molecular and circuit determinants in the globus pallidus mediating control of cocaine-induced behavioral plasticity"
POTENTIAL COCAINE ADDICTION TREATMENT: There is no treatment for people who struggle with substance use disorder with psychostimulants like cocaine. A UC Irvine team may have found a potential treatment, however: carnosic acid, a natural compound found in rosemary. The researchers found that mice with higher brain activity in a region called the globus pallidus have a stronger behavioral response to cocaine. Carsonic acid can dampen the cells in this brain region, potentially making cocaine less rewarding.
