The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) today announced it will award $1 million in Distinguished Investigator Grants to 10 senior scientists conducting innovative research in neurobiological and behavioral science. The $100,000, one-year grants will support studies focused on critical mental health challenges, including depression, autism spectrum disorder, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, cocaine use disorder, and chronic cannabis use. The awards are funded by the WoodNext Foundation and mark the third year of a five-year, $5 million commitment to support BBRF’s Distinguished Investigator Grants program.

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is one of the acute and serious complications of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in tumor patients. Antibiotics and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor are the mainstays of its treatment. However, this therapy still faces many challenges and may trigger drug resistance, as well as adverse effects such as bone pain and vasculitis. How to minimize treatment-related toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy has become a key issue to be addressed in current clinical practice. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of FN. We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases using keywords such as TCM and FN, covering the period from their establishment to May 2025. Clinical studies have shown that the combination of TCM and modern medicine can significantly reduce the incidence of FN, while also enhancing the number of granulocytes, shortening the duration of fever, improving the quality of life of patients, and reducing other toxic effects of chemotherapy. These results suggest that TCM is a promising and safe complementary therapy. However, more high-quality trials are needed to verify its benefits. This review summarizes the latest progress in the treatment of FN with TCM and discusses future development directions.

Obesity is rising among U.S. teens, yet fewer are actively managing their weight. A decade-long analysis of more than 85,000 high school students shows the highest rates among Black and Hispanic adolescents, while weight-loss efforts decline – especially in older teens and females. This widening gap highlights a troubling trend: many adolescents may face greater long-term health risks without adopting healthier habits. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted strategies that support realistic body expectations and sustainable lifestyle changes.

A new clinical trial led by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will investigate if a combination of drug therapies after radiation therapy improves outcomes for people with newly-diagnosed, grade 3 IDH-mutant astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer. Supported in part by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, the study (Alliance A072301) will look at whether adding the oral medication vorasidenib to the standard oral chemotherapy can help keep the cancer from coming back after radiation.

New molecular insights into the link between hepatocellular carcinoma and intratumoral fibrosis could lead to better treatment strategies, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo. Through a comprehensive analysis involving clinical data and in vitro and in vivo experiments, they revealed that the SPP1–CD44–Hedgehog signaling pathway is a key driver of fibrosis in liver tumors, hinting at its potential as a therapeutic target.