The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) announced that Be Bold: A Campaign for Our Future has achieved a final total of $575 million raised, culminating with a $5 million closing gift from the Malú and Carlos Alvarez Family.

When the nerves connected to taste buds are cut, the buds usually wither and later regrow. But Korean researchers found that not all taste cells fade equally. Sweet-sensing cells, supported by the protein c-Kit, are uniquely resilient. Using mouse and organoid experiments, the team showed that blocking c-Kit with the cancer drug imatinib eliminated these survivors, preventing regeneration. The discovery reveals how specific cell types drive taste recovery.