Illustration of chemical control of β-arrestins

Study reveals first drug-like molecules that control key cellular signaling proteins

A team at Duke University School of Medicine, led by Nobel laureate Robert Lefkowitz, MD, report the first compounds that directly switch off β-arrestins, which regulate GPCRs — widely used drug targets present throughout the body. Published in Nature, the findings provide the first clear way to control these proteins with pharmacological precision.
Anna Lehmann, a PhD candidate in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, looks at a sample of Aspergillus fumigatus.

PhD candidate discovers a hidden way that a fungal pathogen may resist treatment

Some fungal pathogens survive antifungal drugs by mutating. But Aspergillus fumigatus, a common mold, has a stealthier strategy: it duplicates entire chromosomes, rides out the threat, then discards the extra genetic material once the pressure lifts — leaving no trace that resistance ever occurred. Duke University School of Medicine PhD candidate Anna Lehmann made the discovery while working in the lab of Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. Her findings, published in the July 2006 issue of Current Biology, establish the first evidence that A. fumigatus can gain and lose entire chromosomes.
Stock image of a construction worker drinking a bottle of water on a hot day

N.C. ready to lead in reducing heat risk

Extreme heat is a growing public health threat, hitting outdoor workers, older adults, and people in rural or low-income communities the hardest. Duke University School of Medicine researchers say North Carolina is well positioned to lead efforts to reduce that impact, building on the state’s Heat Health Alert System and the NC DETECT surveillance platform.
Duke School of Medicine's Gita Swamy, MD, shaking the hand of an incoming freshman at Durham Early College of Health Sciences at a Signing Day event in April.

Durham Early College of Health Sciences finishes first year strong, with nearly 100% retention

A collaboration between Duke Health, Durham Public Schools, and Durham Technical Community College, the Durham Early College of Health Sciences prepares high school students for healthcare and clinical research careers through an innovative curriculum and hands-on learning experiences. This pathway is the first of its kind to provide entry directly from high school into the clinical research workforce. The school just completed its first year with a nearly 100 percent retention rate.