Auburn University and the NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization are hosting the 62nd Hands-On Workshop on Computational Biophysics from December 16-20, 2024. This event marks the pre-release of VMD 2.0, offering participants early access to the new interface alongside training on GPU-resident NAMD 3 for advanced molecular dynamics simulations. Combining lectures and hands-on labs, the workshop provides an immersive learning experience in molecular modeling. Registration closes on November 8.

Patients with Huntington’s disease have a genetic mutation that triggers proteins to misfold and clump together in the brain. These clumps interfere with cell function and eventually lead to cell death. The new treatment leverages peptide-brush polymers, which act as a shield to prevent proteins from binding to one another. In studies in mice, the treatment successfully rescued neurons to reverse symptoms. 

Pre-surgery treatment with the novel drug vidutolimod and the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab led to tumor control in 55% of patients with stage 3 cutaneous melanoma, according to the results of a single-arm phase 2 clinical trial led by the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).