A UNLV-led team of researchers has co-opted a common kitchen spice to create a new class of cannabidiol (CBD)-like medicines that show powerful seizure-reducing effects — offering a safer, more affordable, and more effective treatment for childhood seizure disorders than existing frontline therapies. Caraway seeds — a seasoning commonly used in both savory and sweet dishes, and also known as meridian fennel — are the key ingredient behind researchers’ method.

Boston Children’s Hospital, along with Broad Clinical Labs and Roche Sequencing Solutions, has demonstrated that rapid genomic sequencing and interpretation are achievable in a matter of hours. This milestone not only sets a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for the fastest human whole genome sequencing to date but represents a significant clinical development that would expedite more precise treatments to critically ill babies in the NICU. The team’s pilot data was published today in New England Journal of Medicine.