• The MYC protein is involved in about 70% of cancers, but scientists have been unable to develop drugs that effectively block it
  • Researchers discovered a dependent relationship in which MYC and another protein support each other in a reinforcing cycle
  • A new therapy interrupts the cycle, causing levels of both proteins to drop significantly
  • Preclinical findings demonstrated strong anti-cancer activity in multiple types of blood cancers, including mutated and treatment-resistant models

AUGUST 21, 2026 – A first-in-class therapy to target MYC, one of the most sought-after and difficult targets in cancer biology, showed promise in hard-to-treat blood cancers, according to a new preclinical study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center published in Blood.

Researchers led by Michael Andreeff, M.D., Ph.D., professor, and Yuki Nishida, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, both of Leukemia, found that experimental drug GT19630 interrupts a newly discovered cycle between MYC and GSPT1, resulting in strong anti-cancer activity in preclinical models of leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, including treatment-resistant and TP53-mutated disease.

“For decades, scientists have struggled to develop therapies that successfully block MYC, leading many in the field to describe it as undruggable,” Andreeff said. “By identifying a vulnerability in the relationship between MYC and GSPT1, we found a way to eliminate both proteins and disable a pathway many cancers depend on for survival.”

How does this therapy successfully target MYC?

One of the most important drivers of cancer growth, the MYC protein is involved in approximately 70% of all human cancers and acts as a master switch, regulating the genes that enable cancer cells to grow, divide and sustain their metabolism. While blocking this protein has been a high priority for cancer research, scientists have been unable to develop a therapy that effectively interferes with MYC.

This study revealed a previously unknown relationship between MYC and GSPT1. MYC helps activate the GSPT1 gene, and GSPT1 helps cancer cells produce MYC proteins, creating what researchers describe as a “feedforward loop” that could be exploited therapeutically.

A new protein degrader drug called GT19630 disrupts the cycle between MYC and GSPT1 by binding to both proteins and marking MYC for disposal using the cell’s natural protein recycling system. The treatment simultaneously degrades GSPT1, causing levels of both proteins to drop significantly and demonstrating broader activity than targeting GSPT1 alone.

How effective is this protein degrader against hard-to-treat blood cancers?

Preclinical models of leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma were highly sensitive to GT19630. Notably, the therapy remained effective in cells with TP53 mutations, which often are associated with treatment resistance.

GT19630 may also offer a path to overcome venetoclax resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Researchers found that resistant AML cells had increased MYC and GSPT1 levels. In preclinical models, GT19630 restored sensitivity to venetoclax, dramatically prolonging survival – by more than 300% in one model.

Stem-like AML cells, which can survive treatment and contribute to relapse, often contain higher levels of MYC than normal blood-forming stem cells. Using single-cell RNA analysis, researchers also observed elevated MYC levels in TP53-mutant AML stem cells. Their heightened dependence on MYC made the AML cells more sensitive to GT19630, while normal blood-forming stem cells were less affected. This suggests a potential therapeutic window in which the drug may selectively impact some of the most treatment-resistant leukemia cells while limiting damage to healthy bone marrow.

What’s next for this approach?

These findings support GT19630 as a potential pathway to target MYC, but future studies are needed to determine if this strategy is safe and effective in patients. Cancers with high MYC activity may be especially vulnerable to this therapy, raising the possibility of using biomarkers to identify patients most likely to respond.

The study’s encouraging activity in venetoclax-resistant AML shows significant translational promise, and further research may evaluate GT19630 as a direct treatment for resistant or relapsed AML or in combination with other therapies.

“In addition to direct MYC inhibition, this approach harnesses the cell’s own natural processes to eliminate it,” Andreeff said. “This concept could help expand the use of protein degraders against challenging targets and inspire new therapeutic strategies for proteins once considered beyond the reach of conventional therapies.”

This research was supported by the Paul and Mary Haas Chair in Genetics in Honor of Amanda Marie Whittle, the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), the National Institutes of Health, CURE Childhood Cancer, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, The Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry, and UT MD Anderson institutional funding. A full list of collaborating authors and their disclosures can be found with the full paper in Blood.



AUGUST 21, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on the categories used in federal vaccine recommendations and the role of shared clinical decision-making. The RFI advances President Trump’s Executive Order Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans and supports the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines.

Through the RFI, HHS seeks input on whether the three categories currently used in federal vaccine recommendations — routine (universal), risk-based, and shared clinical decision-making, also referred to as individual-based decision-making — are adequate, clear, and well understood. HHS also seeks input on whether it should adopt additional or different categories.

The RFI invites public input on several considerations that could inform vaccine recommendations and category assignments, including:

  • The availability, quality, and strength of evidence;
  • The appropriate approach when randomized controlled trial evidence is limited or absent;
  • Individual autonomy, informed consent, and religious freedom;
  • The legal and programmatic consequences of recommendation categories;
  • How shared clinical decision-making is understood and applied in practice, and how the category could be improved; and
  • Communication practices necessary to earn and maintain public trust.

Clear, evidence-based, and transparent recommendations help Americans make informed healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. Under the Trump Administration, HHS is examining whether the current recommendation framework appropriately reflects the strength of the evidence, accounts for individual circumstances and values, and supports informed discussions among patients, parents, and healthcare providers.

Public input received through this RFI will help HHS and the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines evaluate whether the current recommendation framework adequately advances scientific rigor, informed choice, and public trust.

More information about the HHS RFI can be found at the Federal Register.



August 21, 2026 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that the U.S. Senate has confirmed, and President Donald Trump signed the Commission for, Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, to serve a four-year term as director of the Indian Health Service (IHS). Cruz becomes the federal agency’s 12th Senate-confirmed director, filling a leadership position that had remained vacant since January 2025.

Nominated by President Trump on June 1, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing on June 24 and reported the nomination out of committee on July 22. Mr. Cruz was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 7. His confirmation places a Native leader at the helm of the nation’s 18th largest public health system that is responsible for providing healthcare services to approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives through nearly 600 federally operated hospitals and clinics, Tribal health programs, and urban Indian organizations.

“From my first day as Secretary, I have made strengthening the Indian Health Service and improving the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native communities a top priority,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “I congratulate Mark Cruz on his well-deserved Senate confirmation. Mark has already been an invaluable partner in advancing our priorities across Indian Country as my Senior Advisor. As Director of the Indian Health Service, he will build on that work by supporting Tribal self-determination and food sovereignty, and ensuring Native families receive the high-quality healthcare they deserve.”

“I want to thank President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for their trust in me and appreciate the U.S. Senate’s confirmation. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve American Indian and Alaska Native communities as the new director of the Indian Health Service,” said Cruz. “I look forward to working closely with Tribal leaders, urban Indian organizations, our dedicated workforce, and partners across Indian Country to strengthen Tribal consultation, improve access to high-quality, culturally appropriate healthcare, hire health professionals our communities need, and modernize the Indian health system.”

In addition to being the IHS director, Mr. Cruz will continue to serve as senior advisor for Native Affairs to Secretary Kennedy, a position he has held since June 2025. The position of senior advisor makes him the highest-ranking Native American official within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Cruz previously served as deputy assistant secretary for Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior under Secretary Ryan Zinke and Secretary David Bernhardt. He also held key roles on Capitol Hill, under Representative Todd Rokita from Indiana and Representative Tom Cole (Chicksaw) from Oklahoma.

Mr. Cruz earned a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree from Brown University.

The Indian Health Service, an agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 575 federally recognized tribes in 37 states. Follow the agency via social media on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.



August 21, 2026 – National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., announced the selection of John Gaitanis, M.D., as director of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Dr. Gaitanis is set to begin his role on August 23, 2026.

As NICHD director, Dr. Gaitanis will shepherd the investment of NICHD’s approximately $1.7 billion annual budget, facilitating research to advance maternal, gynecologic, and child health, as well as the health of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He will lead a staff of about 1,100 who either conduct research at NICHD or support some of the institute’s approximately 2,300 research grants and projects at organizations throughout the United States and internationally.

“With the burden of chronic disease on the rise, Dr. Gaitanis’s forward-thinking approaches for NICHD research will help us adapt to the realities of today,” Dr. Bhattacharya said. “We’re eager for research advances in prevention, precision, and systems-level understanding to pinpoint root causes of these conditions and yield transformative advances in clinical care to improve health for women, children, and people with disabilities.”

Dr. Gaitanis, a nationally respected expert in complex neurodevelopmental disorders, epilepsy, and autism, brings nearly three decades of clinical, academic, and leadership experience to the position. He previously served as Chief of Child Neurology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and Director of Child Neurology at Brown Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Gaitanis has advanced research and clinical care for individuals with complex neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, expanded access to specialized services, and trained physicians to deliver comprehensive, individualized care. His work has also advanced clinician education and evidence-informed approaches that support the health, communication needs, autonomy, and dignity of nonspeaking individuals with autism.

Dr. Gaitanis received his M.D. from Brown Medical School and completed his pediatrics residency at the University of Rochester. He subsequently completed his neurology training at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where he served as chief resident, followed by fellowship training in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Gaitanis previously served on the board of the Epilepsy Foundation of New England and currently serves on the board of the Medical Academy of Pediatrics and Special Needs (MAPS), a national leader in translating emerging science into clinical care for children with severe, chronic, and complex medical conditions. MAPS is home to the only U.S. fellowship program of its kind, providing physicians with advanced training in the application of translational medicine across this highly complex and historically underserved pediatric population. In recognition of his leadership and contributions to the field, Dr. Gaitanis received the MAPS Trailblazer Award in 2025.

“I also want to thank Dorothy Fink, M.D., who served as NICHD Acting Director from August 9 during this leadership transition,” Dr. Bhattacharya said. “I appreciate Dr. Fink stepping in to lead the institute during this period.”

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.



August 19, 2027 – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) has once again been recognized as one of the best employers in Florida, earning a spot on Forbes’ 2026 list of America’s Best-in-State Employers.

The recognition marks the seventh consecutive year Sarasota Memorial has made the prestigious list, underscoring the community-owned health system’s longstanding commitment to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed.

Compiled in partnership with market research firm Statista, the 8th annual Forbes ranking identifies employers that stand out in each state based on survey responses of more than 245,000 people working for U.S. companies with at least 500 employees. Participants evaluated their employers on factors that included wages and benefits, management, workplace culture, flexibility and opportunities for career advancement. Of 1,365 employers recognized nationwide, SMH was the second-highest rated healthcare organization in the state and #17 across all industries and Florida companies recognized.

As the Suncoast region’s largest employer and one of the nation’s largest public health systems, Sarasota Memorial has more than 11,000 employees in its growing network of hospitals, specialty care centers and outpatient services.David Verinder

SMH CEO David Verinder said the recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the experiences and opinions of employees.

“This recognition belongs to every member of our team and reflects the extraordinary skill, compassion and dedication they bring to their work and to the people who depend on us,” he said. “They are our greatest strength, and the reason Sarasota Memorial is an exceptional place to work.”

The Forbes honor is the latest in a series of national workplace awards for SMH. Earlier this month, Forbes ranked SMH the No. 1 employer for women in Florida. The health system also received Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award in 2025 and has been repeatedly recognized by Newsweek and other independent organizations for workplace excellence.

For information about the Forbes recognition, click here.

About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with about 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers, 11,000 employees and 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the community-owned health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice (and third under construction in North Port), freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and SMH First Physicians Group primary and specialty care practices. Founded in 1925, SMH’s flagship Sarasota campus also is home to the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion and Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute. Both Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota and Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice have earned the highest 5-Star quality ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). SMH-Sarasota is the only Florida hospital – and one of just 11 in the nation – to earn a perfect 5-Star rating from CMS every year since the federal rating program began in 2016.