Berkeley Pharma Tech Journal of Medicine

Enhancing Adolescent Brain Health: Addressing Challenges and Exploring Interventions

Venkata Repaka, Guneet Grewal, Viraj Shivadevuni, Adrienne Ferguson — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There are complex and multifaceted influences on adolescent brain health, emphasizing the critical need to address both individual and environmental factors that shape cognitive, emotional, and social development during this volatile period. Adolescent brain health is distinct from that of adults and infants, with the prefrontal cortex, responsible for rational decision-making, still maturing until around age 25. As a result, adolescents often rely on the amygdala, the brain's emotional center, for decision-making, leading to behaviors driven more by emotion than rational thought. Socioeconomic status (SES), education quality, parenting styles, and lifestyle choices such as diet, physical activity, and sleep play pivotal roles in adolescent brain development. Additionally, this article underscores the impact of environmental factors, such as pollution and food deserts, on adolescent neurological growth. The lack of access to mental health services, quality education, and nutritious food exacerbates cognitive and emotional challenges. Addressing these issues requires holistic and interdisciplinary interventions that consider the broader social determinants of health and emphasize the importance of nurturing environments, adequate resources, and supportive parenting to promote optimal brain development in adolescents.

Synthetic Biology Approaches for Cancer Immunotherapy Innovation

Justin Nguyen Khang Dang, Brianna Przywozny, David de Zayas , Aman Syed — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Immunotherapies have had a significant impact on efficacy of cancer therapies and resulting survival rates and are relatively efficacious treatment options for a wide variety of cancer types. However, there are many challenges that remain in the development of safe and long-lasting efficacious cancer immunotherapies. Synthetic biology approaches have the potential to improve the current cancer immunotherapies used in the clinic in terms of toxicity, specificity, tunability, and efficacy. In this way, engineered cells, genes, and vaccines can be utilized to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies for cancer patients. However, it remains important to consider ethical concerns that arise with genetic modification, as well as economic and regulatory challenges that restrict clinical translation and accessibility. This review article provides an overview of innovative cancer immunotherapies that utilize common synthetic biology-based approaches to target tumor cells through leveraging the body’s own immune system.

Review of the CRISPR/Cas9 System on the Development of Novel Cancer-Focused Diagnostics and Therapies

Jimmy Zheng, Erica Wang — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cancer is one of the most devastating diseases: presenting itself via a variety of hallmark clinical features but a commonality among them is the uncontrolled division and survival of cells due to altered signaling and metabolism. When looking at cancer treatments, patients are given a variety of options such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, stem cell and bone marrow transplants. CRISPR/Cas9 is a novel genetic engineering technique that enables researchers to precisely manipulate and edit the DNA of living organisms. It is made up of two key components: the Cas9 enzyme acts as a molecular scissor to precisely cut parts of the DNA, and then the guide RNA directs the Cas9 to the specific sequence that it should edit. CRISPR/Cas9 represents a paradigm shift in the field of cancer research and treatment, offering unparalleled precision and adaptability in genetic engineering. The ability to target specific genes and correct mutations has unlocked new avenues for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review of Novel Therapies and Vaccines

Maham Kazmi, Guneet Grewal, Alicia Mathew, Jocelyn Nee — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the fifth leading cause of death in the United States as of 2021. Current FDA-approved therapies, including cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) and memantine, provide symptomatic relief but do not modify disease progression. The anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies, lecanemab and donanemab, modestly slow cognitive and functional decline in early-stage AD. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms underlying AD and research efforts aimed at understanding and treating the disease. Additionally, this paper explores ongoing clinical trials investigating novel treatments such as immunotherapies and small-molecular inhibitors targeting AD biomarkers. Regenerative medicine approaches, including gene and stem cell therapies, show promise in these trials. By understanding current research and future potential for these trials, this review aims to explore strategies for managing and potentially curing AD.