The Babak Lab

Encorafenib, Cetuximab, and mFOLFOX6 in BRAF-Mutated Colorectal Cancer | NEJM First-line treatment with encorafenib plus cetuximab (EC) with or without chemotherapy (oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and fluorouracil [mFOLFOX6]) for BRAF V600E–mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, an...

📸 Image generated using Sora by OpenAI
Article link: www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

New hope for BRAF V600E mCRC patients: BREAKWATER shows EC+mFOLFOX6 nearly doubles survival vs. standard chemo.
A potential new first-line standard for this high-risk population.
Link in comments 👇
#mCRC #BRAF #ClinicalTrials #oncology

Overcoming cisplatin resistance via deep learning-assisted de novo design of platinum complexes Resistance to cisplatin poses a significant challenge in cancer treatment for patients globally. Despite the continuous efforts of both the pharmaceutical industry and academia, no new platinum drugs ...

Check the preprint 👇
chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...

🚀 Reminder: Our preprint “Overcoming Cisplatin Resistance via Deep Learning–Assisted Design of Platinum Complexes” is live on ChemRxiv!
We designed PlatinAI—a platinum complex active against cisplatin-resistant cells via a non-DNA-binding mechanism.
Link in comments 👇
#AI #Oncology #Metallodrugs

A framework for evaluating the chemical knowledge and reasoning abilities of large language models against the expertise of chemists - Nature Chemistry Large language models are increasingly used for diverse tasks, yet we have limited insight into their understanding of chemistry. Now ChemBench—a benchmarking framework containing more than 2,700 ques...

Article link: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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ChemBench: Testing AI vs. Human Chemists 🤖🧪🧑‍🔬
An open-source benchmark designed to evaluate how well large language models (LLMs) understand chemistry compared to human experts. Spoiler alert: human chemists still hold advantages in certain problem-solving areas.
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#Chemistry #AI

Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer | NEJM The benefit of the addition of perioperative pembrolizumab to standard care with surgery and adjuvant therapy for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is unc...

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Article link: www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

🏥 New hope for better long-term outcomes in HNSCC!
KEYNOTE-689: Pembrolizumab before and after surgery improves progression-free survival & overall outcomes in HNSCC patients compared to standard treatment.
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#oncology #immunotherapy #HNSCC #clinicaltrials

Overcoming cisplatin resistance via deep learning-assisted de novo design of platinum complexes Resistance to cisplatin poses a significant challenge in cancer treatment for patients globally. Despite the continuous efforts of both the pharmaceutical industry and academia, no new platinum drugs ...

Check the preprint 👇
chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...

👩‍🔬 We trained a deep learning model to create a new platinum complex. It works.
Our latest research, “Overcoming Cisplatin Resistance via Deep Learning–Assisted De Novo Design of Platinum Complexes,” is now live on ChemRxiv! 🔬
Link in comments 👇
#AI #Oncology #Metallodrugs

We gathered to say farewell to our amazing postdoctoral fellow, Raja, sending him off with spices, stories, and a whole lot of heart. 🌶️💬💛
Raja, we'll miss you and can’t wait to see where your path leads next! 🚀🌍
#Graduation #StudentLife #CareerJourney

Iron at the crossroads of host–microbiome interactions in health and disease - Nature Microbiology Choi and Bessman discuss the role of iron in host–microbiome interactions, including iron acquisition strategies by the host, commensals and pathogens, and implications for disease and therapeutics.

Article link: nature.com/articles/s41...
📸 Image generated using Sora by OpenAI

Iron and the Gut Microbiome: A Delicate Balance with Clinical Implications
Iron is a key regulator of host–microbiome ecology and immune-metabolic balance.
Exciting work in Nature Microbiology.
Full article link in comments 👇
#Microbiome #IronMetabolism #Immunology

Anti-sporozoite monoclonal antibody for malaria prevention: secondary efficacy outcome of a phase 2 randomized trial - Nature Medicine A single dose of the anti-sporozoite monoclonal antibody CIS43LS can achieve durable, sterile protection against Plasmodium falciparum infection.

Article link: nature.com/articles/s41...
Image generated with Freepik AI (freepik.com)

🧪New data support monoclonal antibodies as next-gen malaria prevention.
CIS43LS is the first mAb to show high efficacy in a real-world malaria-endemic setting proven in a Phase 2 trial in Mali.
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#ClinicalTrials #InfectiousDiseases #MonoclonalAntibodies

Honored to share that our lab member, Dr. Jemma Arakelyan (CEO, Institute of Cancer and Crisis), spoke at #ASCO2025 in Chicago—addressing the impact of conflict on cancer care and the urgent need for innovation in crisis-affected regions.
#ASCO2025 #CancerCare #GlobalHealth

Development and validation of an autonomous artificial intelligence agent for clinical decision-making in oncology - Nature Cancer Ferber et al. present an autonomous artificial intelligence agent system for deployment of specialized medical oncology computational tools, validating their system across various clinical scenarios r...

Image generated with Freepik AI (www.freepik.com)
Article link: www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Smarter Cancer Decisions with AI GPT-4–based

🎯 Accuracy boost: 30.3% → 87.2% with multimodal tools (such as Vision Transformer, MedSAM, PubMed, OncoKB).

Is AI + domain-specific tools the future of precision oncology?

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#Oncology #AI #GPT4 #HealthTech

Tarlatamab in Small-Cell Lung Cancer after Platinum-Based Chemotherapy | NEJM Tarlatamab, a bispecific delta-like ligand 3–directed T-cell engager immunotherapy, received accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with previously treated small-cell lung cancer. Wheth...

Article link: www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Tarlatamab shows superior outcomes in relapsed SCLC

In the phase 3 DeLLphi-304 trial, Tarlatamab significantly improved overall survival and reduced severe AE compared to chemotherapy in relapsed SCLC after platinum-based treatment.

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#ClinicalTrials #SCLC # Oncology

Amid busy, fulfilling days, we paused to say farewell to Chris Fung, Ho-jung Choe & Maryana Yarshova.
Hot pot, mahjong & shared laughter made it a night to remember.
We’re proud to have walked this path with you. Here's to the road ahead 🌟
#Graduation #StudentLife #CareerJourney

High-affinity PQQ import is widespread in Gram-negative bacteria Diverse bacteria use the high-affinity membrane transport protein PqqU to scavenge the nutrient PQQ from the environment.

🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

🦠 Block nutrients, block infection: a new antimicrobial strategy emerges. Fascinating work in Science Advances!

Full article link in comments 👇

#Microbiology #LifeSciences #AntibioticResistance #ScientificResearch

Pikting Izzy Cheung was chosen by an expert jury including:
🔹Mrs. Stefanie Seedig
🔹Ms. Melanie Spaethe
🔹Dr.Tiejun Meng
🔹Dr. Karlis Rokpelnis
🔹Dr. Violeta N. Ivanova-Rohling
🔹Prof. Ruiqin Zhang
🔹Dr. Yuanyuan Zhao
🔹Prof. Maria (Masha) Babak, PhD

🎉 Congrats to Pikting Izzy Cheung from University at Albany, SUNY — winner of Falling Walls Lab Hong Kong!

She’ll head to Berlin to join the global finale of this pitch competition for emerging innovators with bold, world-changing ideas.
#FallingWallsLab #Innovation

Pikting Izzy Cheung was chosen by an expert jury including:
🔹Mrs. Stefanie Seedig
🔹Ms. Melanie Spaethe
🔹Dr.Tiejun Meng
🔹Dr. Karlis Rokpelnis
🔹Dr. Violeta N. Ivanova-Rohling
🔹Prof. Ruiqin Zhang
🔹Dr. Yuanyuan Zhao
🔹Prof. Maria (Masha) Babak, PhD

Interview with Prof. Denver Li | The Babak Lab #ConversationsThatShapeScience: Insights from Danfeng L. 🔬 Don’t miss our fascinating interview with Prof. Denver Danfeng Li! During his interview, Prof. Li shared: - How his work in materials scienc...

Take a look at the latest interview the Babak Lab produced for the series #ConversationsThatShapeScience. This time, we had an insightful and inspiring chat with Prof. Denver Danfeng Li from City University of Hong Kong on his work on superconductors and beyond.

www.linkedin.com/posts/the-ba...

Exciting read of this week: AI Meets Chemistry!

New Nature paper introduces SIMGs—AI-enhanced molecular graphs that predict properties better than traditional methods by integrating quantum data. Scalable, interpretable, and free to try (simg.cheme.cmu.edu)!

doi.org/10.1038/s422...