Research Magazine 2025

Cover Story When Less is More: How Cutting Calories Could Transform Cancer Treatment

Early animal research shows reducing calories enhances radiation therapy.

Could this hold true in patients, giving them an active role in their care?

Cover Story Calorie Restriction — Stressor or Solution?

In 2010, Dr. Nicole Simone studied how different types of stress, like radiation or chemotherapy, affected cancer cells on a molecular level. Looking for new ways to induce stress, she started restricting how much food she gave her cells. She found something unexpected - the slightly-hungry normal cells were actually getting stronger while the cancer cells got weaker.

Calorie restriction hamstrings cancer growth pathway.

A cell signaling pathway called IGF-1, which turns on when the IGF-1 ligand binds to its receptor, is important for cell survival and reproduction. This pathway is overactive in cancer cells and drives tumor growth. Calorie restriction reduces the number of IGF-1 receptors, hampering the pathway.

Radiation treatment may be more effective on weakened cancer cells.

With IGF-1 signaling impaired by calorie restriction, cancer cells do not have the same “fuel” to multiply and are in a state of stress. This slows down tumor growth and cancer treatments like radiation could potentially be more effective as cancer cells are already weakened.

"Your environment, your food, your access to health care, your financial status — all of these can cause stress within your body that impact cancer."

Seye Adekeye, MD, PhD

Feature Patient Voices Shape Stronger Studies

Researchers are forging collaborations with participants — the end users of medical advances — to make their work more relevant and impactful.

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The World's Growing "Waste Problem"

2B

The world creates about two billion tons of municipal solid waste

illustration of planter with blue background

20%

Roughly 20% of that waste is recycled, the rest goes into landfills

50%

Projections suggest that global annual waste will grow by 50% over the next several decades

Editorial The Catalytic Role of Private Funders

Now entering its third century, Jefferson is building on a 200-year legacy of scholarship, discovery and application — helping define what research looks like and what it can accomplish in the decades ahead.

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What to Know about Dietary Supplements

70% of Americans

It's been reported that 70% of Americans use dietary supplements.

Over Half of Patients

Over half of patients surveyed in a recent study believe supplements effectively prevent disease.

30% of Patients

In the same study, 30% of patients believed supplements could treat disease.

Six Steps Forward

Exploring Recent Discoveries at Jefferson

Clinical Briefs

HPV Vaccine's Expanded Role in Cancer Prevention

Preventing Maternal Death Across the Globe

Basic Briefs

Why Only Mothers Pass Mitochondrial DNA to their Children

Studying Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis

Applied Briefs

Study Reveals Alarming Levels of Drug Residue on U.S. Currency

How Our Environment Affects Our Mood and Behavior

Beyond the Bench Improving Racial Disparities in Cancer

A graduate student passionate about community outreach is on a mission to increase awareness and access to cancer screening and treatment in her community.

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Art Competition SEEKING ARTISTRY IN RESEARCH

Jefferson’s Research as Art Competition celebrates all Jefferson faculty, students and staff who have an eye for the beauty in their research or scholarship. Explore a sampling of submissions here and learn about the winning entries and judges.

Preview the Art

Artwork by Willie Baronet and Leah den Bok with researcher Rosie Frasso, PhD

Jefferson by the Numbers

1,500+

Active studies across Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health in FY24

1,000+

Patents for new drugs, software and innovation

$200M+

Public and private research awards

no. 6 Research at Thomas Jefferson University

Cover Story When Less is More: How Cutting Calories Could Transform Cancer Treatment

Cover Story Calorie Restriction — Stressor or Solution?

Calorie restriction hamstrings cancer growth pathway.

Radiation treatment may be more effective on weakened cancer cells.

Feature Patient Voices Shape Stronger Studies

Feature Making Waste Productive

The World's Growing "Waste Problem"

2B

20%

50%

Editorial The Catalytic Role of Private Funders

How to Safely Incorporate Supplements into a Healthy Diet

What to Know about Dietary Supplements

70% of Americans

Over Half of Patients

30% of Patients

Portrait The Art of the Sock

Six Steps Forward

Portrait Rewiring Rabies

Visualizing Molecular Science Could Eating Turkey Ease Colitis?

Beyond the Bench Improving Racial Disparities in Cancer

Art Competition SEEKING ARTISTRY IN RESEARCH

Bookshelf Research Reads

Bookshelf Research Reads

Jefferson by the Numbers

1,500+

1,000+

$200M+

Magazine Archive

Magazine Archive