Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which treat a number of cancers by protecting the immune system so it can attack tumor cells, sometimes cause serious cardiovascular problems.

Judith A. James, M.D., Ph.D., associate vice provost for clinical and translational science and professor of medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for her work in the field of autoimmunity and autoimmune disorders.

Abdul Rafeh Naqash, M.D., a hematologist-oncologist with OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, has been granted an Impact Award from the Hope Foundation for Cancer Research.

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center was the highest-enrolling site for a clinical trial that showed promising results for a new drug to treat mouth sores caused by radiation and chemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer. The drug, called EC-18, is unique in that it is derived from a naturally occurring compound found in deer antlers.