Drug conjugates have become a significant focus of research in the field of targeted medicine for cancer treatments. Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), a subset of drug conjugates, are composed of carrier peptides ranging from 5 to 30 amino acid residues, toxic payloads, and linkers that connect the payload to the peptide. PDCs are further broken down into cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and cell-targeting peptides (CTPs), each having their own differences in the delivery of cytotoxic payloads. Generally, PDCs as compared to other drug conjugates—like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)—have advantages in tumor penetration, ease of synthesis and cost, and reduced off-target effects. Further, as compared to traditional cancer treatments (e.g., chemotherapy and radiation), PDCs have higher specificity for the target cancer with generally less toxic side effects in smaller doses. However, PDCs can have disadvantages such as poor stability and rapid renal clearance due to their smaller size and limited oral bioavailability due to digestion of its peptide structure. Some of these challenges can be overcome with modifications, and despite drawbacks, the intrinsic small size of PDCs with high target specificity still makes them an attractive area of research for cancer treatments.

The era of personalized cancer therapy is here. Advances in the field of immunotherapy have paved the way for the development of individualized neoantigen-based therapies that can translate into favorable treatment outcomes and fewer side effects for patients. Addressing challenges related to the identification, access, and clinical application of neoantigens is critical to accelerating the development of individualized immunotherapy for cancer patients.

El Paso, Texas, like many communities along the United States/Mexico border, suffers from a lack of access to many social determinants of health, especially in low-income neighborhoods. These long-standing problems have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Health Education and Awareness Team (EP-HEAT) is an organization that was established with a focus on disseminating health information to the community. EP-HEAT received funding from Microsoft Corporation to facilitate technology education workshops for underserved populations. These workshops were held in English and Spanish and attempted to improve social determinants of health in the community which can be negatively exacerbated by a lack of digital inclusion. Community members who attended workshops completed a LinkedIn Learning Path, or both were offered an anonymous post-course survey with a mixed method questionnaire on how their knowledge of basic technology or job skills was improved by engaging with the provided workshops and learning paths. Overall, 80% of community members who participated in the workshops reported learning a new skill, and 91% of participants who started a LinkedIn Learning Path were able to finish. The workshops were well received by the community and highlighted the potential for these programs to enhance digital skills and upward workforce mobility.