Many of us are familiar with the most common strategies for treating cancer: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But in the past two decades, more targeted treatments have been developed. One such innovation, called theranostics, uses specially engineered radioactive tracers in combination with advanced imaging techniques, to not only find and map cancer cells throughout the body, but also serve as a beacon, lighting a path that cancer-destroying drugs can follow.

More than 7 million people in the U.S. live with a movement disorder called essential tremor. Because essential tremor can make everyday tasks—shaving, writing, driving a car—difficult if not impossible, living with essential tremor presents significant challenges. Treatment for essential tremor includes medication, a surgical option called deep-brain stimulation and a newer, non-surgical therapy known as high-intensity focused ultrasound.

The platelets in our blood are best known as clotting agents, but they are great healing agents, too. Platelets don’t just clot. They also help structures to regrow and remodel. Washington University orthopedics specialists at Barnes-Jewish Hospital make the most of platelets’ healing qualities through platelet-rich plasma therapy. The best candidates for this procedure are people who have arthritis, especially mild arthritis.