Tomorrow's Cure

What if transplant patients could one day live free from lifelong anti-rejection drugs?

In this episode of Mayo Clinic's Tomorrow’s Cure, host Lindsey Seavert speaks with Timucin Taner, M.D., Ph.D. from Mayo Clinic and Angus Thomson, Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center about one of the biggest goals in transplant medicine: teaching the immune system to accept a donated organ instead of attacking it. From the liver’s unique ability to promote immune tolerance to promising cell therapies and donor-derived treatments, the conversation explores how researchers are working to retrain the immune system, reduce side effects, and improve long-term outcomes for transplant recipients. Along the way, they discuss the future of kidney, heart, and lung transplantation, the promise of xenotransplantation, and how breakthroughs in transplant science may also help advance treatment for autoimmune disease.

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What happens when multiple sclerosis symptoms mask a different condition?

In this episode of Mayo Clinic’s Tomorrow’s Cure, hosted by Lindsey Seavert, we explore myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), an autoimmune condition often mistaken for multiple sclerosis (MS). Mayo Clinic neurologist Eoin Flanagan, M.D., B.Ch., and pediatric neurologist Brenda Banwell, M.D., discuss how MOG antibodies define a distinct disease, why early recognition and aggressive treatment of acute attacks are critical, and how MOGAD can present with severe optic neuritis, spinal cord inflammation, and brain involvement such as confusion or seizures. They explain the internationally accepted 2023 diagnostic criteria, which integrate clinical syndromes, MRI findings, and antibody testing while accounting for false positives and changing antibody levels over time. The conversation highlights “vanishing” MRI lesions in MOGAD, patient-driven research, emerging relapse-prevention trials, and therapeutic promise in targeting pathways such as IL-6.

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What if repairing damaged cartilage could be done in a single procedure? Using your own cells and the healing signals they need to recover?

In this episode of Tomorrow's Cure, host Lindsey Seavert explores RECLAIM, an innovative regenerative medicine approach that combines a patient's own cartilage cells with donor medicinal signaling cells (MSCs) to help repair damaged joints. Joining the conversation are Dr. Daniel Saris and Dr. Mario Hevesi of Mayo Clinic, along with Dr. Christian Lattermann of Mass General Brigham.

Together, they discuss why cartilage injuries are so difficult to treat, how RECLAIM works, and why this breakthrough could reshape the future of orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, and joint preservation. The experts also explore the role of stem-cell-inspired therapies, regenerative medicine, hip arthroscopy, knee cartilage repair, and how artificial intelligence may help personalize treatments in the years ahead.

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What if the milk you are drinking could help fight cancer? In this episode of Tomorrow's Cure, we explore cholangiocarcinoma and a surprising new approach to targeting it using milk‑derived nanoparticles and precision aptamer‑based delivery. Host Lindsey Seavert is joined by surgical oncologist Dr. Rory Smoot and long‑term survivor and advocate Melinda Bachini to unpack why this cancer is so challenging, what symptoms and treatment paths patients typically face, and how emerging gene‑delivery platforms and AI‑driven discovery are opening new possibilities when standard therapies fall short. Through Melinda’s 16‑year survivorship story and Dr. Smoot’s lab work that literally starts with skim milk from the Mayo Clinic cafeteria, listeners hear how “chemical antibodies” called aptamers can act as molecular keys to deliver therapy directly to cholangiocarcinoma cells, and how computational tools are accelerating the search for new targets. Together, they discuss the emotional and practical realities of living at the edge of what medicine can do today, the expanding landscape of clinical trials, and why innovation in this rare cancer may ripple out to colon, lung and other hard‑to‑treat tumors.

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What if surgeons could make tumors, blood vessels, and other critical structures visible during surgery? In this episode of Tomorrow’s Cure, host Lindsey Seavert talks with Dr. Stephanie Polites of Mayo Clinic and Dr. Timothy Lautz of Lurie Children’s Hospital about fluorescence-guided surgery and its growing role in pediatric oncology, surgical oncology, and cancer treatment. By using specialized dyes and advanced imaging, surgeons can better identify tumors, protect healthy tissue, and perform more precise, minimally invasive procedures.The conversation explores the latest innovations in pediatric cancer surgery, including tumor-targeted fluorescent imaging agents, clinical trials, and new approaches that may help surgeons remove cancer more completely while preserving healthy anatomy.

How to listen and stay connected:

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