VA Research Wrap Up: Colorectal cancer, blast exposure, Alzheimer's
VA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) recently published three News Briefs covering a potential new treatment for colorectal cancer, newly quantified health risks tied to blast exposure, and a new genetic risk score for Alzheimer's disease. None of the three is a change to benefits or eligibility, but each reflects research that draws on veteran health data and may shape care down the road.
ORD is VA's internal research arm, and its work often uses the records and participation of veterans themselves. Two of these studies illustrate that: the blast exposure work relied on electronic health records from more than 36,000 veterans, and the Alzheimer's score was built in part with VA's Million Veteran Program, a large genetic repository. Understanding this helps explain why VA-led findings can be especially relevant to the people who served.
On colorectal cancer, researchers from VA Kansas City were part of an international team that developed a potential new treatment. Claudin-1 is a protein overexpressed in colorectal cancer that drives tumor growth. The team created a monoclonal antibody that binds to claudin-1 and disrupts its effect on tumor cells without affecting healthy tissue. Using human tissue samples and mouse models, they showed it reduced tumor growth and countered cellular mechanisms that make some colorectal cancers resistant to standard treatments. This is early-stage work, not an available therapy, and the source describes it only as a tool that could be developed to improve treatment.
The blast exposure study, from VA researchers with the Millennium Cohort Study, may matter most to many readers. It is already well established that high-level blasts during service can cause health problems, and this study put numbers on the risk. Looking at health records from 2013 to 2021, researchers compared rates of conditions among veterans who sustained a blast or explosion injury. The highest were hepatitis C infection, at an 89% higher rate, and seizures, at a 79% higher rate. Significantly higher rates also appeared for stroke and nerve damage; angina, high cholesterol and diabetes; chronic bronchitis and emphysema; and infections such as hepatitis B and bladder infections.
The third brief covers a new Alzheimer's genetic risk score. Earlier scores looked only at the APOE gene. The new tool draws on many genetic variations across the whole genome and proved accurate in people of European, African American, Hispanic and East Asian ancestries. Higher scores were linked to early observable biological and cognitive changes, and the results support using the score in further testing and prevention strategies. Like the cancer finding, it is a research step rather than a service veterans can request today.
For disabled veterans, the practical value lies mostly in the blast exposure findings. Many veterans live with conditions on that list and may never have considered a link to a blast or explosion in service. The source does not say anything about VA disability compensation, presumptive conditions, or rating changes, and this study should not be read as establishing service connection. Still, a documented pattern of elevated risk is the kind of context worth discussing with your clinicians.
The takeaway is to act on what you can control. If you were exposed to a blast or explosion, tell your VA primary care team so it is in your record, and ask whether screening for the conditions mentioned is appropriate for you. If you are considering a claim for any condition you believe is connected to service, work with an accredited Veterans Service Organization representative or a VA-accredited claims professional to evaluate evidence and filing options. Keep an eye on ORD's News Briefs for future updates, and for questions about your own benefits, use Ask VA rather than relying on research news.