UC San Diego Human Milk Institute Names its Executive Director
Mitra Hooshmand, PhD, will lead strategy and operations at the innovative research institute
Press Releases
Explore a featured selection of my press releases on research and clinical news
Stem Cell Therapy Rescues Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
In the ongoing search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, a burgeoning branch of medicine is bringing new hope. Stem cell therapies are already being used to treat various cancers and disorders of the blood and immune system. In a new proof-of-concept study, scientists at University of California San Diego show stem cell transplants may also be a promising therapeutic against Alzheimer’s. In the study, published August 8, 2023 in Cell Reports, the researchers demonstrate that transplanting hemat
Can Field Sobriety Tests Identify Drivers Under the Influence of Cannabis?
UC San Diego scientists evaluate how accurate law-enforcement administered field sobriety tests are at measuring cannabis exposure and impairment
Asymptomatic infections may underlie recent rise in whooping cough
In a new study published in Cell Host & Microbe, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) compared the immune response of individuals who received older versus newer versions of the whooping cough vaccine. The unexpected findings may help explain the recent rise in whooping cough cases and point to potential targets for the next generation of vaccines.
New Resource Harmonizes 16S and Shotgun Sequencing Data for Microbiome Research
UC San Diego scientists debut Greengenes2, a massive reference database that could be used to reconcile years of microbiome studies
Gulf War Illness Caused by Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Not Inflammation
UC San Diego scientists contest longstanding hypothesis about mysterious illness affecting Gulf War veterans, providing first direct evidence that symptoms are driven by impaired mitochondria
One-Two Punch: Novel Drug Pairing Could Beat Pancreatic Cancer
UC San Diego researchers find a combination of drugs outperformed other treatments in human and mouse models of pancreatic cancer; now urge clinical trial
Tethering of Shattered Chromosomal Fragments Paves Way for New Cancer Therapies
UC San Diego scientists discover shattered chromosomal fragments are tethered together during cell division before being rearranged; destroying the tether may help prevent cancerous mutations
Can sugar and fat influence immune cell responses?
In a new study, published in Nature Cell Biology, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) explored the location, function, gene expression, and metabolism of MAIT cells in the mouse lung.
UC San Diego First to Test Cancer Drugs in Space Using Private Astronaut Mission
The latest space experiments will explore leukemia, breast cancer and colorectal cancer, and also monitor astronauts’ stem cell health over time.
T Cells Can Activate Themselves to Fight Tumors
When you need a bit of motivation, it often has to come from within. New research suggests cancer-fighting immune cells have found a way to do just that.
New Study Flips the Script on Liver Cancer
UC San Diego scientists find protein associated with liver cancer may actually be key to protecting against it. The findings also suggest ferroptosis is the form of cell death that most contributes to liver cancer.
Autism Rates Continue to Rise in California
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the rates and demographics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are changing in the United States.
To Ward Off Aging, Stem Cells Must Take Out the Trash
UC San Diego scientists find stem cells’ unique way of discarding misfolded proteins could be the key to maintaining long-term health and preventing disease
Toddlers’ Attention to ‘Motherese’ Speech May Be Used to Diagnose Autism
We all do it: that high-pitched, sing-songy voice that spills out of your mouth whenever a baby is around. Caregivers have long used this playful, emotional, exaggerated form of speech — called “motherese” — to capture their children’s attention. Now, scientists may be able to use it to diagnose autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Artificial Intelligence Aids Discovery of Super Tight-Binding Antibodies
Scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based strategy for discovering high-affinity antibody drugs.
In the study, published January 28, 2023 in Nature Communications, researchers used the approach to identify a new antibody that binds a major cancer target 17-fold tighter than an existing antibody drug. The authors say the pipeline could accelerate the discovery of novel drugs against cancer and other diseases such as C
In the study, published January 28, 2023 in Nature Communications, researchers used the approach to identify a new antibody that binds a major cancer target 17-fold tighter than an existing antibody drug. The authors say the pipeline could accelerate the discovery of novel drugs against cancer and other diseases such as C
LJI scientists uncover the structure and function of Inmazeb, the first FDA-approved drug for Ebola virus infection
In the cover story of the latest issue of Cell Host & Microbe, LJI researchers present a high-resolution, 3D structure of the three antibodies as they bind to the Ebola virus glycoprotein (the viral protein that launches Ebola virus infection). The model reveals new information about both the drug and the virus, and how their interaction fights infection and protects against future viral mutations.
Stress-Tolerant Cells Drive Tumor Initiation in Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a molecular pathway critical to the initiation of pancreatic tumors. The mechanism could also contribute to the disease’s high resistance to chemotherapy and its propensity for metastasis. The study, published on January 16, 2022 in Nature Cell Biology, found that pancreatic tumor-initiating cells must first overcome local ‘isolation stress’ by creating their own tumor-promoting microenvironment, and then recrui
Tissue-Specific Immunity May Be the Future, if We Can First Learn its Rules
After experiencing an infection, the immune system leaves behind memory T cells, which maintain a long-lasting molecular memory of the pathogen and are ready to sound the alarm if it ever returns. While some memory T cells are designed to circulate through the bloodstream and provide whole-body protection, others reside in specific organs and are specialized to fight the pathogens that target that part of the body. These T cells can provide life-long immunity at the target tissue, but can also c
New Look at an Ancient Disease: Study Finds Novel Treatment Targets for Gout
UC San Diego scientists identify a new model of the arthritic disease, centered on the joint lubricating protein lubricin
Enzyme Drives Cognitive Decline in Mice, Provides New Target for Alzheimer’s
“We were surprised to find that just a slight increase in PKCα activity was enough to recreate the Alzheimer’s phenotype in a mouse,” said senior author Alexandra C. Newton, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “This is an amazing example of the importance of homeostasis in biology — even minor tweaks in kinase activity can result in pathology if the effects are allowed to accumulate over a lifetime.”
To confirm whether similar enzymatic changes could
To confirm whether similar enzymatic changes could
UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute Launches Stem Cells Into Space
When astronaut Scott Kelly returned from a year-long trip aboard the International Space Station (ISS), lab tests revealed telomeric and pre-leukemic changes in his blood cells. These sorts of cellular changes had been observed in blood before, but only after decades of human aging.
Increasing evidence suggests that space and its lack of gravity can simulate and quicken aging in human stem cells, including those that give rise to blood cells. But understanding this process is not only useful fo
Increasing evidence suggests that space and its lack of gravity can simulate and quicken aging in human stem cells, including those that give rise to blood cells. But understanding this process is not only useful fo
UC San Diego Awarded $8M to Expand Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trials
Stem cells show particular promise in treating diseases for which few other effective treatments exist. In these therapies, stem cells are introduced into the body where they develop into specialized cells that repair, restore, replace or regenerate cells that have been damaged by the disease.
As part of a state-wide effort to advance stem cell therapies, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded $8 million to the UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic, part of the new
As part of a state-wide effort to advance stem cell therapies, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded $8 million to the UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic, part of the new
Small-Molecule Drug Reverses Neural Effects of Concussion
New Industry Documents Highlight Role of Pharmacies in Driving Opioid Epidemic
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