12/07/22Salk Institute Flipping the switch: Salk scientists shed new light on genetic changes that turn “on” cancer genes LA JOLLA—Cancer, caused by abnormal overgrowth of cells, is the second-leading cause of death in the world. Researchers from the Salk Institute have zeroed in on specific mechanisms that activate oncogenes, which are altered genes that can cause normal cells to become cancer cells. Read more

12/07/22Sanford Burnham Prebys Liver cancer study encourages caution with certain gene therapies A newly discovered link between protein misfolding and liver cancer could help improve gene therapy for hemophilia Read more

11/21/22UCSD UC San Diego Awarded $8M to Expand Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trials UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic awarded $8M to expand clinical trials of novel stem cell therapies. The CIRM award will advance partnerships between academic and industry experts in San Diego to e ... Read more

11/20/22Sanford Burnham Prebys Cellomm.org Interview with Erkki Ruoslahti In the News Read more

11/16/22Sanford Burnham Prebys Sanford Burnham Prebys selected for participation in National Cancer Institute Chemical Biology Consortium For the third time, Sanford Burnham Prebys has been selected by the National Cancer Institute as a Center for the Chemical Biology Consortium (CBC). Read more

11/14/22Sanford Burnham Prebys American Cancer Society to help Sanford Burnham Prebys push the envelope in cancer research New funding will allow Institute faculty to explore bold new avenues for addressing some of the world’s toughest cancers Read more

11/14/22UCSD Califano Named New Director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health Joseph A. Califano III, MD, has been named director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. Read more

11/01/22UCSD Appendiceal Cancer Gets Its Own Preclinical Model Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health describe the first preclinical model of appendiceal cancer that contains all elements of the tumor, allow ... Read more

10/19/22Salk Institute Three Salk scientists among 2022 Curebound Discovery Grant winners LA JOLLA—The Salk Institute’s American Cancer Society Professor Tony Hunter, Professor Reuben Shaw, and Assistant Professor Graham McVicker are among 12 inaugural 2022 Discovery Grant winners. The awards, which total $3 million, were launched this year by Curebound, a philanthropic organization dedicated to funding collaborative cancer research that has the potential to reach the clinic. Read more

10/19/22UCSD New Treatment for Urinary Tract Cancer Could Prevent Kidney Dialysis, Transplant UC San Diego Health is now offering a new treatment for patients with low-grade upper tract urothelial cancer that could safely avoid removal of the entire kidney, which may prevent the need for dialy ... Read more

10/17/22Salk Institute San Diego Nathan Shock Center leverages long-running human study to enable cellular research on diversity of aging LA JOLLA—The San Diego Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, a collaboration between the Salk Institute, UC San Diego, and Sanford Burnham Prebys, received new funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to enroll participants from the Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging into their own clinical cohort to study differences in how individuals age. Initiated 50 years ago by the late UC San Diego Distinguished Professor Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, the Rancho Bernardo Study is one of the longest, continuously NIH-funded studies in existence. Read more

10/10/22UCSD UC San Diego Health Physicians Named ‘Top Docs’ in San Diego County More than 100 UC San Diego Health physicians have been named “Top Docs” in the 2022 San Diego Magazine “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” survey. Read more

10/10/22Salk Institute Salk Institute Professor Geoffrey Wahl receives 2022 Susan G. Komen® Brinker Award LA JOLLA—Salk Institute Professor Geoffrey Wahl has received the 2022 Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction in Basic Science from Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization. According to the foundation, the award recognizes leading scientists who have made the most significant advances in breast cancer research and medicine. Wahl was honored for his significant contributions to the field of cancer genetics, including the mechanisms of drug resistance and genome stability. He will present a keynote lecture at the 45th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in early December 2022. Read more

10/05/22UCSD Patient First in Region to Receive New Treatment for Advanced Prostate Cancer UC San Diego Health is the first hospital system in the region to offer a novel treatment option for patients with prostate cancer that has spread throughout the body and has not responded to other th ... Read more

10/04/22Salk Institute Time-restricted eating improves health of firefighters LA JOLLA—Firefighters are the heroes of our society, protecting us around the clock. But those 24-hour shifts are hard on the body and increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as cancer. In collaboration with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, scientists from the Salk Institute and UC San Diego Health conducted a clinical trial and found that time-restricted eating improved measures of health and wellbeing in firefighters. The lifestyle intervention only required the firefighters to eat during a 10-hour window and did not involve skipping meals. Read more

09/22/22Salk Institute Salk Institute to lead $126 million effort to map the aging human brain LA JOLLA—With a five-year, $126 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a team led by Salk Institute scientists has launched a new Center for Multiomic Human Brain Cell Atlas. Part of the NIH’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative, the project aims to describe the cells that make up the human brain in unprecedented molecular detail, classify brain cells into more precise subtypes, and pinpoint the location of each cell in the brain. What’s more, the team will track how these features change from early to late life. Read more

09/19/22UCSD New Radiation Therapy Delays Brain Cancer Regrowth, Protects Healthy Tissue UC San Diego Health now offers a novel therapy option shown to extend the lifespan and improve quality of life for certain patients. Read more

09/07/22Salk Institute Aggression de-escalation gene identified in fruit flies LA JOLLA—The brain mechanisms that cause aggressive behavior have been well studied. Far less understood are the processes that tell the body when it’s time to stop fighting. Now, a new study by Salk scientists identifies a gene and a group of cells in the brain that play a critical role in suppressing aggression in fruit flies. Read more

08/30/22Salk Institute Beyond neurons: How cells called astrocytes contribute to brain disorders LA JOLLA—Neurons often get most of the credit for keeping our brains sharp and functioning—as well as most of the blame when it comes to brain diseases. But star-shaped cells called astrocytes, another abundant cell in the human brain, may bear the brunt of the responsibility for exacerbating the symptoms of some neurodevelopmental disorders. Salk Institute scientists have now identified a molecule produced by astrocytes that interferes with normal neuron development in Rett, fragile X and Down syndromes. Read more

07/01/22UCSD Mathematical Model Helps Predict Anal Cancer Risk in Persons with HIV Infection UC San Diego researchers have created a mathematical model to help predict risk of anal cancer in persons with HIV infection and aid patients and doctors regarding screening decisions. Read more

06/06/22UCSD Causes of Liver Cancer are Changing Around the World: Some Up, Some Down UC San Diego researchers report that the causes and death rates of liver cancer are changing around the world. Read more

03/21/22UCSD New Screening Tool IDs 95 Percent of Stage 1 Pancreatic Cancer UC San Diego study finds new screening tool flags 95 percent of stage 1 pancreatic cancers. Read more

03/21/22UCSD Transplant, Cancer Patients Among First to Get Evusheld at UC San Diego Health UC San Diego Health is now administering Evusheld to eligible, immunocompromised patients to protect against the COVID-19 virus. Read more

02/24/22UCSD Alternative Approach Uses Sound Waves to Treat Prostate Cancer UC San Diego Health is the first hospital system in San Diego County to employ high-intensity, focused ultrasound (HIFU) for minimally invasive prostate cancer treatment. Read more

02/17/22UCSD UC San Diego Health: Excellence in Medication Safety, Pharmacy Practice UC San Diego Health has become the first organization recognized as a Certified Center of Excellence in Medication-Use Safety and Pharmacy Practice by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists ... Read more

02/15/22UCSD Pandemic Upends Breast Cancer Diagnoses UC San Diego Health researchers surveyed and compared early- and late-stage breast and colorectal cancer diagnoses in patients in pre-pandemic 2019 and in 2020, the first full year of the COVID-19 pan ... Read more