News Archive - School of Medicine

Supercomputers Simulate New Pathways for Potential RNA Virus Treatment

New simulations done on supercomputers may help researchers understand how these inhibitors react and potentially help to develop a new generation of drugs to target viruses with high death rates including SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Scientists Set a Path for Field Trials of Gene Drive Organisms

A broad coalition that includes UC San Diego scientists sets commitments for field trials of powerful gene drive technology. The multidisciplinary group encourages trials that are safe, transparent and ethical.

Hearing Loss and High Blood Sugar Linked to Poorer Learning and Memory among Older Latinos

Researchers report that hearing loss and high blood sugar are associated with poor cognitive performance among middle-aged and older Latinos.

The Un-appeal of Banana: Liquid E-Cigarette Flavorings Measurably Injure Lungs

UC San Diego researchers report chemicals used for flavor in e-cigarette liquid negatively affect specialized proteins that support immune system.

Researchers Discover Clue to How to Protect Neurons and Encourage Their Growth

Researchers have identified a family of enzymes whose inhibition both protects neurons and encourages their growth, a pathway to potential new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases from Alzheimer’s to glaucoma.

San Diego Supercomputer Center’s ‘Comet’ Aids in Sickle Cell Research Discovery

Researchers recently created detailed simulations on the Comet system at the San Diego Supercomputer Center showing how these stiff red blood cells flow through blood vessels, deforming and colliding along the way.

Evolution May Be to Blame for High Risk of Advanced Cancers in Humans

Compared to chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, humans are particularly prone to developing advanced carcinomas — the type of tumors that include prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancers — even in the absence of known risk factors, such as genetic predisposition or tobacco use.

SDSC’s ‘Expanse’ Supercomputer Formally Enters Production

The San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego announced that its new Expanse supercomputer formally entered service for researchers following a program review by the National Science Foundation, which awarded SDSC a grant in mid-2019 to build the innovative system.

Lab-Grown Human Brain Organoids Mimic an Autism Spectrum Disorder, Help Test Treatments

UC San Diego researchers used brain organoids to identify two drug candidates that counteract the genetic deficiencies that cause Rett syndrome, a rare form of autism spectrum disorder.

SDSC Team Models Potential SARS-CoV2 Protease Inhibitors for COVID-19

A team of SDSC researchers recently created a pharmacophore model and conducted data mining of the database of drugs approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to find potential inhibitors of papain-like protease of SARS-CoV2, one of the main viral proteins responsible for COVID-19