Skip to main content

News Archive

News Archive - School of Medicine

Single Strep Bacteria Protein Sets Off White Blood Cell’s Early Warning System

August 7, 2017

Group A Streptococcus bacteria — the cause of strep throat and flesh-eating infections — have been well studied for nearly a century. But researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently made a surprising discovery: strep’s M protein alone wipes out macrophages, but not other types of immune cells. The macrophages’ self-sacrifice serves as an early warning of infection to the rest of the immune system.

For White Middle Class, Moderate Drinking Is Linked to Cognitive Health in Old Age

August 1, 2017

Older adults who consume alcohol moderately on a regular basis are more likely to live to the age of 85 without dementia or other cognitive impairments than non-drinkers, according to a University of California San Diego School of Medicine-led study.

New 3D Imaging Reveals How Human Cell Nucleus Organizes DNA and Chromatin of its Genome

July 27, 2017

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies describe development and application of new electron microscopic imaging tools and a selective stain for DNA to visualize the three-dimensional structure of chromatin — a complex of molecules that helps pack six feet of DNA into each cell nucleus, construct chromosomes and control gene expression and DNA replication.

Americans are Quitting Smoking in Higher Numbers; Study Suggests E-cigarettes Help

July 26, 2017

University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center researchers performed a population-level analysis of national surveys conducted from 2001 to 2015 and found that in the United States the smoking cessation rate increased for the first time in 15 years. The study suggests e-cigarettes helped users of the electronic devices to quit smoking traditional cigarettes.

CIRM Approves $5.8 Million Grant for CAR-T Therapy that Targets Cancer Stem Cells

July 20, 2017

The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) today unanimously approved a $5.8 million award to University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers to develop a new immunotherapy in which patients’ cells would be equipped with a special receptor that recognizes and targets cancer stem cells, whose survival abilities often render standard therapies ineffective or short-term.

UC San Diego Health Named among Nation’s “Most Wired”

July 10, 2017

UC San Diego Health has been named one of the nation’s “Most Wired” health systems by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, a publication of the American Hospital Association. The award recognizes hospitals and health systems that excel in using information technology (IT) to advance patient care and population health, protect the privacy and security of patient information, and bring greater efficiencies to operations.

Brain Responds Differently to Food Rewards in Bulimia Nervosa

July 10, 2017

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered differences in how the brain responds to food rewards in individuals with a history of bulimia nervosa (BN), an eating disorder characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating followed by efforts of purging to avoid weight gain. The findings further define specific brain mechanisms involved in eating disorders and could help lead to new treatment therapies.

Repurposed Asthma Drug Shows Blood Sugar Improvement among Some Diabetics

July 5, 2017

After 12 weeks of taking an anti-asthma drug, a subset of patients with type 2 diabetes showed a clinically significant reduction in blood glucose during a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, report University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of Michigan researchers.

A Wave’s “Sweet Spot” Revealed

June 29, 2017

For surfers, finding the “sweet spot,” the most powerful part of the wave, is part of the thrill and the challenge. Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California postdoctoral researcher Nick Pizzo has found the exact location on the wave where a surfer gains the greatest speed to get the best ride.

Novel Molecular Dynamics Captures Atomic-level Detail of CRISPR-Cas9 Activity

June 28, 2017

Using a novel molecular dynamics method capable of capturing the motion of gyrating proteins at time intervals up to one thousand times greater than previous efforts, a team led by UC San Diego researchers has identified, for the first time, the myriad structural changes that activate and drive CRISPR-Cas9, the innovative gene-splicing technology that’s transforming the field of genetic engineering. SDSC’s ‘Comet’ supercomputer was used to helps break the “millisecond barrier” for complex biological simulations.
Category navigation with Social links