News Archive - Heather Buschman, PhD

Single Enzyme Helps Drive Inflammation in Mice, Provides Target for New Sepsis Drugs

UC San Diego researchers discovered that removing a single enzyme in mice dramatically boosts survival from sepsis, an often fatal over-reaction of the immune system to infection. The finding provides a new and unexpected therapeutic target for new drug development.

Adding MS Drug to Targeted Cancer Therapy May Improve Glioblastoma Outcomes

The multiple sclerosis drug teriflunomide, paired with targeted cancer therapy, markedly shrinks patient-derived glioblastomas grown in mice by reaching stem cells at the tumor’s root, according to a new UC San Diego School of Medicine study published in Science Translational Medicine.

Promising Clinical Trial Results for Drug for Rare Disease in Which Patients Can’t Eat Fat

In a Phase III clinical trial, the drug volanesorsen significantly reduced blood fat (triglyceride) levels in participants with a rare disease called familial chylomicronemia syndrome; finding could also help inform better prevention methods and treatments for many types of heart disease.

Protein Clumps in ALS Neurons Provide Potential Target for New Therapies

UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified chemical compounds that prevent stress-induced clumping of TDP-43 protein in ALS motor neurons grown in the lab — a starting point for new ALS therapeutics.

Zebrafish Help Researchers Explore Alternatives to Bone Marrow Donation

UC San Diego researchers discover new role for epidermal growth factor receptor in blood stem cell development, a crucial key to being able to generate them in the laboratory, and circumvent the need for bone marrow donation.

Personalized “Eye-in-a-Dish” Models Reveal Genetic Underpinnings of Macular Degeneration

Using stem cells derived from six people, UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers recapitulated retinal cells in the lab. This “eye-in-a-dish” model allowed them to identify genetic variants that cause age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of vision loss.

Movement Toward a Poop Test for Liver Cirrhosis

In a study of people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and their twins and other close relatives, UC San Diego researchers were able to diagnose liver cirrhosis simply by analyzing a person’s stool microbes.

Balance of Two Enzymes Linked to Pancreatic Cancer Survival

UC San Diego School of Medicine research sets the stage for clinicians to potentially one day use levels of a pancreatic cancer patient’s PHLPP1 and PKC enzymes as a prognostic, and for researchers to develop new therapeutic drugs that inhibit PHLPP1 and boost PKC as a means to treat the disease.

Proof of Pimple: Mouse Model Validates How “Good” and “Bad” Bacteria Affect Acne

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine generated a new mouse model that mimics human acne for the first time, and used it to validate the concept of “good” and “bad” acne bacteria and introduce new possibilities for targeted treatments and vaccines.

Common Acid Reflux Medications Linked to Increased Kidney Disease Risk

Mining a large database of adverse reactions to medications, UC San Diego researchers found that people who took proton pump inhibitors (e.g., Prilosec, Nexium) for heartburn and acid reflux were more likely to experience kidney disease than people who took other forms of antacid.