Our Scientists Archives - Sanford Burnham Prebys

Category: Our Scientists

Institute News

SBP researcher receives NIH Outstanding Investigator Award to study deadly pathogens

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

June 7, 2016

Francesca Marassi

Francesca Marassi, PhD, professor in SBP’s NCI-designated Cancer Center, has been awarded an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The $4 million grant is to study how proteins on the surface of pathogens promote virulence by mediating the first-line interactions with human host cells. The project has important implications for biology and medicine.

“Our initial focus is on a protein called Ail (attachment invasion locus) that is expressed on the outer membrane of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague,” said Marassi. “The Y. pestis bacterium is highly pathogenic, spreads rapidly and causes an extremely high rate of mortality. Ail is critical for suppressing the human immune defenses and for promoting bacterial invasion”

Although it is sensitive to some antibiotics, the potential use of Y. pestis as a biological weapon has led to its classification as a Tier 1 Biothreat Agent – a designation used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to identify pathogens and toxins that can be misused to threaten public health or national security.

“The emerging threat of bacterial drug resistance makes our work particularly important,” added Marassi. “We will be using a technology called NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) to determine the three-dimensional structure of Ail and examine how it associates with its human protein partners. Visualizing these biomolecular complexes helps us understand how pathogens engage their human host, and advances our ability to design effective drugs and vaccines for bacteria and viruses,” added Marassi.

Institute News

Cosimo Commisso explains cancer metabolism on NIH website

AuthorJessica Moore
Date

June 7, 2016

Cosimo Commisso, PhD

The most deadly of all cancers are driven by mutations in a family of genes known as RAS. In a new article on the website for the National Cancer Institute’s RAS Initiative, Cosimo Commisso, PhD, assistant professor in SBP’s NCI-designated Cancer Center, discusses how the metabolism of cancer cells might be different in different parts of solid tumors.

The RAS Initiative is a collaborative effort to explore innovative approaches for attacking the proteins encoded by mutant forms of RAS genes, which drive 30% of human cancers.

Institute News

2016 Faculty Retreat highlights research advances, awards and promotions

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

May 20, 2016

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The 2016 Faculty Retreat, held May 11-12, attracted more than 70 SBP scientists wanting to learn more about their colleagues’ latest discoveries, explore collaborations and socialize in beautiful Carlsbad, Calif.

The two-day event included seven sessions covering the scientific themes and disease areas on which much of the Institute’s research is focused:

Metabolism—Chair: Timothy Osborne Epigenetics—Chair: Robert Wechsler-Reya Proteostasis—Chair: Rolf Bodmer Cancer—Chair: Garth Powis Neurological Disorders—Chair: Barbara Ranscht Immunomodulation—Chair: Carl Ware Metabolic Disorders—Chair: Sheila Collins

Special kudos to Duc Dong, PhD, for receiving this year’s “WOW” award. Dong, an assistant professor in the Human Genetics Program, presented his novel approach to generating insulin-producing beta cells to treat diabetes. The talk, titled, “Replacement of beta cells by direct in vivo trans-differentiation,” explained his work using zebrafish as a disease model to uncover ways to reprogram non-pancreatic cells within a living vertebrate to become beta cells. “WOW” stands for Wonderful Original Work and is an SBP Faculty Retreat tradition awarded by vote.

Congratulations to Julio Ayala, PhD, who was officially promoted at the retreat to associate professor in the Integrative Metabolism Program. Read more about Ayala’s efforts to advance treatments for diabetes here.

The keynote presentation was given by David Brenner, MD, vice chancellor of Health Sciences and dean of its School of Medicine at UC San Diego. Brenner’s presentation, “Fibrosis: The final common pathway in chronic injury,” gave SBP scientists a clinical perspective on cutting-edge research in prevention, causes and future treatments for fibrosis associated with liver disease.

The retreat was organized by Lazlo Nagy, MD, PhD, professor and director of the Genomic Control of Metabolism Program and Bas Baaten, PhD, assistant professor in the Immunity and Pathogenesis Program.

And it couldn’t have happened without the superb support from Esther Minotti, research administrative specialist who coordinated the show.

Institute News

Why the “Biggest Losers” don’t win

AuthorJessica Moore
Date

May 12, 2016

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Following a recent publication on the long-term effects of participation in TV’s “Biggest Loser” competition, Steven Smith, MD, professor in SBP’s Integrative Metabolism Program and director of the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes at Florida Hospital, was interviewed by NBC WESH TV Orlando reporter Amanda Ober. Smith explained why nearly all of the “Biggest Losers” regained large proportions of the weight they had lost, and sometimes even more. Continue reading “Why the “Biggest Losers” don’t win”

Institute News

SBP presents at American Association for Cancer Research’s annual meeting

AuthorKristen Cusato
Date

May 10, 2016

Cosimo Commisso, PhD and Jorge Moscat, Ph.D

Deputy Director of the NCI-designated Cancer Center, Jorge Moscat, PhD, and Cosimo Commisso, PhD, assistant professor in the Center, presented at the AACR conference in New Orleans.

Moscat presented at the session titled “Metabolic Interplay between Tumor and Microenvironment.”

“Cancer cells have to adapt their metabolism to survive nutrient deprivation and several stress conditions in their tumor microenvironment. For this they put in motion a process called autophagy whereby they get rid of toxic intracellular molecules and organelles and generate nutrients that allow them to survive,” said Moscat.

“Central to this process is a protein called p62 that was discovered in collaboration with my SBP colleague Maria Diaz-Meco. This protein is upregulated in, for example, liver cancer, whose mortality has increased dramatically over the last 10 years, in marked contrast to many other neoplasias that have shown a significant decrease in mortality.

“We presented new compelling data from human patients, mouse models and cell culture studies demonstrating that inactivation of p62 in cancer liver cells dramatically reduced the incidence and aggressiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, p62 is a novel and potentially actionable therapeutic target in liver cancer,” added Moscat.

Moscat said he was impressed at AACR by the number and quality of research studies linking the possibility of treating patients by a combined strategy of targeting cancer metabolism and the immunological tumor microenvironment.

He also spoke to ecancer.tv, an online provider of oncology news, about his research. Watch the video here.

Moscat is co-chair of a symposium on related research in cancer metabolism to that will be held June 22-23 at SBP’s La Jolla campus.

Commisso’s presentation was featured in a special session on pancreatic cancer that aimed to stimulate opportunities for collaboration between Pancreatic Cancer Action Network-AACR grantees and others in the field.

“The research that I presented was focused on a novel drug target in pancreatic cancer discovered recently by my lab,” said Commisso.

“We have found that an ion transporter that regulates pH homeostasis is critical to pancreatic cancer cell survival. This previously uncharacterized transporter plays a role in maintaining amino acid supply in tumor cells that harbor a mutation in the oncogene known as Ras, which is mutated in >90% of pancreatic tumors.

“Our future work is focused on exploring the role of this transporter in preclinical models and developing new approaches to inhibit this druggable target,” added Commisso.

He called the AACR meeting “a remarkable opportunity for cancer researchers to come together and share their exciting discoveries.”  Dr. Commisso also said it was a good opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends to develop and nurture scientific collaborations, to create, progress and build.

Commisso will also present at the 2016 PancWest Symposium in September at the Moores Cancer Center at UCSD.

Institute News

Doug Lewandowski, PhD, elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

AuthorJessica Moore
Date

April 28, 2016

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The director of Translational Cardiovascular Research at SBP’s Lake Nona campus was recently named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). E. Douglas Lewandowski, PhD, was one of 33 scientists selected to become a AAAS fellow in the Section on Medical Sciences, recognizing his “distinguished contributions to fundamental aspects of cardiac metabolism and their implications for heart disease.” Continue reading “Doug Lewandowski, PhD, elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science”

Institute News

Peter Crawford, MD, PhD, elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation

Authorjmoore
Date

April 19, 2016

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The director of SBP’s Cardiovascular Metabolism Program was recently elected into a pre-eminent honor society for physician-scientists. Peter Crawford, MD, PhD, was one of 74 medical researchers whose nominations to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) were accepted in 2016. This distinction is conferred only on investigators who have made significant scientific advances prior to the age of 50. Continue reading “Peter Crawford, MD, PhD, elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation”

Institute News

SBP scientists join race for a cure

Authordrobison
Date

March 17, 2016

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Andrew Carley, PhD, has a personal motivation for finding a cure for diabetes. As one of the 29 million Americans with diabetes, he became a biomedical researcher to better understand the causes of disease.

For Julio Ayala, PhD, a passion for medical research was sparked by his grandmother, a type 1 diabetic, who at age 86 has successfully managed the disease most of her life.

Julio Ayala, PhD
Julio Ayala, PhD

Siobhan Malany, PhD, is an avid cyclist who believes so strongly in team efforts that she has enlisted robots to join her research team searching for new drugs to fight disease.

On Sunday, March 13, 2016, these Sanford Burnham Prebys scientists took their interest in biomedical research to the roadways of Central Florida as they joined 1,100 participants in the 2016 Tour de Cure at Lake Nona bicycle ride for diabetes. The twelve-member SBP team collectively pedaled more than 400 miles and raised $9,000 to fight the disease. Participants began the 25, 63, and 100-mile courses in Lake Nona Medical City near SBP and the Center for Metabolic Origins of Disease, the site where researchers study diabetes in hopes of identifying new, more effective therapies.

“It was a fun way to give back and do what I love to do.  Cycling has been my commute, my sport and my escape —now it’s a way to contribute,” said Malany, who completed the 100-mile course in five hours. She enjoyed the camaraderie and credited the group with a bit of competitive motivation. “I kept a 21.5 mile per hour pace, which was not something I would have accomplished had I been cycling alone. It was fast and fun being in a pack because you conserve energy by drafting,” added Malany.

Siobhan Malany, PhD
Siobhan Malany, PhD

Since moving to Lake Nona in December from Chicago, Carley has gotten back into cycling and now bikes to the Institute in Medical City each day. He completed a Century ride to mark the 20th anniversary of the Tour de Cure in 2011 in Chicago and decided to mark the 25th anniversary of the event with a 25 mile ride. “I selected the 25 mile course because it was the maximum length of time my 3-year old daughter would remain content in her bike stroller watching a Toy Story movie. She weighs only 32 pounds and the course was relatively flat so we were able to complete the ride in two hours despite frequent stops,” said Carley.

Tour-de-cure

Team captain Ayala participated in various ADA and JDRF fund raising events while at Vanderbilt University. “While riding my bike to work a few years ago, I saw the first Tour de Cure in Lake Nona and knew that I wanted to participate. We study diseases of metabolism at the Medical City site and a number of faculty, including me, receive ADA-funded grants, so I wanted to get involved,” said Ayala.

Ayala credits the team’s spirit with providing extra motivation to push through the extreme winds encountered on the course. It’s with similar determination that they approach their daily race for the cure in their research labs.

Institute News

Renowned biochemist, Marcia I. Dawson, has died

Authorsgammon
Date

February 16, 2016

Marcia Dawson

Marcia I. Dawson, whose pioneering research helped lay the groundwork for pro-apoptotic (programmed cell death) small molecules for the treatment of cancer, died recently at her home in Menlo Park, California. Continue reading “Renowned biochemist, Marcia I. Dawson, has died”