Research News Archives - Page 4 of 8 - Sanford Burnham Prebys

Category: Research News

Institute News

Researchers find new method to halt the advance of liver cancer

Authorsgammon
Date

July 24, 2015

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A new study by researchers at SBP, the National Cancer Institute, and the Chulabhorn Research Institute has found that blocking the activity of a key immune receptor, the lymphotoxin-beta receptor (LTβR), reduces the progression of liver cancer. The results, published recently in the online edition of Gut, could provide new treatment strategies for the disease, which is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Continue reading “Researchers find new method to halt the advance of liver cancer”

Institute News

Potential drug targets could improve treatment of vascular disease in diabetic patients

Authorsgammon
Date

July 15, 2015

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The newly discovered role of a vascular protein in diabetes-induced hardening of the arteries could lead to better treatments that reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, according to research spearheaded by SBP investigators. The study, published recently in Circulation Research, reveals that a receptor called LRP6 inhibits molecular signals that drive diet-induced hardening of the arteries, also known as arteriosclerosis. Continue reading “Potential drug targets could improve treatment of vascular disease in diabetic patients”

Institute News

Newly identified cause of motor neuron disease paves way for better treatments

Authorsgammon
Date

July 8, 2015

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The discovery that a protein called membralin promotes the survival of motor neurons could potentially lead to novel therapies for severe, early-onset motor neuron disease, according to a recent study by SBP investigators. As reported recently in eLife, the researchers developed a novel mouse model for identifying therapeutic targets for a class of motor neuron disorders called distal hereditary motor neuropathies. Continue reading “Newly identified cause of motor neuron disease paves way for better treatments”

Institute News

New drug squashes cancer’s last-ditch efforts to survive

Authorsgammon
Date

June 25, 2015

Dr. Nicholas Cosford

As a tumor grows, its cancerous cells ramp up an energy-harvesting process to support its hasty development. This process, called autophagy, is normally used by a cell to recycle damaged organelles and proteins, but is also co-opted by cancer cells to meet their increased energy and metabolic demands. Continue reading “New drug squashes cancer’s last-ditch efforts to survive”

Institute News

How arsenic cures leukemia

Authorsgammon
Date

June 18, 2015

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For the first time, Sanford-Burnham researchers have shown how the reversible interactions of the small protein SUMO work to facilitate treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The study, published recently in the journal Science Signaling, explains how the on-off associations of SUMO are required to destroy the APL causing oncoprotein and pave the way for an arsenic-based cure. Continue reading “How arsenic cures leukemia”

Institute News

Research offers a new approach to improving HIV vaccines

Authorsgammon
Date

June 4, 2015

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In a scientific discovery that has significant implications for preventing HIV infections, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have identified a protein that could improve the body’s immune response to HIV vaccines and prevent transmission of the virus. Continue reading “Research offers a new approach to improving HIV vaccines”

Institute News

Stem cell model reveals molecular cues critical to neurovascular unit formation

Authorsgammon
Date

June 1, 2015

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Crucial bodily functions we depend on but don’t consciously think about — things like heart rate, blood flow, breathing, and digestion — are regulated by the neurovascular unit. The neurovascular unit is made up of blood vessels and smooth muscles under the control of autonomic neurons. Yet how the nervous and vascular systems come together during development to coordinate these functions is not well understood. Using human embryonic stem cells, researchers at Sanford-Burnham, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and Moores Cancer Center created a model that allows them to track cellular behavior during the earliest stages of human development in real-time. The model reveals, for the first time, how autonomic neurons and blood vessels come together to form the neurovascular unit. The study was published May 21 by Stem Cell Reports. Continue reading “Stem cell model reveals molecular cues critical to neurovascular unit formation”

Institute News

Novel model for cardiomyopathy paves the way for new therapies

Authorsgammon
Date

May 29, 2015

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A new fruit fly model that captures key metabolic defects associated with cardiomyopathy could translate into more-effective treatments for this potentially deadly heart condition, according to a study conducted by researchers at Sanford-Burnham and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain. The findings, published April 9 in Human Molecular Genetics, could also have broader clinical implications for human metabolic diseases affecting other organ systems such as the liver and skeletal muscle. Continue reading “Novel model for cardiomyopathy paves the way for new therapies”

Institute News

Sanford-Burnham researchers identify a new target for treating drug-resistant melanoma

Authorsgammon
Date

May 28, 2015

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A new collaborative study led by researchers at Sanford-Burnham, published today in Cell Reports, provides new insight into the molecular changes that lead to resistance to a commonly prescribed group of drugs called BRAF inhibitors. The findings suggest that targeting newly discovered pathways could be an effective approach to improving the clinical outcome of patients with BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanoma tumors. Continue reading “Sanford-Burnham researchers identify a new target for treating drug-resistant melanoma”

Institute News

Protein that prevents weight gain

Authorsgammon
Date

May 6, 2015

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Let’s face it: Exercise is not for everyone. Even though it has unquestionable health benefits, some people just can’t—or won’t—do it. A busy schedule, previous failed attempts, lack of results, injuries, or just plain boredom are common reasons why people find exercise hard. But when the amount of energy (calories) we take in exceeds the amount going out, our bodies experience an energy imbalance, and we become overweight and are at risk of obesity. And obesity comes with more than a social stigma, it’s associated with a myriad of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Continue reading “Protein that prevents weight gain”