Translational Medicine Archives - Sanford Burnham Prebys
Institute News

Drug delivery to the placenta for healthier pregnancies

AuthorGuest Blogger
Date

May 6, 2016

Nearly 10% of  babies are born premature in the United States, according to the March of Dimes.  The underlying cause is often a poorly functioning placenta, the organ that nourishes and maintains the fetus. Continue reading “Drug delivery to the placenta for healthier pregnancies”

Institute News

New drug combination may lead to treatment for childhood brain cancer

AuthorJessica Moore
Date

March 14, 2016

Researchers at SBP have identified a new combination therapy for the most aggressive form of medulloblastoma, a fast growing type of pediatric brain cancer. The study, published  in Cancer Cell, is expected to lead to a clinical trial to confirm the benefits of the novel drug combination. Continue reading “New drug combination may lead to treatment for childhood brain cancer”

Institute News

Scientists find optimal method for generating regulatory T cells to treat autoimmune disease

Authorjmoore
Date

March 11, 2016

While we normally think of T cells as recognizing invaders, their roles are more complex. For example, some T cells, called regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress conventional T cells’ immune responses. Because conventional T cells can escape normal controls and drive autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, as well as rejection of transplants, Tregs are increasingly viewed as a way to rein in autoimmune diseases. Continue reading “Scientists find optimal method for generating regulatory T cells to treat autoimmune disease”

Institute News

New Department of Defense grant funds efforts to treat ALS with stem cells

Authorjmoore
Date

January 28, 2016

Evan Snyder, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine and a professor in SBP’s Human Genetics Program, was awarded a grant to develop a stem cell treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, involves degeneration and death of motor neurons (which control voluntary muscles), causing difficulty speaking, swallowing, and eventually breathing. No available treatments can slow the progression of ALS, which affects approximately 20,000 people in the U.S.

As new therapies are urgently needed, the Department of Defense announced a funding program for new therapeutic ideas in ALS in 2015. Snyder received one of eight grants awarded in this competitive program.

This grant will support research on human neural stem cells (hNSCs) as an approach to support the survival and function of existing motor neurons. The Snyder lab is modifying hNSCs so that they can be administered via the bloodstream and home to the spinal cord. This strategy allows the stem cells to become distributed throughout the spinal cord, overcoming a previous limitation. Snyder’s team has already shown that transplanted NSCs improved motor performance, respiratory function, and symptom-free survival in a mouse model of ALS.

hNSCs are already in phase I clinical trials for ALS, which have shown that this therapy is safe. These trials were possible in part because of the Snyder lab’s pioneering work in preclinical models. The current research promises to lead to an improved version of this therapy.

Institute News

The science behind the Pedal the Cause cancer research awards

Authorsgammon
Date

March 26, 2015

Pedal the Cause, the nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for cancer research, recently announced the funding awards for collaborative translational research projects for scientists at Sanford-Burnham, UC San Diego (Moores Cancer Center), and the Salk Institute. This means that scientists from these organizations will join together and embark on projects centered on what occurs “from bench to bedside” in the development of new drug treatment options for patients. Continue reading “The science behind the Pedal the Cause cancer research awards”

Institute News

New compound shows promise for safe, effective treatment of heart attack and stroke

AuthorGuest Blogger
Date

February 17, 2015

Heart attack and ischemic stroke affect hundreds of thousands of Americans every year and are leading causes of death in the United States. Both of these conditions are caused by blood clots that block vessels and interrupt blood flow to the heart or the brain, respectively. Antiplatelet therapies such as aspirin prevent clotting by decreasing the activity of blood cells called platelets, thereby lowering the risk of dying from a heart attack or having a stroke. But these drugs can cause serious side effects, such as gastrointestinal toxicity, abnormally low blood cell counts, and bleeding. Therefore, there is a strong need for research aimed at better understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to platelet activation in order to develop improved therapies.

Continue reading “New compound shows promise for safe, effective treatment of heart attack and stroke”

Institute News

Exercise following bariatric surgery provides health benefits

Authorsgammon
Date

December 1, 2014

A new study by researchers at the Florida Hospital – Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes (TRI-MD) in Orlando, Fla., shows that patients who moderately exercise after bariatric surgery (weight-loss surgery) gain additional health improvements in glucose metabolism and cardiorespiratory fitness compared to patients who lead a sedentary lifestyle after surgery. The findings confirm the physiological and potential clinical benefits of adding an exercise regime following weight-loss surgery. Continue reading “Exercise following bariatric surgery provides health benefits”

Institute News

Sanford-Burnham announces next CEO

Authoradmin
Date

August 19, 2014

We are thrilled to announce that Sanford-Burnham’s Board of Trustees has appointed Perry Nisen, MD, PhD, as the Institute’s chief executive officer and holder of the Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair. In this role, he will lead the Institute and oversee the execution of our new 10-year strategic vision to more quickly translate basic research discoveries into novel treatments that improve human health. Dr. Nisen joins us from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – a British multinational pharmaceutical company – where he was senior vice president of Science and Innovation. Continue reading “Sanford-Burnham announces next CEO”

Institute News

A new way to generate insulin-producing cells in type 1 diabetes

Authorsgammon
Date

July 31, 2014

A new study by researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) has found that a peptide called caerulein can convert existing cells in the pancreas into those cells destroyed in type 1 diabetesinsulin-producing beta cells. The study, published online July 31 in Cell Death and Disease, suggests a new approach to treating the estimated 3 million people in the U.S., and over 300 million worldwide, living with type 1 diabetes. Continue reading “A new way to generate insulin-producing cells in type 1 diabetes”