Nicholas Cosford Archives - Sanford Burnham Prebys

Tag: Nicholas Cosford

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys event explores the science behind addiction

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

August 2, 2024

Nicholas Cosford, PhD, co-director of the Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program, presents an overview of the many links between addiction and cancer.

Scientists and clinicians from three local research institutions converged July 31 to discuss new ways to treat multiple addictions at Sanford Burnham Prebys open house

The  NCI-designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys welcomed San Diego community members to the institute’s campus on July 31, 2024 for an open house focused on addiction research.  The Cancer Center team developed the event in partnership with scientists from Scripps Research and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, director of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Cancer Center, formally opened the event and welcomed attendees before introducing David A. Brenner, MD, president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys.

William Gerhart, chair of the Sanford Burnham Prebys board of trustees

William Gerhart, chair of the Sanford Burnham Prebys board of trustees, delivered welcoming remarks focused on the potential benefits to families of improving the treatment and prevention of addiction and addiction-associated cancers.

“As I have learned more about the research being presented here, I am impressed by just how much of a powerhouse we have on this mesa regarding both cancer and addiction science,” said Brenner.

William Gerhart, chair of the Sanford Burnham Prebys board of trustees; Nicholas Cosford, PhD, co-director of the Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program; and Michael Jackson, PhD, senior vice president of Drug Discovery and Development at the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics (Prebys Center), also provided opening remarks emphasizing the collaborative nature of the featured research as well as the potential benefits to families of improving the treatment and prevention of addiction and addiction-associated cancers.

Attendees had the opportunity to learn from and interact with the following scientists at stations featuring posters describing research underway at all three represented institutions:

In addition to his welcoming comments, Cosford also presented an overview of the many links between addiction and cancer.

  • Douglas Sheffler, PhD, is an associate professor in the Center for Therapeutics Discovery at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Sheffler discussed a drug discovery effort focused on treating nicotine addiction.
  • Benjamin Mckenna, PhD, is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and staff psychologist at Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. Mckenna presented on the same drug as Sheffler with an update on phase I clinical trial results regarding safety, optimal dosage and efficacy.
  • Steven Olson, PhD, executive director of Medicinal Chemistry at the Prebys Center, presented on work being conducted at the center in collaboration with Jackson. Olson described a drug being studied as an alternative to opioids that has shown promising benefits for reducing pain and addiction-related behavior.
  • Kokila Shankar, PhD, is a postdoctoral associate at Sanford Burnham Prebys working in the Cosford lab. Shankar detailed efforts to find new drugs to treat alcohol use disorder, which is estimated to cause approximately one of every 25 cancer diagnoses.
  • Bryan Cruz, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at Scripps Research working in the lab of Marisa Roberto, PhD, vice chair and Paul and Cleo Schimmel Endowed Chair in the Department of Molecular Medicine. Cruz discussed his research to uncover new ways of treating alcohol use disorder rooted in posttraumatic stress disorder, and thereby reduce cancer cases associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
  • Valentina Vozella, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. She also is a member of the Roberto lab. Vozella presented on studies regarding the effect of social isolation on the development of alcohol use disorder during adolescence, as well as on potential methods of treatment and prevention.

Participants were able to tour the Prebys Center, which is the institute’s comprehensive center for drug discovery and chemical biology. Visitors were able to see how the center’s researchers can quickly test the potential effectiveness of hundreds of thousands of compounds to find new prospective treatments. Many scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys partner with the Prebys Center to conduct drug discovery searches based on new research findings, including several of the event’s poster presenters.

The open house featured a reception with remarks from Robert Anthenelli, MD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Anthenelli’s research focuses on developing new or improved treatments for cancer-causing tobacco and alcohol use disorders. He shared insights he has gained as a physician-scientist working in this area over the past 30 years.

The reception also included concluding remarks from Helen Eckmann, EdD, an NCI-designated Cancer Center Community Advisory Board member. The board hosts the center’s open house events. Its members strive to bridge the gap between biomedical science and the people who need it most: patients and the families and friends who love and support them.

Institute News

The Science Behind Addiction

AuthorGreg Calhoun
Date

July 25, 2024

Science Behind Addiction graphic

Scientists and clinicians from three local research institutions converge July 31 to discuss new ways to treat multiple addictions at Sanford Burnham Prebys Open House

The NCI-designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys welcomes San Diego community members to the institute’s campus for an open house focused on addiction research.  The Cancer Center team developed the event in partnership with scientists from Scripps Research and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

The event will take place Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 3:30 pm at 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla. More information and the online registration form are located on the institute’s website.

Attendees will meet scientists working to better understand the science behind addiction. Here’s a sneak peek of presenters and topics:

  • Douglas Sheffler, PhD, is an associate professor in the Center for Therapeutics Discovery at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Sheffler will discuss a drug discovery effort focused on treating nicotine addiction.
  • Benjamin Mckenna, PhD, is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and staff psychologist at Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. Mckenna will present on the same drug as Sheffler with an update on phase I clinical trial results regarding safety, optimal dosage and efficacy.
  • Michael Jackson, PhD, is senior vice president of Drug Discovery and Development at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics and co-director of the Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program in the institute’s NCI-Designated Cancer Center. Jackson will talk about a drug being studied as an alternative to opioids that has shown promising benefits for reducing pain and addiction-related behavior.
  • Kokila Shankar, PhD, is a postdoctoral associate at Sanford Burnham Prebys working in the lab of Nicholas Cosford, PhD, co-director of the NCI-Designated Cancer Center’s Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Program. Shankar will detail efforts to find new drugs to treat alcohol use disorder, which is estimated to cause approximately one of every 25 cancer diagnoses.
  • Bryan Cruz, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at Scripps Research working in the lab of Marisa Roberto, PhD, vice chair and Paul and Cleo Schimmel Endowed Chair in the Department of Molecular Medicine. Cruz will discuss his research to uncover new ways of treating alcohol use disorder rooted in posttraumatic stress disorder, and thereby reduce cancer cases associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
  • Valentina Vozella, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. She also is a member of the Roberto lab. Vozella will present on studies regarding the effect of social isolation on the development of alcohol use disorder during adolescence, as well as on potential methods of treatment and prevention.
  • Robert Anthenelli, MD, is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Anthenelli’s research focuses on developing new or improved treatments for cancer-causing tobacco and alcohol use disorders. He will share some of his insights as a physician-scientist working in this area over the past 30 years.

In addition to poster presentations from speakers, guests will have the opportunity to talk with  scientists, clinicians and research advocates during an informal evening reception.

The NCI-designated Cancer Center open house events are hosted by the center’s Community Advisory Board. Its members strive to bridge the gap between biomedical science and the people who need it most: patients and the families and friends who love and support them.

Institute News

Padres Pedal the Cause 2023: Team Sanford Burnham Prebys raises $50,000 for cancer research

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

March 20, 2023

Group photo of Team Sanford Burnham Prebys 2023

Team Sanford Burnham Prebys hit the pavement this weekend for Padres Pedal the Cause, an annual fundraising event that invites participants to cycle, spin, run or walk to support local cancer research. The funds raised through each year’s race go to seed grants that fund collaborative cancer research projects in San Diego.

“Padres Pedal the Cause is a chance for the cancer community to come together and remember why collaboration is so important in cancer research,” says bike rider Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, director of the Institute’s NCI-designated Cancer Center. “Virtually all of us know somebody who has been impacted by cancer, including me. This is my fifth Padres Pedal the Cause, and every year I’m so proud to be part of our Institute’s team and help contribute to cancer research outside the lab.”

This year’s team was formidable: 56 employees and friends of the Institute signed up to either ride, run, or walk in the event. Team members came from all areas of the Institute, including faculty, staff scientists, administrative staff, postdocs, and even current and former members of the Institute’s Board of Trustees, such as Bill Gerhart and Steve Williams. Other notable names on this year’s team included longtime participants such as Professor Nicholas Cosford, PhD and James Short, associate director of Digital Communications and Design. 

“I’ve been with Padres Pedal the Cause since the very beginning, and it’s one of the highlights of my year,” says Short, who has helped lead the Institute’s team for the last 10 years.

The team also included some new members this year, such as Assistant Professor Lukas Chavez, PhD, and Director of Experimental Pharmacology Raghu Ramachandra, PhD, who both joined the Institute late last year. 

While Institute employees were well represented on this year’s team, there were also current some of the team’s top fundraisers had a different reason to join team Sanford Burnham Prebys. Kim McKewon is a longtime donor to the Institute and has been participating in Padres Pedal the Cause since its inception in 2013. This year she raised more than $6,000; and to date, she has raised more than $30,000. 

“I pedal for my husband, Ray, who is in remission from leukemia because of science and research, the very focus of the grants that are given from the fundraising that comes out of this event,” she writes in her website bio.

It’s not too late to support Team Sanford Burnham Prebys
To date, team Sanford Burnham Prebys has raised more than $300,000 through Padres Pedal the Cause since its inception in 2013. And while this year’s ride is over, there is always time to support local cancer research. The fundraising deadline for this year’s Padre’s Pedal the Cause is April 18, and 100% of every dollar raised goes toward lifesaving cancer research. Help team Sanford Burnham Prebys create a world without cancer.

Support Team Sanford Burnham Prebys

 

 

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers awarded Curebound grants

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

March 20, 2023

Aninyda Bagchi, PhD, Linda Bradley, Lukas Chavez, PhD, Nicholas Cosford, PhD, and Michael Jackson, PhD

Each year, Sanford Burnham Prebys joins Padres Pedal the Cause, an annual fundraising event that raises money for Curebound which awards collaborative cancer grants in the San Diego area.

These grants include Discovery Grants, which provide seed funds for high-risk/high-reward research in the earliest phases, and Targeted Grants, which are larger awards ($500K) that help translate promising discoveries into treatments for the clinic.

In the 2022-2023 Curebound Research portfolio, five researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys were awarded grants: Associate Professor Anindya Bagchi, PhD, Professor Linda Bradley, PhD, Assistant Professor Lukas Chavez, PhD, Professor Nicholas Cosford, PhD, and Professor Michael Jackson, PhD

2022 Discovery Grant: Treating incurable pediatric brain tumors 
Bagchi and Chavez will collaborate to advance a new therapeutic approach for medulloblastoma, the most common childhood brain tumor. They will be focusing on a gene called MYC, found only in the deadliest forms of medulloblastoma. This form of brain cancer is currently untreatable, but Bagchi and Chavez recently discovered a molecule that can help control the activity of the MYC gene and potentially inhibit the growth of medulloblastoma tumors. The researcher holds promise to reveal a new treatment approach for this incurable cancer. 

The grant is titled “Decoding the Role of the Long Non-Coding RNA PVT1 in Medulloblastoma.”

2023 Targeted Grant: Discovering a new immunotherapy drug for melanoma
Bradley will be working with Soo Jin Park, MD, from UC San Diego Health to advance a new immunotherapy approach for malignant melanoma. Despite recent advances, this type of skin cancer still causes thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year. The goal of their project is to develop a new drug for melanoma that can reactivate the tumor-killing properties of the patient’s own immune system. This therapeutic approach has the potential to destroy tumors that are resistant to existing therapies, which could help save lives.

The grant is titled, “Advancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibition of PSGL-1 for Treatment of Malignant Melanoma.
 

2022 Discovery Grant: Developing drugs for bone-metastatic prostate cancer
Cosford will work with Christina Jamieson, PhD, from the University of California, San Diego, to advance a new treatment approach for prostate cancer that has spread to the bones. Bone is the most common place for prostate cancer to metastasize, and this form of cancer is currently incurable. The researchers will look for drugs that can kill tumor cells by inhibiting autophagy, a process that promotes tumor progression. The results of the study could identify a new drug ready for clinical trials.

The grant is titled “Pre-Clinical Development of New Autophagy Targeting Drugs for Bone Metastatic Prostate Cancer.”

2022 Discovery Grant: Repurposing drugs for deadly childhood brain cancer
Jackson and Chavez will collaborate to identify new treatment options for ependymoma, an aggressive pediatric brain tumor and leading cause of death among childhood cancer patients. The researchers will screen patient tumor cells against drugs already approved by the FDA for other conditions, looking for drugs that could be repurposed to fight these tumors. Because FDA-approved drugs are known to be safe for humans, this may prove to be the quickest way to help patients currently living with this cancer. 

The grant is titled “High Throughput-Screen for Inhibitors of Pediatric Ependymoma.”

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys drug enters Phase 1 study for the treatment of tobacco use disorder

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

August 26, 2021

Senior doctor breaking a cigarette

A drug discovered in the lab of Nicholas Cosford, PhD, professor and deputy director of the NCI-designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys, has entered a Phase 1 clinical study.

The compound, SBP-9330, targets a neuronal signaling pathway underlying addictive behaviors and would be a first-in-class oral therapeutic to help people quit smoking. 

The study is being funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through a grant awarded to Sanford Burnham Prebys, the Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, and Camino Pharma, LLC, who will oversee activities related to the Phase 1 study.  

“Smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the US. Nearly 70% of adult smokers try to quit smoking, but only succeed less than 30% of the time, and often relapse after quitting,” says Cosford, who is also co-founder of Camino Pharma. “It has been 15 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last approved a therapeutic for this indication. We hope that SBP-9330 ultimately becomes a viable therapeutic option for smokers to quit for good.”

As a novel selective positive allosteric modulator of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu2), SBP-9330 is designed to reduce levels of glutamate, a neurotransmitter linked to addiction and relapse behavior. Preclinical studies of SBP-9330, supported by a previous NIDA grant awarded to the same three institutions, demonstrated that the drug candidate reduces nicotine self-administration in animal models and is safe and well tolerated in preclinical safety and toxicology studies.

“We are excited to initiate the first-in-human study of SBP-9330 and are grateful for the investment the NIDA has made in the treatment of tobacco use disorder,” says Gonul Velicelebi, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Camino Pharma. “In the future, we also hope to broaden the indication of SBP-9330 to other types of addiction, such as cocaine, opioid, or methamphetamine use disorders. This is supported by preclinical data in other models of substance abuse as well as the mechanism of action of SBP-9330.”

The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-ascending and multiple-ascending dose study is being conducted at a single site in the United States under an Investigational New Drug (IND) application recently allowed by the FDA and will enroll up to 80 healthy volunteers through multiple cohorts. The goal of the study is to determine the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of SBP-9330 in humans and to determine a safe dose range for further clinical development SBP-9330 for the treatment of people with tobacco use disorder. 

“We are excited about collaborating in the development of SBP-9330 to treat tobacco use disorder. Each year in the United States, roughly half a million people die from tobacco-related diseases. It is critical to have more therapeutic options if we want to reduce the number of deaths and illnesses related to smoking,” says Robert Anthenelli, MD, UC San Diego professor of psychiatry and one of the co-principal investigators on the NIDA project.

Dr. Cosford has an equity interest in Camino Pharma, LLC. Dr. Cosford’s relationship with Camino Pharma, LLC has been reviewed and approved by Sanford Burnham Prebys in accordance with its conflict-of-interest policies.

Institute News

Scientists design potential drug for triple-negative breast cancer

AuthorMonica May
Date

February 16, 2021

Noise and artifacts image: MAMMOGRAM Medical image showing CA right breast 3 cm fluid collection at MUQ ,near nipple right breast is noted and this may be seroma

Drug candidate blocks autophagy, a cellular recycling process that cancer cells hijack as a way to resist treatment

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have designed a next-generation drug, called SBP-7455, which holds promise as a treatment for triple-negative breast cancer—an aggressive cancer with limited treatment options. The drug blocks a cellular recycling process called autophagy, which cancer cells hijack as a way to resist treatment. The proof-of-concept study was published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

“Scientists are now learning that autophagy is one of the main ways that cancer cells are able to survive, even in the presence of growth-blocking treatments,” says Huiyu Ren, a graduate student in the laboratory of Nicholas Cosford, PhD, at Sanford Burnham Prebys, and first author of the study. “If all goes well, we hope this compound will stop cancer cells from turning on autophagy and allow people with triple-negative breast cancer to benefit from their treatment for as long as possible.”

Cells normally use autophagy as a way to recycle waste products. However, when cancer cells’ survival is threatened by a growth-blocking treatment, this process is often “revved up” so the cancer cell can continue to receive nutrients and keep growing. Certain cancers are more likely to rely on the autophagy process for survival, including breast, pancreatic, prostate and lung cancers.

“While this study focused on triple-negative breast cancer, an area of great unmet need, we are actively testing this drug’s potential against more cancer types,” says Cosford, professor and deputy director in the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys and senior author of the study. “An autophagy-inhibiting drug that stops treatment resistance from taking hold would be a great addition to an oncologist’s toolbox.”

About 15% to 20% of all breast cancers are triple negative, which means they do not respond to hormonal therapy or targeted treatments. The cancer is currently treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, and is deadlier than other breast cancer types. If the tumor returns, other treatments such as PARP inhibitors or immunotherapy are considered. People under the age of 50 are more likely to have triple-negative breast cancer, as well as women who are Black, Hispanic, and/or have an inherited BRCA mutation.

An optimized drug

In this study, the scientists optimized a first-generation drug they created in 2015. The result is a compound called SBP-7455 that blocks two autophagy proteins, ULK1 and ULK2. SBP-7455 exhibits promising bioavailability in mice and reduces autophagy levels in triple-negative breast cancer cells, resulting in cell death. Importantly, combining the drug with PARP inhibitors, which are currently used to treat people with recurrent triple-negative breast cancer, makes the drug even more effective.

“We are hopeful that we have found a new potential therapy for people living with triple-negative breast cancer,” says Reuben Shaw, PhD, a study author and professor in the Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory and director of the NCI-designated Cancer Center at the Salk Institute. “We envision this drug being used in combination with targeted therapies, such as PARP inhibitors, to prevent cancer cells from becoming treatment resistant.”

Next, the scientists plan to test the drug in mouse models of triple-negative breast cancer to confirm that the compound can stop tumor growth in an animal model. In parallel, they will continue optimization efforts to ensure the drug has the greatest chance of clinical success.

“Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the hardest cancers to treat today,” says Ren. “I hope that our research marks the start of a path to successful treatment that helps more people survive this aggressive cancer.”

Additional study authors include Nicole A. Bakas, Mitchell Vamos, Allison S. Limpert, Carina D. Wimer, Lester J. Lambert, Lutz Tautz, Maria Celeridad and Douglas J. Sheffler of Sanford Burnham Prebys; Apirat Chaikuad and Stefan Knapp of the Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Goethe-University Frankfurt; and Sonja N. Brun of the Salk Institute.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (P30CA030199, T32CA211036), Epstein Family Foundation, Larry L. Hillblom Foundation (2019-A-005-NET), Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (19-65-COSF), SGC—a registered charity that receives funds from AbbVie, Bayer Pharma AG, Boehringer Ingelheim, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Eshelman Institute for Innovation, Genome Canada through Ontario Genomics Institute [OGI-196], EU/EFPIA/OICR/McGill/KTH/Diamond, Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (875510), Janssen, Merck KGaA, Merck & Co, Pfizer, São Paulo Research Foundation-FAPESP, Takeda, and Wellcome.

The study’s DOI is 0.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00873.

Institute News

Our top 10 discoveries of 2020

AuthorMonica May
Date

December 14, 2020

notebook with Top 10 written at top of page

This year required dedication, patience and perseverance as we all adjusted to a new normal—and we’re proud that our scientists more than rose to the occasion.

Despite the challenges presented by staggered-shift work and remote communications, our researchers continued to produce scientific insights that lay the foundation for achieving cures.

Read on to learn more about our top 10 discoveries of the year—which includes progress in the fight against COVID-19, insights into treating deadly cancers, research that may help children born with a rare condition, and more.

  1. Nature study identifies 21 existing drugs that could treat COVID-19

    Sumit Chanda, PhD, and his team screened one of the world’s largest drug collections to find compounds that can stop the replication of SARS-CoV-2. This heroic effort was documented by the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, TIME, NPR and additional outlets—and his team continues to work around the clock to advance these potential treatment options for COVID-19 patients.

  2. Fruit flies reveal new insights into space travel’s effect on the heart

    Wife-and-husband team Karen Ocorr, PhD, and Rolf Bodmer, PhD, shared insights that hold implications for NASA’s plan to build a moon colony by 2024 and send astronauts to Mars.

  3. Personalized drug screens could guide treatment for children with brain cancer

    Robert Wechsler-Reya, PhD, and Jessica Rusert, PhD, demonstrated the power of personalized drug screens for medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain cancer in children.

  4. Preventing pancreatic cancer metastasis by keeping cells “sheltered in place”

    Cosimo Commisso, PhD, identified druggable targets that hold promise as treatments that stop pancreatic cancer’s deadly spread.

  5. Prebiotics help mice fight melanoma by activating anti-tumor immunity

    Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, showed that two prebiotics, mucin and inulin, slowed the growth of melanoma in mice by boosting the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

  6. New test for rare disease identifies children who may benefit from a simple supplement

    Hudson Freeze, PhD, helped create a test that determines which children with CAD deficiency—a rare metabolic disease—are likely to benefit from receiving a nutritional supplement that has dramatically improved the lives of other children with the condition.

  7. Drug guides stem cells to desired location, improving their ability to heal

    Evan Snyder, MD, PhD, created the first drug that can lure stem cells to damaged tissue and improve treatment efficacy—a major advance for regenerative medicine.

  8. Scientists identify a new drug target for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

    Francesca Marassi, PhD, showed that the blood protein vitronectin is a promising drug target for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.

  9. Scientists uncover a novel approach to treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy

    Pier Lorenzo Puri, MD, PhD, collaborated with scientists at Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome to show that pharmacological (drug) correction of the content of extracellular vesicles released within dystrophic muscles can restore their ability to regenerate muscle and prevent muscle scarring.

  10. New drug candidate reawakens sleeping HIV in the hopes of a functional cure

    Sumit Chanda, PhD, Nicholas Cosford, PhD, and Lars Pache, PhD, created a next-generation drug called Ciapavir (SBI-0953294) that is effective at reactivating dormant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—an approach called “shock and kill.”

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers awarded 2020 Padres Pedal the Cause grants

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

July 9, 2020

Sanford Burnham Prebys - Padres Pedal the Cause; team riders at SBP

We are pleased to announce that Padres Pedal the Cause (PPTC) has awarded three collaborative research grants to Sanford Burnham Prebys, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health and the Salk Institute. Funding for the research comes from the record setting $3.1 million raised in the 2019 event and brings the lifetime raise for PPTC to over $13 million.

PPTC’s goal is to leverage the strengths of San Diego—home to three nationally recognized NIH cancer institutions and a renowned pediatric hospital. Each grant unites scientists at beneficiary institutions and aims to advance research toward developing therapies to attack and cure cancer.

Congratulations to the recipients!

  • Robert Wechsler-Reya, PhD, (SBP) and John Crawford, MD, (Moores Cancer Center/Rady Children’s) will work on a new approach to treat medulloblastoma—the most common malignant brain tumor in children.
  • Garth Powis, D. Phil., (SBP) Pradipta Ghosh, MD, (Moores Cancer Center) and Michael Bouvet, MD, (Moores Cancer Center) are joining forces to find medical treatments for gastric cancer—a disease for which no therapy exists. 
  • Nicholas Cosford, PhD, (SBP) Hatim Husain, MD, (Moores Cancer Center) and Reuben Shaw, PhD, (Salk Institute) will perform a first-of-its-kind study for lung cancer—the number one cause of cancer-related deaths per year.

The PPTC event featured multiple cycling courses, a 5K run or walk, spin classes and kid-friendly activities. The number of participants reached an all-time high of nearly 3,000 in 2019.

Congratulations to everyone who worked, played and cycled their way to success!

Read the full list of 2020 grants funded by Padres Pedal the Cause.

Institute News

Seeing is believing: cancer imaging

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

June 28, 2018

Cancer Open House

SBP’s recent Cancer Center Open House event gave guests a unique opportunity to see cancer in a different light—through the eyes of scientists. More than 120 guests took guided tours of faculty labs, giving attendees a behind-the-scenes look into our scientists’ approach to finding new pathways to combat cancer—the second-leading cause of death in the U.S.

SBP Cancer Center Open House Guests

SBP Cancer Center Open House Guests

Nicholas Cosford, PhD, deputy director of SBP’s NCI-designated Cancer Center, welcomed visitors with an introduction, including an overview of how Dr. William Fishman and his wife, Lillian, moved from Tufts University in Boston to found the Institute with a pioneering spirit that helped make SBP into the renowned center of discovery it is today.

After light refreshments and mingling with cancer scientists, survivors and research advocates, guests signed up for tours:

Picture This: MRI Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps scientists analyze the structures and functions of proteins and their interactions with drugs. This information is essential for developing new, powerful therapies to treat cancer.
Francesca Marassi, PhD

Eye on Crystals: Crystallography
Using atomic models of proteins, scientists can visualize how molecules interact to create signals that promote cancer, and design drugs to block those interactions.
Robert Liddington, PhD

Getting Big to See Small: Cryo-Electron Microscopy
By assembling 3D maps of cells and their components, scientists can derive models to understand mutations that cause irregularities in cell functions leading to cancer.
Dorit Hanein, Ph.D.

In Focus: Optical Imaging of Cancer Cells
Fluorescent staining of cell proteins helps researchers visualize the cell signals and pathways that drive cancer progression.
Petrus de Jong, MD, PhD

Fluorescent science at SBP's cancer center open house​

“It’s an honor to host the supporters of SBP’s Cancer Center,” said Cosford. “On evenings like this, we learn so much about what the public wants—and needs to know about cancer research. The questions we get from them are always refreshing and out-of-the-box, which is a very valuable experience for us as cancer researchers.”

Special thanks to SBP’s Cancer Advisory Board for hosting the event and their support of our postdocs and graduate students who present their research. And thank you as well to Bobbie Larraga and Heather Buthmann who helped coordinate the very special evening.