Salk scientists show nine genes at heart of epigenetic changes in induced pluripotent stem cells

LA JOLLA, CA—Salk scientists have identified a unique molecular signature in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), "reprogrammed" cells that show great promise in regenerative medicine thanks to their ability to generate a range of body tissues.

In this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Salk scientists and their collaborators at University of…

Scripps researchers reassess heat waves against the backdrop of rising

temperatures

Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego

A new study by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, suggests that the nature of California heat waves is changing due to global warming.

Climate researchers Alexander Gershunov and Kristen Guirguis detected a trend toward more humid heat waves that are expressed very…

Small droplets of friction-generated melts weaken faults and can lead to 'megaquakes'

Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have come a step closer to deciphering some of the basic mysteries and mechanisms behind earthquakes and how average-sized earthquakes may evolve into massive earthquakes.

In a paper published in the Aug. 30 issue of the journal Nature, Scripps…

LA JOLLA, CA, September 19, 2012 

The Scripps Research Institute has received a grant totaling approximately $20 million over five years from the National Institutes of Health to research the development of drug resistance in HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The grant will create a new consortium, the HIV Interaction and Viral Evolution (HIVE) Center, to better understand drug resistance and lay the groundwork for developing new anti-HIV treatments.

“We’re excited about…

LA JOLLA, CA – September 23, 2012 

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have shown how to synthesize in the laboratory an important set of natural compounds known as terpenes. The largest class of chemicals made by living organisms, terpenes are made within cells by some of the most complex chemical reactions found in biology.

The new technique, described in an advance online edition of the journal Nature Chemistry on September 23, 2012, mimics a crucial but…

Sanford-Burnham researchers discover that an enzyme known for generating toxic brain plaques in Alzheimer's disease also causes additional memory and cognitive deficits via a separate mechanism

LA JOLLA, Calif., August 20, 2012 – The underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease are not fully understood, but a good deal of evidence points to the accumulation of β-amyloid, a protein that's toxic to nerve…

Breakthrough Findings Point to Targets for Drugs and Vaccines

LA JOLLA, CA, September 13, 2012 - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Marburg virus, a close cousin of Ebola virus. These viruses cause similar diseases and are some of the deadliest pathogens on the planet, each killing up to 90 percent of those infected.

Described in the September 13, 2012 publication of the journal…

LA JOLLA, CA – Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have found new

links between a protein that controls our urge to eat and brain cells involved

in the development of alcoholism. The discovery points to new possibilities for

designing drugs to treat alcoholism and other addictions.

The new study, published online ahead of print by the journal

Neuropsychopharmacology, focuses on the peptide ghrelin, which is known

to stimulate…

Sparse halos of neutrinos within the hearts of exploding stars exert a previously unrecognized influence on the physics of the explosion and may alter which elements can be forged by these violent events.

John Cherry, a graduate student at UC San Diego, models stellar explosions, including a type called a core-collapse supernova. As these stars run out of fuel, their cores suddenly collapse to form a neutron star, which quickly rebounds sending seas of neutrinos through the…

In mice, added amino acid reduced associated epilepsy, eased neurobehavioral

symptom

An international team of researchers, led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego and Yale University schools of medicine, have identified a form of autism with epilepsy that may potentially be treatable with a common nutritional supplement.

The findings are published in the September 6, 2012 online issue of…

Sanford-Burnham researchers discover that an enzyme known for generating toxic brain plaques in Alzheimer's disease also causes additional memory and cognitive deficits via a separate mechanism

LA JOLLA, Calif., August 20, 2012 – The underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease are not fully understood, but a good deal of evidence points to the accumulation of β-amyloid, a protein that's toxic to nerve cells. β-amyloid is formed by the activity of several enzymes,…

Sanford-Burnham researchers discover molecule that controls tumor vessel maturation -- a counterintuitive approach that could improve cancer drug delivery

ORLANDO, Fla., August 13, 2012 – To survive, tumors need blood supply to provide them with nutrients and oxygen. To get that supply, cancer cells stimulate new blood vessel growth—a process called tumor angiogenesis. Many attempts have been made to inhibit this process as a means to choke off tumors. But tumor…

Challenges fundamental notion of enzyme specificity and efficiency

Open an undergraduate biochemistry textbook and you will learn that enzymes are highly efficient and specific in catalyzing chemical reactions in living organisms, and that they evolved to this state from their “sloppy” and “promiscuous” ancestors to allow cells to grow more efficiently. This fundamental paradigm is being challenged in a new study by bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego, who…

Salk study finds stress triggers widespread epigenetic changes that aid in disease resistance

Finding may lead to new treatments for diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases

CARLSBAD, Calif., July 18, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced it will use a fuel cell system to self-generate electricity for its company headquarters, along with its manufacturing and distribution center in Carlsbad, California.  The…

CARLSBAD, Calif., July 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced the acquisition of Pinpoint Genomics, Inc., and its early-stage non-small cell lung cancer test that can help doctors identify those early-stage patients at high risk for progression to late-stage disease.  Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths…

The Work May Pave the Way for New Therapies for Obesity and Diabetes

JUPITER, FL, August 15, 2012 – Working with a national team of researchers, a scientist from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute has shown for the first time a link between low levels of a specific hormone and increased risk of metabolic disease in humans.

The study, published online ahead of print in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, focuses on…

Oral Drug Shows Clinical Response and Remission in Some Patients

An investigational drug currently under FDA review for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has now shown positive results in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine.  The study will appear in the August 16, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Results from…