Latest News from: UC San Diego Health

Filters close
Released: 25-Oct-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Machine Learning Detects Marketing and Sale of Opioids on Twitter
UC San Diego Health

Using advanced machine learning, a cross disciplinary team of University of California San Diego researchers developed technology that mined Twitter to identify entities illegally selling prescription opioids online.

20-Oct-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Exposure to Glyphosate, Chemical Found in Weed Killers, Increased Over 23 Years
UC San Diego Health

Analyzing samples from a prospective study, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers found that human exposure to glyphosate, a chemical widely found in weed killers, has increased approximately 500 percent since the introduction of genetically modified crops.

   
Released: 19-Oct-2017 4:55 PM EDT
The Microbial Anatomy of an Organ
UC San Diego Health

University of California San Diego researchers have developed the first 3D spatial visualization tool for mapping “’omics” data onto whole organs. The tool helps researchers and clinicians understand the effects of chemicals, such as microbial metabolites and medications, on a diseased organ in the context of microbes that also inhabit the region. The work could advance targeted drug delivery for cystic fibrosis and other conditions where medications are unable to penetrate.

Released: 18-Oct-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Inflamed Support Cells Appear to Contribute to Some Kinds of Autism
UC San Diego Health

Modeling the interplay between neurons and astrocytes derived from children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Brazil, say innate inflammation in the latter appears to contribute to neuronal dysfunction in at least some forms of the disease.

Released: 10-Oct-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Powered by Chemo: Patient with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Tackles Ironman Triathlon
UC San Diego Health

Despite a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer and ongoing chemotherapy, Mike Levine boarded a plane this past weekend destined for Kona, Hawaii, where he will compete in one of the most grueling of physical competitions: the Ironman World Championship. Cheering him on will be his wife Jan, friends and Paul Fanta, MD, a pancreatic cancer expert with Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health who has been treating Levine since 2016.

5-Oct-2017 3:50 PM EDT
Common Acid Reflux Medications Promote Chronic Liver Disease
UC San Diego Health

Approximately 10 percent of Americans take a proton pump inhibitor drug to relieve symptoms of frequent heartburn and acid reflux. That percentage can be much higher for people with chronic liver disease. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered evidence in mice and humans that these medications alter gut bacteria in a way that promotes three types of chronic liver disease. The study is published October 10 in Nature Communications.

Released: 9-Oct-2017 6:05 PM EDT
Celebrity-Endorsed “Natural” Hormone Therapies Aren’t What Many Women Think
UC San Diego Health

A commentary in JAMA Internal Medicine calls for improved oversight and transparency for compounded bioidentical hormone therapies.

Released: 9-Oct-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Gene Identified That May Provide Potential Therapy for Cerebral Cavernous Malformations
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with national collaborators, have identified a series of molecular clues to understanding the formation of cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs). The study offers the first genome-wide analysis of the transcriptome of brain microvascular endothelial cells after KRIT1 inactivation.

5-Oct-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Liquid Biopsy May Be New Way to Detect Liver Cancer Earlier, Easier
UC San Diego Health

An international team of researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, with colleagues at Sun Yet-sun University Cancer Center and other collaborating institutions, have developed a new diagnostic and prognosis method for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), based on a simple blood sample containing circulating tumor DNA.

Released: 3-Oct-2017 1:05 PM EDT
New Technology Enables Shorter Radiation Treatment Time for Patients
UC San Diego Health

Patients at UC San Diego Health in need of radiation therapy now have access to the next generation of radiation treatment technology. The new radiotherapy system significantly reduces treatment times with improved accuracy.

28-Sep-2017 2:05 PM EDT
DNA Mutations Shed in Blood Predicts Response to Immunotherapy in Patients with Cancer
UC San Diego Health

In a first-of-its-kind study, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report that a blood sample, or liquid biopsy, can reveal which patients will respond to checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapies.

Released: 29-Sep-2017 11:05 AM EDT
New Mouse Model Replicates an Underlying Cause of Intellectual Disability
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed the first mice that lack the Upf3b gene, providing a new model for studying its underlying role in intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Released: 28-Sep-2017 4:40 PM EDT
Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Shows Promise for Treating Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
UC San Diego Health

Using a form of low-impulse electrical stimulation to the brain, documented by neuroimaging, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and collaborators elsewhere, report significantly improved neural function in participants with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Released: 27-Sep-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Editing Genes One by One Throughout Colorectal Cancer Cell Genome Uncovers New Drug Targets
UC San Diego Health

Cancers driven by mutations in the KRAS gene are among the most deadly. For decades, researchers have tried unsuccessfully to directly target mutant KRAS proteins as a means to treat tumors. Instead of targeting mutant KRAS itself, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine are now looking for other genes or molecules that, when inhibited, kill cancer cells only when KRAS is also mutated.

Released: 22-Sep-2017 11:05 AM EDT
“Top Docs” Raise the Bar at UC San Diego Health
UC San Diego Health

More than 100 physicians from UC San Diego Health were named “Top Docs” in the annual San Diego Magazine “Physicians of Exceptional Excellence” annual survey. These physicians represent 45 diverse specialties, from infectious disease, surgery and oncology to obstetrics, cardiology and emergency medicine.

Released: 21-Sep-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Exosomes are the Missing Link to Insulin Resistance in Diabetes
UC San Diego Health

Chronic tissue inflammation resulting from obesity is an underlying cause of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. But the mechanism by which this occurs has remained cloaked, until now. In a paper, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified exosomes — extremely small vesicles or sacs secreted from most cell types — as the missing link.

Released: 21-Sep-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Drug Combination May Improve Impact of Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer
UC San Diego Health

Checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy has been shown to be very effective in recurrent and metastatic head and neck cancer but only in a minority of patients. University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers may have found a way to double down on immunotherapy’s effectiveness.

18-Sep-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Researchers Develop New Tool to Assess Individual’s Level of Wisdom
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new tool called the San Diego Wisdom Scale (SD-WISE) to assess an individual’s level of wisdom, based upon a conceptualization of wisdom as a trait with a neurobiological as well as psychosocial basis.

Released: 19-Sep-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Brain Powered: Increased Physical Activity Among Breast Cancer Survivors Boosts Cognition
UC San Diego Health

It is estimated that up to 75 percent of breast cancer survivors experience problems with cognitive difficulties following treatments, perhaps lasting years. Currently, few science-based options are available to help. University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report in a pilot study of 87 female breast cancer survivors that an increase in physical activity more than doubled the women’s post-treatment mental processing speed.

12-Sep-2017 12:05 PM EDT
People with Schizophrenia Left Out of Longevity Revolution
UC San Diego Health

A team of researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System has analyzed eight published longitudinal studies of mortality in schizophrenia that met their strict research criteria and found that the mean standardized mortality ratio – a measure of the mortality rate in schizophrenia – has increased 37 percent from pre-1970s studies to post-1970s studies.

Released: 13-Sep-2017 10:05 PM EDT
Researchers Develop New Strategy to Target KRAS Mutant Cancer
UC San Diego Health

In a new study, published this month in Cancer Discovery, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers report that approximately half of lung and pancreatic cancers that originate with a KRAS mutation become addicted to the gene as they progress.

6-Sep-2017 5:00 PM EDT
When Ancient Fossil DNA Isn’t Available, Ancient Glycans May Help Trace Human Evolution
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and collaborators discovered a new kind of glycan (sugar chain) that survives even in a 4 million-year-old animal fossil from Kenya, under conditions where ancient DNA does not. While ancient hominin fossils are not yet available for glycan analysis, this proof-of-concept study, published September 11 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sets the stage for unprecedented explorations of human origins and diet.

Released: 6-Sep-2017 2:05 PM EDT
New UC San Diego Master’s Degree Will Train Professionals for Drug Development Careers
UC San Diego Health

The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego now offers a Master of Science in Drug Development and Product Management. This is the pharmacy school’s first master’s degree program. The program is intended for experienced professionals to gain managerial and regulatory knowledge required to lead all aspects of the drug development process, from discovery to clinical application in managed markets.

22-Aug-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Boosting Immune Cell Memory to Improve Vaccines and Cancer Immunotherapy
UC San Diego Health

In mouse experiments, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that drugs that activate the cells’ proteasome, or recycling center, tip the balance in favor of memory CD8+ T cells. This approach could be used to improve how well vaccines and immunotherapies work and how long they last.

Released: 28-Aug-2017 2:05 PM EDT
It’s Not a Rat’s Race for Human Stem Cells Grafted to Repair Spinal Cord Injuries
UC San Diego Health

More than one-and-a-half years after implantation, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the San Diego Veterans Administration Medical Center report that human neural stem cells (NSCs) grafted into spinal cord injuries in laboratory rats displayed continued growth and maturity, with functional recovery beginning one year after grafting.

Released: 24-Aug-2017 4:05 PM EDT
State’s Stem Cell Agency Awards $18.2 Million Grant for B Cell Cancer Clinical Trial
UC San Diego Health

The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) today unanimously approved an $18.29 million grant to University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers to fund a phase Ib/IIa clinical trial of a novel combination drug therapy for B-cell cancers.

21-Aug-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Help UC San Diego Scientists Study Link Between Body Bacteria and Autoimmune Diseases
UC San Diego Health

The public's help is being enlisted in the Microbiome Immunity Project, what's thought to be the biggest study to date of the human microbiome — the communities of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on the human body, where they influence our health.

Released: 18-Aug-2017 11:05 AM EDT
GIST Tumors Linked to NF1 Mutations, Genetic Testing Needed
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, with colleagues from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Fox Chase Cancer Center, have determined that a specific region of the small bowel, called the duodenal-jejunal flexure or DJF, shows a high frequency of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with mutations of the NF1 gene.

Released: 15-Aug-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Compounds in Desert Creosote Bush Could Treat Giardia and “Brain-Eating” Amoeba Infections
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that compounds produced by the creosote bush, a desert plant common to the Southwestern United States, exhibit potent anti-parasitic activity against the protozoa responsible for giardia infections and an amoeba that causes an often-lethal form of encephalitis.

11-Aug-2017 6:05 PM EDT
Blood Biopsy Reveals Unique, Targetable Genetic Alterations in Patients with Rare Cancer
UC San Diego Health

Using fragments of circulating tumor DNA in blood, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers were able to identify theoretically targetable genetic alterations in 66 percent of patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP), a rare disease with seven to 12 cases per 100,000 people each year.

Released: 10-Aug-2017 4:05 PM EDT
Novel Stem Cell-Derived Model Created of Inflammatory Neurological Disorder
UC San Diego Health

An international team of scientists, led by University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers, has created a human stem cell-based model of a rare, but devastating, inherited neurological autoimmune condition called Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS). In doing so, the team was able to identify unusual and surprising underlying genetic mechanisms that drive AGS and test strategies to inhibit the condition using existing drugs.

7-Aug-2017 4:05 PM EDT
New Version of DNA Editing System Corrects Underlying Defects in RNA-based Diseases
UC San Diego Health

Until recently, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing could only be used to manipulate DNA. In 2016, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers repurposed the technique to track RNA in live cells in a method called RNA-targeting Cas9. In a study published August 10 in Cell, the team took RCas9 a step further: they corrected molecular mistakes that lead to microsatellite repeat expansion diseases, which include a type of ALS and Huntington's disease.

Released: 9-Aug-2017 11:05 AM EDT
2017 Massry Prize Honors Microbiome Research Pioneers
UC San Diego Health

Microbiome researchers Rob Knight, PhD, University of California San Diego, Jeffrey Gordon, MD, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Norman Pace, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, will share this year’s Massry Prize, splitting the $200,000 honorarium. These researchers lead a field that works to produce a detailed understanding of microbiomes andand methods for manipulating them for the benefit of human and environmental health.

Released: 7-Aug-2017 12:05 PM EDT
Epic Move: UC San Diego Health Transitions to Cloud Technology
UC San Diego Health

UC San Diego Health has moved its electronic medical records (EMR) system to the cloud. The move to an Epic-hosted cloud environment is part of a long-term strategy to shift away from traditional data centers to a less expensive, more reliable and secure repository for patients’ medical records.

3-Aug-2017 2:00 PM EDT
Single Strep Bacteria Protein Sets Off White Blood Cell’s Early Warning System
UC San Diego Health

Group A Streptococcus bacteria — the cause of strep throat and flesh-eating infections — have been well studied for nearly a century. But researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences recently made a surprising discovery: strep’s M protein alone wipes out macrophages, but not other types of immune cells. The macrophages’ self-sacrifice serves as an early warning of infection to the rest of the immune system.

Released: 1-Aug-2017 1:30 PM EDT
For White Middle Class, Moderate Drinking Is Linked to Cognitive Health in Old Age
UC San Diego Health

Older adults who consume alcohol moderately on a regular basis are more likely to live to the age of 85 without dementia or other cognitive impairments than non-drinkers, according to a University of California San Diego School of Medicine-led study.

Released: 27-Jul-2017 2:05 PM EDT
New 3D Imaging Reveals How Human Cell Nucleus Organizes DNA and Chromatin of its Genome
UC San Diego Health

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies describe development and application of new electron microscopic imaging tools and a selective stain for DNA to visualize the three-dimensional structure of chromatin — a complex of molecules that helps pack six feet of DNA into each cell nucleus, construct chromosomes and control gene expression and DNA replication.

25-Jul-2017 9:00 AM EDT
Americans are Quitting Smoking in Higher Numbers; Study Suggests E-cigarettes Help
UC San Diego Health

University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center researchers performed a population-level analysis of national surveys conducted from 2001 to 2015 and found that in the United States the smoking cessation rate increased for the first time in 15 years. The study suggests e-cigarettes helped users of the electronic devices to quit smoking traditional cigarettes

Released: 20-Jul-2017 3:05 PM EDT
CIRM Approves $5.8 Million Grant for CAR-T Therapy That Targets Cancer Stem Cells
UC San Diego Health

The Independent Citizens Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) today unanimously approved a $5.8 million award to University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers to develop a new immunotherapy in which patients’ cells would be equipped with a special receptor that recognizes and targets cancer stem cells, whose survival abilities often render standard therapies ineffective or short-term.

Released: 10-Jul-2017 2:05 PM EDT
UC San Diego Health Named Among Nation’s “Most Wired”
UC San Diego Health

UC San Diego Health has been named one of the nation’s “Most Wired” health systems by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, a publication of the American Hospital Association. The award recognizes hospitals and health systems that excel in using information technology (IT) to advance patient care and population health, protect the privacy and security of patient information, and bring greater efficiencies to operations.

Released: 10-Jul-2017 1:05 PM EDT
Brain Responds Differently to Food Rewards in Bulimia Nervosa
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered differences in how the brain responds to food rewards in individuals with a history of bulimia nervosa (BN), an eating disorder characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating followed by efforts of purging to avoid weight gain. The findings further define specific brain mechanisms involved in eating disorders and could help lead to new treatment therapies.

   
29-Jun-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Repurposed Asthma Drug Shows Blood Sugar Improvement Among Some Diabetics
UC San Diego Health

After 12 weeks of taking an anti-asthma drug, a subset of patients with type 2 diabetes showed a clinically significant reduction in blood glucose during a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, report University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of Michigan researchers.

Released: 27-Jun-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Harnessing Cancer’s Methylation Footprint for More Precise Diagnosis and Prognosis
UC San Diego Health

In a new study, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Xijing Hospital and Sun Yat-sen Cancer Center in China, report that DNA methylation can provide effective markers for at least four major cancers, not only correctly differentiating malignant tissues from normal, but also providing information on prognosis and survival.

Released: 15-Jun-2017 1:05 PM EDT
NASA Honors UC San Diego’s Alan Hargens for Research on Astronaut Health and Performance
UC San Diego Health

NASA has selected Alan Hargens, PhD, professor of orthopedic surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, to receive a 2017 Distinguished Public Service Medal. This is NASA's highest form of recognition for any non-government employee whose distinguished service, ability or vision has personally contributed to NASA's advancement of U.S. interests. Selection for this award means that Hargens’ achievements and contributions demonstrate a level of excellence that has made such a profound and lasting impact to NASA mission success that other forms of recognition by NASA would be inadequate.

Released: 15-Jun-2017 10:05 AM EDT
UC San Diego Partners with Janssen to Research New Approaches to Treat Metabolic Diseases
UC San Diego Health

University of California San Diego School of Medicine has entered a five-year strategic partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to discover meaningful treatments for metabolic diseases.

Released: 9-Jun-2017 11:05 AM EDT
Radiation Therapy Vital to Treating Brain Tumors, but It Exacts a Toll
UC San Diego Health

Radiation therapy (RT) using high-energy particles is a common and critical component in successfully treating patients with brain tumors but it is also associated with significant adverse effects. In a new study, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that irradiation can cause broader adverse effects, altering the structural network properties in impacted brains and perhaps contributing to delayed cognitive impairments observed in many patients following brain RT.

Released: 7-Jun-2017 6:05 PM EDT
Review of Appendix Cancer Cases Finds Over Diagnosis
UC San Diego Health

Lesions of the appendix are being over diagnosed as invasive cancer, report University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers in a paper published June 7 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Released: 6-Jun-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Cancer Cells Send Signals Boosting Survival and Drug Resistance in Other Cancer Cells
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that cancer cells appear to communicate to other cancer cells, activating an internal mechanism that boosts resistance to common chemotherapies and promotes tumor survival.

26-May-2017 2:05 PM EDT
Do Obese Children Need to Attend Treatment to Lose Weight?
UC San Diego Health

One-third of American children are overweight or obese. Family-based treatment (FBT) has been considered the best model for the treatment of obese children as it provides both parents and children with education and behavior therapy techniques but is provided mainly in a hospital setting. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found that parent-based therapy (PBT) has similar outcomes to FBT and could be more cost-effective.



close
0.38377