Peter Adams, Ph.D., and Bing Ren, Ph.D., have been awarded a new grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to join a multi-institution initiative studying the process of aging.
Assistant Professor Jianhua Zhao, Ph.D., has been awarded a unique and competitive grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The five-year, $2.4 million grant aims to give researchers greater research flexibility to work on fundamental questions in biology.
Timothy Huang, Ph.D., has been awarded $2.8 million by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to continue his work on Alzheimer’s disease. The four-year project will use human stem cells transplanted into mice to determine the role of specific Alzheimer’s-related gene mutations in the brain.
Brooke Emerling from Sanford Burnham Prebys has been awarded a new grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue her work on cellular signaling in cancer. The four-year, $2.3 million project could accelerate the development of new therapies for a range of cancers, particularly metastatic breast cancer. It also offers an answer to a longstanding mystery in cancer metabolism.
With the help of two new grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling more than $4.4 million, Sanford Burnham Prebys professor Charles Spruck, Ph.D., and his team are refining a cutting-edge breast cancer treatment.
Bioinformaticist Kevin Yip, Ph.D., has joined Sanford Burnham Prebys as a professor, where he will collaborate with other faculty across the Institute on large-scale data analysis and develop new tools and models for computational biology.
New research from Sanford Burnham Prebys has revealed significant molecular differences between the breast cells of white and Black women that help explain why Black women experience higher breast cancer mortality. The findings, published in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology, suggest that changing current diagnostic and treatment strategies could help address the disparity.
Sanford Burnham Prebys professor Yu Yamaguchi has been awarded a $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of heparan sulfate (HS) in Alzheimer’s disease. HS is a structural molecule found in the scaffolding between cells that has been previously observed to influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the precise function it plays in the brain has not been studied closely.
In a phase 2 clinical trial conducted by Avalo Therapeutics and supported by researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys, a significantly higher proportion of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 remained alive and free of respiratory failure for 28 days after receiving treatment with a new antibody called CERC-002. Unlike other experimental COVID therapies, CERC-002 does not target the virus itself, instead targeting the immune response associated with the virus to stop the disease from progressing before it becomes fatal.
Sanford Burnham Prebys professor Andrei Osterman, Ph.D., has been awarded a $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand current knowledge of antibiotic resistance, which will inform more precise antibiotic prescribing practices and help researchers develop drugs that are harder for bacteria to resist.
Sanford Burnham Prebys is pleased to announce several new appointments to its executive leadership team, fortifying the Institute’s position as a world leader in nonprofit biomedical research.
New research from Sanford Burnham Prebys has revealed features of the aging Down syndrome brain that could help explain why people with Down syndrome almost inevitably get Alzheimer's later in life.
Researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys and the National Cancer Institute have shown that gene editing with CRISPR may select for certain cancer-associated mutations, highlighting the need for caution when using CRISPR therapeutically.
Researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys have discovered a new source of stem cells just outside the liver that could help treat people living with Alagille syndrome, a rare, incurable genetic disorder in which the bile ducts of the liver are absent, leading to severe liver damage and death. The findings, published recently in the journal Hepatology, have extensive biomedical implications for Alagille syndrome and for liver disease in general, including cancer.
Sanford Burnham Prebys professor Jamey Marth, Ph.D., has been awarded $13.5 million from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to continue his team’s work on sepsis, a condition that occurs when infectious and pathogenic organisms enter the bloodstream. This five-year award is a continuation of a multi-institution initiative, now totaling $27 million, that Marth began in 2016 with the goal of identifying the molecular basis of sepsis to achieve more effective treatments.
Sanford Burnham Prebys professor Peter D. Adams, Ph.D., and Salk Institute professor Gerald Shadel, Ph.D., have been awarded a grant from the NIH’s National Institute on Aging for $13 million, funding a five-year project to explore the connection between aging and liver cancer.
As part of their larger initiative to understand the effects of space conditions on different organisms, NASA has awarded $2 million to Sanford Burnham Prebys assistant professor Karen Ocorr. The grant will fund a three-year project to study the effects of low gravity on muscle and neuron function in fruit flies and nematode worms aboard the International Space Station.
Eric Wang, Ph.D., has joined Sanford Burnham Prebys as an assistant professor in the Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program. Wang comes to Sanford Burnham Prebys from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he was a postdoctoral research fellow.
A new study led by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys has shown that the protein RNF5 plays an unusual role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Unlike its expected role, marking aberrant proteins for destruction, RNF5 binds with a second cell protein called RBBP4 to control expression of genes implicated in AML. These findings, published in Nature Communications, have important implications for improving AML patient outcomes.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have discovered how levels of a protein could be used in the future as a blood-based diagnostic aid for schizophrenia.
An international research group, led by Jamey Marth, Ph.D., a professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys, has shown that the Neuraminidase 3 (Neu3) enzyme is responsible for the onset and progression of colitis—a chronic digestive disease caused by inflammation of the colon.
Carl F. Ware, Ph.D., director of the Inflammatory Diseases Center at Sanford Burhnam Prebys, has received the 2021 International Cytokine & Interferon Society Honorary Lifetime Membership Award.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have gained a deeper insight into the intricacies of autophagy, the process in which cells degrade and recycle cellular components.
Sanford Burnham Prebys has joined doctors & scientists across America at National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers & other organizations to issue a joint statement urging the nation’s physicians, parents & young adults to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination back on track.
A study led by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute has identified a tumor marker that may be used to predict which breast cancer patients will experience resistance to endocrine therapy. The research offers a new approach to selecting patients for therapy that targets HER2, a protein that promotes the growth of cancer cells, to help avoid disease relapse or progression of endocrine-sensitive disease.
Victoria Blaho, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Immunity and Pathogenesis Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, has received the first-ever Lina M. Obeid Award for her promising research on the biology of sphingolipids. The award honors Obeid, a pioneer in the field of sphingolipids and a fierce advocate for women in science. The award was presented at the 11th International Ceramide Conference on April 22, 2021.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have identified a set of human genes that fight SARS-CoV-2 infection, the virus that causes COVID-19. Knowing which genes help control viral infection can greatly assist researchers’ understanding of factors that affect disease severity and also suggest possible therapeutic options. The genes in question are related to interferons, the body’s frontline virus fighters.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that two existing drug candidates—JAK inhibitors and Mepron—hold potential as treatments for a deadly acute myeloid leukemia (AML) subtype that is more common in children. The foundational study, published in the journal Blood, is a first step toward finding effective treatments for the hard-to-treat blood cancer.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a drug candidate that blocks the uptake of glutamine, a key food source for many tumors, and slows the growth of melanoma.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute demonstrated for the first time that blocking “cell drinking,” or macropinocytosis, in the thick tissue surrounding a pancreatic tumor slowed tumor growth—providing more evidence that macropinocytosis is a driver of pancreatic cancer growth and is an important therapeutic target. The study was published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
A Nature study shows that the leprosy drug clofazimine, which is FDA approved and on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, exhibits potent antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2 and prevents the exaggerated inflammatory response associated with severe COVID-19. Based on these findings, a Phase 2 study evaluating clofazimine as an at-home treatment for COVID-19 could begin immediately.
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has elected to its College of Fellows Evan Y. Snyder, M.D., Ph.D., professor and founding director of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. Snyder was nominated, reviewed, and elected by his peers and members of the College of Fellows for his seminal contributions to regenerative medicine.
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute has named renowned cancer researcher Ze’ev Ronai, Ph.D., director of its National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center.
Scientists have identified two drugs that are potent against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when combined, but only weakly effective when used alone. The researchers were able to significantly enhance cancer cell death by jointly administering the drugs that are only partially effective when used as single-agent therapies.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2 and signals that it’s time to mount an antiviral response.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that fruit flies that spent several weeks on the International Space Station (ISS)—about half of their lives—experienced profound structural and biochemical changes to their hearts.
Two Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute scientists have been honored as 2020 Fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Eva Engvall, Ph.D., professor emerita; and Hudson Freeze, Ph.D., professor and director of the Human Genetics Program, were named Fellows in a vote by the AAAS Council.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have created a drug that can lure stem cells to damaged tissue and improve treatment efficacy—a scientific first and major advance for the field of regenerative medicine. The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), could improve current stem cell therapies designed to treat such neurological disorders as spinal cord injury, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders; and expand their use to new conditions, such as heart disease or arthritis.
Jerold Chun, M.D., Ph.D., a professor and senior vice president at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, has been named a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Clarivate, the global analytics company. The honor recognizes researchers who have demonstrated a significant influence in their chosen field of study through the publication of multiple works that have been cited by their peers.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) have demonstrated that personalized drug screens can be used to identify new therapeutic candidates for medulloblastoma. The approach measures the effectiveness of therapeutics using tumor cells obtained from a biopsy and can be performed in a few days—making it one of the quickest sources of information used in clinical decision-making.
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute today announced that two faculty members, Peter Adams, Ph.D., and Jerold Chun, M.D., Ph.D., have received National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Transformative Research Awards. The awards, which total $8.5 million and are two of only nine granted in 2020, come from the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Program.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that blocking the construction of nuclear pores complexes—large channels that control the flow of materials in and out of the cell nucleus—shrank aggressive tumors in mice while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The study, published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, reveals a new Achilles heel for cancer that may lead to better treatments for deadly tumors such as melanoma, leukemia and colorectal cancer.
Malene Hansen, Ph.D., has been awarded a three-year, $300,000 Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award. The BIG Award is sponsored by The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research in collaboration with the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), and provides funding for research projects aimed at discoveries that address aging and health span. Hansen is a professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute today announced they have released Coronascape (coronascape.org), a customized version of the Metascape bioinformatics platform that removes big-data analysis hurdles for biologists. Coronascape will enable scientists to interpret the growing body of big data related to COVID-19. More than 23,000 papers about COVID-19 have been published since January 2020—and this number continues to rise exponentially.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how SARS-CoV-19 weakens the immune system—and identify drugs to help infected individuals recover. The research will be led by Carl Ware, Ph.D., director of the Institute’s Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, and builds on the Institute-wide initiative to develop therapeutics to treat COVID-19.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Camino Pharma, LLC and University of California San Diego School of Medicine have been awarded an $11.4 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance a novel drug candidate for nicotine addiction into first-in-human Phase 1 studies. The drug targets a neuronal signaling pathway underlying addictive behaviors, and would be a first-in-class medication to help people quit smoking.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome have shown 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. The study, published in EMBO Reports, reveals a promising new therapeutic approach for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an incurable muscle-wasting condition.
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute has been awarded a $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify new therapies for mental health disorders. The research will be headed by Layton Smith, Ph.D., and Michael Jackson, Ph.D., of the Institute’s Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics. The funding supports the discovery of new classes of drugs that target “orphan” receptors to treat psychological conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and substance abuse.