UCLA scientists have traced the Pavlovian response to a small cluster of brain cells -- the same neurons that go awry during Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Tourette syndrome. The research could one day help scientists find new approaches to diagnosing and treating these neurological disorders.
UCLA researchers have discovered the molecular basis of an incurable disease known as inclusion body myopathy, Paget disease with frontotemporal dementia, or IBMPFD. Using both fruit flies and human cells the researchers discovered how IBMPFD mutations cause cellular damage, and identified two compounds that are able to reverse the mutations effects. The findings suggest potential strategies to combat IBMPFD and other diseases, including ALS.
Researchers have developed a new way of visualizing the distribution of cholesterol in cells and tissues. Their research provides insights into the movement of cholesterol into and out of cells and could eventually identify mechanisms linking cholesterol to coronary artery disease.
For 130 years, surgery has been the standard treatment for appendicitis — inflammation of the appendix, a short tube extending from the colon. After all, it’s best to remove an infected body part that is not essential to survival rather than risk a rupture that spews bacteria into the abdomen. Right? Maybe not. UCLA Dr.
Speed of signaling between brain's hemispheres an indication of damage to white matter; may help to identify youths at risk of cognitive decline
The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA rose three spots to No. 11 in research and maintained its No. 6 position in primary care in the annual U.S. News and World Report assessment of graduate schools.
Targeting cancer stem cells may be a more effective way to overcome cancer resistance and prevent the spread of squamous cell carcinoma — the most common head and neck cancer and the second-most common skin cancer, according to a new study by cancer researchers at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is a highly invasive form of cancer and frequently spreads to the cervical lymph nodes.
A UCLA team discovered that dendrites are electrically active in animals that are moving around freely, generating nearly 10 times more spikes than somas. The finding challenges the long-held belief that spikes in the soma are the primary way in which perception, learning and memory formation occur.
UCLA scientists pioneered an approach to observe in real time what excites T cells at the nanoscale, pinpointed the pathway that controls immune response and identified drugs that could equip scientists with the ability to manipulate the immune system and control disease.
5 facts about sleep apnea and its negative effects on your health.
Drumming, dancing, painting, writing, acting and singing are among the many activities taking place March 30 through April 2 as part of “Creativity & the Arts in Healing.” National experts will lead more than 125 workshops integrating the arts with mental health practices.
Less aggressive cancers are known to have an intact genome—the complete set of genes in a cell—while the genome of more aggressive cancers tends to have a great deal of abnormalities. Now, a new multi-year study of DNA patterns in tumor cells suggests that these aberrant genetic signatures are not random but reflect selective forces in tumor evolution.
FINDINGS In the transmission of HIV-1 from mother to child only a subset of a mother’s viruses infects their infants either in utero or via breastfeeding, and the viruses that are transmitted depend on whether transmission occurs during pregnancy or through breastfeeding, according to UCLA-led research. BACKGROUND Mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type1 poses a serious health threat in developing countries, and more effective interventions are needed.
A team of pettable cupids made a special delivery to hospitalized patients at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, on Valentine’s Day, bearing a love-and-kisses message that's sure to stay with the children and adults for a long time. Adorable dogs, dressed up in their Valentine’s Day finest, dutifully delivered handmade Valentine cards throughout the morning today to patients of all ages in their hospital rooms and pediatric playrooms. The canine cupids and their volunteer owners are members of UCLA's People–Animal Connection, an animal-assisted therapy program.
While boxes of decadent chocolates treats, celebratory champagne and romantic high-calorie dinners may dance in your mind as a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, your heart may be pining for something else. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it is a great time to look at the state of your heart. “Despite recent progress, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States," said Dr. Sheila Sahni, interventional cardiology fellow at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Health Program. “Making heart healthy lifestyle choices and taking control of your cardiovascular risk factors can help prevent or slow the progression of heart disease.” Every day decisions are important to cardiovascular health, she adds, and Valentine’s Day is a good time to give yourself the gift of lifestyle changes that will benefit you through the year. Check out these tips.
UCLA scientists have discovered that people with cancers containing genetic mutations JAK1 or JAK2, which are known to prevent tumors from recognizing or receiving signals from T cells to stop growing, will have little or no benefit from the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab. This early-stage research has allowed them to determine for the first time why some people with advanced melanoma or advanced colon cancer will not respond to pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 treatment.
Dr. Dennis Woo of UCLA Health explains the health concerns around this highly-contagious disease -- and what we should do about it.
In a season of a serious flu, UCLA's Dr. Dennis Woo explains why it's not too late to get the vaccine.
Researchers have devised a potential drug regimen for tuberculosis that could cut the treatment time by up to 75 percent, while simultaneously reducing the risk that patients could develop drug-resistant TB.
Mental sharpness in women begins to decline as early as their 50s. Cognitive processing speed, which includes speed of perception and reaction, showed an average decline of around 1 percent every two years and verbal memory declined on average around 1 percent every five years.
Last year, Shirley Polk’s life changed forever. On Friday, it changed again, thanks to a meeting she had with 15 strangers who helped save her life. Last September, the 67-year old, whose liver and kidney suddenly failed after she developed acute autoimmune disease, received a transplant of both organs at Reagan UCLA Medical Center. On Jan. 13, at an event arranged by UCLA, she met 15 of the 59 strangers whose blood donations made possible the transplant surgeries that saved her life. Thanks to her donors’ generosity, Polk was transfused with 32 units of whole blood, 27 units of plasma and 11 units of platelets.
Thyroid cancer typically affects more women than men and can be difficult to diagnose.
Going strong 50 years after receiving donor kidney transplants
Studies show that people who are chronically lonely have significantly more heart disease, are more prone to advanced cancers and strokes, and are more likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Study suggests that CDC guidelines for who should be on Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) don’t go far enough because current standards could miss some people who should be on it. Working with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, UCLA-led researchers developed an online PrEP risk calculator that may fill that gap.
In findings they call counterintuitive, a team of UCLA-led researchers suggests that blocking a protein, which is crucial to initiating the immune response against viral infections, may actually help combat HIV.
A consortium directed by UCLA’s Dr. Kalyanam Shivkumar has received a three-year, $8.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to map the heart’s nervous system. The group’s goal: To conduct research that leads to new ways to treat cardiovascular disease by targeting nerves in the heart’s nervous system.
When a patient is hospitalized over the holidays, it can intensify the feelings of "holiday blues." Here are some tips to make the most of the holidays when hospitalized.
We all make resolutions to be healthier in the New Year, but what resolutions do health professionals themselves make? UCLA Health experts share theirs.
Researchers have found that people with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the KRAS-variant inherited genetic mutation have significantly improved survival when given a short course of the drug cetuximab in combination with standard chemotherapy and radiation.
Tina Turner does it. So does Katy Perry, Sting, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and a host of other celebrities. When not strutting the concert stage or cat walk, they’re sometimes grooving to meditation’s benefits. While celebrity isn’t a reason to try meditation, it did make me a bit more curious. These are people who must surely have at least as much stress in their daily lives as many of us, right? As we swing into the holiday season, stress can play as big a role in our lives as exchanging presents and expressions of good cheer. Our minds race with thoughts of travel plans, family gatherings, gift-buying and how to keep it all together without losing it -- both mentally and physically. And that included stressed-out me. According to health experts, stress that’s left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as heart disease, weight gain and mental health concerns.
Drug misuse is so prevalent in Tijuana and East Los Angeles that community clinics in those areas should routinely screen for it.
UCLA researchers initiate brain repair following white matter stroke in animals, identifying a possible therapeutic target to combat this common cause of dementia
Research finds that Zika-linked abnormalities that occur in human fetuses are more extensive and severe than previously thought, with 46 percent of 125 pregnancies among Zika-infected women resulting in birth defects in newborns or ending in fetal death.
Researchers have found that a Chinese herbal regimen called TSY-1 (Tianshengyuan-1) TSY-1 increased Telomerase activity in normal blood cells but decreased it in cancer cells. Telomerase is an enzyme responsible for the production of telomeres, which play an important role in the regulation of normal cell division. These results indicate that Telomerase-based treatments may be of significance in treatments for both blood cell deficiency and cancer.
UCLA researchers show the potential of their digital health platform to help treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia by being able to personalize drug dosages and combinations
UCLA experts make recommendations based on UCLA-First 5 LA program achievements
If your New Year's resolution is to get healthier and to lead a more satisfying life, consider becoming a volunteer. A recent study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that volunteering may have positive health benefits for older adults. It’s probably true that volunteering provides value for people of all ages.
UCLA researchers have discovered a previously unrecognized type of progenitor cell that, though rare in most regions of the human prostate, is found in uncommonly high numbers in inflamed areas of the gland. These progenitor cells have the ability to initiate prostate cancer in response to genetic changes. The study results suggest inflammation increases overall risk for the disease by increasing the available pool of progenitor cells that can develop into prostate cancer.
UCLA scientists provides further evidence that the brains of people with autism, despite different causes, tend to have the same molecular “signature.”
The WORLD Policy Analysis Center at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health produced a far-reaching analysis of countries’ efforts, since adoption of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to enact and address global rights, laws and policies affecting persons with disabilities.
UCLA study looks at theta burst stimulation as intervention in problem behaviors
Conference offers presentations and a panel highlighting inclusive policies and practices promoting a welcoming environment, strong patient-provider relationships, and a safe space for women to disclose their sexual orientation, improving the quality of care.
UCLA Health experts are available to discuss a wide variety of topics of interest during this holiday season.
A special edition of the International Journal for Equity in Health, co-edited by UCLA’s James Macinko, highlights the beneficial role of Brazil’s universal healthcare, which has improved access to care and health outcomes. Can the U.S. learn from this?
• Breakthrough drug palbociclib (brand name IBRANCE) targets a key family of proteins to prevent cell growth in cancer • New UCLA-led study treated women with estrogen receptor positive (ER+), HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer with a combination of palbociclib and standard anti-estrogen therapy letrozole • Study results found the drug combo increased progression-free survival from 14.5 months to over 25 months, compared to letrozole alone • The treatment was also found to be very well tolerated without the side effects of traditional chemotherapy, which can include infection, nausea and significant hair loss
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