Clinical study finds eating within a 10-hour window may help stave off diabetes, heart disease
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Metabolic syndrome affects nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population, and increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. But lifestyle interventions such as adopting a healthy diet and increasing physical exercise are difficult to maintain and, even when combined with medication, are often insufficient to fully manage the disease.
Professor
Satchin Panda
and collaborators found that a 10-hour time-restricted eating intervention resulted in weight loss, reduced abdominal fat, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. The pilot study, published in
Cell Metabolism
, could lead to a new treatment option for metabolic syndrome patients who are at risk for developing life-altering and costly medical conditions such as diabetes.
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Diabetes drug has unexpected, broad implications for healthy aging
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Metformin is the most commonly prescribed type 2 diabetes drug, yet scientists still do not fully know how it works to control blood sugar levels. Professor
Reuben Shaw
’s lab used a novel technology to investigate how it functions. The findings, published in
Cell Reports
, could also explain why metformin has been shown to extend health span and life span in recent studies.
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Alzheimer’s drug candidates reverse broader aging, study shows
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Researchers from the lab of Professor
Dave Shubert
led by Senior Staff Scientist Pam Maher showed how two compounds (CMS121 and J147) can slow aging in healthy older mice. The research, published in the journal
eLife
, suggests that the drug candidates may be useful for treating a broad array of conditions and points out a new pathway that links normal aging to Alzheimer’s disease.
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Mitochondria are the “canary in the coal mine” for cellular stress
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Mitochondria, tiny structures present in most cells, are known for their energy-generating machinery. Professor
Gerald Shadel
and colleagues discovered a new function of mitochondria: they set off molecular alarms when cells are exposed to stress or chemicals that damage DNA, such as chemotherapy. The results, published online in
Nature Metabolism,
could result in cancer treatments that prevent tumors from becoming resistant to chemotherapy.
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Finding the smallest genes could yield outsized benefits
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From left: Alan Saghatelian and Thomas Martinez
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A study from Professor
Alan Saghatelian
’s lab, published in
Nature Chemical Biology
, identified over 2,000 new, small genes—expanding the number of known human genes by 10 percent. These newly identified genes could help scientists better understand human biology and diseases ranging from cancer to diabetes.
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Three types of cells help the brain tell day from night
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From left: Ludovic Mure and Satchin Panda
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Bright light at night interrupts the body’s normal day-night cycles, called circadian rhythms, and can trigger insomnia. In a
Science
study, Professor
Satchin Panda
and colleagues reported the discovery of three cell types in the eye that detect light and align the brain’s circadian rhythm to our ambient light. The study marks the first direct assessment in humans of light responses from these cells.
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A Salk Conversation on Aging
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Aging
is known to be the largest risk factor for most diseases, including
Alzheimer’s
,
cancer
,
diabetes
and others. By 2050, the population of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease will double from current levels to impact more than 13 million people.
In November, an evening program at the Salk Institute explored recent and ongoing aging research with a guest presentation and a panel discussion among several Salk scientists. Salk President
Rusty Gage
introduced components of the new initiative, including the multidisciplinary approach employed at Salk to understand the fundamentals of aging and how interactions between the major systems of the body contribute to age-related diseases.
You will hear more on this effort in the coming year. In the meantime, we hope you will enjoy this video recording of the panel conversation.
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Professor
Joanne Chory
penned an op-ed for
The Economist
on using plants to fight climate change:
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Massive Science
highlighted the work of pancreatic research at the Salk:
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The winter issue of
Inside Salk lands in mailboxes soon.
Interested in getting on our mailing list to receive the print version of
Inside Salk?
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The issue is available online here:
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Salk Institute hits play on new podcast series
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The Institute’s season 1 of
Where Cures Begin
features conversations with Salk researchers working at the forefront of their respective scientific fields, from cancer and neuroscience to plant biology, circadian science and more. Find episodes on Apple and Google podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and the Salk website.
Latest episodes
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Rusty Gage
, professor and president, is a leading authority in neuroscience. Aside from discovering that brains grow new neurons, Gage has made many critical discoveries in the fields of genetics, mental disorders and aging-related dementias, like Alzheimer’s. He shares why Salk is one of the top scientific research institutes in the world.
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Joanne Chory
, globally renowned researcher and director of Salk’s
Harnessing Plants Initiative
, describes how plants can help mitigate climate change and how her personal journey with Parkinson’s disease makes her research even more urgent.
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Ken Diffenderfer, assistant director of Salk's
Stem Cell Core
facility, shares what stem cells are, why they are so valuable for research, and what their favorite medium is (sadly, it's not audio). He also takes listeners on a guided tour of the Stem Cell Core.
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Need a unique holiday gift? Purchase tickets to the Salk Science & Music Series
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Sunday, January 12, 2020
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
CONRAD T. PREBYS AUDITORIUM
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Alessio Bax
and
Lucille Chung
, piano
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Joseph Noel
Professor,
Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics
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The
Salk Science & Music Series
consists of four remarkable Sunday afternoons that bring together virtuosos from the worlds of science and music. Each concert features stunning performances by some of the finest instrumentalists in the world of classical music in addition to riveting talks about the latest discoveries by the Institute’s globally renowned scientists. You will be amazed and inspired!
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Salk architecture is beautiful
This month’s image shows the Salk courtyard with a seasonal touch.
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