June Discoveries from Sanford Burnham Prebys

DISCOVERIES

June 2019

Dear colleagues and friends,

Last month, more than 4,700 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and more than 460 with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. These numbers illustrate the urgent need for effective treatments for these deadly diseases. In this issue of Discoveries, you’ll learn about promising new approaches currently studied at the Institute that may offer avenues to treat pancreatic cancer and ALS. We also highlight award-winning research presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research on advances to treat hair loss—a condition that can affect men, women and children.

With the support of our Community Advisory Board, we opened the doors of our

NCI-designated Cancer Center to the public for an evening, giving lab tours and offering insights into research breakthroughs that may lead to better cancer treatments.

Looking ahead in September, please join us at the Fishman Fund Awards Ceremony, which honors exceptional postdoctoral researchers. In addition, make sure to mark your calendars for the launch of a five-part cancer lecture series that we’ve developed in collaboration with the Fleet Science Center—the first event is in August and focuses on lung cancer.

I hope you enjoy this issue.

Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D.

President

Pauline and Stanley Foster Presidential Chair

ALS research points to new treatment approach

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease—but there is no cure. For the nearly 500,000 people in the world living with ALS, new research may help. Huaxi Xu, Ph.D., and his team have revealed that a protein called membralin plays a key role in ALS and identified a membralin-boosting gene therapy that extended the survival of mice with ALS-like symptoms. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations.

Nutritional cues regulate pancreatic cancer's "fuel"

Desperate for nutrients, rapidly growing pancreatic tumors scavenge “fuel” through an alternative supply route, called macropinocytosis. In a Developmental Cell paper, Cosimo Commisso, Ph.D., and his team uncovered fundamental insights about this process, including how scarcity of the amino acid glutamine drives macropinocytosis. The findings offer a new research approach to fighting this deadly form of cancer.

Award-winning stem cell science presented at ISSCR

Antonella Pinto, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Alexey Terskikh, Ph.D., presented research demonstrating how stem cells may be used to grow functional hair follicles. Her abstract was selected for a Merit Award at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) annual meeting. A newly formed company, Stemson Therapeutics, has licensed the technology.

COMMUNITY

An evening with autoimmune disorder experts

More than 50 million Americans have an autoimmune disorder, such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes. This month's Insights series brought together a scientist, doctor and patient to share their unique perspectives on autoimmune disorders and discuss research that will lead to effective treatments.

Exploring research at the Cancer Center Open House

Our biannual open house offered guests a unique opportunity to step into the shoes of a cancer researcher and see our NCI-designated Cancer Center—one of only seven basic research centers in the nation. Through guided tours and one-on-one discussions, attendees learned more about how we are working to find better ways to combat cancer.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Celebrate postdoctoral scholars

Each year Fishman Fund Awards are presented to outstanding postdoctoral scholars. The prestigious awards support recipients’ professional development and are made possible by gifts from our generous donors. We hope you can join us for the awards ceremony on September 19, 2019, where we will honor this year’s winners.

New cancer-focused lecture series launches

Join us at the Fleet Science Center for a new lecture series to learn how our scientists are working with clinicians to take research from “bed to bedside.” The events will be held on select Sundays from August through December, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with the inaugural discussion focusing on lung cancer and taking place on August 18.

PHILANTHROPY

Catalyst Club

Become part of a special community of Sanford Burnham Prebys supporters by joining our new monthly giving club. You will also receive a beautiful and sleek black Sanford Burnham Prebys Catalyst Club tote bag, perfect for your everyday needs.

Learn more >>

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