DISCOVERIES

August 2024

Programming in a Petri Dish

An 8-part series describes how artificial intelligence, machine learning and emerging computational technologies are changing biomedical research and the future of health care, with a particular focus on work at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Start the series >>

Controlling thickness in fruit fly hearts reveals new pathway for heart disease

A new study in Cell Reports details how a protein previously associated with regulating metabolism in the liver also plays a part in maintaining a healthy heart by ensuring that the heart wall is neither too thick nor too thin.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys and Salk Institute for Biological Studies have uncovered a new role for a protein known for its role in the brain helping control feelings of hunger or satiety, as well as in the liver to aid the body in maintaining a balance of energy during fasting. The new study shows that this protein also supports the maintenance of heart structure and function, but when it is overactive it causes thickening of the heart muscle, which is associated with heart disease.

The secret to sleepy cells’ control of inflammatory secretions

A new study in Molecular Cell describes a link between inflammation caused by senescent cells and a protein that helps pack and unpack DNA.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys and the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have revealed a new secret regarding senescence, a cellular state similar to sleep that is more likely to affect aged cells. This drowsy condition is known to provide health benefits under certain conditions while also potentially causing collateral damage.

Macrophage mix helps determine rate and fate of fatty liver disease

Formerly known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is an inflammatory disease characterized by liver scarring or fibrosis that progressively impairs liver function.

It is a major risk factor for cirrhosis and liver cancer. And because treatment options are limited, MASH is the most common liver disease in the United States and the second leading cause for liver transplants in the United States after cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis C infection.

A better understanding of the pathological processes that drive MASH is critical to creating effective treatments. In a new paper published August 19, 2024 in PNAS, a team of scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys, the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and elsewhere, describe the complex interplay between diseased liver cells and macrophages — a type of white blood cell whose jobs include killing and removing harmful cells and pathogens and helping to spur normal healing.

Kurt Marek, PhD, named new chief research development officer at Sanford Burnham Prebys

His duties will include supporting and strengthening the scientific competitiveness of the Institute and advancing its mission by advising on funding portfolios, providing strategic direction for research administration and innovation initiatives and overseeing grant proposal development for principal investigators, faculty and others.

He officially joined Sanford Burnham Prebys on August 19, 2024.

Summer interns gain invaluable hands-on research experience at Sanford Burnham Prebys

Aspiring biomedical researchers and health care professionals spent up to six weeks at Sanford Burnham Prebys participating in meaningful experiments and learning about career opportunities.

This summer, Sanford Burnham Prebys welcomed high school students to the Institute to participate in one of two internship programs. One group came from the Preuss School, which is located on the University of California San Diego campus in La Jolla and educates students striving to be first-generation college graduates. Participants in the Preuss internship program gained valuable experience while spending three weeks in Sanford Burnham Prebys laboratories learning research techniques and contributing to ongoing projects. This program is generously funded by Peggy and Peter Preuss, and Debby and Wain Fishburn.

Community

Sanford Burnham Prebys event explores the science behind addiction

On July 31, the cancer center at Sanford Burnham Prebys hosted an open house to explore the science behind addiction.

The event featured presentations from scientists and clinicians from the Institute, Scripps Research and UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Women in Science event at Sanford Burnham Prebys examines how female faculty members navigate research careers

Sanford Burnham Prebys held a Women in Science event on Monday, August 12, 2024. The session was in Fishman Auditorium on the Institute’s campus and focused on how female faculty members at different career stages have navigated their professional journeys in academia and the life sciences.

Renovated auditorium and generous gift to strengthen community engagement at Sanford Burnham Prebys

A ribbon-cutting event on August 7 celebrated the philanthropic gift and state-of-the-art auditorium that will enable new community engagement events at the Institute.

Sanford Burnham Prebys unveiled its newly renovated auditorium in Building 12 during a special Happy Town Hall and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. The improved meeting space was renamed as the Victor E. LaFave III Memorial Auditorium, or “the Vic,” in recognition of the generous support of the LaFave family.

In the News

Opinion: Primary care doctors are disappearing. Many are overworked and underpaid.

Roughly one-third of Americans do not have a primary care physician. It’s a shrinking cohort as more and more medical school students opt to become specialists. In his latest essay in the San Diego Union-Tribune, David Brenner explains why this long-term trend (with no sign of abatement) is bad news for doctors, patients and health care in general. He also proposes remedies.

Science in Pictures

A large-scale, high-resolution montage of the entire surface of a mouse retina using antibody labeling and laser scanning confocal imaging. Complete networks of both astrocytes and blood vessels on the retinal surface are shown: astrocyte cell bodies are red, the star-shaped extensions from the astrocyte cell bodies are green and blood vessels are blue.

Image courtesy of Gabriel Luna, UC Santa Barbara.

Philanthropy

Join us

Please join Sanford Burnham Prebys as a partner in discovery. Our world-class research programs are dedicated to finding cures for human disease to help individuals and their families. Your gift helps our scientists advance medical research to save lives.