SBP August news - Advancing cancer research, biomedical education and more!

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

DISCOVERIES

August 2017

Dear Friends and Supporters,

This month Discoveries highlights some of the Institute's important new discoveries beginning with Dr. Yu Yamaguchi's work that may produce the first medicine to treat patients with a rare and painful bone disease.

Also Dr. Xiao-kun Zhang's work on an anti-cancer agent discovered at SBP that inhibits cancer cell growth will soon enter clinical trials at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Robert Wechsler-Reya in collaboration with two well-known academic medical centers examines how cancer stem cells may contribute to the re-appearance and relapse of brain tumors. We are also proud that five SBP cancer research scientists, in collaboration with scientists in our neighboring institutions, were recognized through prestigious grant awards by the Padres Pedal the Cause.

As always, thank you for all your commitment and support of the Institute.

Kristiina Vuori

President

Preuss School interns get an "A" grade at SBP

The SBP Preuss program is designed to introduce young scientists-in-training to medical research by working hand in hand with our scientists. The group of 16-year-olds got a chance to rotate among four different labs at SBP.

SCIENCE

New research takes steps towards a promising therapy for a rare bone disease

Yu Yamaguchi, M.D., Ph.D., led new research that may produce the first drug to treat patients with multiple hereditary exostoses (MHE), a genetic disorder that causes the growth of multiple benign bone tumors. Patients with the painful, often debilitating disease are currently limited to surgery, physical therapy and pain management as treatments.

Anti-cancer drug short-circuits cancer signaling

Xaio-kun Zhang, Ph.D., published a study in Nature Communications shedding new light on how K-80003 (TX803), an anti-cancer agent discovered at SBP, inhibits cancer cell growth. The compound will soon enter clinical trials at the Dana Farber Cancer Center.

Comparing algorithms that search for cancer mutations

A team of international scientists led by Adam Godzik, Ph.D., has undertaken the first-ever comparative analysis of a newly emerging category of algorithms that mine cancer databases by focusing on internal gene structure (subgene resolution algorithms).

For most cell suicide: caspases call the shots

Many cells don't die because they are sick, but because they are following built in signals that initiate their death. In Cell Chemical Biology , Guy Salvesen, Ph.D., reviews a recent report that partly solves the riddle of communication between two cell death pathways, called apoptosis and pyroptosis.

Are stem cells to blame for cancer re-growth?

In the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Robert Wechsler-Reya, Ph.D., and colleagues from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, review the evidence that cancer stem cells may contribute to brain tumor re-appearance.

PHILANTHROPY

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FUNDING AWARDS

SBP researchers awarded Padres Pedal the Cause collaborative grants

We are pleased to announce that SBP has been awarded five Padres Pedal the Cause collaborative grants with the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. The collaborative research projects are focused on cancers including B-cell lymphomas, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer.

PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE

2017 President’s Circle Members

• Alagille Syndrome Alliance

• Karen L. Alexander

• Alexandria Real Estate Equities

• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

• Laura and John Alioto

• Arcturus Therapeutics, Inc.

• Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

• Carolyn Armstrong

• Arnerich Massena, Inc.

• Cindy and Stephen Aselage

• Julie and Paul Baker

• Barney & Barney, LLC

• BDO

• Diane and Knox Bell

• Eve Benton and Malcolm Bund

• Ruth Claire Black

• Steve Black

• Allison Blackwell

• Blair Blum and Jim Sexton

• Nancy and Matthew Browar

• Kathy and Ed Brown

• Juli Oh and Matthew Browne

• Bruce Ford Bundy and Anne Smith Bundy Foundation

• CBRE

• Tracey and Gary Chessum

• Bess and Arthur Collias

• Cooley, LLP

• Liz and Michael Copley

• Gigi Cramer

• Danaher Corporation

• Jennifer and Thomas DeLonge

• Carol and Thomas Dillon

• DLA Piper

• Natalie and David Dragotto

• Nancy and James Eastman

• Epstein Family Foundation

• Rebecca and Edward Etess

• Debby and M. Wainwright Fishburn, Jr.

• Amanda and Sean Freeman

• Joyce and James Furby

• Gene DX, Inc.

• Marleigh and Alan Gleicher

• Anne-Marie Gordon

• Jeanne and Gary* Herberger

• Hercules Capital, Inc.

• Susan and Paul Hering

• Heron Therapeutics

• Hervey Family Fund at the San Diego Foundation

• Reena and Samuel Horowitz

• Illumina

• Christine Infante and Robert L. Cushman

• Ashley and Ted Jacobs

• Terry and Stath Karras

• Amy and Bill Koman

• KPMG

• Krystal Productions

• Jenna and James Langley

• Carol and George Lattimer

• Marilena and Gregory Lucier

• Lytx, Inc.

• Kimberly and Michael Manhard

• Mary and Jack McKinnon

• Silvana and Alberto Michan

• Diane and Thomas Might

• Murfey Construction

• Amy and Dr. Perry Nisen

• NuVasive, Inc.

• Michael P. Orlando

• Oxford Finance

• Charles Patton

• Pedal the Cause

• Pegasus Building Services Co., Inc.

• Pfizer

• Peggy and Peter Preuss

• Qualcomm, Inc.

• Resident Brewing Co.

• Retrophin, Inc.

• Shereen and Isa Rizk

• Stacy and Donald Rosenberg

• Joyleen S. Rottenstein

• Victoria W. Sack

• Beth and Norman Saks

• San Diego Padres Baseball Club

• Dawn Saunders

• Doreen and Myron Schonbrun

• Marie G. Schrup

• The Schultz Family

• Tanya and James Shaffer

• Christine J. Shamborsky

• Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Inc.

• Sky Foundation, Inc.

• Dr. Evan Snyder

• Square 1 Bank

• Science, Technology and Research Support (STARS)

• Street Swings

• Dong Sun

• Sarah and David Szekeres

• Molly McCormick Thornton

• Gregory and Jonell Tibbitts

• Julie and Court Turner

• Nancy Vaughan

• Dr. Andrew Viterbi

• Lina and Christian Waage

• Peggy Walker-Conner

• Robert D. Wallace

• Jean Y. Wang

• Ellen G. Weinstein

• Wells Fargo Bank

• Stephanie and Stephen Williams

• Willis Towers Watson

• Richard P. Woltman

• Weining Zhen

• Bebe L. Zigman