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Curbing the growth of cancer cells. Turning stem cells into heart cells. Fostering blood cell development. Shedding light on plant resistance. Explaining why even healthy brain cells lose function with age. Combating Alzheimer's. Salk scientists continue to tackle a range of pressing issues. With the New Year now in full swing, I wanted to update you on a number of recently announced developments from several of our labs.
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Please read on for details about these advances and other news about Salk.
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| Yours in Discovery, |
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| Elizabeth Blackburn |
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Salk scientists curb growth of cancer cells by blocking access to key nutrients
Salk Professors Satchidananda Panda, Inder Verma, Alan Saghatelian and colleagues discovered how to curb the growth of cancer cells by blocking the cells' access to certain nutrients. The approach took advantage of knowledge on how healthy cells use a 24-hour cycle to regulate the production of nutrients in order to grow.
The circadian cycle, the intrinsic clock that exists in all living things, helps control when individual cells can produce and use nutrients. Cancer cells find ways to escape the constraints of the clock in order to keep growing, out of control.
Panda's team used two clock-activating drugs on a variety of cancer cells, including those from T cell leukemia, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and melanoma. In each cell line, the treatment was enough to kill the cells. It also shrank glioblastoma brain tumors in mice. The same treatment on healthy cells had no effect. The work appeared in
Nature on January 10, 2018.
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| Getting straight to the heart of the matter in stem cells |
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The process by which embryonic stem cells develop into heart cells is a complex process involving the precisely timed activation of several molecular pathways and at least 200 genes. The lab of Kathy Jones has found a simpler way to go from stem cells to heart cells that involves turning off a single gene, called YAP. The work, which appeared in Genes & Development in December 2017, offers scientists a streamlined method to arrive at functioning heart cells (cardiomyocytes) for both research and regenerative therapies.
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| Multifunctional protein contributes to blood cell development |
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The lab of Martin Hetzer uncovered a previously unknown job for a protein called nup98, in mouse cells. In addition to helping control the movement of molecules in and out of the nucleus of the cell, they found that it also helps direct the development of blood cells, enabling immature blood stem cells to differentiate into many specialized mature cell types. Further, they discovered the mechanism by which --- when perturbed --- this differentiation process can contribute to the formation of certain types of leukemia. The work published in Genes & Development in December 2017.
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When you see brown spots on otherwise healthy green leaves, you may be witnessing a plant's immune response as it tries to keep a bacterial infection from spreading. Some plants are more resistant to such infections than others, and plant biologists want to understand why. The lab of Joanne Chory, studying a protein called SOBER1, discovered one mechanism by which, counterintuitively, plants seem to render themselves less resistant to infection. The work sheds light on plant resistance generally, and appeared in Nature Communications in December 2017.
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| What happens when your brain's support cells aren't so supportive? |
Potentially explaining why even healthy brains don't function well with age, the lab of Nicola Allen discovered that genes that are switched on early in brain development to sever connections between neurons as the brain fine-tunes are again activated in aging neuronal support cells called astrocytes. The research, which published in Cell Reports on January 2, 2018, suggests that astrocytes may be good therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse the effects of normal aging.
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| Alzheimer's drug turns back clock in powerhouse of cell |
The experimental drug J147 is something of a modern elixir of life; it's been shown to treat Alzheimer's disease and reverse aging in mice and is almost ready for clinical trials in humans. The lab of Dave Schubert solved the puzzle of what, exactly, J147 does --- it binds to a protein found in mitochondria, the energy-generating powerhouses of cells. They also showed that it makes aging cells, mice and flies appear more youthful. The work appeared in Aging Cell on January 7, 2018.
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Salk scientists Joanne Chory and Terrence Sejnowski named to National Academy of Inventors
Salk Institute Professors Joanne Chory and Terrence Sejnowski have been elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). NAI Fellows, who must be nominated by their peers, are honored for having demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions and innovations that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. They will be inducted into the NAI during the Academy's annual conference in Washington, D.C., in April 2018.
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The Salk Institute and Indivumed partner to advance global cancer research
The Salk Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, and Indivumed GmbH, a world leading cancer research company, announced on January 16 a multi-year strategic alliance to secure, preserve and analyze human cancer tissue and annotated clinical data from consenting patients around the world, enabling the most cutting-edge basic and translational research in cancer. The collaboration seeks to advance research in precision oncology and personalized medicine by utilizing the highest quality molecular and clinical data in cancer.
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| Salk Science & Music Series |
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The fifth season of the Salk Science & Music Series continues February 4 with a performance by pianist Karen Joy Davis, violinist Asi Matathias and cellist Gabriel Schwabe and a scientific talk by Associate Professor
Tatyana Sharpee in the Conrad T. Prebys Auditorium. Upcoming concerts:
- February 4, 2018 4:00 p.m. - Pianist Karen Joy Davis, violinist Asi Matathias and cellist Gabriel Schwabe with Associate Professor Tatyana Sharpee
- April 8, 2018 - Pianist Zlata Chochieva with Assistant Professor Edward Stites
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| Salk science wallpaper images |
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Looking for a unique background image for your computer, iPad or phone?
This month's image comes from a
recent press release from Salk scientist in Nicola Allen's lab using gene expression to understand how astrocytes change with age. The work suggests that astrocytes may be good therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse the effects of normal aging. The image shows ribosomes in astrocytes labeled red using the ribo-tag method. Green stain indicates the nucleus of the star-shaped support cells.
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