As warehouses go, nuclei are more like libraries than bank vaults. Too many cellular components need access to the genome to lock it down like Fort Knox. Instead, large groupings of more than 1,000 individual protein molecules called nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) pepper the dividing membrane, serving as gateways for materials and messages entering and exiting the nucleus.
Even with significant expansion in the global market for antibodies used in clinical care and research, scientists recognize that there is still untapped potential for finding new antibodies. Many proteins group together in what are called protein complexes to carry out biological functions. The traditional method of generating antibodies by immunizing animals struggles to make antibodies related to these protein complexes.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys and collaborators across the country published findings March 5, 2025, in Nature Communications showing that the mitochondria powering our cells also control the ability of a DNA repair protein to suppress the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which causes zombie-like cells to spew inflammatory molecules that can contribute to chronic inflammation in the body.
The immune system typically can ramp up the body鈥檚 defenses to clear out an invading threat without issue. Glitches can happen, however, with sepsis occurring when the mustered army of cells also attacks the body鈥檚 own tissues and organs as if they were enemy combatants.
New Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist Ahmed Mahmoud, PhD, and his team focus on how to repair adult hearts by restoring the regenerative powers they once possessed early in development. He wants to advance the discoveries he has made in regenerating hearts in mice to develop treatments that may one day benefit patients.
Cancer cells have an insatiable appetite for energy as they multiply more rapidly than normal cells. Greedy cancer cells hijack various cellular functions to find and exploit energy and other resources, including a group of enzymes that help normal cells maintain a balance of energy.
For the last 10 years, the only effective treatment for hypophosphatasia (HPP) has been an enzyme replacement therapy that must be delivered by injection three-to-six times each week. Currently, patients are treated with injections of asfotase alfa, a mineral-targeted form of the missing enzyme called tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). This FDA-approved therapy is based on a Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist鈥檚 decades of research on the TNAP enzyme and his laboratory鈥檚 studies demonstrating preclinical safety and efficacy. In a paper published January 12, 2025, in鈥痶he Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, researchers added additional weight to prior preclinical evidence of the safety and effectiveness of a gene therapy for HPP.
Leona M. Flores, PhD, has been named vice president of research operations at Sanford Burnham Prebys. She will elevate the research capacity of the institute by working with faculty and other scientists to ensure successful execution of research projects and reducing the increasingly complex administrative burden of research.
Researchers led by Jerold Chun MD, PhD, professor in the Degenerative Diseases Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys, published results December 10, 2024, in eNeuro from combining two sequencing technologies in single cells to find new differences in mRNAs resulting from Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
David D. O鈥橩eefe, PhD, has been named vice president of research development at Sanford Burnham Prebys. His duties will include working with scientists to maximize research funding and increase research capacity at the Institute by nurturing a culture of grant writing and collaboration.
Three faculty members at Sanford Burnham Prebys are among the most influential scientists worldwide in the 2024 rankings by the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate.
Researchers at the NCI-Designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys describe two enzymes newly identified for their roles in regulating macropinocytosis, a process cancer cells use to snatch extra nutrients from the jelly-like substance between cells. This allows tumors to fuel their growth even when they consume more energy and other resources than they can acquire from nearby blood vessels.
Alessandro Vasciaveo, PhD, joined Sanford Burnham Prebys as an assistant professor in computational biology and artificial intelligence in fall 2024. He uses his training and experience as a scientist and engineer to advance knowledge of human biology through research, and to identify novel treatments and cures for diseases.
Scientists have linked neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, to changes in many genes involved in early brain development. However, more research is needed to understand how these gene variants influence the biological mechanisms that underlie these disorders.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have developed a clearer picture of how crucial machinery in the human cell鈥檚 recycling process for obsolete and misshapen proteins鈥攌nown as proteasomes鈥攁re formed.
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 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 鈥� a type of white blood cell whose jobs include killing and removing harmful cells and pathogens and helping to spur normal healing.
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.
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.
Ze鈥檈v Ronai, PhD, is stepping down as director of the National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center at Sanford Burnham Prebys, effective August 1. Cosimo Commisso, PhD, deputy director of the cancer center, will serve as interim head while a national search is conducted for a new cancer center director. Ronai is moving to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where he will focus on translational research.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, University of California San Diego and their international collaborators have reported that more types of lung cells can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 than previously thought, including those without known viral receptors.
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