News Archive - Scott LaFee

When Water Temperatures Change, the Molecular Motors of Cephalopods Do Too

Working with live squid hatchlings at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego scientists find the animals can tune their proteome on the fly in response to changes in ocean temperature via the unique process of RNA recoding. The findings inspire new questions about basic protein function.

A New Map Reveals the Complicated World in Which Cells Seek to Repair Damaged DNA

UC San Diego scientists develop an interactive software that enables scientists to better investigate the DNA damage response.

The Acute Problem of Chronic Disease

UC San Diego physician-scientist explains why all chronic diseases are linked by the underlying failure of cells and the body to heal completely.

T Cells Can Activate Themselves to Fight Tumors

UC San Diego scientists find an auto-signaling mechanism driving the T cell anti-tumor response; findings may inspire new cancer therapeutics and biomarkers.

Air Pollution May Increase Risk of Dementia, Complicated by Genetics

UC San Diego researchers describe how exposure to ambient air pollution, such as car exhaust and power plant emissions — is associated with a measurably greater risk of developing dementia over time.

Rare Science

UC San Diego is a hub for rare disease research. Although each rare disease impacts a small number of people, the research findings sometimes apply to more prevalent conditions.

Too Much Insulin Can Be as Dangerous as Too Little

UC San Diego researchers describe a key player in the defense mechanism that safeguards against excessive insulin in the body, which can be as harmful as too little.

How a Virus Causes Chromosomal Breakage, Leading to Cancer

UC San Diego researchers describe for the first time how the Epstein-Barr virus exploits genomic weaknesses to cause cancer while reducing the body’s ability to suppress it.

Center for AIDS Research Receives $15 Million Renewal Grant From NIH

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded a five-year, $15.45 million grant to the San Diego Center for AIDS Research at UC San Diego, renewing support that extends back to an original establishing grant in 1994 at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

What are the Drivers of Chronic Infectious Disease?

A $1 million grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation will launch a UC San Diego-led national effort to more deeply study tissue samples from patients with conditions ranging from long COVID-19 and relapsed Lyme disease to chronic fatigue syndrome.