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News Archive - Scott LaFee

A Better Way to Track Emerging Cell Therapies Using MRIs

September 19, 2014

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh and elsewhere describe the first human tests of using a perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracer in combination with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to track therapeutic immune cells injected into patients with colorectal cancer.

Scientists Discover “Dimmer Switch” For Mood Disorders

September 18, 2014

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a control mechanism for an area of the brain that processes sensory and emotive information that humans experience as “disappointment.”

Novel Drug Targeting Leukemia Cells Enters Clinical Trial

September 16, 2014

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have launched a phase 1 human clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a new monoclonal antibody for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of blood cancer in adults.

Cancer and the Immune System: A Double-Edged Sword

September 15, 2014

During cancer development, tumor cells decorate their surfaces with sugar compounds called glycans that are different from those found on normal, healthy cells. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that sialic acids at the tips of these cancer cell glycans are capable of engaging with immune system cells and changing the latter’s response to the tumor – for good and bad.

In Rats and Men, Nicotine Withdrawal Casts Similar Pall

September 12, 2014

In a set of novel experiments involving both humans and rats, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University (FAU), University of Pittsburgh, Washington University and Harvard Medical School report that the brain’s response to reward – its ability to recognize and derive pleasure from natural stimuli such as food, money or sex – is measurably reduced after nicotine withdrawal.

Scientists Discover Neurochemical Imbalance in Schizophrenia

September 11, 2014

Using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California, San Diego have discovered that neurons from patients with schizophrenia secrete higher amounts of three neurotransmitters broadly implicated in a range of psychiatric disorders.

Autism Early Detection Program Expands

September 10, 2014

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now estimated to impact one in every 68 children born in the United States. A new 5-year, $5.1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) seeks expand a program developed by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to reduce the mean age of ASD diagnosis in multiple cities across the U.S.

Local Bars and Restaurants Urge Pregnant Women Not to Drink

September 5, 2014

To help get the word out that alcohol and pregnancy don’t mix, volunteers with the Southern California affiliate of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (SoCal NOFAS) are handing out “Pregnant? Don’t Drink” coasters to San Diego area bars and restaurants on Tuesday, September 9th as part of International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day.

Enzyme Controlling Metastasis of Breast Cancer Identified

September 2, 2014

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified an enzyme that controls the spread of breast cancer. The findings, reported in the current issue of PNAS, offer hope for the leading cause of breast cancer mortality worldwide.

Fear, Safety and the Role of Sleep in Human PTSD

August 26, 2014

The effectiveness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment may hinge significantly upon sleep quality, report researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System in a paper published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.
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