News Archive - School of Medicine

Reversing Cancer’s Gluttony

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center describe how pancreatic cancer cells use an alternative method to find necessary nutrients, defying current therapies, to help them grow and spread.

With Gene Therapy, Scientists Develop Opioid-Free Solution for Chronic Pain

A gene therapy for chronic pain could offer a safer, non-addictive alternative to opioids. By temporarily repressing a gene involved in sensing pain, the treatment increased pain tolerance in mice, lowered their sensitivity to pain and provided months of pain relief without causing numbness.

Therapy Sneaks into Hard Layer of Pancreatic Cancer Tumor and Destroys it From Within

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center demonstrated that a new tumor-penetrating therapy could enhance the effects of chemotherapy, reduce the spread of pancreatic cancer and increase survival in animal models.

How Does Your Brain Process Emotions? Answer Could Help Address Loneliness Epidemic

In a study published in the March 5, 2021 online edition of Cerebral Cortex, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that specific regions of the brain respond to emotional stimuli related to loneliness and wisdom in opposing ways.

Sewage-Handling Robots Help Predict COVID-19 Outbreaks in San Diego

UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers develop an automated process to test city sewage for SARS-CoV-2, allowing them to forecast the region’s COVID-19 caseload one to two weeks ahead of clinical diagnostic reports.

‘Comet’ Illustrates the Mechanical Process of Cancer Growth

Tissues which consist largely of collagen were the focus of a recent collaborative study by a team from Stanford University and Purdue University. To accomplish their work, they used the Comet supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego.

Novel Drug Prevents Amyloid Plaques, a Hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and elsewhere have identified a new drug that could prevent AD by modulating, rather than inhibiting, a key enzyme involved in forming amyloid plaques.

Heart Disease is in the Eye of the Beholder

Researchers at UC San Diego Health see a possible way to detect heart disease through the eye.

Repurposed Arthritis Drug Did Not Significantly Improve Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia

A repurposed drug used to treat arthritis did not significantly improve the outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Tocilizumab did not significantly improve clinical status or mortality rate at 28 days for participants who received it compared to a placebo.

NIH Awards UC San Diego $33 Million for Five COVID-19 Diagnostic Projects

UC San Diego was awarded five COVID-19 Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) projects by the National Institutes of Health totaling nearly $33 million, which will fund efforts that range from managing a large data center to expanding testing in disadvantaged communities.