School of Medicine

The Latest

Kawasaki Disease: One Disease, Multiple Triggers

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and international collaborators have evidence that Kawasaki Disease (KD) does not have a single cause. By studying weather patterns and geographical distributions of patients in San Diego, the research team determined that this inflammatory disease likely has multiple environmental triggers influenced by a combination of temperature, precipitation and wind patterns.

UC San Diego Health Named 2018 CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired Recipient

UC San Diego Health has been named “HealthCare’s Most Wired” by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). The mission of the CHIME HealthCare’s Most Wired program is to elevate the health and health care of communities around the world through the optimal use of information technology.

To Ward off Fatty Liver, Breast is Best for Mom

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Kaiser Permanente have discovered that mothers who breastfed a child or children for six months or more are at lower risk for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) years later during mid-life. With no other current prevention options aside from a healthy lifestyle, they say the finding may represent an early modifiable risk factor for a serious and chronic disease.

Machine Learning Identifies Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Tuberculosis-Causing Bacteria

Researchers have trained a machine learning algorithm to identify and predict which genes make infectious bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The approach was tested on strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis—the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB) in humans. It identified 33 known and 24 new antibiotic resistance genes in these bacteria. The approach could be used to predict resistance in other infection-causing pathogens.

Mapping the Pancreatic Islets

The mechanism leading to development of type 1 diabetes remains a mystery, hampering the ability to find new ways to prevent, treat or even cure this condition. With a new $3.3 million grant, University of California School of Medicine researchers hope to create a high resolution reference map of pancreatic cells that will identify molecular changes that arise during type 1 diabetes.

Kidneys Aren’t Harmed When Significantly Lowering Blood Pressure

Using a novel biomarker panel to track and measure kidney function, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of California San Francisco School of Medicine report that lowering systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg does not damage the kidney organ itself. Instead, any negative changes to clinical results are more likely due to decreased blood flow.