School of Medicine

The Latest

For Space Station Astronauts, Spinal Muscles Shrink after Months in Space

While astronauts on long space missions do not experience a change in spinal disc height, the muscles supporting the spine weaken, find researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine. The study provides new insights into the elevated rates of back pain and disc disease associated with prolonged spaceflight.

UC San Diego School of Medicine Researchers Receive $5 Million in Type 1 Diabetes Grants

There are many unanswered questions about the mechanisms that contribute to the onset of type 1 diabetes. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine hope to answer some of them with two Type 1 Diabetes Special Statutory Funding Program grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling more than $5 million.

Cytomegalovirus Infection Relies on Human RNA-Binding Protein

Viruses hijack the molecular machinery in human cells to survive and replicate, often damaging those host cells in the process. Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine discovered that, for cytomegalovirus (CMV), this process relies on a human protein called CPEB1. The study provides a potential new target for the development of CMV therapies.

ALS Study Reveals Role of RNA-Binding Proteins

Although only 10 percent of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases are hereditary, a significant number of them are caused by mutations that affect proteins that bind RNA, a type of genetic material. University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers studied several ALS cases with a mutation in a RNA-binding protein known as hnRNP A2/B1. In the study, they describe how damage to this protein contributes to ALS by scrambling crucial cellular messaging systems.

Zika Virus Infection Alters Human and Viral RNA

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that Zika virus infection leads to modifications of both viral and human genetic material. These modifications — chemical tags known as methyl groups — influence viral replication and the human immune response.

Sobering Data Drives Home Need to Expand Teen DUI Prevention Program

In an effort to put the brakes on sobering statistics related to teenagers driving under the influence, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine will join forces with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) to reduce alcohol-impaired driving among San Diego youth ages 15 to 20.