School of Medicine

The Latest

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.

Inspirational Campus Leader Battling Stage 4 Cancer Receives One of Dentistry’s Highest Honors

When Dr. Irvin Silverstein, director of UCSD's Student-Run Free Dental Project, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016, he was told he had just two or three months to live. Now, 58 months later, after several surgeries and aggressive, ongoing treatments at UC San Diego Health, he is being recognized as a recipient of a national award.

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.