October 15, 2019
UC San Diego bioengineers are a step closer to making CAR T-cell therapy safer, more precise and easy to control. They developed a system that allows them to select where and when CAR T cells get turned on so that they destroy cancer cells without harming normal cells.
December 9, 2019
Scientists have found the most effective CRISPR shield ever discovered in viruses. They discovered a remarkable new strategy that some bacteria-killing viruses, or phages, employ: after they infect bacteria, these phages construct an impenetrable “safe room” inside of their host.
February 19, 2020
UC San Diego bioengineers developed a control system that could make CAR T-cell therapy safer and more powerful when treating cancer. By programming CAR T cells to switch on when exposed to blue light, the researchers controlled the cells to destroy skin tumors in mice without harming healthy tissue
April 27, 2020
Antibiotic treatment — which depletes gut microbes — drastically changes the parts of a rat’s brain that are activated during opioid addiction and withdrawal.
August 5, 2020
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine report successfully implanting specialized grafts of neural stem cells directly into spinal cord injuries in mice, then documenting how the grafts grew and filled the injury sites, mimicking the animals’ existing neuronal network.
September 16, 2020
Early detection and intervention stanched the first known introductions of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into North America and Europe, validating the effectiveness of quick, comprehensive testing and contact tracing, but inadequate public health measures allowed the virus to take hold.
December 17, 2020
A broad coalition that includes UC San Diego scientists sets commitments for field trials of powerful gene drive technology. The multidisciplinary group encourages trials that are safe, transparent and ethical.
January 8, 2021
Under a new effort to halt a worldwide decline in honeybees, scientists at UC San Diego and other UC campuses have established a network of bee researchers and engineers. The network, one of the largest in the country, will develop new solutions by joining various avenues of expertise.
February 18, 2021
UC San Diego researchers have launched a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of a gene therapy to deliver a key protein into the brains of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment, a condition that often precedes full-blown dementia.
May 4, 2021
Researchers at UC San Diego have used gene therapy to prevent learning and memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, a key step toward eventually testing the approach in humans with the neurodegenerative disease.
