Did Gonorrhea Give Us Grandparents?
July 18, 2022
UC San Diego researchers tracked the evolution of a gene variant that supports cognitive health in older humans, but may have first emerged to protect against bacteria.
Your search for “Varki” returned 23 results
CARTA Maps Humanity’s Distinctive Evolution
February 17, 2022
…founded by co-directors Ajit Varki, M.D., of UC San Diego; Rusty Gage, Ph.D., of the Salk Institute; and Margaret Schoeninger, Ph.D., of UC San Diego. While anthropology, broadly defined, is the study of humanity, anthropogeny focuses specifically on human origins and takes a particularly interdisciplinary look at such topics as…
Evolution May Be to Blame for High Risk of Advanced Cancers in Humans
December 8, 2020
Compared to chimpanzees, our closest evolutionary cousins, humans are particularly prone to developing advanced carcinomas — the type of tumors that include prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancers — even in the absence of known risk factors, such as genetic predisposition or tobacco use.
UC San Diego Professors Donate More than $1M to Transdisciplinary Study of the Origins of Humankind
February 24, 2020
UC San Diego announced a gift from Nissi and Ajit Varki, both professors at the university. The gift has been designated for the Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA) to support a broad range of activities, including scholarly studies of the origins of humankind.
Strip Steak: Bacterial Enzyme Removes Inflammation-Causing Meat Carbohydrates
September 23, 2019
When we eat red meat, the animal carbohydrate Neu5Gc is incorporated in our tissues, where it generates inflammation. UC San Diego researchers discovered how gut bacteria enzymes strip our cells of Neu5Gc, introducing the possibility of using the enzymes to reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases.
Evolutionary Gene Loss May Help Explain Why Only Humans are Prone to Heart Attacks
July 22, 2019
University of California San Diego School of Medicine scientists say the loss of a single gene two to three million years ago in our ancestors may have resulted in a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease in all humans as a species, while also setting up a further risk for red…
By Blocking Protein, Researchers Keep Brain Tumors from Repairing Themselves
February 28, 2019
Researchers at the San Diego Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at UC San Diego report inhibiting activity of a specific protein in glioblastomas boosts their sensitivity to radiation, improving treatment prospects for one of the most common and aggressive forms of brain cancer.
A Single Gene Mutation May Have Helped Humans Become Optimal Long-Distance Runners
September 11, 2018
Two to three million years ago, the functional loss of a single gene triggered a series of changes in what would eventually become the modern human species. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report on studies of mice engineered to lack the same gene and resulting…
New National Training Program Aims to Mainstream Glycosciences
August 29, 2018
Over the next five years, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, will award approximately $20 million to four academic centers to launch a new national Career Development Consortium for Excellence in Glycosciences.
A New Strategy for Prevention of Liver Cancer Development
November 14, 2017
Primary liver cancer is now the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and its incidences and mortality are increasing rapidly in the United Stated. In late stages of the malignancy, there are no effective treatments or drugs. However, an unexpected finding made by a team of University of California…
