Discoveries

Researchers have discovered that protective pathways falter as cells age, setting the stage for Alzheimer's neurodegeneration. This explains why Alzheimer's is a disease of aging and opens the door for the development of drugs that prevent build-up of toxic protein aggregates in the brain. Read more…

Salk investigators are building on previous work by using the tiny worm C. elegans to find out what determines longevity. By studying the progressive degenerative changes that occur in the worm as it ages -- and learning how to prolong its lifespan -- they are opening a window on how to prevent the downsides of human aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

While studying DNA from patients with Werner Syndrome, a genetic disease marked by early signs of aging and causing a predisposition to cancer, scientists have blocked the genetic damage that causes these conditions by rebuilding telomeres, the protective end caps at either end of the DNA strand. This brings scientists a step closer to understanding the relationship between aging and cancer. Read more…

Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), researchers are determining the three-dimensional structure of proteins and other biological molecules. Learning the 3-D structures of biomolecules with this powerful technique can help scientists learn more about how biological processes work as well as help researchers develop better drugs to treat disease. Proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease are particularly well suited to NMR study because they undergo a conformational change, forming long filamented sheets called beta-amyloid plaques.

Learn more about the Genetic Analysis Group researchers

Salk researchers observed for the first time that stem cells exist in the adult brain, which overturns a long-held view that we are born with a certain number of brain cells that decrease in number as we age. Institute researchers have also shown that brain activity stimulates stem cells to turn into functioning neurons, suggesting that the old adage of "use it or lose it" may apply to brain function and the aging process. Read more…

Which came first: the niche or the stem cell? A team of scientists have discovered that the cells that comprise the specialized niche, or environment adult stem cells rely on to remain vital and healthy in the testis of fruit flies, actually emerged from adult stem cells. The finding has strong implications for regenerative medicine, aging research, and cancer therapeutics. Read more…

Researchers have discovered that a sharp decline in the growth factor unpaired (upd), which is necessary to maintain stem cells, results in fewer stem cells in the testis of the fruit fly Drosophila. Identifying the reasons for reduced upd expression could reveal how aging leads to changes in stem cell behavior, and counteracting these changes may slow the loss of adult stem cells during aging. Read more…

Staying young: A research team has demonstrated how a DNA-binding protein called Nanog coaxes embryonic stem cells trying to differentiate into muscle cells back into an immature state. Learning how to tame stem cells’ ability to proliferate and differentiate into specific cell types holds much promise for the treatment of many age-related, neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s. Read more…

Learn more about the Stem Cell Group researchers

Scientists have discovered a genetic "fasting switch," called CRTC2, that flips on glucose production in the liver – the same switch that remains permanently on in patients with Type II diabetes. A collaborative study among Salk researchers revealed that a common diabetes drug (Metformin) works to inactivate CRTC2 and shut down glucose production. Having identified a molecular target for this drug, new, more active drugs will be easier to develop. Read more…

Scientists have discovered how two key proteins, CRTC2 and FOXO1, work in concert to fire up the body's mechanism to rapidly produce and maintain the necessary levels of glucose for the brain during times of fasting. Their findings may pave the way for novel therapies for those who suffer from metabolic diseases in which such regulation can spiral out of control. Read more…

Using a compound that artificially turned on PPAR delta, a genetic switch that controls the ability for cells to burn fat, scientists tricked muscles in mice into thinking they had been exercised, while also dramatically boosted endurance by more than 70 percent when combined with exercise. This amazing breakthrough may one day provide much-needed relief to those who cannot physically exercise as a result of trauma or disease. Read more…

Investigators have identified a novel pathway that regulates the body's ability to store or burn fat, a discovery that suggests new ways to reduce obesity, diabetes and other fat-related human diseases.

Learn more about the Metabolism Group researchers