Salk News
Genetic Combination That Steers Newborn Nerve Cells Identified by Salk Scientists
La Jolla, CA – Like a sextant that helps guide ships at sea, a specific combination of genes has been identified that directs newly born nerve cells to their final destinations in developing organisms.
read more >>Zinc Found To Be Integral Part Of Brain Communication Channels
La Jolla, CA – Zinc has long been recognized as an essential trace element, and a current study led by Salk Institute investigators shows it to be an integral part of ion channels, structures that regulate communication among nerve cells.
read more >>Dissatisfied Flies Show Link Between Gene And Sexual Behavior
La Jolla, CA – To paraphrase a classic rock anthem, flies missing a gene that affects sexual behavior "can't get no satisfaction" no matter how hard they try.
read more >>Link Between Vitamin A And Learning Abilities Established By Team Led By Salk Researchers
La Jolla, CA – Forget something lately? If so, perhaps you should try an extra helping of sweet potatoes or other vitamin A-rich foods on the holiday table.
read more >>Slow-Learning Mice Can Improve Learning Speed When Raised In Enriched Environment
La Jolla, CA – Like their human counterparts, all mice are not created equal when it comes to learning new tasks.
read more >>Human Brains Do Sprout New Cells According To New Salk Study
La Jolla, CA – Like bubbles fizzing from fine champagne, it has long been assumed that our supply of brain cells steadily diminishes through our lives, never to be replenished. According to a landmark Salk study, however, new cells are born in human brains, even in mature individuals.
read more >>New Steroid Hormone has Allure Of Its Own
La Jolla, CA – The first steroid hormone unearthed in 30 years is a chemical cousin to the molecule that lures pigs to truffles, and like that rare and elusive fungus, it is in a class by itself.
read more >>Salk Scientists Identify Molecular Link Between Dietary Fat And Colon Cancer
La Jolla, CA – Although it's now common wisdom that dietary fat is related to some cancers, medical researchers have not understood the underlying mechanisms. In research reported in the September 1 issue of Nature Medicine, scientists at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies identify a molecular link between fat metabolism and colon cancer. The results may also be relevant to breast and prostate cancer, common cancers that are also associated with dietary fat.
read more >>Elusive Chromosomal "Ignition" Identified By Salk Scientists
La Jolla, CA – Before the engine that drives cell division goes into gear, it must receive a biological spark from its genetic machinery to set the process in motion. In the current issue of the journal Science, researchers from The Salk Institute for Biological Studies say they have identified that "ignition" point on a human chromosome. Their findings should further understanding of how cell division is normally controlled and how it might be brought back under control in cancer cells.
read more >>Gene That Determines Left From Right In Vertebrate Embryos Found By Salk-Led Team
La Jolla, CA – In a developing organism, knowledge of right from left can often mean the difference between life and death. Certainly, the direction and ultimate destination in which an embryonic heart, lung, stomach or liver travels can be critical for the proper alignment of blood vessels and nerves so that normal life may proceed. Now, a team led by scientists at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies has discovered a molecular guide, in the form of a single gene, that helps youthful cells, tissues and organs decide in which direction to take their first fateful steps--whether to go left or right.
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