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Your Gifts at Work
During the past year, philanthropic gifts had a direct impact in helping Salk scientists make leading discoveries in research. Following is an overview of some of their major breakthroughs:
Andrew Dillin's lab 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.
Joseph Noel's research revealed a prime target for novel cholesterol-lowering drugs and the blueprint for a new generation of antibiotics that can take down Streptococcus pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus.
Martyn Goulding identified an important circuit in the spinal cord that controls the speed with which our leg muscles contract and relax. His lab's findings mark an important milestone in understanding the neural circuitry that coordinates walking movements – one of the main obstacles in developing new treatments for spinal cord injuries.
Marc Montminy 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.