Bruce Alberts on Why Biomedical Research Needs Rescuing
Bruce Alberts and a group of prominent scientists have begun the Rescuing Biomedical Research initiative to fix what they see as systemic flaws in the current biomedical research enterprise.
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Sugar Papers Reveal Industry Role in Shifting National Heart Disease Focus to Saturated Fat
A newly discovered cache of industry documents revealed that the sugar industry began working closely with nutrition scientists in the mid-1960s to single out fat and cholesterol as the dietary causes of coronary heart disease and to downplay evidence that sucrose consumption was also a risk factor.
Calorie-Burning ‘Good’ Fat Can Be Protected, Says Study
UCSF researchers studying beige fat – a calorie-burning tissue that can help to ward off obesity and diabetes – have discovered a new strategy to cultivate this beneficial blubber.
Some Breast Cancer Patients With Low Genetic Risk Could Skip Chemotherapy, Study Finds
Early-stage breast cancer patients whose tumors carry genetic markers associated with a low risk of disease recurrence may not need to undergo chemotherapy, suggests a new study that employed a test devised by a UCSF researcher.
Frequency of Breast Cancer Screening is Best Guided by Both Risk, Breast Density, Says Study
The ideal interval for breast cancer screening depends on combined assessments of each woman’s breast cancer risk and her breast density, according to a new study led by UCSF and University of Wisconsin researchers.
Immune-Cell Population Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Melanoma
The abundance of a subtype of white blood cells in melanoma tumors can predict whether or not patients will respond to a form of cancer immunotherapy known as checkpoint blockade, according to a new study led by UCSF researchers and physicians.
Gene Variant Explains Differences in Diabetes Drug Response
The first results from a large international study of patients taking metformin, the world’s most commonly used type 2 diabetes drug, reveal genetic differences among patients that may explain why some respond much better to the drug than others.
Study Overturns Prevailing View of Chronic Kidney Disease Prevalence
In a surprising finding, researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered that the prevalence among Americans of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition that costs Medicare tens of billions of dollars to treat each year, hasn't increased since the early 2000s.
One Minute of Second-Hand Marijuana Smoke Impairs Cardiovascular Function
One minute of exposure to second-hand smoke from marijuana diminishes blood vessel function to the same extent as tobacco, but the harmful cardiovascular effects last three times longer, according to a new study in rats led by UCSF researchers.
Early Exclusive Breastfeeding Associated with Longer Telomeres in Latino Preschoolers
Infants who are exclusively breastfed early in life are more likely by age 4 or 5 to have longer telomeres, the protective bits of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes in cells.
Childhood Cancer Hijacks Cellular Quality Control System to Fuel Growth
A serious childhood cancer takes advantage of a quality control mechanism that usually protects cells from stress-induced damage to propel tumor growth, according to a new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco and the University of Pittsburgh.
Cutting Sugar Causes Drop in Heart Disease Risk Factors Among Obese Children
Reducing sugar consumption in obese children, rather than cutting calories or starch, or losing weight, leads to a sharp decline in triglycerides and a key protein called ApoC-III – two features that are associated with heart disease in adulthood.
Popular Mobile Health Apps Fail to Serve Vulnerable Populations
A new UCSF study of top-rated mobile health apps showed that they offer little help to vulnerable patients – those who might benefit the most from these tools.
Go-Between Immune Cell is Key to Priming the Body’s Fight Against Cancer
Using advanced imaging technology that allowed them to spy on interactions among cells in the lymph nodes of living mice, a research team led by UCSF scientists has identified a cell that is a key player in mounting the immune system’s defense against cancer.
‘Early-Term’ Births Significantly Increase Risk of Preterm Births, Says Study
A new study led by UCSF researchers found that women whose first child was born at 37 to 38 weeks – so-called “early-term” birth – are two to three times more likely to experience preterm birth, defined as birth at a gestational age less than 37 weeks, when giving birth to a second child.
