University of California San Francisco
Give to UCSF<p>From improved heart failure and HIV treatment, to gene therapy and stem cell discoveries, here is just a sampling from 2011 of research advances at UCSF that are keeping the research pipeline flowing toward better healthcare -- including greater patient safety, more efficient healthcare delivery, and improved outcomes for patients.</p>
<p>A cure for sickle cell anemia and other life-threatening genetic disorders that arise in the blood is the goal of a new $6.7-million, five-year research project headed by UCSF scientist Y. W. Kan, a pioneer of modern genetics and the diagnosis of genetic diseases before birth.</p>
Throughout the interior spaces of humans and other warm-blooded creatures is a special type of tissue known as brown fat, which may hold the secret to diets and weight-loss programs of the future.
UCSF and the Cell Technologies business of GE Healthcare Life Sciences have begun a unique collaboration aimed at overcoming the lack of blood-forming stem cells available to patients suffering from life-threatening diseases such as lymphoma, myeloma, leukemia or sickle cell anemia.
The immune system possesses a type of cell that can be activated by tissues within the body to remind the immune system not to attack our own molecules, cells and organs, UCSF researchers have discovered.
<p>A National Academy of Sciences committee co-chaired by UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, recommends the creation of a Google maps-like data network that could transform the future of medical discovery, diagnosis and treatment.</p>
<p>UCSF’s new robotic pharmacy has won a 2011 Best of What’s New award for innovation from <em>Popular Science</em>.</p>
<p>Microbes that dwell within us can help or harm us, according to UCSF experts at "Gut Check," a lunchtime panel discussion hosted by UCSF as part of the Bay Area Science Festival last week.</p>
A study by researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and UCSF shows that rats given a popularly prescribed antidepressant during development exhibit brain abnormalities and behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorders.
<p>Personalized medicine and new gene discoveries in human disease were a focus of a daylong symposium hosted by the UCSF Institute for Human Genetics on the Mission Bay campus on Oct. 3.</p>
Researchers with the University of California, San Francisco and the University of California, Merced will examine the effectiveness of state and local anti-smoking programs across the United States to ensure that health authorities are able to use their increasingly limited resources to support and defend the most effective approaches.
Children with severe asthma are 3.6 times more likely to have been exposed to tobacco smoking before birth – even without later exposure – than children with a mild form of the disease, according to a multicenter study led by researchers at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
<p>A consortium of scientists is reporting that genetic secrets of multiple sclerosis may be buried in 50 “hot spots” in the human genome, a finding that will guide future efforts to assess an individual’s risk of susceptibility and may help develop new drugs for treating this complex disease.</p>
<p>Swallowing pills means medication must face the challenge of surviving the harsh environment of the digestive tract. As a result, people must take larger doses than they need. Using micro and nano-fabrication techniques developed by the computer chip industry, Desai’s lab is creating tiny devices that take multiple drugs directly to where they are needed, using less medication, minimizing side effects and making the process safer for the patient. </p>
<p>Tina Brock, who recently became associate dean of teaching and learning in the UCSF School of Pharmacy, offers her perspective on the science of education, the importance of interprofessional learning and teaching future pharmacists.</p>