Diabetes Center researcher Doug Hanahan, Ph.D., was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his contributions to diabetes and cancer research. He joins 4,000 American fellows of this interdisciplinary research center that has studied complex and emerging policy issues since 1780.
There was a dual message in a talk at UCSF by Michael Boehnke, biostatistics professor at University of Michigan: large studies that may involve 10,000 or more patients could potentially suggest an inherited increased susceptibility. But the rapid rise in development of type 2 diabetes still needs to be addressed through diet and exercise.
Diabetes Center researcher Matthias Hebrok, PhD was recently appointed to this newly established Endowed Chair, a well-deserved recognition of the ongoing contributions Dr. Hebrok has made to the field of diabetes research. The Chair is funded with a gift from the Hurlbut-Johnson Charitable Trust of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Throughout his career, his colleagues and peers in the scientific community, as well as his post-doctoral fellows and students, have all recognized Dr.
The past decade has seen a significant increase in the number of potentially tolerogenic therapies for treatment of new-onset diabetes. However, most treatments are antigen nonspecific, and the mechanism for the maintenance of long-term tolerance remains unclear. In a recent study reported and published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine by UCSF investigators Brian T. Fife, Ph.D. and Jeffrey A.
Feroz Papa, MD PhD is intrigued by shapes – specifically how proteins are folded into the distinctly shaped structures that allow them to perform highly specific tasks. If proteins unfold in cells, they can aggregate and cause these cells to become damaged. Unfortunately, it appears that insulin-producing beta cells can be very easily damaged through the aggregation of unfolded proteins.
In a recent study reported and published last month in the Journal of Experimental Medicine by UCSF investigators Brian Fife, Ph.D. and Jeff Bluestone, Ph.D., it has been shown that insulin itself is a contributing factor in the progression of type 1 diabetes and to prevent the disease, we must selectively target the insulin-specific, autoimmune T cells.
Dr. Michael German, Diabetes Center researcher and clinician, was just named to the AAP, a non-profit professional organization founded in 1885 for “the advancement of scientific and practical medicine.” Membership is limited to the “elite” among the nation’s physician-scientist community and is predicated on a long history of outstanding research achievement. Last year, Dr. German was appointed to the Justine K. Schreyer Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research.
Researchers have begun a clinical study of oral insulin to prevent or delay type 1 diabetes in at-risk people, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today. Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, an NIH-funded network of researchers dedicated to the understanding, prevention, and early treatment of type 1 diabetes, is conducting the study in more than 100 medical centers across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.
If T cells fail to recognize just one of the body's thousands of proteins as “self”, it can trigger autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. The Diabetes Center 's Mark Anderson, MD PhD is the senior investigator of a paper published last month in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. [story]
UCSF diabetes clinical nurse specialist Mary Sullivan is quoted in this story on how specially trained dogs can pick up the scent of low blood sugars, as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle.
CIRM, the voter-established institute created by Prop 71, awarded $12.1 million in grants to cover the first year of three-year training fellowships. UCSF received 16 grants totaling just over $1.1 million. The number of applications received was sizeable, as reported by the San Francisco Business Times.
John Baxter, MD and Paul Webb, PhD are focused on studying the thyroid hormone which regulates overall metabolic rate, heart function and cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Elevated levels of the thyroid hormone leads to increases in metabolic rate and associated rapid weight loss, and also improves cholesterol and triglyceride balance – yet may also produce increased heart rate and arrhythmias.
Dr. Michael German has been appointed to this new chair, which was generously funded through donations from long-time UCSF volunteer leader, Chara Schreyer and her Kadima Foundation.