Scripps

Findings by Scripps Research Scientists Brighten Prospects of Stem Cell Therapy for Range of Diseases

LA JOLLA, CA – October 15, 2009 A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has developed a method that dramatically improves the efficiency of creating stem cells from human adult tissue, without the use of embryonic cells. The research makes great strides in addressing a major practical challenge in the development of stem-cell-based medicine.

The findings were published in an advance, online issue of the journal Nature Methods on October 18, 2009.    » read more »

Finding Yields Clues for Potential New Therapies

LA JOLLA, CA, June 12, 2009—New research by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, the University of Virginia and the University of Utah provides a close-up look at the cone-shaped shell that is the hallmark of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), revealing how it is held together—and possible ways to break it apart.

Previously, scientists had known that the genetic material within HIV is enclosed within a cone-shaped shell called the capsid, which is formed by a honeycomb arrangement of about 250 hexagonal protein building blocks. For HIV to infect human cells, the virus binds to cell surface receptors, and then the capsid is delivered into the cytoplasm of the cell.    » read more »

Discovery Could Become a New Drug Target for Metastatic Brain Cancer

LA JOLLA, CA, June 8, 2009—As survival rates among some patients with cancer continue to rise, so does the spread of these cancers to the brain—as much as 40 percent of all diagnosed brain cancers are considered metastatic, having spread from a primary cancer elsewhere in the body.

Now, scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a molecular mechanism that plays a pivotal role in controlling cancer growth in the brain. The discovery could provide a basis for potentially effective therapies for the treatment of brain metastasis.

The study was published in an online Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the week of June 8, 2009.    » read more »

MicroRNA Plays Key Regulatory Role in Receptor Linked to Numerous Psychiatric Disorders

JUPITER, January 26, 2009 — Scientists from Scripps Florida, part of The Scripps Research Institute, and colleagues have for the first time linked a specific microRNA to behavioral problems frequently associated with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. The finding presents new opportunities in the development of potential treatments.

The study is being published this week in the Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists had previously known that a number of brain disorders—including schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorders, and    » read more »

Awards recognize best in-class, Microsoft-based solutions in clinical development, sales and marketing, and discovery and product innovation

BOSTON, June 25, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced winners of the 2008 Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Awards, honoring companies that have made the most innovative use of Microsoft-based solutions for breakthroughs in business processes and practices throughout the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

Announced at the Drug Information Association’s (DIA) 44th Annual Meeting, the awards were presented in the categories of discovery and product innovation, sales and marketing, and clinical development.    » read more »