09/25/2009 - PROF UTPAL BANERJEE PUBLISHED IN NATURE & FEATURED IN UCLA NEWSROOM
For years, health-conscious people have been taking antioxidants to reduce the levels of reactive oxygen in their blood and prevent the DNA damage done by free radicals, which are the result of oxidative stress. But could excessive use of antioxidants deplete our immune systems?
Research at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has raised that question.
It has been known for decades that reactive oxygen species (ROS) — ions or very small molecules that include free radicals — damage cells. But much to their surprise, Jonsson Cancer Center researchers found that in Drosophila, the common fruit fly, moderately elevated levels of ROS are a good thing.
These small molecules act as an internal communicator, signaling certain blood precursor cells, or blood stem cells, to differentiate into immune-bolstering cells in reaction to a threat. After the progenitor cells differentiate, the ROS levels return to normal, ensuring the safety and survival of the mature blood cells, said Utpal Banerjee, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and senior author of the study.
The study is published in the Sept. 24 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Nature.
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09/21/2009 - PROF ROBERT GOLDBERG NAMED ONE OF 'AMERICA'S TOP PROFS' [more]
Robert Goldberg, a UCLA distinguished professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology, is featured in Newsweek's Guide, "Finding the Right College for You" in an article titled, "In Search of Great Professors." A great professor can “get you excited about a whole new subject, influence which major you choose, and maybe even change your life,” Newsweek says. “America's top profs ... excite and inspire their students” and “break down the wall that too often separates the classroom from the real world.” Goldberg is the first professor Newsweek profiles.
For more information, please see: More Information
08/25/2009 - DR. LUISA IRUELA-ARISPE ONE OF FOUR UCLA SCIENTISTS TO RECEIVE STATE STEM CELL GRANTS [more]
Dr. Luisa Iruela-Arispe, a Professor of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, is one of four UCLA scientists to receive state stem cell grants totaling .42 million, to fund research that will uncover the basic mechanisms underlying stem cell biology. UCLA scientists were awarded a third of the basic biology grants given out by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the most grants given to any stem cell research center in the state. For more information, see UCLA TODAY
08/21/2009 - DR. JAMES A. LAKE REPORTS MAJOR INSIGHTS INTO EVOLUTION OF LIFE [more]
Humans might not be walking the face of the Earth were it not for the ancient fusing of two prokaryotes — tiny life forms that do not have a cellular nucleus. UCLA molecular biologist James A. Lake reports important new insights about prokaryotes and the evolution of life in the Aug. 20 advance online edition of the journal Nature. Endosymbiosis refers to a cell living within another cell. If the cells live together long enough, they will exchange genes; they merge but often keep their own cell membranes and sometimes their own genomes. Lake has discovered the first exclusively prokaryote endosymbiosis. All other known endosymbioses have involved a eukaryote — a cell that contains a nucleus. Eukaryotes are found in all multicellular forms of life, including humans, animals and plants.
"This relationship resulted in a totally different type of life on Earth," said Lake, a UCLA distinguished professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology and of human genetics. "We thought eukaryotes always needed to be present to do it, but we were wrong."
More info at UCLA Newsroom
06/15/2009 - DR. LUISA IRUELA-ARISPE RECEIVES UCLA DISTINGUISHED TEACHING AWARD [more]
“A professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology, Luisa Iruela-Arispe inspires towering praise from her students. "To say that she is amazing would be an understatement," said biology graduate Brittany Kazermierski. Faculty and students repeatedly attribute part of Iruela-Arispe's success to her requirement that science undergraduates design hypothetical experiments based on cutting-edge scientific mysteries.”
A full story is at the UCLA Today website: More Info
04/28/2009 - PROF BERNARD PHINNEY PASSED AWAY [more]
It is with great sadness that we inform you that our dear friend and esteemed colleague, Dr. Bernard Phinney, passed away Wednesday, April 22, of heart failure.
He will be missed greatly.
02/27/2009 - DR. WILLIAM LOWRY FEATURED IN THE UCLA TODAY WEBPAGE [more]
Stem cell scientists at UCLA showed for the first time that human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be differentiated into electrically active motor neurons, a discovery that may aid in studying and treating neurological disorders.
Additionally, the motor neurons derived from the iPS cells appeared to be similar in function and efficiency to those derived from human embryonic stem cells, although further testing needs to be done to confirm that. If the similarities are confirmed, the discovery may open the door for new treatments for neurological disorders using patient-specific cells.
The study was published Feb. 23 in the early online edition of the journal http://www.stemcells.com/details/journalArticle/162141/Directed_differentiation_of_human_induced_pluripotent_stem_cells_generates_activ.html>Stem Cell.
"It is clear from the literature that you can make at least immature versions of many different kinds of cells from human iPS cells," said the study's senior author, William Lowry, a UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center scientist and assistant professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology. "But there is not a lot of data published describing the generation of fully functional cells from human iPS cells."
