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Gladstone Institutes


Potential therapeutic target for Huntington's disease

Scientists at Gladstone Institutes discovered that phosphorylation of the huntingtin protein prevents loss of critical brain cells and protected against behavioral symptoms in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. The study suggests a potential therapeutic target for treating the devastating neurodegenerative disorder.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateAug 16, 2016

How to engineer a stronger immune system

Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes have developed a new method to consistently activate mesenchymal stromal cells to produce anti-inflammatory proteins, enhancing their immune-suppressing effects. This breakthrough could lead to improved treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and organ transplant rejection.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalStem Cells Translational Medicine·DateAug 8, 2016

Micro heart muscle created from stem cells

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes develop a new method to create three-dimensional human heart tissue from stem cells, addressing limitations of existing techniques. This breakthrough enables scientists to study heart cells in their proper context, enhancing the discovery of treatments for heart disease.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalScientific Reports·DateApr 20, 2016

New tool enables scientists to interpret 'dark matter' DNA

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have invented a new way to read and interpret the human genome, using machine learning technology to predict gene-enhancer interactions. The TargetFinder tool accurately predicts complex three-dimensional interactions up to 85% of the time, opening the door to treating genetic diseases.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalNature Genetics·DateApr 4, 2016

Brain receptor regulates fat burning in cells

Scientists at Gladstone Institutes discovered a novel regulator of body weight: the P75 neurotrophin receptor. Lowering levels of p75 NTR protected mice from developing obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease on a high-fat diet. The receptor plays a key role in regulating metabolic processes that control body weight.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalCell Reports·DateJan 12, 2016

PrEP is not linked to greater risk for depression

A randomized trial of daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in men and transgender women who have sex with men found no link between Truvada use and depression. Half of participants reported clinically significant depression, highlighting the need for further research on PrEP's impact during vulnerable times.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalAIDS and Behavior·DateJun 19, 2015

Scientists identify new drug target to treat ALS

Researchers identified a cellular mechanism that can be targeted to treat ALS by increasing levels of protein hUPF1, which successfully protected against cell death in both genetic and sporadic versions of the disease. Treating this pathway may also have implications for frontotemporal dementia.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 8, 2015

Preventing heart cells from turning to bone

Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have discovered a chain of events that cause healthy valves to become bone-like. They identified three key genes that are altered in calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) and found a potential therapeutic target by manipulating their activity, pointing to novel treatments for the condition.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalCell·DateMar 12, 2015

Improving genome editing with drugs

Scientists at Gladstone Institutes have discovered a way to enhance CRISPR's precision while boosting its efficiency using small molecules. This breakthrough has important implications for correcting disease-causing genetic mutations and creating personalized therapeutics.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalCell Stem Cell·DateFeb 5, 2015

Using viruses to find the cellular Achilles heel

Two deadly viruses, hepatitis C and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, were found to target common host proteins that are critical for human biology. By studying protein interactions between viruses and cells, scientists have identified potential new targets for anti-viral treatments.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalMolecular Cell·DateJan 22, 2015

Genome editing goes hi-fi

Researchers have found a way to efficiently edit the human genome one letter at a time, boosting ability to model human disease and paving the way for therapies that fix genetic 'bugs'. The new technique highlights out-of-the-box thinking critical for scientific success.

SourceGladstone Institutes·JournalNature Methods·DateFeb 9, 2014