Discoveries
Metabolism
Metabolism
We are working to understand human metabolism and what happens when this biological system breaks down. The problem is more important than ever, given the increasing burden that diabetes and other metabolic dysfunctions have on human health and society.

Metabolism

Cell Reports
10/2019

Circadian cycles can benefit our health

Professor Satchin Panda studies circadian clocks, the internal programs that mediate our daily biological rhythms and affect our health. In two recent papers, Panda and his team examined how the body sets these clocks, while a third paper reveals what these rhythms can mean for our well-being.

In the first paper, Panda and colleagues reported a novel technique for determining how neurons communicate, which was employed in mice to uncover details about how the brain responds to light signals received by the retina. In the second study, Panda, Salk first author Ludovic Mure and colleagues reported the discovery of three cell types in the eye that detect light and align the brain’s circadian rhythm to ambient light.

In the third paper, Panda, Salk first author Emily Manoogian and colleagues described their clinical study of eating schedules based on circadian rhythms. They found that a 10-hour time-restricted eating intervention, when combined with traditional medications, resulted in a variety of health benefits for participants with metabolic syndrome, including weight loss, reduced abdominal fat, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and more stable blood sugar and insulin levels. This pilot study could lead to a new treatment option for patients who are at risk for developing life-altering and costly medical conditions such as diabetes.

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Nature Communications
10/2019

Microproteins have major implications for human disease

Roughly 25,000 genes code for biologically relevant proteins, most of which are large chains of 300 or more linked amino acids. But, increasingly, “microproteins,” with fewer than 100 amino acids, are being found to have important roles in health and disease.

In a study published in October, Professor Alan Saghatelian, co-corresponding author Uri Manor, first author Qian Chu and colleagues showed that the microprotein PIGBOS contributes to mitigating cell stress. In the second study, published in December, Saghatelian and first author Thomas Martinez identified over 2,000 new, small genes that may encode for microproteins—expanding the number of human genes by 10 percent. Both publications provide a better understanding of human biology that may eventually have implications for diseases ranging from cancer to diabetes.

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Cell
02/2020

Eat less, live longer

If you want to reduce levels of inflammation throughout your body, delay the onset of age-related diseases and live longer—eat less food. That’s the conclusion of a new study led by a collaborative group of scientists, including Salk Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, that provides the most detailed report to date of the cellular effects of a calorie-restricted diet in rats. While the benefits of caloric restriction have long been known, the new results show how this restriction can protect against aging in cellular pathways.

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