SALK NEWS

Salk Institute for Biological Studies - SALK NEWS

Salk News


Salk researchers find genetic feedback loop implicated in the early events of atherosclerotic plaque formation

La Jolla, CA – Salk Institute scientists today announced two research findings related to the development of atherosclerosis. The findings involve the discovery of a genetic feedback loop that contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in heart arteries and the role of a previously described fat storage gene (PPARgamma) in this process.


Salk researchers find that brain receptor may be involved in epileptic seizures

La Jolla, CA – Neuroscientists at The Salk Institute showed that mice lacking a specific brain molecule exhibit reduced susceptibility to epileptic-type seizures. The findings suggest that this molecule, GluR6, may be a suitable target for development of new epilepsy drugs.


An enriched environment stimulates an increase in the number of nerve cells in brains of older mice

La Jolla, CA – Salk investigators have discovered that aging mice living in a stimulating environment display three times the number of new brain cells as mice who live in a non-stimulating environment. The age of the mice in the study was 18 months – the human equivalent of 65 years.