Salk Institute

Salmonella bacteria can cause you to become seriously ill. But new research shows that the stomach-distressing bug has a vested interest in keeping you healthy, and uses a tricky mechanism to do so. In a way, it proves that the old saw about feeding a cold could be pretty good advice.

Scientists at the Salk Institute have used a laboratory mouse model of Alzheimer's to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific protein at breaking up plaques in the brain, that are central to the progression of the condition.

Scientists are reporting that exposure to certain compounds in marijuana can cleanse the brain of harmful amyloid beta cells that give rise to Alzheimer's disease, offering up new clues as to how we might stop the disease in its early stages.

A molecular switch could hold the key to a personalized cell replacement therapy for diabetes. Salk Institute scientists found that activating a protein called ERR-gamma in patient-derived transplanted beta cells results in diabetic mice producing normal amounts of insulin to regulate blood sugar.

A team of researchers has tested an experimental drug on rapidly aging mice, with the treatment designed to combat aspects of aging closely associated with Alzheimer's. The results were very positive, with treated mice exhibiting better memory, cognition and more.

Research into the underlying causes of a genetic disorder that causes premature aging and death has revealed a key driver of aging in all people. Better yet, this mechanism is reversible – and with it, perhaps, scientists may be able to slow or reverse the aging process.

When it comes to dealing with more precarious terrain, like walking on ice, you might think that the exercise requires serious concentration. But new research suggests that even in these moments, our subconsciousness is largely responsible for keeping us from landing on our backsides.

A newly-developed drug could help the obese or diabetic. It triggers the body's "burning fat to make space for incoming calories" response, even when the patient hasn't eaten anything.

Researchers at the Salk Institute have gained new insights into what exactly is causing the diversification of cancer cells, which leads directly to resistance of drugs. The findings suggest there may in fact be a way of switching off the mechanism and improving treatment effectiveness.

An on/off switch for telomerase, an enzyme that rebuilds a cellular timekeeper known as a telomere, could provide a way to get human cells to divide indefinitely without degenerating, thereby regenerating healthy organs even in old age.

A new generation of safer and more effective diabetes drugs could be in the offing with researchers at the Salk Institute discovering that when mice with diet-induced diabetes were given a single injection of a protein, their blood sugar levels were restored to a healthy range.

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, California, have discovered that with regular treatments of the antioxidant fisetin, which is commonly found in fruits and vegetables, they were able to prevent memory loss in mice with genetic mutations linked to Alzheimer's.