Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Slow-Learning Mice Can Improve Learning Speed When Raised In Enriched Environment
11 Nov 98 | Like their human counterparts, all mice are not created equal when it comes to learning new tasks. But if given the opportunity to live in a social, playful and otherwise stimulating environment, even slow mice can increase their capacity to learn.

Human Brains Do Sprout New Cells According To New Salk Study
01 Nov 98 | Like bubbles fizzing from fine champagne, it has long been assumed that our supply of brain cells steadily diminishes through our lives, never to be replenished. According to a landmark Salk study, however, new cells are born in human brains.

New Steroid Hormone has Allure Of Its Own
08 Oct 98 | The first steroid hormone unearthed in 30 years is a chemical cousin to the molecule that lures pigs to truffles, and like that rare and elusive fungus, it is in a class by itself. Previously discovered steroid hormones boost or turn on genes.

Salk Scientists Identify Molecular Link Between Dietary Fat And Colon Cancer
31 Jul 98 | Although it's now common wisdom that dietary fat is related to some cancers, medical researchers have not understood the underlying mechanisms. Scientists at The Salk Institute have identified a molecular link between fat metabolism and colon cancer.

Elusive Chromosomal "Ignition" Identified By Salk Scientists
13 Jul 98 | Before the engine that drives cell division goes into gear, it must receive a biological spark from its genetic machinery to set the process in motion. Researchers say they have identified that "ignition" point on a human chromosome.

Gene That Determines Left From Right In Vertebrate Embryos Found By Salk-Led Team
06 Jul 98 | In a developing organism, knowledge of right from left can often mean the difference between life and death. Certainly, the direction and ultimate destination in which an embryonic heart, lung, stomach or liver travels can be critical.

Salk Researchers Find Genetic Feedback Loop Implicated In The Early Events Of Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation
17 Apr 98 | 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.

Salk Researchers Find That Brain Receptor May Be Involved In Epileptic Seizures
09 Apr 98 | 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 drugs.

An Enriched Environment Stimulates An Increase In The Number Of Nerve Cells In Brains Of Older Mice
24 Apr 97 | 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.