Sanford Burnham Prebys

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🔬Since 1976, Sanford Burnham Prebys has been dedicated to pushing biomedical discoveries faster and further toward clinical treatment and therapies that improve human lives. We translate science into health. https://sbpdiscovery.org

An overabundance of SORLA protein protects against a number of biological processes linked to the formation of tau tangles and progression of neurodegeneration. These include reducing the addition of too many phosphate groups to tau, known as hyperphosphorylation. In these biopsy images, less phosphorylated tau—stained to appear green—has accumulated in the bottom sample overexpressing SORLA. Image credit: Tim Huang, Huijie Huang, Sanford Burnham Prebys.
Jill Mesirov
50 for 50 50 discoveries that shaped our first 50 years. Celebrating 50 years of discovery at Sanford Burnham Prebsuy
Cholesterol-craving cancers need lipid enzymes to use metabolites for growth
Skip to content Sanford Burnham Prebys Research Scientists Education News Philanthropy About Open Search Donate Press Release Living LARP6: How a protein plays an oversized role in liver fibrosis Author Communications Date March 9, 2026 Share In this stained sample of liver tissue with cirrhosis, bands of fibrotic scarring are shown in blue. In this stained sample of liver tissue with cirrhosis, bands of fibrotic scarring are shown in blue.
Cells that are dysfunctional due to aging or mutation are removed through a process of programmed cell death, known as apoptosis. Image credit: Kateryna Kon/Sanford Burnham Prebys. https://sbpdiscovery.org/press/metallic-markers-make-direct-measurement-of-protein-activity-possible/ Study shows how new chemical probes can count individual enzymes and discern their activity levels, may inform discovery of new treatments Cells operate on rules not vibes, including when on the precipice of persisting or perishing. Yet, with prior research methods, scientists studying this phenomenon had to infer how cells choose to sustain themselves or self-destruct based on the output of their protein factories. While much more advanced than a pundit’s vibe check, these analyses were constrained by the inability to account for the activity of these proteins after their construction. Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology published findings January 10, 2026, in Cell Reports demonstrating a new approach for measuring their activity. The researchers also revealed a more complicated picture in which protein activation cannot always be presumed by protein production. Many cells in our bodies are routinely monitored for signs that they need to be removed. Like a gardener pruning dead or diseased branches, cells that are dysfunctional due to aging or mutation are removed through a process of programmed cell death, known as apoptosis. One of cancer’s calling cards is that cancerous cells ignore apoptosis and grow to become harmful tumors. “Scientists have defined a lot of the cellular signals involved in apoptosis,” said Guy Salvesen, PhD, professor emeritus at Sanford Burnham Prebys and senior and co-corresponding author of the manuscript. “To better understand how these signals work, we need to know how many active copies of an enzyme it takes to trigger apoptosis in a cell.” The research team needed to trac…
Women in Science Lecture Series - Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders in Biomedical Research
Two scientists looking at a petri dish. Celebrating 50 Years of Sanford Burnham Prebys - For 50 years, bold ideas, dedicated scientists, and a shared commitment to discovery have shaped who we are today. Join us as we celebrate this milestone year and look ahead to the next 50.
DeepTarget’s predictions are based on the principle that removing a gene encoding the protein target of a given drug through CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can mimic the inhibitory effects of that drug. The tool was built by leveraging large-scale genetic and drug screening experiments with comprehensive data for 1450 drugs across 371 cancer cell lines. Image credit: Sanju Sinha, Sanford Burnham Prebys.
Sanjeev S. Ranade, PhD
Applications are now open for Sanford Burnham Prebys Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The Deadline is December 1, 2025.
Paul Boutros, PhD, MBA
Xueqin (Sherine) Sun, PhD
Sensing Sugar Spikes and the man who made the invisible visible. Episode 5 of The Discovery Dialogues podcast
HPV vaccination prevents 6 types of cancer. Get vaccinated and share the facts.
Sizing up a weakness in synovial sarcoma’s genes
Myogenic determination gene number 1 (MYOD) protein immunofluorescence in myofibers.
After comparing proteins in the bloodstreams of normal mice and mice lacking Mrc1, the team found the accumulation of 244 mannosylated blood plasma proteins to double or more of the amounts found in normal mice due to Mrc1 no longer keeping the levels in check. The scientists then took a closer look at the newly identified ligands. They used bioinformatics to review and depict these hundreds of proteins by their functions. Image credit: Jamey Marth and Mayank Saraswat, Sanford Burnham Prebys.
Aashna Lamba - Lamba is investigating the use of genetic reprogramming to help the heart heal after being injured.
3D illustration of liver cancer.