Preclinical studies at the Salk Institute laid the foundation for a question now being tested in patients: Can a vitamin D-based therapy “reprogram” a pancreatic tumor’s protective microenvironment, making tumors more vulnerable to therapeutic treatments? A clinical trial led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute now demonstrates that a synthetic vitamin D analog can be administered safely in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy and effectively reprogram the supporting pancreatic tumor microenvironment. This work also provides early evidence that vitamin D analogs can enhance chemotherapy response and improve survival, especially in patients with high tumor vitamin D receptor expression.

Salk scientists find the brain regulates the density of synaptic vesicles in presynaptic terminals during long-term potentiation (LTP), a key mechanism of learning and memory. The study uses novel 3D reconstructions and computer simulations to capture structural changes that were previously unmeasurable and predict that synaptic vesicles increase mobility during LTP. These findings lay the groundwork for understanding how dysregulation of synaptic vesicle clusters may contribute to aging and neurological disease.

In Biointerphases, a Hiroshima University researcher closely examines the light-emitting organ in a bioluminescent deep-sea fish to reveal layers of guanine platelets that do more than just reflect the light — they scatter the light in complex ways. The platelets are needle-shaped and clustered locally around the light organs, and when light hits the guanine crystals, their shape causes light scattering. Knowing this could provide insights into highly efficient biomimetic designs that maximize and recycle leaked light.

A research team led by Professor Jianwu Dai from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Rui Gu’s team from the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University and Professor Yi Cui from the National Research Institute for Family Planning, has developed a novel therapeutic paradigm for spinal cord injury repair. By integrating the physical signaling regulation of traditional Chinese electroacupuncture with modern tissue engineering regenerative strategies, this study establishes a new treatment model that integrates complementary strategies from Eastern and Western medical practices.