Science Changes Everything: New drug, ozanimod, transforms the future for people with MS
Equipped with the training of a medical doctor and the curiosity of a laboratory scientist, Hugh Rosen, MD, PhD, embarked on a 25-year quest to transform the lives of people with multiple sclerosis. In early 2020 that mission was accomplished: ozanimod, a drug invented by Rosen and fellow Scripps Research professor Edward Roberts, PhD, received approval from the FDA to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. Additionally, ozanimod’s ability to dampen the effects of the immune system holds promise for treating other autoimmune conditions, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ozanimod, marketed as Zeposia, is taken as a once-daily pill.
Paving the way to new therapies for neurodegenerative disease
Learning, memory and behavior depend on the continuous movement of valuable cellular components along axons, narrow nerve fibers through which neurons send signals to other neurons. But when this transport system fails, molecular traffic jams can cause neuronal damage associated with diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and prion disorders. In this Front Row lecture, Scripps Research associate professor Sandra Encalada, PhD, shared how her lab is unraveling the cellular pathways that lead to the formation of toxic protein clumps seen at traffic jams inside brain cells undergoing neurodegeneration. Her breakthroughs are transforming the way scientists view brain health and identifying new molecules that could treat, and even reverse, complex neurological conditions.
Presented: February 2023
Hacking our body clocks to optimize health
Circadian clocks regulate our physiological processes—like sleeping and eating patterns—and greatly influence health and disease. Research by Katja Lamia, PhD, is showing how circadian clocks affect everything from metabolism to tumors. Her discoveries have the potential to lead to new therapies for a variety of diseases, including cancer.
Presented: October 2022
Science Changing Life Podcast with Sandra Encalada: Linking traffic jams in the brain to neurodegenerative disease
We kick off the Summer 2022 podcast season with the first of a three-part mini-series dedicated to brain health. Professor Sandra Encalada, PhD, and her lab investigates the transport of cargo within brain cells and its role in health and disease. Listen as we talk about new therapeutic agents to stop and reverse neurodegeneration, environmental neurotoxins and when to listen to your gut feeling.
Recorded: July 2022
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Overcoming arthritis: Science offers hope for removing achy joints from the aging equation
In his Front Row lecture, Martin Lotz, MD, discusses cutting-edge research on osteoarthritis, the form of arthritis typically associated with age-related deterioration of the joints or following joint injury. Lotz shares how he and other scientists are deciphering the underlying biology of how the body’s ability to maintain and repair cartilage changes with age; he will also dive into a number of promising possibilities for counteracting the onset of age-related arthritis.
Presented: November 17, 2021
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Intelligent intervention into Multiple Sclerosis with next-generation therapies
As scientists learn more about the underlying causes of multiple sclerosis (MS), they are developing intelligent interventions that slow or halt the progression of the disease. In this Front Row lecture, Scripps Research Professor Hugh Rosen will share how he and his collaborators at Scripps Research created ozanimod (Zeposia), the first disease-altering MS therapy, recently approved in the United States and Europe. Luke Lairson, an associate professor at Scripps Research, will discuss how his research targeting another aspect of the disease is laying the groundwork for the next generation of MS therapies.
Presented: July 1, 2020
Novel Approaches to Aging & Age-Related Disease
Michael Petrascheck studies the connection between aging and aging-related disease by identifying small molecules that increase lifespan in C. elegans and testing those molecules for effects on various models of age-related disease.
Presented: February 2019
Discovering a New Treatment for MS and Ulcerative Colitis, Hugh Rosen, MD, PhD
Hugh Rosen uses chemical and biological approaches to define and manipulate the molecular gatekeepers regulating cell trafficking in the immune system. His research led to the discovery and development of ozanimod, a breakthrough drug acquired by Celgene, that slows brain atrophy in patients with multiple sclerosis and shows promise for treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Presented: February 2019
Stanford Drug Discovery Symposium 2018 - Hugh Rosen, MD, PhD
In April 2018 over 550 people gathered at the Li Ka Shing Conference Center to attend the Third Annual Stanford Drug Discovery Symposium. The event featured a broad range of speakers sharing their expertise in the fields of: academic drug discovery, academic-industry collaboration, science policy, publishing, and research funding.
Presented: April 2018
