UCSF Health

By targeting aging (senescent) cells inside the body, UCSF researchers reversed the metabolic and cellular changes that drive aggressive lung cancer, a study in Cell Stem Cell by Cell Press finds. The discovery marks the first time scientists have confirmed the decades-old theory outside of a lab setting — offering “a new path toward translating basic aging biology into clinical oncology,” Dr. Tien Peng says. https://ucsfh.org/4pfiqfe

When doctors diagnosed Lee with an aggressive blood cancer called multiple myeloma, they gave him at most four years to live. Fourteen years later, he's still here, thanks to a series of medications and treatments at UCSF with Dr. Jeffrey Wolf. “Every time I relapsed, there would be a new course of therapy, a new drug would be available,” he says. “I feel very lucky. I never thought I’d live to see my kids get married or see my grandchildren." Read Lee's story ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/4975zai

In a UCSF first, our specialists performed a pancreatic islet transplant using islets produced in a lab from stem cells. Islets are clusters of insulin-producing cells, which the surgeon transplants into the recipient’s liver to spur natural insulin production. The minimally invasive procedure aims to help type 1 diabetes patients become insulin-independent and eliminates the need for invasive surgery or waiting for a human donor to become available, Dr. Andrew Posselt says. https://ucsfh.org/4nAcjkg

👏 So proud that our Parnassus, Mission Bay, Mount Zion and Stanyan hospitals all earned an “A” rating for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group! That’s the highest safety grade possible! 🎉 More about the ratings ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/47HCrFp

🐇 Meet Alexis Row, an "ear-resistible" Flemish Giant rabbit! She visited us for the first time and received lots of snuggles and kisses. Alexis is a 16-week-old baby still, but could grow to 20 pounds/2.5 feet! 
Alexis is baby sister to Alex the Great, who used to visit our patients but sadly passed away earlier this year. Luckily, Alexis’ handlers are preparing her to start visiting UCSF patients next year!

UCSF researchers developed a new way to help people with Parkinson's disease walk better. They used AI to measure gait performance and fine-tuned electrical pulses from deep brain stimulation to individual patients' needs. “The personalized settings for each patient led to meaningful improvements in walking, such as faster more stable steps, without worsening other symptoms,” Dr. Doris Wang says. https://ucsfh.org/4otDMWf UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery

Doctors are prescribing fewer opioids to nursing home residents who may need the drugs to manage chronic pain, a study finds. “The prevalence of chronic pain in nursing homes is high because of the multiple medical issues that often accompany older age, and these residents are not the ones most at risk for misusing these medications,” University of California, San Francisco's Ulrike Muench says. https://ucsfh.org/4nCxP80

👏 We’re proud to unveil our new Rally Family Visitation Services center in San Mateo! The space on O’Farrell Street features three child-friendly suites, where we can continue offering safe child exchange and supervised visitation for kids during parental separation, divorce and other transitions. The program operates in San Mateo, San Francisco and Marin County and serves hundreds of families each year, most of whom have experienced domestic violence. More about the program ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/49bKSdh 📸 James Bennan, Katharine Berg, Office of Lisa Diaz Nash For San Mateo City Council, City of San Mateo, Noelia Corzo, Diane Papan, Ray Mueller

Please send Sarah your best wishes — last year she recovered well from surgeries to remove a tumor and her gallbladder and returned to work as a nurse practitioner at our hospital. Unfortunately, our team recently found a new mass, and she's now waiting for results. In April 2024, Sarah received a steroid injection from a provider in the East Bay for pain in her chest, but her condition didn’t improve. Sarah's radiology coworkers encouraged her to get a CT scan, which led our team to diagnose her with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a rare condition in which a type of white blood cell builds up excessively in the body, often forming masses. Sarah had surgery to remove a tumor and completed 10 rounds of radiation. During treatment, Sarah became seriously ill, and our doctors discovered she had a stone in her bile duct and needed another surgery to remove her gallbladder. Since her last surgery in August 2024, Sarah has recovered great, and she was thrilled to run her first 10K with her husband. We recently found a new mass in her ribs, and Sarah could use your best wishes while she awaits results.

Debbie Menzies grappled with seizures and depression for decades. But during a moment of despair on the Golden Gate Bridge, a patrol officer led her to life-saving medical care at UCSF. Neurologist Dr. Paul Garcia ordered testing and found a brain growth called a hypothalamic hamartoma, which was causing her symptoms. Doctors used to remove this type of growth via risky open brain surgery. But renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Edward Chang treated Debbie with laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), a technique that reduces recovery time and the risk of complications. More than six years later, Debbie is seizure- and depression-free. “I worry about other people with the same symptoms. Certainly, there are others out there with hypothalamic hamartoma,” she says. “They are going through what I went through because they haven’t received the correct diagnosis and treatment.” Read Debbie's story ➡️ https://ucsfh.org/3Lc8vIH UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery