Daily Business Report-Feb. 25, 2021
DNA strand (Courtesy Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute)
Mining ‘Junk DNA’ reveals a new way to kill cancer cells
Scientists unearth previously unknown vulnerability for cancer
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have uncovered a drug candidate, called F5446, that exposes ancient viruses buried in “junk DNA” to selectively kill cancer cells. Published in the journal Cell, the proof-of-concept study reveals a previously unknown Achilles’ heel for cancer that could lead to treatments for deadly breast, brain, colon and lung cancers.
“We found within ‘junk DNA’ a mechanism to stimulate an immune response to cancer cells, while also causing tumor-specific DNA damage and cell death,” says Charles Spruck, Ph.D., assistant professor in the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center and senior author of the study. “This is a very new field of research, with only a handful of papers published, but this has the potential to be a game-changer in terms of how we treat cancer.”
______________________________________________________
Researchers studying how COVID-19
affects non-respiratory parts of the body
COVID-19, the disease caused by the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is primarily regarded as a respiratory infection. Yet the virus has also become known for affecting other parts of the body in ways not as well understood, sometimes with longer-term consequences, such as heart arrhythmia, fatigue and “brain fog.”
Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine are using stem cell-derived organoids — small balls of human cells that look and act like mini-organs in a laboratory dish — to study how the virus interacts with various organ systems and to develop therapies to block infection.
“We’re finding that SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t infect the entire body in the same way,” said Tariq Rana, PhD, professor and chief of the Division of Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center. “In different cell types, the virus triggers the expression of different genes, and we see different outcomes.”
Rana’s team published their findings February 11, 2021 in Stem Cell Reports.
City of San Diego enters five-year partnership
with California Coast Credit Union
Contract provides funding for San Diego Promise Zone
The City of San Diego and California Coast Credit Union have entered a new five-year partnership to help fund several city initiatives including the San Diego Promise Zone, marking the first time a San Diego company has provided resources to this federal program.
Funding will also be made available for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Community Outreach Program, Parks and Recreation’s Volunteer Program, and the Human Resources Youth Development Program.
The San Diego Promise Zone, one of 22 federally designated Promise Zones in the United States and only one of four in California, covers a 6.4-square-mile targeted area that spans East Village and Barrio Logan east to Encanto.
The partnership with Cal Coast increases City program funding from $130,000 to $175,000 annually. In addition, Cal Coast will provide in-kind services valued up to $495,000, including a donation of $5,000 to an employee scholarship program with National University, financial training sessions for City staff, and loan programs tailored for police and fire recruits to purchase public safety uniforms and equipment.
______________________________________________________
Public Defender, Probation Departments
celebrate 10 years of Veterans Treatment Court
This month the San Diego County Office of the Public Defender and Probation Department have been celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the local Veterans Treatment Court, a program that has helped more than 140 veterans and active-duty service members get specialized treatment instead of time in jail.
Established in February 2011, Veterans Treatment Court is a specialty court that considers treatment in place of incarceration when sentencing a defendant who has served in the military and shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, depression, anxiety disorder, or other mental health conditions.
According to information provided by the San Diego Superior Court, Veterans Court participants take part in a three-phase treatment program that lasts between 15 and 60 months. Each phase consists of a set of requirements, including treatment specific to the individual’s needs and a project that gives back to the community. After a participant successfully completes the program, a judge can waive fees, commute felonies, or even expunge the charges entirely.
Aryanna Harrell joins Crowe PR
as senior social media manager
Perla Chase promoted to social media+influencer manager
Public relations and marketing firm Crowe PR has appointed industry veteran Aryanna Harrell as senior social media manager. The hire is a new leadership role for Crowe PR and reflects the agency’s commitment to investing in a more robust social media and influencer marketing offering.
In her new role, Harrell will oversee the direction of all social media and influencer strategy, as well as content development for Crowe PR’s hospitality and consumer goods clients.
Prior to her role at Crowe PR, Harrell spent seven years working in Los Angeles in various digital marketing, branding, social media and influencer marketing roles, both in-house and on the agency side.
Crowe PR also announced the promotion of Perla Chase to social media + influencer manager. Chase joined the agency in 2020 as a social media + influencer coordinator, and in her new role she will continue to spearhead monthly social media content calendars and social media asset creation and develop impactful influencer marketing partnerships for Crowe PR clients. Chase will continue to be based at Crowe PR’s San Diego office in Liberty Station.
General Atomics and GKN Aerospace
expand strategic partnership
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. and GKN Aerospace have signed a contract for GKN Aerospace to manufacture the advanced composite V-tails for General Atomics’ new MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft System from their Cowes facility in the United Kingdom. SkyGuardian is the baseline system of the UK Royal Air Force’s Protector RG Mk1 and has also been selected by Belgian Defence and the Australian Defence Force. This represents another important milestone in the 10-year strategic relationship between General Atomics and GKN Aerospace.
First observational study to determine
efficacy of cannabis for veterans gains approval
The Battle Brothers Foundation has received approval to launch an observational study on the use of medical cannabis to help combat PTSD in veterans. In concert with NiaMedic, a medical data and research company, the study will determine if cannabis treatment will be beneficial in reducing symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant PTSD.
The two groups received approval to proceed with the study from the national Independent Review Board (IRB), the independent committee that reviews the methods proposed for research to ensure that they are ethical.
“This news could not come at a better time. Every day, 22 veterans are dying due to effects of post-traumatic stress from opioid addiction to depression. Through anecdotal experiences, we know that cannabis can alleviate symptoms and provide relief. We appreciate that the IRB recognizes the validity of and the need for this study,” said Bryan Buckley, founder and president of the board for Battle Brothers Foundation.
San Diego State University joins national
coalition to improve vaccine distribution
With the nationwide push to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible, San Diego State University anthropologists and public health experts have joined a national coalition to improve engagement with those within the underserved Black, Indigenous and Latinx communities.
In support of these communities, SDSU is one of six universities selected to help address these concerns as part of CommuniVax, a national coalition led by Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and Texas State University, which will rely on grassroots input from several locations, including San Diego.
______________________________________________________
Cardeo Bio Inc. co-founder receives National
Science Foundation CAREER Award
The National Science Foundation has awarded Kiana Aran, cofounder and chief scientific officer of Cardea Bio Inc., with the Faculty Early Career Development award. With this $549,509 grant, awarded to Aran through her faculty position at the Keck Graduate Institute, she aims to develop a single-molecule high-speed nano-electronic platform to better understand the function of CRISPR-associated enzymes.
The NSF CAREER award recognizes promising early-career scientists who “have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization,” according to the NSF website. With her award, Dr. Aran will focus on integrating CRISPR with single-molecule graphene field effect transistors (gFETs) to study how these molecules interact.
______________________________________________________
Courtyard San Diego Downtown
hotel sold for $64.5 million
A private buyer has purchased the 245-room Courtyard San Diego Downtown hotel
for $64.5 million. The seller was Hersha Hospitality Trust.
The historic Courtyard San Diego Downtown, 530 Broadway, is a 14-story building featuring a lobby restaurant available for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a full bar; billiards room; 24-hour fitness center; and various amenities including in-room dining service, same day laundry and dry-cleaning service; and valet parking.
The property was originally built in 1927 as the San Diego Trust & Savings Bank. The property was converted to a hotel in 1999 and most recently renovated in 2013. The hotel benefits from atypical Courtyard by Marriott design features such as the towering 32-foot-high ceilings in the grand lobby along with 35 marble columns from the U.S., Europe and Asia.
The hotel maintains nearly 4,800 square feet of meeting space including the popular Safe Deposit Room boasting the original, 47,000-pound Mosler Safe Company vault door from 1928.
The seller was represented by the JLL Hotels & Hospitality team led by Senior Managing Directors John Strauss and Scott Hall, Executive Vice President Mike Huth and Associate Aaron Lapping.
Iconic California retailer Fry’s Electronics
closing all stores due to industry changes
By Chris Jennewein | Times of San Diego
Iconic California electronics retailer Fry’s Electronics announced Wednesday it will close all its stores after nearly 36 years in business. The San Jose-based company had operated 31 stores in nine states, including local stores in San Marcos and Serra Mesa.
Fry’s said it “has made the difficult decision to shut down its operations and close its business permanently as a result of changes in the retail industry and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The company provided the following information for customers:
For customers who have equipment currently being repaired, please email customerservice@frys.com, to arrange for return of your equipment.
For customers with items needing repair under a Performance Service Contract, please call (800) 811-1745.
For consignment vendors needing to pick up their consignment inventory at Fry’s locations, please email omnichannel@frys.com.
The company was founded in Sunnyvale in 1985 by members of a family that had once operated grocery stores and the new business was based on that model.
General Atomics’ new centerline avionics bay
increases MQ-9A capability
For the first time on Feb. 3, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) flew a company-owned MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) equipped with a newly developed Centerline Avionics Bay (CAB). The CAB provides space to incorporate critical new capabilities for GA-ASI customers.
Integration of the CAB began as GA-ASI needed space for new avionics on the MQ-9A, such as company-developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system. In addition to the DAA system, GA-ASI will use the new avionics bay to pioneer Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) applications and establish an Ethernet network with the outer wing stations to enable government Open Mission Systems (OMS) protocols for rapid, flexible, and affordable integration of new mission capabilities.
