New technologies that could soon diagnose Alzheimers and restore speech to the paralyzed; potential new avenues in treating diabetes, multiple sclerosis and Down syndrome; and a genetic test that dramatically saved a babys life these were among the science and health topics that most engaged our readers in 2019.

Look back at these 11 stories of the past year or discover them for the first time they reflect the exciting, transformative research that takes place at UC San Francisco every day of the year.

Researchers trained a machine-learning algorithm on nearly 2,000 brain scans and then challenged it to detect early-stage Alzheimers disease in other scans. The algorithm performed with flying colors, catching the disease six years before a clinical diagnosis a lead time that may eventually help doctors treat the disease.

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For California, a 1 percent drop in the smoking rate could mean $630 million of Medicaid savings the following year. Thats because quitting smoking can reduce many health risks relatively quickly, including heart attacks, lung disease and pregnancy complications, as well as cut long-term health risks such as cancer.

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For the first time, researchers were able to transform human stem cells into mature insulin-producing cells similar to the pancreatic beta cells destroyed by type 1 diabetes. The breakthrough came after the team applied a key tenet of biology, that form follows function, to the way they were growing the cells in the lab.

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Researchers took a new approach to studying Down syndrome focusing on the conditions effect on the protein-making machinery inside cells. In a mouse model of Down syndrome, they found that cells in the brain were tamping down on protein production, leading to cognitive deficits. They were able to activate protein production and improve memory and learning with a drug called ISRIB.

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A sophisticated brain-machine interface could one day give voice to people who have lost the ability to speak due to paralysis or other neurological damage. Researchers first mapped participants brain activity to their vocal tract movements as they made various sounds. An algorithm could then translate new brain activity into movements of the virtual vocal tract and produce realistic speech.

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Whats the best way to eat your vegetables? Should you take supplements? Low-fat, low-carb, intermittent fasting do any diets actually work? Experts weigh in on the latest science behind healthy eating and separate food fact from food fiction. Keep these evidence-based tips in mind for the holidays and in the years to come.

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Baby Quincy was deteriorating fast from an aggressive blood cancer and too sick to undergo a stem cell transplant, his only chance at a cure. Determined to leave no stone unturned, Quincys doctors ordered the UCSF500 a new comprehensive cancer gene panel test that helped to reveal an unusual genetic alteration in his cancer and identified a long-shot therapy.

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease caused by immune cells that attack the protective coating around nerve cells. In a surprise, researchers discovered that other immune cells in the gut, known as plasma cells, can reduce the brain inflammation that results from the disease. Expanding these gut plasma cells may be a new therapeutic approach to treating MS.

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Cooking food changes not only how it tastes but how our gut microbial ecosystems respond. In mice, researchers found that cooked vegetables altered their gut microbiome and caused them to lose weight. In human participants, three days of raw or cooked diets prepared by a professional chef also changed gut microbiomes, but in different ways perhaps holding clues to how our microbes have adapted to human culinary culture.

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Alcohol-associated liver disease has become the top reason for U.S. liver transplants, making up more than one-third of liver transplants in 2016. The increase is largely due to a shift away from a common rule that required patients to abstain from alcohol and drug use for at least six months prior to transplant. A 2011 study found that transplants could be successful without this minimum sobriety period, changing the policy at many centers.

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The emotional tumult of teenage years may in part be due to transformations in the brain. Most human brain cells mature in the first years of life, but a group of neurons in the amygdala, which controls emotional responses, dont mature until adolescence and a small number remain immature throughout life. The brain may hold on to these Peter Pan neurons to keep the brains emotional responses flexible and adaptable into old age.

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In 2019, UCSF drove advancements in care delivery, scientific discovery, education, public service, and more. See the highlights

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UCSF's 11 Most Popular Health and Science Stories of 2019 - UCSF News Services