Therapy Boosts Lymphoma Cure Rate
Sep 03, 2010
More than half of laboratory mice with human non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) are cured by a treatment involving just two monoclonal antibodies, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found. The therapy combines the activity of rituximab, an antibody currently in use to treat the disorder, with another that blocks a molecule called CD47 on the surface of the cancer cells. Together the two antibodies synergize to trigger the host’s own immune system to eliminate the cancer.
NIH-sponsored Research Yields Promising Malaria Drug Candidate
Sep 03, 2010
A chemical that rid mice of malaria-causing parasites after a single oral dose may eventually become a new malaria drug if further tests in animals and people uphold the promise of early findings. The compound, NITD609, was developed by an international team of researchers including Elizabeth A. Winzeler, Ph.D., a grantee of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Functional Motor Neuron Subtypes Generated from Embryonic Stem Cells
Sep 03, 2010
Scientists have devised a method for coaxing mouse embryonic stem cells into forming a highly specific motor neuron subtype. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, provides new insight into motor neuron differentiation and may prove useful for devising and testing future therapies for motor neuron diseases.
Models Suggest Treatments for Fractures that Won't Heal
Sep 03, 2010
New models, reinforced by in vivo experimentation, show why 5-10% of bone fractures don't heal properly, and how these cases may be treated to restart the healing process. Results of the model, published September 2 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, may benefit the ageing population in which the occurrence of bone fractures is expected to rise substantially in the near future.
Capacity for Exercise Can Be Inherited
Sep 02, 2010
Biologists at the University of California, Riverside have found that voluntary activity, such as daily exercise, is a highly heritable trait that can be passed down genetically to successive generations.
Working on mice in the lab, they found that activity level can be enhanced with “selective breeding”–the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Their experiments showed that mice that were bred to be high runners produced high-running offspring, indicating that the offspring had inherited the trait for activity.
Protecting Nerve Cells from Death in a Model of Stroke
Sep 02, 2010
A team of researchers, led by Yizheng Wang, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, has identified a way to preserve nerve cells in a rat model of stroke.
New Study Strengthens Link between Everyday Stress and Obesity
Sep 02, 2010
Stress can take a daily toll on us that has broad physical and psychological implications. Science has long documented the effect of extreme stress, such as war, injury or traumatic grief on humans. Typically, such situations cause victims to decrease their food intake and body weight. Recent studies, however, tend to suggest that social stress—public speaking, tests, job, and relationship pressures—may have the opposite effect—over-eating and weight gain. With the rise of obesity rates, science has increasingly focused on its causes and effects—including stress.
Scientist Discovers New Target for Alzheimer’s Drugs
Sep 01, 2010
Scientists may have a new area of the brain to target in the quest to cure Alzheimer’s due to a discovery by Paul Greengard of Rockefeller University. Greengard, who won the Noble Prize in 2000 for his work on signaling in brain cells, discovered one of the proteins responsible for making beta amyloid, which makes up the plaque in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. The protein discovery could lead to targeted drug therapies that could slow or halt the effects of the currently untreatable disease.
Social Isolation Worsens Cardiac Arrest Effects on Heart Regulation
Sep 01, 2010
A new study in mice shows how social support can help minimize some of the worst physical damages to the brain caused by a heart attack.
From cell death to depressive symptoms to regulation of the heart, mice that lived with a partner after a heart attack suffered less damage than did similar mice that were housed alone.
“The results really get at the profound influence that the social environment can have on health after cardiac arrest,” said Greg Norman, lead author of the study and doctoral student in psychology at Ohio State University.
Study Points to Key Genetic Driver of Severe Asthma
Sep 01, 2010
Scientists have identified a genetic basis for determining the severity of allergic asthma in experimental models of the disease.
The study may help in the search for future therapeutic strategies to fight a growing medical problem that currently lacks effective treatments, researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center report in the Aug. 29 Nature Immunology.
Scientists Discover New Protein That Gets to the Roots of Obesity and Osteoporosis
Sep 01, 2010
Here's good news for anyone trying to lose weight or has osteoporosis: Scientists from Maine are on the trail of a weight loss drug that may revolutionize how we treat these two conditions. In a new research report published in the September 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal, the researchers describe a newly discovered protein, called "Sprouty," responsible for regulating body fat and bone mass. Then they manipulated how much of this protein was expressed in different groups of mice specially bred to have some human genes.
Treatment for S. aureus Skin Infection Works in Mouse Model
Sep 01, 2010
Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and University of Chicago have found a promising treatment method that in laboratory mice reduces the severity of skin and soft-tissue damage caused by USA300, the leading cause of community-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States. By neutralizing a key toxin associated with the bacteria, they found they could greatly reduce the damaging effects of the infection on skin and soft tissue. Community strains of S.
For the First Time, Researchers Identify and Isolate Adult Mammary Stem Cells in Mice
Sep 01, 2010
For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have identified and isolated adult mammary stem cells in mice. Long-term implications of this research may include the use of such cells to regenerate breast tissue, provide a better understanding of the role of adult stem cells in breast cancer development, and develop potential new targets for anti-cancer drugs.
“Co-conspirator” Cells Could Hold Key to Melanoma Prediction, Prevention
Aug 31, 2010
New research on how skin cancer begins has identified adjacent cancer cells that scientists are calling “co-conspirators” in the genesis of melanoma, in findings that could someday hold the key to predicting, preventing, and stopping this hard-to-treat cancer before it spreads.
Changes in the body’s pigment-producing cells, where melanoma—the most dangerous form of skin cancer—takes hold are only part of the story, according to a new study by researchers from Oregon State University.
Surgery Could Increase Risk of Alzheimer’s
Aug 30, 2010
Researchers at Imperial College London have started a two year study to determine whether the anesthesia used in surgery causes Alzheimer’s later in life.
Ant Colonies Shed Light on Metabolism
Aug 30, 2010
A recent study of California seed harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex californicus) examining their metabolic rate in relation to colony size may lead to a better appreciation for the social, six-legged insects, whose colonies researchers say provide a theoretical framework for understanding cellular networks.
The Study
Exposure to Low Doses of BPA Alters Gene Expression in Fetal Mouse Ovary
Aug 30, 2010
A study posted at the online site of the journal Biology of Reproduction reports that exposure of pregnant female mice to the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A may produce adverse reproductive consequences on gene expression in fetal ovaries as early as 12 hours after the mother has first been exposed to the chemical.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in plastics for making some baby and water bottles, linings of food and beverage cans, and other human consumer products.
NIH Director Collins Says Stem Cell Ruling Won't Halt Most Ongoing Grants
Aug 30, 2010
According to a report from Science Insider, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins said that the court injunction blocking federally funded research on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) will not affect grant payments that have already gone out the door this year. That's good news for scores of investigators who worried that their experiments would grind to a halt. But the injunction has forced NIH to freeze its reviews of new hESC grants, and it has jeopardized payments for more than 20 ongoing grants awaiting their annual payment in September.
Key Changes in the 2010 Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
Aug 27, 2010
This June 2010, the National Research Council of the National Academies released pre-publication of the 8th revision of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide).
Researchers Find Gene Responsible for Neurodegenerative Disease in Dogs, Possibly in Humans
Aug 27, 2010
A North Carolina State University researcher has helped to locate and identify a gene responsible for a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects American Staffordshire terriers. This same gene may be responsible for a similar rare, fatal disease in humans. Its discovery will lead to improved screening and diagnosis of the disease in dogs and is the first step in working toward a cure for both canines and humans.
Neuron-damaging Mechanism Discovered in Mouse Model of Inherited ALS
Aug 26, 2010
New research uncovers what may be a primary neuron-damaging insult that occurs in an inherited form of a devastating neurodegenerative disorder. The study, published by Cell Press in the August 26th issue of the journal Neuron, describes a critical mechanistic link between a mutant protein and disease pathogenesis in an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Free Webinar: Genetic Stability, Effects of Genetic Background, and Nomenclature
Aug 26, 2010
This free, educational webinar on Genetic Stability, Effects of Genetic Background, and Nomenclature, will be held Thursday, September 9th, at 11:00 am ET (USA).
New and more complex mouse strains, substrains, transgenics, and knockouts are developed and characterized every day. Ensure that your experimental results are reliable and reproducible over time by using mice with well-defined and genetically stable backgrounds.
In this webinar, you will learn:
A Promising Target for Parkinson's Disease Treatment
Aug 26, 2010
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have shown that using specific drugs can protect nerve cells in mice from the lethal effects of Parkinson’s disease. The researchers’ findings are published in the August 22 issue of Nature Medicine.
Freezable Fruit Fly Could Extend Organ Donor Shelf Life
Aug 25, 2010
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster does boast a powerful genetic system making it an ideal organism to test a cool new discovery: how an enzyme regulates body energy levels. Shutting off this molecular thermostat could result in a newfound cold tolerance that has multiple applications, including extending the 24-hour window donated organs now have for optimum use.
Body Clock Drugs Could Ease Psychiatric Disorders and Jet Lag
Aug 24, 2010
Researchers funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have successfully used a drug to reset and restart the natural 24 hour body clock of mice in the lab. The ability to do this in a mammal opens up the possibility of dealing with a range of human difficulties including some psychiatric disorders, jet lag, and the health impacts of shift work.
