New study results from researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (Switzerland) suggest that copper is essential for energy production in malignant cells and that reducing levels of bioavailable copper can slow tumor growth in mice. Lab Anim. (NY) 43, 6 (2014). view full text (login required)
Author Archives: monicascicom
64th AALAS National Meeting
The 64th annual meeting of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) brought thousands of animal research professionals to ‘Charm City’ for education, collaboration and networking opportunities. This year’s program included four special topic lectures by appropriately charismatic speakers. Though the topics of some lectures fell outside the scope of laboratory animal science, strictlyContinueContinue reading “64th AALAS National Meeting”
From stem cells to organ germs to functional glands
Takashi Tsuji’s lab at Tokyo University of Science (Japan) focuses on innovative organ replacement techniques. They developed a method of generating organ germs from stem cells ex vivo by mimicking the in vivo epithelial–mesenchymal interactions that drive functional development. The bioengineered organ germs can then be transplanted into organisms to replace disordered or damaged organs.ContinueContinue reading “From stem cells to organ germs to functional glands”
Boosting bone growth in dwarf mice
Achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, is characterized by short stature, short limbs and a relatively large head, sometimes resulting in problems with the spine and with hearing and breathing. It is caused by a mutation of the receptor FGFR3, which is involved in the development of bone and brain tissue. The mutation causesContinueContinue reading “Boosting bone growth in dwarf mice”
Mice further research on hearing loss
Research groups studying different types of hearing loss have gained new insight into its causes and possible treatments from experiments using mice. One group, led by Zheng-Yi Chen (Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA), investigated age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), the two most common forms ofContinueContinue reading “Mice further research on hearing loss”
Better anesthesia for zebrafish
Millions of zebrafish (Danio rerio) are used in laboratories around the world, often as part of developmental studies. Zebrafish embryos are transparent and develop externally, facilitating observation and manipulation of the developmental process and leading to greater understanding of developmental defects and diseases. As research subjects, fish are often anesthetized for handling, sample collection andContinueContinue reading “Better anesthesia for zebrafish”
Vaccine clears SIV in rhesus macaques
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is thought to cause permanent infection that may be controlled by antiretroviral therapies but not eliminated. A recent study, however, led by Louis Picker (Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton) showed immune clearance of highly pathogenic SIV infection in rhesus macaques (Nature doi:10.1038/nature12519; published online 11ContinueContinue reading “Vaccine clears SIV in rhesus macaques”
The strange ways of the tammar wallaby
The tammar wallaby is a small marsupial mammal weighing up to 9 kg and standing 59–68 cm tall. Tammars have narrow, elongated heads with large pointed ears. Their tapered tails measure 33–45 cm in length. The tammar’s coat is dark gray to brown dorsally, reddish on the sides of the body and limbs and paleContinueContinue reading “The strange ways of the tammar wallaby”
Exploring the molecular underpinnings of convergent evolution
Similar phenotypic traits such as anatomical structures and physiological functions often evolve independently in different organisms. Nonetheless, the evolutionary paths leading to these convergent phenotypes were typically thought to be quite different. Many such phenotypes are quite complex, requiring coordination among many different genes, suggesting that their development likewise involved multiple evolutionary twists and turns.ContinueContinue reading “Exploring the molecular underpinnings of convergent evolution”
Mouse models of prion diseases
Prion diseases are unusual, infectious, potentially deadly, neurodegenerative diseases caused by transmission and toxic accumulation of misshapen prion protein (PrP) in the brain. A lack of animal models that accurately recapitulate prion disease pathology has impeded our understanding in this area; therefore, the characterization of new mouse models of fatal familial insomnia (FFI) and Creutzfeld-JakobContinueContinue reading “Mouse models of prion diseases”
Fluent in Science 