Author Archives: monicascicom

Palladin promotes metastasis in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the US with a 5-year mortality rate >90%. This high mortality rate is due in part to the fact that tumors often go undetected during their early stages, allowing them to develop aggressive metastatic activity. Recent research on pancreatic cancer has focused on the tumorContinueContinue reading “Palladin promotes metastasis in pancreatic cancer”

A new twist in targeting malaria parasites

Malaria is transmitted among humans by mosquitoes carrying sporozoite forms of protozoan Plasmodium species. The sporozoites reproduce abundantly in the liver of an infected person, creating tens of thousands of merozoites in a structure called a schizont, which later ruptures, releasing the parasites into the bloodstream. Some parasites develop into gametocytes that, when ingested byContinueContinue reading “A new twist in targeting malaria parasites”

Immunity and the charismatic camel

The dromedary or Arabian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate with a prominent hump, its most distinctive feature. Sandy brown in color, dromedaries are well adapted to desert conditions, sporting bushy eyebrows, two rows of long eyelashes, hair-lined ears and narrow nostrils that can be closed to protect their facial features from desert sands. LabContinueContinue reading “Immunity and the charismatic camel”

Evidence for sophisticated memory in rats

Memory is a complex phenomenon involving the encoding, storage and retrieval of information. Different types of memory can be defined by the particulars of these steps and of the information in question. For example, ‘source’ memory is a representation of the origin of a piece of information or the conditions surrounding its acquisition. Source memoryContinueContinue reading “Evidence for sophisticated memory in rats”

Insight into the neurology of Angelman syndrome

Results recently published in PLoS Biology (11, e1001478; 2013) elucidate the neurological disruptions that occur in Angelman syndrome and introduce a compound that can rescue the disruptions, restoring neural function in mice. John Marshall (Brown University, Providence, RI), senior author of the article, warned that it is too soon to tell when a clinical therapyContinueContinue reading “Insight into the neurology of Angelman syndrome”

Depigmented mice get back to black

After successfully preventing and reversing vitiligo in two different mouse models, I. Caroline Le Poole (Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL) and her colleagues have applied for a patent and are seeking regulatory approval and funding to carry out a clinical trial. The basis of their new treatment is a mutant version of the heat-shock proteinContinueContinue reading “Depigmented mice get back to black”

Clarifying the cause of chemotherapy ‘fog’

Up to 70% of cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy report experiencing a mental ‘fog,’ with up to 50% of them suffering measurable deficits in attention, working memory and mental processing speed. Despite its high incidence, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment or ‘chemo-brain’ have not been well defined. New research from theContinueContinue reading “Clarifying the cause of chemotherapy ‘fog’”

‘Ginger’ coloration, a cost or a benefit?

Pheomelanin, a pigment responsible for reddish and chestnut coloration, is found only in higher vertebrates (i.e., birds and mammals) and carries several physiological costs. Its presence is associated with greater risks of skin cell damage and melanoma, and its synthesis in the body uses up the beneficial antioxidant glutathione. Pheomelanin is also phototoxic, producing reactiveContinueContinue reading “‘Ginger’ coloration, a cost or a benefit?”

Getting to the root of itch

Neuroscientists have wondered for years whether the signals for itch and pain—two distinct sensations that are both mediated by primary sensory neurons with cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglion or trigeminal ganglia—are transmitted by the same neurons or whether specific neurons are dedicated to each. Some studies have shown that itch-sensing neurons also respondContinueContinue reading “Getting to the root of itch”