monicascicom

The second trigger in heart failure

Heart muscle health is protected by two pathways: one mediated by nitric oxide and the other by natriuretic peptide. “The existence of two separate pathways with overlapping but distinct functions is nature’s insurance policy, a fail-safe redundancy to ensure that should one pathway falter, the other one can compensate and maintain heart muscle function,” explainedContinueContinue reading “The second trigger in heart failure”

Combination is key in cancer therapy

Two independent research groups recently reported success in preventing tumors in rodent models using combined therapies. The results add to the growing body of evidence that the best way to control cancer progression is to attack it from multiple angles at once. Lab Anim. (NY) 44, 160 (2015). view full text (login required)

Protecting neurons from misfolded prion proteins

Prion disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis all share a common etiology: neurodegeneration linked to the misfolding and aggregation of a specific protein. But the causes of neuronal death in these diseases are still poorly understood, impeding the development of strategies to prevent neurodegeneration. To fill this knowledgeContinueContinue reading “Protecting neurons from misfolded prion proteins”

A signal that shifts gut microbial composition

Fluctuations in the composition and diversity of the gut microbial community can affect organismal health in various ways. Low microbial diversity in the gut can increase a person’s susceptibility to potential pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. And changes in the balance between the two bacterial taxa most prominent in the gut, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, areContinueContinue reading “A signal that shifts gut microbial composition”

Allelic imbalance favors paternal DNA

Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine (Chapel Hill) recently found that mammals are more like their dads, at least in terms of gene expression. Although individuals inherit genetic information from both parents, the new study shows that material inherited from fathers is more likely to be expressed. Lab Anim. (NY) 44,ContinueContinue reading “Allelic imbalance favors paternal DNA”

Neurons that fire when predicting others’ behavior

Cooperative social interactions require an individual to anticipate another’s actions when determining his or her own actions. For example, a person might choose to collaborate with a partner if he anticipates that the partner will also choose to collaborate but not if he anticipates that the partner will not choose to collaborate. These choices formContinueContinue reading “Neurons that fire when predicting others’ behavior”

Regulating DHA in the retina

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an essential fatty acid that is highly concentrated in photoreceptor cells (PRCs), where it helps to maintain their function. But the pathways that affect DHA availability in PRCs had not been described until a recent report from Nicolas Bazan (Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans) and colleagues identified adiponectinContinueContinue reading “Regulating DHA in the retina”

A mitochondrial gene product regulates metabolism

Overconsumption of fat can lead to obesity and to insulin resistance, a condition that can also develop with age and often precedes diabetes. Investigators at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles) and University of California Los Angeles recently reported that the effects of a high-fat diet could be ameliorated by treatment with a newlyContinueContinue reading “A mitochondrial gene product regulates metabolism”

To boost cancer immunotherapy, just add oxygen?

Even when surrounded by immune cells, tumors often continue to grow. Their rapid growth consumes oxygen, leading to hypoxia in the surrounding area or tumor microenvironment. Hypoxia further promotes tumor growth by encouraging the release of adenosine, which prevents immune cells from entering the tumor microenvironment. Reducing this immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment could freeContinueContinue reading “To boost cancer immunotherapy, just add oxygen?”

Flashy tail, bony antlers

The white-tailed deer is an ungulate native to North, Central and South America. Adults stand about 3 ft tall at the shoulder and weigh 150–200 lb. Coat color varies seasonally from reddish brown with short, sparse, wiry hairs during warm months to grayish brown with long, dense, brittle hairs and a thick undercoat in theContinueContinue reading “Flashy tail, bony antlers”