Author Archives: monicascicom

Pain receptor turns up the heat

In the US alone, almost 50 million people suffer from chronic pain. Treatment options are largely limited to opioids (like morphine) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like aspirin), which carry risks of addiction, dependency or organ damage. But the recent elucidation of a new pain pathway may lead to the development of new treatment options. LabContinueContinue reading “Pain receptor turns up the heat”

Knocking out compulsive behavior

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts, compulsive repetitive actions and, often, anxiety and depression. Its underlying causes and pathology remain largely unknown, although a genetic component has been suggested. Now, scientists have identified a gene whose absence causes OCD-like behavior in mice. The gene encodes Slitrk5, a neuron-specific transmembrane proteinContinueContinue reading “Knocking out compulsive behavior”

Losing a gene, regaining lost tissue

Tissue regeneration may be common in certain species but is rare in mammals. Typical mammalian healing involves scar formation, and scar tissue is quite different from the original tissue that it replaces. Regeneration, on the other hand, involves formation of a blastema, a group of cells capable of rapid growth that recreates missing tissue. RegenerationContinueContinue reading “Losing a gene, regaining lost tissue”

Ghrelin stops liver fibrosis

Fibrosis is the accumulation of tough scar tissue; in the liver, it can impair function, eventually leading to liver failure. Liver fibrosis can occur in both chronic and acute liver diseases, including hepatitis, cirrhosis and cancer. The only effective treatment for fibrosis is to remove the underlying cause of the damage, which may not beContinueContinue reading “Ghrelin stops liver fibrosis”

Activating apoptosis to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, destructive inflammation, primarily of the joints, that affects up to 1% of the world’s population. The cause of the disease is not known, but its progression is autoimmune: immune cells called macrophages, which normally die after attacking an invader, instead persist and collect in the cartilage and bone, where theirContinueContinue reading “Activating apoptosis to treat rheumatoid arthritis”

VLP vaccine for Chikungunya

Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that causes severe arthritis. Since re-emerging in 2004, it has infected millions of people. Attempts to develop vaccines had only limited success until recently, when researchers developed a vaccine using virus-like particles (VLPs). The VLP vaccine protected macaques from Chikungunya viral infection. Lab Anim. (NY) 39, 63 (2010).ContinueContinue reading “VLP vaccine for Chikungunya”

NO treatment for septic shock

Septic shock occurs when acute inflammation, low blood pressure and blood clotting cause blood delivery to the organs to slow dangerously, resulting in lack of oxygen followed by progressive organ failure. Septic shock is the leading cause of death in intensive care units; mortality rates may exceed 70%. The mechanisms underlying development of septic shockContinueContinue reading “NO treatment for septic shock”

Fats help the nervous system sort things out

For human health, dietary fat is frequently considered an enemy. But current research is beginning to focus on the positive effects of dietary fats. Two specific dietary fats, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), belonging to the group of omega-3 fatty acids, have been associated with prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease and withContinueContinue reading “Fats help the nervous system sort things out”