In most mammals, oxygen deprivation, even for short periods of time, causes injury to the brain tissue and potential long-term damage. But the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber), a small, subterranean rodent native to eastern Africa, seems to weather hypoxia quite well. Naked mole rats have drawn a good deal of scientific attention lately, asContinueContinue reading “No oxygen, no problem for naked mole rats”
Author Archives: monicascicom
Dirty living breeds better immune health
Conventional wisdom holds that exposure to dirt and germs is bad for one’s health: after all, ‘cleanliness is next to godliness.’ More recently, the high prevalence of immune-mediated diseases in industrialized countries (with relatively high standards for cleanliness and sanitation) has called this notion into question. The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ proposes that the increasing incidence ofContinueContinue reading “Dirty living breeds better immune health”
New chromosome, new species
The formation of new species is typically driven by environmental adaptation. But a recent investigation of neighboring populations of threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has now shown, for the first time, that creation of a new sex chromosome can contribute to speciation. Lab Anim. (NY) 38, 341 (2009). view full text (login required)
Estrogen helps make mice male
Sexual dimorphism is the presence of different behaviors and characteristics in males versus females. Its development relies on an intricate interplay of genetic, chromosomal and hormonal factors, particularly during certain stages of development. In mammals, sexual dimorphism is thought to result from exposure to sex hormones during the perinatal stage of development. In male rats,ContinueContinue reading “Estrogen helps make mice male”
Better cloning for zebrafish
Zebrafish are popular models for studies of genetics, development and diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders. To increase their utility in biomedical research, scientists have worked to develop methods of gene manipulation in zebrafish. Previous attempts have had limited success, but Jose Cibelli and colleagues (Michigan State University, East Lansing) have now refined aContinueContinue reading “Better cloning for zebrafish”
Bee toxin takes the sting out of cancer
One challenge in cancer treatment is to balance toxicity with specificity: potential therapies must be toxic enough to damage rapidly dividing cancer cells yet specific enough to not harm other tissues. Cytolytic peptides are small proteins that are drawn to cell membranes and destroy them by creating structural defects that cause the cells to breakContinueContinue reading “Bee toxin takes the sting out of cancer”
How geckos get sticky
The adhesion and locomotion systems of geckos have been of interest in the biological and biotechnological worlds for decades. Research has uncovered the structure of geckos’ feet and the mechanisms underlying their exceptional clinging ability. But until recently, not much was known about when and how geckos activate their traction systems. Now, Anthony P. RussellContinueContinue reading “How geckos get sticky”
Coral compound fights neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain is chronic pain that can arise from nerve damage resulting from inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). People worldwide suffer from neuropathic pain, which can include hyperalgesia (heightened pain sensation, such that mildly uncomfortable stimuli are perceived as severely painful) and allodynia (‘misplaced’ pain, such that nonpainful stimuli are perceived as painful).ContinueContinue reading “Coral compound fights neuropathic pain”
How to grow a new limb
Salamanders are commonly used as regeneration models because they can grow new limbs after amputation. At the amputation site, a clump of undifferentiated progenitor cells called the blastema forms and then regenerates the missing tissues. A fully formed limb is comprised of multiple tissue types (including dermis, muscle, nerve and skeletal elements) that must coordinateContinueContinue reading “How to grow a new limb”
If these mice could talk
Although mouse models have clarified the workings of some human diseases, we may not have considered that they could teach us about human evolution. But new research suggests that mice may have something to say about this aspect of ourselves as well. Lab Anim. (NY) 38, 221 (2009). view full text (login required)
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