Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a craniofacial development disorder that affects roughly 1 in 50,000 people. It is characterized by underdeveloped facial bones, which frequently results in a sunken appearance in the middle of the face, a prominent nose, a very small jaw and chin and downward-slanting eyes; some affected individuals also have cleft palateContinueContinue reading “Preventing a craniofacial disorder”
Author Archives: monicascicom
Communication, not camouflage, drives chameleon change
Color change in chameleons can serve at least two purposes: signaling to other chameleons and hiding from potential predators. New research from Devi Stuart-Fox (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and The University of Melbourne, Australia) and Adnan Moussalli (University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia) has established that social signaling,ContinueContinue reading “Communication, not camouflage, drives chameleon change”
Reversing fibrosis to treat cirrhosis
New research may offer a way to reverse liver cirrhosis, the chronic scarring that impairs liver function and causes up to 800,000 deaths annually worldwide. Studies in mice focused on blocking a protein called ribosomal S-6 kinase (RSK), which is involved in scar formation as part of the body’s natural healing response. Lab Anim. (NY)ContinueContinue reading “Reversing fibrosis to treat cirrhosis”
Sleep in a bottle?
The effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive function may be reversed by treatment with a compound called orexin-A, which occurs naturally in the mammalian brain. The new research was done with rhesus monkeys and may have therapeutic implications for people who suffer from narcolepsy and other sleep disorders, as well as those whose occupations demandContinueContinue reading “Sleep in a bottle?”
Chimps have a head for numbers
Chimpanzees may have better numerical memory than humans, according to a recent report by Sana Inoue and Tetsuro Matsuzawa of the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University, Japan (Curr. Biol. 17, R1004–R1005; 2007). Their results challenge the widely held belief that humans have superior cognitive function across the board compared with nonhuman primates. Lab Anim.ContinueContinue reading “Chimps have a head for numbers”
Looking to mice to treat multiple myeloma
A new device that allows scientists to better monitor cells in the bloodstream of mice may aid the discovery of new drugs to combat multiple myeloma in humans. Charles Lin and colleagues at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine (Boston, MA) developed the device, called a retinal flow cytometer. Lab Anim. (NY) 37, 9 (2008). viewContinueContinue reading “Looking to mice to treat multiple myeloma”
Advances in uveitis treatment
Recent experiments in rats have elucidated the mechanism of action underlying uveitis, one of the world’s leading causes of blindness in humans, and have identified a new avenue for its treatment. Uveitis, inflammation of the tissue layer below the outer surface of the eye (uvea), which includes the iris, can be caused by autoimmune disease,ContinueContinue reading “Advances in uveitis treatment”
Genetic association gone to the dogs
After the complete sequence of the dog genome was determined in 2005, geneticists proposed that it would be useful for finding the locations of genes associated with various inheritable traits. Domestication and breeding have made the genetic structure of the dog ideal for this application: dogs of the same breed have long stretches of identicalContinueContinue reading “Genetic association gone to the dogs”
Brain morphology in capuchin monkeys
New research shows that, like humans, capuchin monkeys may have certain differences in brain structure that are related to sex and ‘handedness’. Kimberley Phillips (Hiram College, Hiram, OH) and colleagues measured the size of the corpus callosum, the main white matter structure connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, in 14 capuchin monkeys. Nine of the monkeysContinueContinue reading “Brain morphology in capuchin monkeys”
Mice shed light on OCD
An international group of scientists is delving into the genetic basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using mice that are genetically engineered to lack the gene Sapap3, which is involved in neurotransmitter signaling. Deleting Sapap3 resulted in greater anxiety and compulsive grooming to the point of self-injury in these mice. Both the anxiety and excessive groomingContinueContinue reading “Mice shed light on OCD”
Fluent in Science 