Organisms must feed in order to meet their nutritional requirements. In humans, dysfunctional feeding behavior can take the form of destructive eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, overeating and addiction. Feeding behavior comprises discrete elements that include motivation (or hunger) and consumption. Understanding the neurological pathways that underlie these elements could provide mechanistic insight into theContinueContinue reading “Pinpointing the neurons that signal hunger in mice”
Author Archives: monicascicom
Reversing a block on nerve growth
Spinal cord injury (SCI) can damage the axons of spinal nerve cells, preventing communication and resulting in paralysis that can affect movement as well as bodily functions such as urination. After SCI, axon regeneration is inhibited, hindering recovery. Research has shown that this inhibition is mediated by compounds called chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPGs), which blockContinueContinue reading “Reversing a block on nerve growth”
Marsupials that model melanoma
The gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is a small marsupial native to South America. It inhabits forests, dry scrubland and agricultural environments in the eastern central part of the continent, south of the Amazon River. Lab Anim. (NY) 44, 53 (2015). view full text (login required)
65th AALAS National Meeting
The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) held its 65th annual national meeting in San Antonio, TX, in October 2014. The educational program centered on the theme of vaccine research, a timely topic as the meeting coincided with the identification of cases of Ebola virus infection in the US. Lab Anim. (NY) 44, 51ContinueContinue reading “65th AALAS National Meeting”
Round-the-clock eating influences metabolism
New research directed by Satchidananda Panda (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA) shows that limiting food intake to a period of 9–12 hours instead of allowing round-the-clock consumption prevented and even reversed metabolic diseases in mice. Lab Anim. (NY) 44, 5 (2015). view full text (login required)
Human glia, mouse brain
Glia are non-neuronal cells in the brain that support, protect and strengthen neurons and their synaptic connections. Glial dysfunction is thought to be involved in various neurological disorders, including Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and certain psychiatric conditions. Researchers may now have a new tool for examining the role of glia in these and other diseases,ContinueContinue reading “Human glia, mouse brain”
A new view of tuberculosis
The tiny zebrafish has enabled some big advances in biomedical research, thanks in part to its optical transparency during embryonic stages, which allows for direct, microscopic visualization of biological processes in vivo in real time. Its latest contribution is to our understanding of tuberculosis, a disease in which pathogenic mycobacteria induce the formation of complexContinueContinue reading “A new view of tuberculosis”
For lack of gut microbes, the blood–brain barrier ‘leaks’
The blood–brain barrier is a selectively permeable barrier between the brain extracellular fluid and the blood formed by capillary endothelial cells connected by tight junctions. The blood–brain barrier prevents potentially harmful molecules and cells from entering the brain and maintains microenvironmental conditions suitable for neuron growth. Its integrity is therefore crucial to proper brain function.ContinueContinue reading “For lack of gut microbes, the blood–brain barrier ‘leaks’”
Reversing neurodegenerative hearing loss
Exposure to loud noises can damage the synapses connecting nerves and hair cells in the cochlea of the ear, causing noise-induced hearing loss that can be permanent. Effective strategies to prevent or reverse this damage and the associated hearing loss are lacking. The coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) can protect neurons from damage in vitro,ContinueContinue reading “Reversing neurodegenerative hearing loss”
A bitter pill for artificial sweeteners
Recent findings about the effects that calorie-free sweeteners can have on metabolism may leave a bad taste in the mouths of some consumers. Eran Segal and Eran Elinav (Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel) found that artificial sweeteners can induce glucose intolerance by altering intestinal microbial communities. The conclusion is based on results from multipleContinueContinue reading “A bitter pill for artificial sweeteners”
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