monicascicom

Beer boosts brainpower—but only in the young

Flavonoids are compounds found in many plants whose nutritional benefits and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have been widely studied. The hops used to make beer contain a flavonoid called xanthohumol, which can help to control body weight and blood sugar in a rat model of obesity. New findings from researchers at Oregon State University (Corvallis)ContinueContinue reading “Beer boosts brainpower—but only in the young”

Disrupting metastasis by using a decoy

Metastasis is the process by which cancer spreads in the body, and it contributes to poor prognosis in many cases. “The majority of patients who succumb to cancer fall prey to metastatic forms of the disease,” explained Jennifer Cochran (Stanford University, CA). Most attempts to slow or stop metastasis use chemotherapy, but this approach isContinueContinue reading “Disrupting metastasis by using a decoy”

Strong muscles, strong mind

Depression is a debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Physical exercise can improve symptoms in many people with depression, but the mechanisms by which it does so have not been characterized. Physical endurance exercise induces PGC-1α1 in skeletal muscle, promoting mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, angiogenesis and resistance to muscle atrophy. By studyingContinueContinue reading “Strong muscles, strong mind”

A new way to measure canine welfare

Animal welfare science focuses on assessing and maximizing animals’ quality of life. In the research context, improving the welfare of laboratory animals is a high priority. To this end, objective measures of animal welfare are greatly needed. One way to evaluate welfare is to consider an animal’s affective state, which can be assessed indirectly byContinueContinue reading “A new way to measure canine welfare”

Speaking of psittacine research

The grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus), native to the Congo in Africa, is a medium-sized bird weighing 400 g and measuring 33 cm in length, with an average wingspan of 46–52 cm. The plumage is predominantly grey with a white scalloping pattern, and the tail feathers are red. The face features bare white patches framing paleContinueContinue reading “Speaking of psittacine research”

Biomedical research gone to the dogs

Much of biomedical research is aimed at understanding and treating diseases that affect humans. But sometimes the lessons learned from animal studies benefit the animals too, especially when veterinary medicine and research intersect. Holger Volk (Royal Veterinary College, London, UK), who studies epilepsy in dogs, recognizes the interplay between veterinary and biomedical research. In anContinueContinue reading “Biomedical research gone to the dogs”

Induce HIV to neutralize HIV

HIV can be effectively suppressed using antiretroviral therapy but surges back once therapy is stopped. Latent reservoirs of infected cells, invisible to the body’s immune system and impervious to drugs, cause the infection to rebound if therapy is terminated. Researchers at Rockefeller University (New York, NY) led by Michel Nussenzweig designed a new, two-part strategyContinueContinue reading “Induce HIV to neutralize HIV”

Xenon gas helps rats forget fear

Reconsolidation occurs when memories are recalled and re-encoded in the brain; during this process, the memories become temporarily susceptible to modification. Therefore, the reconsolidation process may provide a therapeutic window for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other emotional memory disorders. Xenon gas can inhibit receptors that are involved in fear memory reconsolidation. Edward Meloni andContinueContinue reading “Xenon gas helps rats forget fear”

Interfering with filovrirus replication

Marburg virus, like its fellow filovirus Ebola virus, causes severe hemorrhagic fever with mortality rates reaching 90%. The Ebola virus outbreak currently sweeping western Africa has a mortality rate of 55–60%, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are no approved treatments for viral hemorrhagic fever in humans; most infected individualsContinueContinue reading “Interfering with filovrirus replication”

Strengthening bone in neurofibromatosis type 1

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is characterized by skeletal abnormalities such as scoliosis, fragility, fractures and pseudoarthrosis (failure of bones to fuse properly after fractures). The disorder is caused by mutations of neurofibromin, a protein that regulates cellular signaling pathways. New research from investigators at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) suggests that treatment with the enzyme asfotase-α preventsContinueContinue reading “Strengthening bone in neurofibromatosis type 1”