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”
Category Archives: research news
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”
How a memory is made
Scientists claim to have visualized for the first time the cellular process of memory formation in rats. Gary Lynch and colleagues at the University of California (Irvine) and Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) used microscopic technology and a special marker to observe memory-related changes in the synapses of rat brains. Lab Anim. (NY) 36, 8ContinueContinue reading “How a memory is made”
Flatworms guide stem cell research
Flatworms may seem an unlikely star in the world of stem cells, but planarian research is yielding exciting insight into cell differentiation and regeneration. Néstor J. Oviedo and Michael Levin of the Forsyth Institute (Boston, MA) identified a protein in Schmidtea mediterranea flatworms that is expressed in the gap junctions between the worms’ adult stemContinueContinue reading “Flatworms guide stem cell research”
Putting jet lag to rest
Sildenafil, the active component of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, can attenuate the effects of circadian phase advances in hamsters. The new research from Diego A. Golombek and colleagues of the National University of Quilmes (Buenos Aires, Argentina) suggests that sildenafil may have potential as a treatment for jet lag and other circadian adaptation problemsContinueContinue reading “Putting jet lag to rest”
Sight for blind mice
Collaborators at two major research institutions in the US have shown that gene therapy can target cone cells and rescue electrical response and visual acuity in a mouse model of achromatopsia, a disorder causing hereditary blindness in roughly 1 of every 30,000 humans. Lab Anim. (NY) 36, 8 (2007). view full text (login required) [NOTE:ContinueContinue reading “Sight for blind mice”
Antibodies against avian flu
With the threat of an avian flu pandemic lingering, the search for agents with prophylactic or therapeutic potential continues. Now, Antonio Lanzavecchia (Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland), Kanta Subbarao (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD), and colleagues report that neutralizing antibodies from humans who had recovered from avian flu (H5N1) protected mice against H5N1ContinueContinue reading “Antibodies against avian flu”
Benefit of embolic protection differs in different settings
The potential clinical benefit of embolic protection during percutaneous intervention is not a yes-or-no question but varies with the type of device used and the anatomic system involved. Initially developed and tested in saphenous vein grafts, embolic protection devices have now been applied in coronary (myocardial infarction), carotid, and renal settings. Results have been disapppointingContinueContinue reading “Benefit of embolic protection differs in different settings”
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