Mouse Model News and Research

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Minnesota researchers develop animal research model for FSHD

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed an animal research model for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) to be used for muscle regeneration research as well as studies of the effectiveness of potential therapies for FSHD.

29 Aug 2014

THC may slow or halt progression of Alzheimer's disease

Extremely low levels of the compound in marijuana known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, may slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a recent study from neuroscientists at the University of South Florida shows.

28 Aug 2014

Finding suggests that retina acts as type of window to the brain

Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes and University of California, San Francisco have shown that a loss of cells in the retina is one of the earliest signs of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in people with a genetic risk for the disorder-even before any changes appear in their behavior.

25 Aug 2014

New mouse model to open door to research on epilepsy, Alzheimer's

University of Utah scientists have developed a genetically engineered line of mice that is expected to open the door to new research on epilepsy, Alzheimer's and other diseases.

22 Aug 2014

Study shows new role for protein APC in suppressing colorectal cancer

A study recently published in the journal Carcinogenesis by researchers at the University of Kansas shows a new role for the protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) in suppressing colorectal cancer - the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.

22 Aug 2014

Endothelial cells can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue

Endothelial cells residing in the coronary arteries can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue, Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered.

21 Aug 2014

Human gut microbiota can influence susceptibility to Campylobacter infection

The specific composition of bacterial species in a person's gut may protect against or increase susceptibility to Campylobacter, the most common cause of human bacterial intestinal inflammation, according research published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

19 Aug 2014

Research findings call for clinical testing of relevant drugs to prevent NASH

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common affliction, affecting almost 30 percent of Americans, with a significant number suffering from its most severe form, called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. In recent years, NASH has become the leading cause of liver transplantation.

19 Aug 2014

Researchers use new gene editing method to correct mutation that leads to DMD

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers successfully used a new gene editing method to correct the mutation that leads to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in a mouse model of the condition.

17 Aug 2014

Scientists create computer algorithm for cell and tissue engineering

In a boon to stem cell research and regenerative medicine, scientists at Boston Children's Hospital, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Boston University have created a computer algorithm called CellNet as a "roadmap" for cell and tissue engineering, to ensure that cells engineered in the lab have the same favorable properties as cells in our own bodies.

16 Aug 2014

Anti-EphA3 antibody has anti-tumour effects against solid cancers

An international team of scientists has shown that an antibody against the protein EphA3, found in the micro-environment of solid cancers, has anti-tumour effects.

16 Aug 2014

Enzyme therapy may prevent skeletal abnormalities associated with neurofibromatosis type-1

An enzyme therapy may prevent skeletal abnormalities associated with the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type-1, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered.

15 Aug 2014

Research offers promise for personalized RNA combination therapies to treat lung cancer

Small RNA molecules, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), offer tremendous potential for new therapeutic agents to inhibit cancer cell growth. However, delivering these small RNAs to solid tumors remains a significant challenge, as the RNAs must target the correct cells and avoid being broken down by enzymes in the body.

15 Aug 2014

AEG-1 protein blocks effects of retinoic acid in leukemia and liver cancer

Retinoic acid is a form of vitamin A that is used to treat and help prevent the recurrence of a variety of cancers, but for some patients the drug is not effective.

14 Aug 2014

Reducing brain levels of tau protein effectively blocks development of childhood epilepsy

Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes have shown that reducing brain levels of the protein tau effectively blocks the development of disease in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome, a severe intractable form of childhood epilepsy.

14 Aug 2014

Scientists identify long-overlooked function of vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis

Scientists at the Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB) have collaborated with colleagues from the Department of Pharmacy and the Department of Dermatology of the University of Tübingen to identify a long-overlooked function of vascular smooth muscle cells in atherosclerosis.

12 Aug 2014

Isoform: New protein offers novel therapeutic approach for patients with DMD

Scientists have discovered a new form of dystrophin, a protein critical to normal muscle function, and identified the genetic mechanism responsible for its production.

11 Aug 2014

Novel therapy takes rheumatoid arthritis treatment in mice to a new level

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that causes painful inflammation of several joints in the body. The joint capsule becomes swollen, and the disease can also destroy cartilage and bone as it progresses. Rheumatoid arthritis affects 0.5% to 1% of the world's population. Up to this point, doctors have used various drugs to slow or stop the progression of the disease.

7 Aug 2014

MIT researchers generate liver tumors in adult mice

Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of mutations associated with cancer. One way to discover the role of these mutations is to breed a strain of mice that carry the genetic flaw — but breeding such mice is an expensive, time-consuming process.

7 Aug 2014

RSAM, Rettsyndrome.org renew commitment to defeat Rett syndrome

Rett Syndrome Association of Massachusetts and Rettsyndrome.org are thrilled to announce today their renewed commitment to work together to defeat Rett syndrome. A generous $150,000 donation from RSAM will support a Rettsyndrome.org approved grant to Dr. Michela Fagiolini's project at the Boston Children's Hospital: "Assessing NMDA receptor (NMDAr) modulators to ameliorate cortical regression in Rett syndrome".

7 Aug 2014