Animal Model News and Research

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Neuronal activity in the brain allows prediction of risky or safe decisions

Full risk or preferably the safe option? Based on the neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, it is possible to predict what action will be chosen next: If the activity of specific neurons remains low, a risk will be taken again at the next opportunity.

9 Dec 2018

Subset of immune B cells delays onset of type 1 diabetes in animal model

Researchers have conducted a study showing that a specific subset of immune B cells delays the onset of type 1 diabetes in mice.

6 Dec 2018

Eliminating microglia can reverse some aspects of stress sensitization, study shows

Using an animal model of chronic stress, researchers at The Ohio State University have shown that the immune cells of the brain, called microglia, hold unique signatures of chronic stress that leave the animal more sensitive to future stressful experiences, evident by increased anxiety and immune responses.

4 Dec 2018

Combining toxic herbicide with sugar-binding proteins may trigger Parkinsonism

Combining low doses of a toxic herbicide with sugar-binding proteins called lectins may trigger Parkinsonism -- symptoms typical of Parkinson's disease like body tremors and slowing of body motions -- after the toxin travels from the stomach to the brain.

4 Dec 2018

Researchers find how skin cancer cells avoid attack by the immune system

Researchers at the Mainz University Medical Center discovered a new signal pathway employed by skin cancer cells to avoid attack by the immune system. In an animal model and through analysis of human tissue samples, Dr. Toszka Bohn, Dr. Steffen Rapp and Professor Tobias Bopp were able to demonstrate the significant role played by a specific protein called ICER.

29 Nov 2018

Scientists use hair-thin fiber endoscope to gain insights into hardly-accessible brain structures

It is the first time, scientists are able to achieve high-resolution observations of neuronal structures inside deep brain areas of living mice - by the use of the most minimally invasive endoscopic probe reported thus far.

28 Nov 2018

Early-life stress in mice hinders neuron development, causing attention problems

Women are roughly twice as likely as men to develop depression, anxiety and other stress-related problems, including difficulty with attention, and new research from Brown University neuroscientists sheds light on the biological reasons why.

28 Nov 2018

Researchers characterize new animal model that mimics aspects of AMD

Age-related macular degeneration affects roughly 200,000 individuals in the United States each year. In most, it comes on slowly, gradually blurring the central field of vision used for activities like reading and driving. While treatments exist to slow its progression, there is no cure.

22 Nov 2018

DNA vaccine reduces levels of toxic proteins in Alzheimer’s model

Researchers have developed a new DNA vaccine that reduces the build-up of the toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

20 Nov 2018

RNAi therapy shown to alleviate preeclampsia in animal model

Researcher have used a small interfering RNA (siRNA) to reduce preeclampsia symptoms in an animal model. The approach could provide a new way of treating preeclampsia in humans.

19 Nov 2018

Drug used to treat dizziness may slow down growth of triple-negative breast cancer

Screening Food and Drug Administration approved compounds for their ability to stop cancer growth in the lab led to the finding that the drug flunarizine can slow down the growth of triple-negative breast cancer in an animal model of the disease.

16 Nov 2018

NIH awards $3.4 million to UC researchers to study gastrointestinal lymphatic system

A team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have been awarded $3.4 million by the National Institutes of Health to study the role of the gastrointestinal lymphatic system in dietary nutrient absorption and the transport of signaling molecules.

15 Nov 2018

Cells retain memory of chemical signals to which they are exposed

We all start out as a clump of identical cells. As these cells divide and multiply, they gradually take on distinct identities, acquiring the traits necessary to form, for instance, muscle tissue, bone, or nerves. A recent study from Rockefeller scientists offers new insight into how these cellular identities are cultivated over the course of development.

9 Nov 2018

New nano-immunotherapy promotes long-term acceptance of transplanted organs

Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a new nanotechnology-based immunotherapy that promotes long-term transplant acceptance in an animal model.

7 Nov 2018

Fish-rich and vegetarian diet may reduce hypertension-related heart disease symptoms

Elevated levels of trimethylamine N-oxide--a compound linked with the consumption of fish, seafood and a primarily vegetarian diet--may reduce hypertension-related heart disease symptoms.

7 Nov 2018

Researchers develop electroencephalography-based test to objectively measure pain

If you've ever visited the emergency department with appendicitis, or you're one of the 100 million U.S. adults who suffer from chronic pain, you're familiar with a row of numbered faces, with expressions from smiling to grimacing, used to indicate pain levels.

6 Nov 2018

Researchers identify active stem cells in “resting zone” of cartilage

Researchers have discovered active chondrocytes within cartilage. The finding could help scientists understand bone abnormalities.

31 Oct 2018

Ten Allen Distinguished Investigators for 2018 announced by Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group

Nanoparticles that could reprogram a cancer patient's immune system inside their own body. Understanding a mysterious type of brain cell in the hopes of shedding new light on Alzheimer's disease. Reimagining nuclei, the DNA-storage compartments of our cells, as miniature lava lamps.

30 Oct 2018

Getting right level of leptin may help protect cardiovascular health

Like that famous bowl of porridge, when leptin levels are "just right" they help protect our cardiovascular health, scientists say.

29 Oct 2018

Stress-induced mental disturbances are directly linked to abnormal glucose metabolism

Chronic stress is a well-known risk factor for the development of psychiatric illnesses including depression disorders. The brain requires a great deal of glucose, and stress is known to alter glucose metabolism.

24 Oct 2018