Knockout News and Research

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New Penn Medicine research shows vital role of Esrp1 and Esrp2 genes in skin, organ development

Knocking out one or both crucial regulatory genes caused cleft lip, skin barrier defects, and a host of other developmental problems in mice, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, hinting that abnormalities in these molecular pathways could underlie many birth defects that are presently not well understood. The two closely related regulatory genes are active in the normal development of mammals and govern how RNAs produced from the genes are joined to make final versions of the encoded protein, a process called alternative splicing.

16 Sep 2015

Researchers discover new gene that could be a potential therapeutic target for muscle wasting

It is estimated that half of all cancer patients suffer from a muscle wasting syndrome called cachexia. Cancer cachexia impairs quality of life and response to therapy, which increases morbidity and mortality of cancer patients. Currently, there is no approved treatment for muscle wasting but a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and University of Alberta could be a game changer for patients, improving both quality of life and longevity.

15 Sep 2015

Why do we sleep? An interview with Professor Wisden

It is true that we still do not know why we need to sleep every night. Sleep is essential for health. We have to do it every day. But nobody yet knows why. This fact amazes me.

8 Sep 2015

Volatile anesthetics may combat viral and bacterial infections in the lung

In use for more than a century, inhaled anesthetics like nitrous oxide and halothane have made modern surgery possible. Now, in experiments in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have added to evidence that certain so-called "volatile" anesthetics -- commonly used during surgeries -- may also possess powerful effects on the immune system that can combat viral and bacterial infections in the lung, including influenza and pneumonia.

2 Sep 2015

Medical case report of woman with Channelopathy-associated Insensitivity to Pain Syndrome

The report, published on F1000Research and titled Neuropathic pain in a patient with congenital insensitivity to pain has just passed peer review. It concerns a unique case of a woman with Channelopathy-associated Insensitivity to Pain (CIP) Syndrome, who developed features of neuropathic pain after sustaining pelvic fractures and an epidural hematoma that impinged on the right fifth lumbar (L5) nerve root. These injuries were sustained during a painless labour, which culminated in a Caesarean section.

25 Aug 2015

Researchers identify strategy to prevent adenoviruses from multiplying and causing sickness in humans

Using an animal model they developed, Saint Louis University and Utah State university researchers have identified a strategy that could keep a common group of viruses called adenoviruses from replicating and causing sickness in humans.

21 Aug 2015

Muscle mass appears to ward off bad cardiovascular effects of obesity

Even without losing fat, more muscle appears to go a long way in fighting off the bad cardiovascular effects of obesity. That emerging evidence has scientists looking hard for new targets to uncouple the unhealthy relationship between fat and cardiovascular disease.

18 Aug 2015

Sigma 1 receptor appears to play vital role in supporting the retina

A receptor that is already a target for treating neurodegenerative disease also appears to play a key role in supporting the retina, scientists report.

11 Aug 2015

New study reveals protein's critical role in development and progression of AML

A new study by researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reveals a protein's critical - and previously unknown -- role in the development and progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-growing and extremely difficult-to-treat blood cancer.

24 Jul 2015

Infants born with mutation in PLVAP gene develop severe protein losing enteropathy

Newborn children born with a mutation in the Plasmalemma Vesicle Associated Protein (PLVAP) gene develop severe protein losing enteropathy, according to a case study1 published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the basic science journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

23 Jul 2015

Gene responsible for cancer growth plays unexpected role in prostate cancer

A gene that is responsible for cancer growth plays a totally unexpected role in prostate cancer. The gene Stat3 is controlled by the immune modulator interleukin 6 and normally supports the growth of cancer cells. The international research team led by Prof. Lukas Kenner from the Medical University of Vienna, the Veterinary University of Vienna, and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institiute for Cancer Research (LBI-CR) discovered a missing link for an essential role of Stat3 and IL-6 signalling in prostate cancer progression.

22 Jul 2015

Potential new class of drugs lessen neurodegeneration in rat model of Parkinson's disease

The first test in a mammalian model of a potential new class of drugs to treat Parkinson's disease shows abatement of neurodegeneration in the brains of test rats and no significant toxicities, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Pfizer Inc. researchers report online in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

26 Jun 2015

CQDM, OCE grant $1.5M to speed up drug discovery and development in Quebec-Ontario Life Sciences Corridor

CQDM and Ontario Centres of Excellence will fund five highly innovative and unconventional game-changing research and development projects to accelerate drug discovery in the Quebec-Ontario Life Sciences Corridor. Partners are granting $1.5M to Quebec-based and, for the first time, Ontario-based researchers thanks to the partnership with OCE through CQDM's 2014 Explore Program, one of CQDM's flagship programs focusing on early concept validation of cutting-edge technologies that address the most crucial needs in drug discovery and development.

17 Jun 2015

Key prostaglandin metabolic enzyme shows promise as drug target for tissue regeneration

A new study co-led by Hsin-Hsiung Tai, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Kentucky, suggests that a key prostaglandin (PG) metabolic enzyme shows promise as a drug target to help tissue regeneration and repair, particularly after bone marrow transplantation and tissue injuries.

16 Jun 2015

Scientists report that mouse with weak bones appears to have strong metabolism

One mouse with weak bones appears to have a strong metabolism, even on a high-fat diet, scientists report. While weaker bones are clearly not a good thing, scientists suspect that, somewhere in the conversation between the genetically engineered mouse's skeleton and the rest of its body, there may be an answer that helps obese individuals avoid some of the worst ravages of this health epidemic.

16 Jun 2015

Brain protein key to binge drinking? An interview with Dr. Candice Contet

Alcohol binge drinking is mostly driven by positive reinforcement, a process in which a rewarding experience (e.g., the euphoria one feels when intoxicated) strengthens the behaviour leading to this experience (e.g., going to a bar).

9 Jun 2015

Penn Medicine researchers explore primary player involved in T cell exhaustion

Sometimes even cells get tired. When the T cells of your immune system are forced to deal over time with cancer or a chronic infection such as HIV or hepatitis C, they can develop 'T cell exhaustion,' becoming less effective and losing their ability to attack and destroy the invaders of the body.

4 Jun 2015

Scientists reveal why lone kidney gets bigger when the other one is lost

Scientists have found an explanation for the century-old observation that if you end up with just one kidney, the lone organ gets bigger.

29 May 2015

TSRI scientists awarded $2.2 million NIH grant to advance innovative approach to obesity treatment

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have been awarded nearly $2.2 million by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to advance an innovative approach to the treatment of obesity, a serious health problem that affects more than one-third of all Americans.

28 May 2015

Scientists identify molecular 'lock' that enables Ebola virus to gain entry to cells

An international team including scientists from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases has identified the molecular "lock" that the deadly Ebola virus must pick to gain entry to cells.

27 May 2015