Mouse Model News and Research

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Vitamin C reverses accelerated aging due to Werner's syndrome

A new research discovery published in the January 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal suggests that treatments for disorders that cause accelerated aging, particularly Werner's syndrome, might come straight from the family medicine chest. In the research report, a team of Canadian scientists show that vitamin C stops and even reverses accelerated aging in a mouse model of Werner's syndrome, but the discovery may also be applicable to other progeroid syndromes.

5 Jan 2010

Scientists develop mucus-penetrating biodegradable nanoparticles to deliver drugs over time

Johns Hopkins University researchers have created biodegradable nanosized particles that can easily slip through the body's sticky and viscous mucus secretions to deliver a sustained-release medication cargo.

5 Jan 2010

Anti-inflammatory prescription drug reduces the risk of common skin cancer in humans

A widely-available anti-inflammatory prescription drug can reduce the risk of a common skin cancer in humans, according to a researcher at Stanford's School of Medicine.

5 Jan 2010

Key molecular switch linked to HD identified

Scientists have identified a key molecular switch that may drive the onset of Huntington's disease (HD), an incurable neurodegenerative disorder that leads to severe disruptions in muscle coordination and cognitive function. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 24 issue of the journal Neuron, enhances the understanding of HD pathogenesis and may direct new strategies for treating this devastating brain disease.

24 Dec 2009

Study: Protein channel aids nerve sensors in controlling blood pressure

University of Iowa researchers have shown that a protein channel helps nerve sensors in blood vessels keep blood pressure in check. Without the protein channel, known as ASIC2, the sensors are unable to send the brain the signals it needs to properly control blood pressure.

24 Dec 2009

Scientists identify new therapeutic approach for overcoming emphysema

Individuals with single-gene mutations that mean they have abnormally low levels of the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin are highly susceptible to emphysema, a progressive lung disease that causes severe shortness of breath.

22 Dec 2009

La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology awarded $18.8M NIH grant for infectious diseases study

Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology will take aim at several of the world's most dangerous infectious diseases - tuberculosis, malaria and dengue virus -- in a five-year, $18.8 million federally-funded set of projects seeking to make new inroads toward vaccines against the disorders.

17 Dec 2009

High methionine diet may increase risk of dementia

A diet rich in methionine, an amino acid typically found in red meats, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds, can possibly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by Temple researchers.

17 Dec 2009

Immune system produces neutralizing antibodies capable of blocking HIV, says study

Scientists seeking to understand how to make an AIDS vaccine have found the cause of a major roadblock. It turns out that the immune system can indeed produce cells with the potential to manufacture powerful HIV-blocking antibodies - but at the same time, the immune system works equally hard to make sure these cells are eliminated before they have a chance to mature.

16 Dec 2009

Scientists identify protein switch that helps prevent liver cancer

A team of scientists from the UC San Diego School of Medicine and Osaka University in Japan have identified a protein switch that helps prevent liver damage, including inflammation, fibrosis and cancer. The findings suggest that a better understanding of how the protein, TAK1, works could lead to new insights into the development of liver disease and cancer.

15 Dec 2009

UT researchers identify new molecule that slows ALS progression in mice

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that a molecule produced naturally by muscles in response to nerve damage can reduce symptoms and prolong life in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

11 Dec 2009

Prize4life partners with Jackson Laboratory on AML research

Prize4Life, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), is partnering with The Jackson Laboratory to help more researchers identify treatment candidates that increase the lifespan of mice that model ALS.

11 Dec 2009

Mouse study shows delaying the ageing process may offer protection against Alzheimer’s disease

Aging is the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In their latest study, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that simply slowing the aging process in mice prone to develop Alzheimer's disease prevented their brains from turning into a neuronal wasteland.

10 Dec 2009

Mouse study suggests response to injury-induced growth factors can be revived

Brain and spinal-cord injuries typically leave people with permanent impairment because the injured nerve fibers (axons) cannot regrow. A study from Children's Hospital Boston, published in the December 10 issue of the journal Neuron, shows that axons can regenerate vigorously in a mouse model when a gene that suppresses natural growth factors is deleted.

10 Dec 2009

Mouse model may help identify unknown mutations that make lung cancer cells resistant to therapy

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type. Many cases of lung adenocarcinoma are attributed to a mutation in a gene for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

9 Dec 2009

Social isolation and stress can raise breast cancer risk

Social isolation and related stress could contribute to human breast cancer susceptibility, research from a rat model designed at the University of Chicago to identify environmental mechanisms contributing to cancer risk shows.

8 Dec 2009

PEG polymer may prevent GI injury during cancer radiotherapy

A non-absorbed, oral co-polymer therapy under development by Midway Pharmaceuticals demonstrated the ability to protect against damage to healthy gastrointestinal tissues and to prevent lethal bacterial infections in animal models of radiation damage.

3 Dec 2009

Glutamatergic nerve cells regularly generated in the brain

Until only a few years ago, neurogenesis - the process of nerve cell development - was considered to be impossible in the adult brain. The textbooks asserted that dead nerve cells could not be replaced. Then researchers discovered regions in the forebrain in humans in which new nerve cells can be generated throughout life. These so-called GABAergic cells use gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system.

1 Dec 2009

NanoViricides announces filing of its quarterly report with the SEC

NanoViricides, Inc., reports that the Company has filed its quarterly report with the SEC on November 23rd.

30 Nov 2009

ALS research collaboration receives philanthropic funding

Three prominent philanthropic organizations – The Angel Fund, The ALS Therapy Alliance and Project ALS -- dedicated to finding a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have financed a new collaboration between one of the world’s leading ALS researchers and RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi).

30 Nov 2009