mouse Archives - Family Medicine News

The right mouse model is crucial for Huntington’s disease drug development

11.12.2019 Health Problems

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an incurable and fatal hereditary disease. Developing disease-modifying drugs to treat patients with HD depends on studying them in animal models. Scientists evaluated the mouse models used for developing new treatments for mood disorders in HD and recommended which of these models are most relevant to their studies. Their findings are published in the Journal of […]

Scientists identify the cells behind nicotine aversion in the mouse brain

26.11.2019 Health Problems

If you have ever smoked, or know someone who has—they might tell you that smoking a cigarette probably felt disgusting at first. Taryn Grieder has a personal interest in understanding why people continue to smoke despite the initial revulsion and countless health risks. “In my family we have six people and five of us—everyone but me—smoke, or at least they […]

Broken brain cells repaired in dementia mouse model

27.05.2019 Health Problems

Dysfunctional neurons in the hippocampus of adult female mice modeling dementia can be repaired and reconnected to distant parts of the brain, reports a new study published in JNeurosci. The similarity between the mouse model and the human condition underscores the therapeutic potential of targeting these cells in dementia patients. The hippocampus generates new brain cells throughout life and is […]

Growing a brain: Two-step control mechanism identified in mouse stem cells

18.12.2018 Health Problems

Scientists have identified two distinct control mechanisms in the developmental transition of undifferentiated stem cells into healthy brain cells. This fundamental research using mice may inform regenerative medicine treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and spinal cord injuries, in the future. When an embryo develops, stem cells differentiate into all the types of cells that the adult will need. Neural stem cells […]

Mouse study mirrors human findings that link chemotherapy and APOE4 to cognitive issues

05.10.2018 Health Problems

The research, led by Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) investigators and published in Neurotoxicity Research, complements findings from another GUMC-led study, published Oct. 3, that found a subset of breast cancer patients who experience long lasting cognitive deficits also have the APOE4 gene. Cancer survivors often report memory difficulties and this study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), […]

Downward-facing mouse: Stretching reduces tumor growth in mouse model of breast cancer

23.05.2018 Health Problems

Many cancer patients seek out gentle, movement-based stretching techniques such as yoga, tai chi and qigong, but does stretching have an effect on cancer? While many animal studies have attempted to quantify the effects of exercise on the disease, results have been mixed. Furthermore, studies in animals involve levels of vigorous exercise that can be difficult for cancer patients. Investigators […]

Mouse study identifies new target for human accelerated aging syndrome

27.04.2018 Health Problems

Scientists from the University of Cambridge have identified a potential therapeutic target in the devastating genetic disease Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), which is characterised by premature ageing. In a paper published today in Nature Communications, scientists provide preclinical data showing that chemical inhibition or genetic deregulation of the enzyme N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) leads to significant health and lifespan gains in […]

Mouse study links early metastasis to systemic inflammation caused by wound healing

12.04.2018 Health Problems

According to new research conducted in mice by Whitehead Institute scientists, surgery in breast cancer patients, which while often curative, may trigger a systemic immunosuppressive response, allowing the outgrowth of dormant cancer cells at distant sites whose ability to generate tumors had previously been kept in check by the immune system. Taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) around the time […]

Drug helps mouse and monkey brains recover from stroke

06.04.2018 Health Problems

A team of researchers from several institutions in Japan has found that a certain drug in conjunction with physical therapy has resulted in improved recovery from a stroke in mice and monkeys. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their study of the impact of the drug on mice and monkeys and what they found. Simon […]

Injecting gene cocktail into mouse pancreas leads to humanlike tumors

06.04.2018 Health Problems

Novel technology developed at UT Health San Antonio gives rise to mouse pancreatic tumors that have the same traits as human pancreatic cancer. A U.S. patent is pending on the invention. The technology could revolutionize studies of pancreatic cancer initiation and progression and spur new drug development. An article published in the journal Carcinogenesis (Oxford University Press) describes this unique […]