‘Resetting’ the injured brain offers clues for concussion treatment: In mice, ‘turning over’ cells reverses cognitive, behavior problems
New research in mice raises the prospects for development of post-concussion therapies that could ward off cognitive decline and depression, two common conditions among people who have experienced a moderate traumatic brain injury. The study in mice clarified the role of specific immune cells in the brain that contribute to chronic inflammation. Using a technique […]
Ubiquitous nutrients suppress appetite and promote movement
In experiments on mice, researchers at ETH Zurich show that non-essential amino acids act as appetite suppressants and promote the urge to move. Their research provides insight into the neural mechanism that controls this behaviour. Proteins can suppress appetite, so a protein-rich diet can help people lose weight. That’s just one of the reasons why […]
Human gene variant produces attention deficit disorder-like problems in mice
Mutant mice are providing scientists with a new neurobiological framework to understand the brain changes observed in distractible humans who carry a common gene variant whose frequency has been associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The scientists demonstrate that mice that express the variant adopt an inattentive phenotype similar to that seen in humans. […]
Chemical compound promotes healthy aging, study finds: BAM15 helped geriatric mice with obesity add muscle, strength and energy while losing fat
A recently discovered chemical compound helped elderly mice with obesity lose fat and weight, add muscle and strength, reduce age-related inflammation and increase physical activity, a new study shows. The study, published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, provides the first evidence that BAM15, a mitochondrial uncoupler, prevents sarcopenic obesity, or age-related muscle […]
Can weekly prednisone treat obesity? Obese mice gain muscle mass and lose fat with once weekly prednisone
Obese mice that were fed a high-fat diet and that received prednisone one time per week had improved exercise endurance, got stronger, increased their lean body mass and lost weight, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. The mice also had increased muscle metabolism. The once-weekly prednisone promoted nutrient uptake into the muscles. Investigators also found […]
Calorie restriction trial reveals key factors in extending human health
Decades of research has shown that limits on calorie intake by flies, worms, and mice can enhance life span in laboratory conditions. But whether such calorie restriction can do the same for humans remains unclear. Now a new study led by Yale researchers confirms the health benefits of moderate calorie restrictions in humans — and […]
Microbiome of mother’s vagina may affect infant mortality risk and baby’s development, study in mice shows
A new study in mice from University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers showed that an unhealthy vaginal microbiome in pregnant mothers in combination with an unhealthy diet contributed to increased pup deaths and altered development in the surviving babies. The researchers offset these deaths from the unhealthy vaginal microbiome by giving the mothers a […]
‘Human-like’ brain helps robot out of a maze
A maze is a popular device among psychologists to assess the learning capacity of mice or rats. But how about robots? Can they learn to successfully navigate the twists and turns of a labyrinth? Now, researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in […]
Spaceflight wreaks havoc on liver metabolism
The latest findings of a series of studies on mice that examined harmful effects caused by spending time in space show that gene expression related to liver metabolism is altered in response to the space environment. The benefit of these findings is that it may be possible to offset these changes with dietary supplementation during […]
Experimental drug boosts immunotherapy effectiveness in pancreatic cancer in mice
An experimental drug enhanced the benefit of an immunotherapy to fight pancreatic cancer in mice by increasing the number of immune cells in the immediate vicinity of the tumor, leading to a reduction in tumor growth, and in some mice, eliminating their cancer. The findings, from researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and BioXcel […]