http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/mice/ The mouse. What have researchers learned from obese mice, anxious mice and cancer-resistant mice? Read research using mouse models of disease. en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:05:01 EST Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/mice/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151449.htm Using novel techniques, a Dutch researcher has cast new light on the replication of coronaviruses, a family of viruses including the cause of SARS. He has shown, using luminescent viruses, how coronaviruses use host cells and how we can use the intracellular processes to attack the virus. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse with even worse hearing? Ironically, a new strain of mice with "golden ears" -- mice that have outstanding hearing as they age. The new mouse hears much like people with "golden ears" -- people who are able to retain great hearing even as they grow older. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106112119.htm A shot of espresso may rev you up in the morning, but the downside is that it may also ramp up levels of bad cholesterol due to its effects on a unique liver protein called PXR. New research now shows that when chronically activated, the protein rejiggers how cholesterol is broken down in and cleared from the liver, a disturbance that can lead to high levels of the waxy substance or worse, full-blown atherosclerosis. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106112119.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132450.htm A gene associated with longevity in roundworms and humans has been shown to affect the function of stem cells that generate new neurons in the adult brain, according to researchers. The study in mice suggests that the gene may play an important role in maintaining cognitive function during aging. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132450.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028192611.htm Two genetic mutations that may put individuals at increased risk of fungal infections have been identified by scientists, increasing understanding about the genetic basis of these infections and potentially aiding the development of new treatments. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028192611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162024.htm Influenza viruses evade infection-fighting antibodies by constantly changing the shape of their major surface protein. Now, researchers have proposed a new explanation for the evolutionary forces that drive antigenic drift. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029162024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152812.htm Despite a 30-year lifespan that gives ample time for cells to grow cancerous, a small rodent species called a naked mole rat has never been found with tumors of any kind -- and now biologists think they know why. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093230.htm The probiotic, Bacillus polyfermenticus, can help mice recover from colitis. Mice treated with B.P. during the non-inflammatory period of the disease had reduced rectal bleeding, their tissues were less inflamed and they gained more weight than mice that did not receive the treatment. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122846.htm Scientists found that a lipid kinase directs a voltage-gated calcium channel's degradation to save neurons from a lethal dose of overexcitement. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021101812.htm Too much light at night can lead to symptoms of depression, according to a new study in mice. Researchers found that mice housed in a lighted room 24 hours a day exhibited more depressive symptoms than did similar mice that had a normal light-dark cycle. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021101812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192206.htm One of the many reasons to pick a low-calorie and low-fat diet is that host of epidemiological studies have suggested that such a diet may delay the onset or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Now a study tests the effects of several diets for their effects on Alzheimer's disease pathology. Unexpectedly, the researchers found that a high protein diet apparently led to a smaller brain. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192206.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105335.htm Research has previously assumed that animals and plants developed different genetic programs for cell death. Now scientists have shown that parts of the genetic programs that determine programmed cell death in plants and animals are actually evolutionarily related and moreover function in a similar way. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105335.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122647.htm Over-expressing a gene that lets brain cells communicate just a fraction of a second longer makes a smarter rat. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015084549.htm A naturally produced molecule called resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, has been shown to lower insulin levels in mice when injected directly into the brain, even when the animals ate a high-fat diet. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015084549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141601.htm Applying a small mechanical force to embryonic stem cells could be a new way of coaxing them into a specific direction of differentiation, researchers report. Applications for force-directed cell differentiation include therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091018141601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015123544.htm Out of the trillions of "friendly" bacteria -- representing hundreds of species -- that make our intestines their home, new evidence in mice suggests that it may be a very select few that shape our immune responses. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015123544.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141514.htm Our body's activity levels fall and rise to the beat of our internal drums -- the 24-hour cycles that govern fundamental physiological functions, from sleeping and feeding patterns to the energy available to our cells. Whereas the master clock in the brain is set by light, the pacemakers in peripheral organs are set by food availability. The underlying molecular mechanism was unknown. Now, researchers are shedding light on the long missing connection: A metabolic master switch, which, when thrown, allows nutrients to directly alter the rhythm of peripheral clocks. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230536.htm A new mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis closely resembles humans with the paralyzing disorder, researchers report. "As far as we know, this is the first mouse model that recapitulates "typical" ALS to be produced in more than a decade," says the senior author. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012230536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013112516.htm At the moment, doctors rely on biopsy analysis to determine the progression of eye cancer. However, researchers now believe that a new technology, bioluminescence imaging, will allow doctors to detect tumors earlier and quickly choose a method of treatment that doesn't necessarily involve eye surgery. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013112516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105826.htm Searching for biomarkers that can warn of diseases such as cancer while they are still in their earliest stage is likely to become far easier thanks to an innovative biosensor chip. The sensor is up to 1,000 times more sensitive than technology now in clinical use, accurate regardless of which bodily fluid is being analyzed and can detect biomarker proteins over a concentration range three times broader than existing methods. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161120.htm Engineers have boosted stem cells' ability to regenerate vascular tissue (such as blood vessels) by equipping them with genes that produce extra growth factors (naturally occurring compounds that stimulate tissue growth). In a study in mice, the researchers found that the stem cells successfully generated blood vessels near the site of an injury, allowing damaged tissue to survive. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005161120.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008143001.htm An international team of paleontologists has discovered a new species of mammal that lived in China's Liaoning Province 123 million years ago. This remarkably well preserved fossil offers important insight into how the mammalian middle ear evolved. Such exquisite dinosaur-age mammals provide evidence of how developmental mechanisms have impacted the evolution of the earliest mammals. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008143001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006093341.htm A new study shows that the brain plays a key role in mediating resveratrol's anti-diabetic actions, potentially paving the way for future orally delivered diabetes medications that target the brain. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006093341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008143005.htm Mathematicians and life scientists say they have identified the signal that the brain sends to the rest of the body to control biological rhythms, a finding that overturns a long-held theory about our internal clock. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008143005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006122322.htm We've all heard about the damage that reactive oxygen species -- aka free radicals -- can do to our bodies and the sales pitches for antioxidant vitamins, skin creams or "superfoods" that can stop them. In fact, there is considerable scientific evidence that chronic ROS production within cells can contribute to human diseases, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006122322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006102635.htm During cell division, whether hematopoietic stem cells will develop into new stem cells or differentiate into other blood cells depends on a chemical process called DNA methylation. Researchers showed that DNA methylation also plays a crucial role for cancer stem cells. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006102635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095204.htm A new study resolves a 130-year-old mystery over the developmental origin of specialized skin cells involved in touch sensation. Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929091933.htm A new genetic tool will enable scientists to study vocal learning and neurogenesis at the molecular level in songbirds. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929091933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090927152828.htm Never mind facial masks and exfoliating scrubs, skin takes care of itself. Stem cells located within the skin actively generate differentiating cells that can ultimately form either the body surface or the hairs that emanate from it. In addition, these stem cells are able to replenish themselves, continually rejuvenating skin and hair. Now, researchers have identified two proteins that enable these skin stem cells to undertake this continuous process of self-renewal. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090927152828.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110518.htm Scientists can now explain how prolonged stress sparks the endoplasmic reticulum to release its calcium stores, inducing cells to undergo apoptosis in several aging-related diseases. Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110521.htm A network of proteins underlying the plasma membrane keeps epithelial cells in shape and maintains their orderly hexagonal packing in the mouse lens, according to new research. Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110521.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134650.htm Researchers have shown that, at least in laboratory mice, bouts of relatively short-term stress can boost the immune system and protect against one type of cancer. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of this occasional angst seem to last for weeks after the stressful situation has ended. The finding is surprising because chronic stress has the opposite effect -- taxing the immune system and increasing susceptibility to disease. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134650.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916153136.htm Sleep experts have identified a genetic variation in humans, which the scientists also developed in mouse models, that allows a rare number of people to require less sleep than others. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916153136.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911095435.htm The detection of approaching objects, such as looming predators, is necessary for survival. Which neurons and nerve circuits mediate this function? A new type of nerve cell, sensitive to approaching motion, has recently been identified in mice. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911095435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909151921.htm Researchers have shown that individual cells isolated from the biological clock can keep daily time all by themselves. However, by themselves, they are unreliable. The neurons get out of synch. The 20,000 neurons comprising the biological clock, remarkably, contain the machinery to generate daily, or circadian, rhythms in gene expression and electrical activity. But the individual cells are sloppy and must communicate with one another to establish a coherent 24-hour rhythm. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909151921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909124129.htm A biologist has discovered a new species of giant rat on a filmmaking expedition to a remote rainforest in New Guinea. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909124129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907214310.htm Insects, such as some moths and fruit flies, react to microbial infection in the same way as mammals and so can be used to test the efficiency of new drugs, thereby reducing the need for animal testing. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907214310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909133018.htm Sharing the fruits of research in the biomedical sciences is critical for the advance of knowledge, yet with the advent of large-scale data gathering following the completion of the genome projects this is becoming harder to facilitate and more difficult to monitor, experts report. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909133018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908104001.htm Salmonella is regarded as a bad guy. Hardly a summer passes without reports of severe salmonella infections via raw egg dishes or chicken. But salmonella may not only harm us -- in the future, it may even help protect us against cancer. Researchers may soon have a way to make the bacteria migrate into solid tumors in order to make it easier to destroy them. Furthermore, in laboratory mice, the bacteria independently find their way into metastases, where they can also aid clearance of cancer. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908104001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165059.htm Using a finding that the genetic complexity of tumors in mice parallels that in humans, researchers are starting trial studies in mice, just like human clinical trials, to evaluate whether understanding tumor diversity can improve cancer treatment. Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165059.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163719.htm Researchers have identified a gene that acts as a master switch to control obesity in mice. When the switch is turned off, even high-fat-diet mice remain thin. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903163719.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901172826.htm One way in which men and women differ is in their expression of liver proteins that control energy generation and lipid and steroid hormone production and turnover. Researchers have identified a new mechanism -- involving a process known as sumoylation -- underlying this differential expression of proteins in male and female mice. They also suggest drugs that may prevent estrogen-induced intrahepatic cholestasis, the most common liver disease during pregnancy. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901172826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133629.htm Scientists have traced the evolution of the four-chambered human heart to a common genetic factor linked to the development of hearts in turtles and other reptiles. The research shows how a specific protein that turns on genes is involved in heart formation in turtles, lizards and humans. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827141342.htm In a vivid illustration of natural selection at work, scientists have found that deer mice living in Nebraska's Sand Hills quickly evolved lighter coloration after glaciers deposited sand dunes atop what had been much darker soil. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827141342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901105153.htm Juice extracted from North American lowbush blueberries, biotransformed with bacteria from the skin of the fruit, holds great promise as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agent. The study was conducted by researchers who tested the effects of biotransformed juices compared to regular blueberry drinks on mice. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901105153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830192034.htm Researchers have developed a new, more efficient way of cloning zebra fish, a breakthrough that could have implications for human health research. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830192034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090821135013.htm A Japanese research group has found that after a cerebral stroke in one side of a mouse brain, another side of the brain rewires its neural circuits to recuperate from damaged neural function. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090821135013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174226.htm When bees sting, they pump poison into their victims. Now the toxin in bee venom has been harnessed to kill tumor cells. Researchers attached the major component of bee venom to nano-sized spheres that they call nanobees. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810174226.htm