Humans helping dogs helping humans… through cleft palate surgery!
At Michigan State University, one lucky dog has benefited from surgery to fix a cleft palate. But that’s not the best news – not only has the procedure worked out well for the dog in question, but this canine might be able to help doctors out in return by providing some insight into the potential […]
Alcoholism: New treatment options on the horizon?
Researchers understand that the addictiveness of alcohol has to do with pleasure centers in the brain, and that alcohol consumption causes the release of dopamine, a neurochemical associated with several pleasurable behaviors. Current treatments that focus on dopamine have unwanted side effects- but fortunately, new research may have uncovered a new treatment option! Medications currently […]
Vampire spiders preventing malaria?
Vampire spiders: it sounds like the subject of a bad dream, but in areas where malaria kills hundreds of thousands each year, these arachnids could actually be a dream come true! Two specific species of spiders, Evarcha culicivora (found in East Africa) and Paracyrba wanlessi (found in Malaysia), primarily prey on the female mosquitoes and […]
Blocking cancer cells from growing back after chemotherapy
Chemotherapy kills cancer cells, but it can also trigger the immune system to repair the tumor that was supposed to be destroyed. After chemo has killed cancer cells in a tumor, white blood cells can cluster around the site in an attempt to heal the ‘wounded’ tumor. These white blood cells may actually be responsible […]
Endangered Rhino Saved by Elephant Skin?
Rhinos continue to be in danger of poaching for their horns. In South Africa in 2014, 1,215 rhinos were killed, in comparison with only 333 rhinos killed in 2010. But recently, a 12-year-old rhino named Hope was given a second chance after poachers cut her horn off. Hope’s entire front horn was cut off, and […]
Armadillos in Research: What’s the Scoop?
Armadillos are interesting creatures, and either you think they’re adorable or you think they have a face that only a mother could love. But regardless of where you stand on their looks, the fact remains that armadillos have been pretty important in biomedical research. Did you know that armadillos have been important in the development […]
Vaccine to prevent mononucleosis could be on the horizon
Mononucleosis is a contagious disease that is most often caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Symptoms can include fatigue, fever, rash, sore throat, aches and pains, and swollen lymph nodes, liver and spleen. Unfortunately, the disease takes a while to kick–while some patient improve within a couple of weeks, symptoms have been known to last […]
Octopus Genome Unlocked
Is it octopuses or octopi? Well, technically, you can use either term. The cool name options aren’t the only amazing things about these animals, though, and in exciting news, researchers have finally sequenced the octopus’ large genome. Scientists also worked to understand gene expression in a dozen different types of tissue from these interesting creatures. […]
Quitting smoking with the help of a Pac-Man enzyme
While there are aids available to help smokers quit their habits, unfortunately, most don’t have great success rates. However, researchers have discovered a bacterial enzyme that might prove to be more successful than smoking cessation aids that are currently on the market. Pseudomonas putida is a bacterium that was isolated from tobacco fields, and researchers […]