The “Rat Scratcher” was presented with the 2019 Janet Wood Innovation Award at the Institute of Animal Technology Congress in Liverpool, England earlier this month. The award, a program of the Datesand Group, aims to encourage laboratory animal technicians to come up with ideas that support the Three R’s of animal research: replacement, reduction and… Read more
Researchers from the University of Basel have helped to unravel the relationship between stress hormones and cancer metastasis. Using a rodent model of triple negative breast cancer, the scientists found that metastases had increased levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Mice with metastases also had higher levels of stress hormones like cortisol, which increased GR levels…. Read more
Breast cancer is a very active area of research, and we regularly review publications about new treatments. But experience shows that early-stage, preclinical research results do not often translate into successful treatment in humans. So when we saw the promising outcomes of a clinical trial of a new “smart drug” to treat women with metastatic… Read more
Diet and exercise play a role in the development of a number of chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart disease. Cancer and diet have also been associated, but until now, scientists did not understand why. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have found the likely link. AGEs – or advanced glycation… Read more
The Parsemus Foundation began working on a new male contraceptive called Vasalgel a number of years ago. In 2013, Revolution Contraceptives was formed as a social venture company to develop Vasalgel and bring it to market. Revolution Contraceptives has grown over the last couple of years to meet the increasingly diverse and complex demands related… Read more
Revolution Contraceptives received a $200,000 grant from the Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) to advance Vasalgel towards human trials. The grant will support preclinical studies that will evaluate contraceptive effectiveness, procedural simplicity, reversibility, and safety. This proof-of-concept study will build on results from earlier preclinical studies and should support a future application for clinical trials in… Read more
For those suffering from pain related to spinal fractures due to osteoporosis, spinal fusion may not be the answer. Cementing crumbling vertebrae to fuse bones together – called vertebroplasty – is common practice for osteoporosis patients. Over 750,000 vertebroplasty procedures are conducted annually in the United States. According to a task force of the American… Read more
We’ve all seen advertising for genetic testing services, offering insight into your ancestry as well as health based on your genetic code. But Drs. Michael Hochman and Pieter Cohen warn that genetic tests offered directly to consumers without input from a physician or geneticist can be problematic. They note that genetic tests for BRCA mutations… Read more
Innovative Veterinary Care Journal publishes a review of research on the consequences of canine gonadectomy and of methods to sterilize dogs while preserving hormones for long-term health. In the United States, spaying or neutering a dog has become standard practice to reduce pet overpopulation. Yet recent research has shed light on the long-term health impacts… Read more
You’ve probably heard of the “microbiome” in your gut, but did you know that the glands in breast tissue have a microbiome as well? Even more amazing, the breast microbiome can be influenced by what you eat. Scientists at Wake Forest Medical School recently published their findings in Cell Reports on a study conducted in… Read more