A drug typically prescribed for arthritis halts brain-damaging seizures in mice that have a condition like epilepsy, according to researchers at UW–Madison. If the drug proves viable for human patients, it would be the first to provide lasting relief from seizures even after they stopped taking it.
animal research
Human stem cell-derived heart cells are safe in monkeys, could treat congenital heart disease
Regenerating tissue to support healthy heart function could keep hearts beating stronger and longer, and this is where stem cell research is stepping in.
Brain cell grafts in monkeys jump-start human trial for new Parkinson’s treatment
People with Parkinson’s disease are receiving a new treatment in a clinical trial started after University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists demonstrated the safety and feasibility of the therapeutic delivery method in a study of non-human primates.
Studying dogs
UW–Madison researchers study animals only when there is no other way to answer important questions about the biology of complex living organisms. While dogs have made up a very small proportion of animals in studies at UW–Madison, that research has addressed important health concerns. Dogs have been vital to UW–Madison studies of cancer treatment and prevention, organ transplants, vaccines and more that have benefited both human and animal patients.
All creatures great and small: Sequencing the blue whale and Etruscan shrew genomes
Size doesn’t matter when it comes to genome sequencing in the animal kingdom, as a team of researchers at the Morgridge Institute for Research recently illustrated when assembling the sequences for two new reference genomes — one from the world’s largest mammal and one from one of the smallest.
Alzheimer’s sleep research
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Massachusetts Amherst are collaborating on a study of marmoset monkeys to learn about the role poor sleep plays in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, debilitating disorders that often result in deadly complications. Learn more here.
Study identifies promising target for treating inflammatory bowel disease and colitis-induced colorectal cancers
Researchers uncovered a previously unknown function of a protein that is central to gut health and implicated in the development of colitis, a severe and chronic form of IBD.
UW researchers uncover new clues about the cause of common birth defects
The research has uncovered new information about orofacial development in mice that researchers believe could one day help reduce the risk of these birth defects in humans.
Knowing what dogs like to watch could help veterinarians assess their vision
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have taken a novel approach to assessing canine vision. Their recent study uses a dog’s interest in a variety of video content to better measure the quality of its vision.
Mice eating less of specific amino acid — overrepresented in diet of obese people — live longer, healthier
A calorie may not be just a calorie according to new research from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.