New research demonstrates the potential for a family of viruses in African primates to jump the species barrier to humans.
Science & Technology
Monitoring an invasion: Where are jumping worms now?
Invasive jumping worms threaten soil health in Wisconsin, including in Dane County where the population has infested the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum. Brad Herrick leads crews of volunteers to survey for the worms so that researchers can study their movements and possibly find ways to halt their spread.
Avian influenza persists as migration peaks
The persistence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild and domestic birds through the summer months points to a likely rise in cases this fall, according to Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Director Keith Poulsen.
Creating stem cells from minipigs offers promise for improved treatments
A new study from Wan-Ju Li’s lab in the UW–Madison Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center advances research into reparative osteoarthritis therapies using stem cells derived from the ears of miniature pigs.
See-through zebrafish, new imaging method put blood stem cells in high-resolution spotlight
This new technique will aid researchers as they develop therapies for blood diseases and cancers.
New understanding of ‘superantigens’ could lead to improved staph infection treatments
Researchers at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine explain that the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus not only causes illness, but undermines the body’s ability to heal — a finding that could point toward new approaches to fighting infection.
UW Veterinary Care offers rabbit vaccine against highly contagious, fatal disease
The clinic is one of about a dozen animal hospitals in the state to offer the vaccine and part of a growing effort nationally to encourage rabbit owners to seek vaccination.
Biodegradable gel boosts immune system’s attack on several cancers in mice
The gel, tested in mice, releases drugs and special antibodies that simultaneously deplete immune-blocking cells called macrophages from the surgical site and activate T cells so they can attack cancer.
Canine TV preferences could lead to answers in protecting dogs’ eyesight
A UW study is asking dog owners what their pets like to watch — a nontrivial question that could lay the groundwork for developing better canine eye tests.
Mouse study may help doctors choose treatments for leukemia patients
By exploring the ways mice responded, researchers hope to gain an understanding of the sorts of human health issues that may bring on a case of this life-threatening form of cancer.