News & notes
Rainbows on the brain
Harvard University researchers led by Jeff Lichtman, M.D., Ph.D., had a problem. How can you investigate neuron connections when there are billions of them and they all look the same? With innovative thinking and a bit of good fortune, they have developed a new technique in mice that makes it much easier to distinguish neurons from one another. As reported in Nature, their idea yielded better-than-expected results, highlighting individual neurons with one of almost 90 different colors. The images are not only stunning but extremely valuable. As scientists delve further into the mysteries of our own brain—and how to heal it—these so-called “Brainbow” mice, now available from The Jackson Laboratory, are a powerful new tool for discovery.
Hope for better leukemia therapies
Led by Leonard Shultz, Ph.D., of The Jackson Laboratory, researchers recently developed a new way to investigate a dangerous cancer, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Chemotherapy treatments for AML are generally effective at first, but research has implicated rare cells called cancer stem cells in the high incidence of cancer recurrence. As reported in Nature Biotechnology, Dr. Shultz and collaborators created a way to research human leukemia in mice. Using their system, the researchers characterized where the stem cells locate within the bone marrow, demonstrated that leukemic stem cells can initiate and renew the disease, and showed that they are highly resistant to conventional chemotherapies. Working with the new research techniques, scientists now have the ability to focus on the development of patient-specific AML therapies that are targeted to leukemic stem cells.
Shedding light on osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, a disease of low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, afflicts about 10 million Americans, mostly women. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, it causes 1.5 million bone fractures with a direct cost of $20 billion a year. The Jackson Laboratory in January organized the 13th annual Maine State Symposium on Osteoporosis to help improve the outlook. Cochaired by Clifford Rosen, M.D., of the Maine Medical Center and The Jackson Laboratory, and Larry Raisz, M.D., of the University of Connecticut, the symposium gathered scientists and clinicians to share research, present case studies and discuss diagnostic developments. Bringing scientists and clinicians together is critical for moving scientific knowledge into the clinic for the benefit of patients. Scientists at the Laboratory continue to study osteoporosis in both clinical and laboratory environments. It’s a formidable challenge to find the genes involved, but it’s clear that genetics plays an important role in the development of osteoporosis. The research findings are vital to developing the next generation of therapies.
