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Dog DNA may hold clues to eczema for humans
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on May 13, 2013 Dr. Kerstin Lindblad-Toh at Uppsala University (Sweden) who specializes in comparative genomics and Dr. Åke Hedhammar, SLU (Sweden) recently identified a novel gene in German shepherd dogs, PKP-2, that encodes a protein (plakophilin-2) important for regulating proper skin structure and function. This protein was found to be associated with canine atopic dermatitis (i.e. doggy eczema), a…
Gene therapy cures dogs of type 1 diabetes
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on February 18, 2013 Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar. The cause of high blood sugar differs for people with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes. For type 1 diabetics, the pancreas produces little or no insulin, the hormone responsible for lowering blood sugar. For type 2 diabetics, tissues in the body are not responsive to insulin, termed…
Dog smarts
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on February 6, 2013 I just found out there is a website, Dognition, dedicated to helping you discover just how smart your furry friend is. The site claims that dogs are actually smarter than we think and that even the apparently dumbest dog is intelligent in one way or another. (There is hope for my dog after all!) The scientist behind the website…
Cancer: A common enemy of dogs and people
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on January 29, 2013 You may recall a prior blog entry about a new experimental treatment for bone cancer in dogs. Researchers are increasingly studying canine cancer and discovering that it is caused by some of the same genetic mutations that cause cancer in humans. Shown in the image above is Jasper, a 7-year old dog that has lymphoma,…
The domestication of dogs
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on January 26, 2013 New genetic analyses supports the argument that the domestication of man’s best friend coincided with the advent of argiculture and human settlements. Researchers Erik Axelsson (Uppsala University, Sweden) and colleagues present evidence suggesting that wolves became domesticated as they increasingly scavenged in the human settlements. The researchers sequenced DNA from 12 wolves and 60 dogs to find areas that…
Training dogs to smell bacteria
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on December 17, 2012 Researchers have actually trained a beagle named Cliff to detect the intestinal bacteria Clostridium difficile on patients and in stool samples that were collected from infected patients in the Netherlands. This infection is common in hospitals and long-term treatment facilities. Infection with the contagious C. diff results in diarrhea that has been responsible for the deaths…
Nasal cells used to help paralyzed dog walk again
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on November 21, 2012 Jasper is just one of the injured dogs that this research team has been able to help walk following an injection of nasal cells:
What are animals thinking?
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on November 7, 2012 I know what I’m doing tonight! I just heard about a special called “What Are Animals Thinking” that will be airing tonight on NOVA ScienceNOW. To check local listings, click here. Watch What Are Animals Thinking? Preview on PBS. See more from NOVA scienceNOW.
Humans vs. Dogs
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on October 10, 2012 I just watched a funny entry submitted for the 2012 American Physiological Society’s (APS) video contest on some of the differences betweens humans and dogs. The authors of the video were Nate Brault and Thomas Szamocki from Beloit College. It is also available in the APS Archive of Teaching Resources, a searchable archive of teaching…
Dogs prevent asthma?
Posted by Dr. Dolittle on July 6, 2012 Recent research has shown that dogs may offer protection from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common virus in infants associated with high risks for the development of asthma. Mice fed dust from homes with dogs prior to exposure to RSV showed immunity to the virus when compared to mice fed dust from dog-free homes. Moreover,…