Taconic Insights

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. To increase awareness, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CC Alliance) has launched a public awareness campaign called "Don't Assume". This organization aims to challenge assumptions about colorectal cancer through online, print, and social media marketing. Unfortunately, this type of cancer is the third most common cancer in the US and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths1. While previous studies have...

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) arise from a convergence of underlying genetic susceptibility, immune system dysfunction, environmental factors, and shifts in gut microbiota. Due to the multifactorial feature of these diseases, different animal models have been utilized to investigate the underlying mechanisms and develop potential therapeutic strategies. Colitis Animal Models In the table below, we summarize commonly used colitis mouse models and provide key features and tips for...

Immunogenic tumor cells often display protein antigens at their surface, which can be recognized by T cells and serve as a signal for T cells to attack the tumor. However, one long-standing paradox is that tumor-specific T cells often co-exist with the tumor cells. If a T cell has already recognized the tumor cells, why can't the T cell kill them at an early stage? How T...

Enterovirus-A71 (EV-A71), a member of the genus Enterovirus in the Picornaviridae family1, is one of the most common causes of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in younger children2,3 and occasionally causes large-scale epidemics worldwide, especially within the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, EV-A71 is consistently associated with severe complications of the neurological and pulmonary system that may result in permanent paralysis or even death, especially among younger...

New research is regularly being published on the connection between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system (CNS) — together known as the gut-brain axis. Alterations in the composition of intestinal microbiota have also been associated with antibiotic use and the progression of infectious diseases. Historically, we have reported on the link between Parkinson's disease and the microbiome, how high salt diets may alter the microbiome,...

Vision researchers are very familiar with several mutations which can affect sight in mice. Chang et al. cataloged 16 separate mutations causing retinal degeneration. Two of the better known mutations are Pde6brd1 (commonly called rd1) and Crb1rd8 (commonly called rd8). The rd1 mutation is present in a number of inbred strains, such as FVB and SJL, and causes blindness by weaning age. The rd8 mutation is present...

Adult neurogenesis is the process of generating new neurons after embryonic and postnatal development have concluded. The creation of neural connections later in life has important implications for learning and memory, cognitive decline, and neurobiological diseases such as Alzheimer's. As a result, this topic has garnered a vast amount of attention in contemporary research. Despite such scrutiny, however, both the prevalence and significance of adult neurogenesis in...

Welcoming a new cohort of animals into your facility can be very exciting for the research team; this is, unfortunately, very stressful for the animals. Stress induced by transportation, cage changes, initial weigh-ins, and changes in food and watering systems is very common when animals are introduced to a new facility. Stressed animals are more susceptible to secondary illnesses and can have elevated hormone levels for up...

Dr. Jens Hoffmann of EPO presented a webinar highlighting new data on preclinical immuno-oncology research using humanized models. The growth in immuno-oncology (IO) research has created a need for more relevant models. The IO field includes many types of drugs, including: genetically engineered immune cells such as CAR-T cells various antibody-based therapies such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and bi-specific T cell engagers (BITEs) oncolytic viruses and bacteria...

February marks American Heart Month — a campaign aimed at educating citizens about the importance of cardiovascular health. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is encouraging visitors to their website to adopt heart-healthy behaviors through increasing exercise, as well as positive diet and lifestyle changes. Why Heart Month? Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death amongst both men and women in the U.S. each...