The main problem with these studies is the use of a pathology that does not exist in nature. The authors: "... the relevance of IFT88 mutations to human pathology is unknown." The logic follows the line that, "We produced a mouse that doesn't have protein IFT88 and this protein is necessary for cilia growth. We discovered that when we give the mouse a treatment that increases protein IFT88, they grow cilia". An IFT88 protein deficit is not a natural illness. It was apparently produced by a type of selective inbreeding. It reminds me of the attempts to treat scopolamine-induced memory disorder. A number of medications were effective but none panned out as effective with any naturally-occurring memory disorder.
I wonder if the hearing and balance systems are poor in these mice. The cilia in these systems are much more important than smell. Mike Williams On 9/4/12 1:00 AM, Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) digest wrote: > TIPS Digest for Monday, September 03, 2012. > > 1. What's That Smell? > 2. What's That Smell: Dogs& Orcas Edition > 3. Re: What's That Smell: Dogs& Orcas Edition > 4. The Effective But Forgotten Benezet Method of K-8 Education > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: What's That Smell? > From: Michael Palij<m...@nyu.edu> > Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2012 08:59:40 -0400 > X-Message-Number: 1 > > Some new research involving gene therapy in a mouse model shows > promise for treating a group of disorders called ciliopathies which are > dysfunctions of the cilia. Most psychologists are familiar with cilia > from the role they play in hearing, seeing, and smell. The new research > focuses on how to repair the cilia in mice that have genetically disabled > olfactory cilia, that is, mice who are born without a sense of smell. > If such gene therapy is effective in humans, then a number of ciliopathies > might be cured or significantly improved. > > The popular media has picked up on the story and here is one example > of their presentation: > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19409154 > > A pop science presentation on the Science Daily website is available > here (it provides much more detail and additional links): > http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120902143147.htm > > Some of the researchers involved in the study are at the University > of Michigan and the U of M media office provided this press release: > http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201209/smell > > The original research is published in Nature Medicine: > http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nm.2860.html > > The reference for the article is: > > Jeremy C McIntyre, Erica E Davis, Ariell Joiner, Corey L Williams, > I-Chun Tsai, Paul M Jenkins, Dyke P McEwen, Lian Zhang, John > Escobado, Sophie Thomas, Katarzyna Szymanska, Colin A Johnson, > Philip L Beales, Eric D Green, James C Mullikin, NISC Comparative > Sequencing Program, Aniko Sabo, Donna M Muzny, Richard A Gibbs, > Tania Attié-Bitach, Bradley K Yoder, Randall R Reed, Nicholas Katsanis, > Jeffrey R Martens. (2012). > Gene therapy rescues cilia defects and restores olfactory function > in a mammalian ciliopathy model. > Nature Medicine, 2012; > DOI: 10.1038/nm.2860 > > I suspect that if this research is successful in humans, then olfactory > abilities lost to toxins and age might be successfully treated. It may > be particularly useful in the elderly who have developed a diminished > sense of smell. > > -Mike Palij > New York University > m...@nyu.edu > > P.S. One point for the person who can guess which movie the subject > line is from. ;-) > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@jab.org. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=20198 or send a blank email to leave-20198-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
