Our Impact

Blocking the activity of an enzyme inside fat cells can decrease obesity and related health disorders in mice, according to new research led by the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute.

An international team of scientists has identified how a protein in the brain uses information about the body's energy balance to regulate growth rate and the onset of puberty in children.

In cell and mouse models, metformin suppressed tumor growth in group A posterior fossa ependymomas.

A new study, first started in mice, reveals the mechanism behind cytokine storm during coronavirus infection.

Using a model that mimics psoriasis in mice, researchers found that changing the levels of interferon kappa, a protein made by skin cells, altered the severity of inflammation and production of cell signaling molecules, called cytokines, that induce inflammation characteristic of psoriasis.

Novel large animal research models developed at the University of Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care fill a crucial gap in the translational study of life-threatening critical illness and injury.

Breast cancer stem cells from patients with different racial and ethnic backgrounds showed important differences in activation of immune response-related genes in mouse models. This work suggests that further exploration may help develop new approaches to treat triple-negative breast cancer, thus helping reduce survival disparities in women with African ancestry.

It was a lonely first day at work for Nathan Qi, M.D., Ph.D., on March 1, 2006, as the one and only researcher at the new Animal Phenotyping Core. Now, the 3,000-foot lab is among the top five metabolic phenotyping centers in the country. With a $6 million NIH grant fulfilled and more in progress, Qi’s team works to teach established investigators, postdoctoral fellows, and students at Michigan Medicine how their phenotyping animal research complements related human studies.

The #HOPE4LIVER trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of histotripsy against liver tumors at eight U.S. sites, including the University of Michigan.

The findings in human cells and animal models suggest potential approaches to improve immunotherapy treatment against cancer.