Our Impact

U-M researchers have discovered a protein that regulates the gene expression for influential immune cells, paving a path for novel targets to treat inflammatory and allergic diseases.

Clinical trials underway are testing whether drugs that target the androgen receptor – successful in controlling prostate cancer – could also work against the coronavirus.

The main bioactive compound of ginger root lowers autoantibody production and helps halt disease progression in mice with antiphospholipid syndrome and lupus.

A roundup of several recent Michigan Medicine discoveries involving mouse models that are shedding new light on pediatric brain cancers and helping to improve treatment options.

Animal model observation may reveal new cause of hypertension.

A new University of Michigan study reveals that the virus triggers production of antibodies circulating through the blood, causing clots in people hospitalized with the disease.

U-M researchers have figured out how to solve a big problem in COVID-19 research: mice, unlike humans, are not susceptible to the disease. Phil King, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology, with the help of researchers in his lab and the U-M Transgenic Animal Model Core, is genetically engineering a new mouse that will allow scientists to study the effects of COVID-19 on various cell types. Once researchers know where the disease does most of its dirty work, they can begin to create targeted therapies.

Laboratory research involving mouse models paves the way for a clinical trial to see if an FDA-approved drug used to prevent organ transplant rejection can work against these aggressive brain tumors.

To better understand the relationship between oxygen and lung bacteria, researchers designed a series of experiments in mice. When comparing two groups of genetically identical mice—one with bacteria and one without—the mice without bacteria were protected from oxygen-induced lung injury. Ultimately, the study could have implications for the treatment of reduced oxygen levels in critically ill patients.

Researchers are comparing the way genes are expressed in thousands of sperm-forming cells in mice, macaques, and humans to look for similarities and differences. This comparison provides clues about how sperm has evolved in mammals.