Our Impact

A study conducted using U-M's germ-free mouse facility offers new clues about how the composition of the gut microbiome may contribute to the development of colorectal cancer.

U-M researchers have spent years developing mouse models that would allow for testing new therapies for rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathies resulting from a single genetic mutation. Their research now suggests that SCN8A encephalopathy could be improved with a treatment already approved for other uses.

A study in mice finds that a compound modelled on a protein found in bananas safely protects against multiple strains of the influenza virus.

An anti-cancer compound developed at the University of Michigan has shown “profound” activity in mouse models against two subtypes of leukemia — representing up to 40% of patients — a U-M research team reports in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. A Phase I clinical trial, using a structurally related analog of the compound, also began enrolling patients in the fall of 2019.

In a study involving germ-free mice, Michigan Medicine researchers have unlocked a mechanism behind how the body decides whether or not to absorb iron from the food–one that involves the trillions of bacteria in our guts known as the gut microbiome. What these intriguing findings suggest is an unconventional treatment for iron-related disorders, such as anemia.

A potent and selective degrader of the transcription factor STAT3 offers a new approach to a previously “undruggable” target. In a mouse model of leukemia, the degrader eliminated all of the tumors, with the mice remaining tumor-free for 60 days. In two mouse models of lymphoma, the drug eliminated all of the tumors for more than 100 days.

New research published in Nature Immunology shows that a combination of two immune-system factors could open up new avenues for treating Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

In a new study involving mouse models and prostate cancer cell lines, University of Michigan (U-M) researchers have demonstrated the preliminary effectiveness of a new set of compounds that offer a potential advance in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer — one that appears to avoid many of the usual mechanisms of treatment resistance.

Groundbreaking new research involving mouse models marries high-intensity focused ultrasound with genetically modified cells, which may spur bone and soft tissue regeneration.

Recent research from Michigan Medicine scientists may help solve the mystery of how to detect and deal with higher-than-usual blood clot risk in patients who have experienced unprovoked venous thromboembolism. The study, done in mice and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, explores the role of inflammation in the development of deep vein thrombosis.