Written by: Cynthia Hernandez on October 7, 2010. Despite opposition, use of embryos for testing continues Why is the United States such a powerful country? Is it because we have a democracy? Is it because our military capabilities exceed those of others? Is it because we have succeeded at prioritizing those policies that are most beneficial to the citizenry? From civil rights movements to fighting a war on terror, the United States is at the forefront of advancement or is it? It is safe to assume that most Americans support research and education. It is usually the case that anyone who is influential in some form or another has a significant educational background. From lobbyists to police officers to the president of the United States, education plays a critical role in numerous professions. One critical aspect of education is research. For example, political scientists research the political implications of differing democratic systems, biologists research DNA and English scholars research literary and poetic forms. These topics will usually only interest and be of importance to people in similar fields. But when research on a particular topic ignites controversy, it becomes a battle of academia versus personal beliefs. Here is the original … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 16-Feb-2014 Contact: Bradley Olwin bradley.olwin@colorado.edu 303-492-6816 University of Colorado at Boulder New findings on why skeletal muscle stem cells stop dividing and renewing muscle mass during aging points up a unique therapeutic opportunity for managing muscle-wasting conditions in humans, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study. According to CU-Boulder Professor Bradley Olwin, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function as we age can lead to sarcopenia, a debilitating muscle-wasting condition that generally hits the elderly hardest. The new study indicates that altering two particular cell-signaling pathways independently in aged mice enhances muscle stem cell renewal and improves muscle regeneration. One cell-signaling pathway the team identified, known as p38 MAPK, appears to be a major player in making or breaking the skeletal muscle stem cell, or satellite cell, renewal process in adult mice, said Olwin of the molecular, cellular and developmental biology department. Hyperactivation of the p38 MAPK cell-signaling pathway inhibits the renewal of muscle stem cells in aged mice, perhaps because of cellular stress and inflammatory responses acquired during the aging process. The researchers knew that obliterating the p38 MAPK pathway in the stem cells of adult mice would block the renewal of satellite cells, … Continue reading →

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) February 16, 2014 New findings on why skeletal muscle stem cells stop dividing and renewing muscle mass during aging points up a unique therapeutic opportunity for managing muscle-wasting conditions in humans, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study. According to CU-Boulder Professor Bradley Olwin, the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function as we age can lead to sarcopenia, a debilitating muscle-wasting condition that generally hits the elderly hardest. The new study indicates that altering two particular cell-signaling pathways independently in aged mice enhances muscle stem cell renewal and improves muscle regeneration. One cell-signaling pathway the team identified, known as p38 MAPK, appears to be a major player in making or breaking the skeletal muscle stem cell, or satellite cell, renewal process in adult mice, said Olwin of the molecular, cellular and developmental biology department. Hyperactivation of the p38 MAPK cell-signaling pathway inhibits the renewal of muscle stem cells in aged mice, perhaps because of cellular stress and inflammatory responses acquired during the aging process. The researchers knew that obliterating the p38 MAPK pathway in the stem cells of adult mice would block the renewal of satellite cells, said Olwin. But when the team only partially … Continue reading →