Friday, December 01, 2006

Experimental Mice & Double-Knockout Mice

The chemical compound at the heart of the so-called abortion pill also appears to block breast cancer, at least in experimental mice.

Experimental mice? Something about this struck me as an odd term. Probably just me.

In mice genetically engineered to carry mutations in two genes involved in most human breast cancers, Mifeprex (mifepristone) completely blocked tumor development. No palpable tumors were detected at 12 months of age, according to Eva Lee, Ph.D., of the University of California at Irvine.

This seems to hold some promise.

In those double-knockout mice, the researchers found, the breast tissue resembled that of wild-type pregnant mice, even though they had not become pregnant, suggesting that the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells was altered.

Double-knockout mice. This really should not be humerous because of the topic, but I am having a chuckle.

The mammary glands of the mice showed sharply increased ductal branching and alveolar proliferation, compared with wild-type mice, the researchers said

Experimental, double-knockout mice with mammary's. Now my imagination is running wild.

Time for me to go.
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