Lipinski Lab

In the news

UW researchers uncover new clues about common birth defects

Research out of the SVM is uncovering new information about embryonic development in mice that could one day help reduce the risk of the most common birth defect in humans. The study published in PNAS provides the first direct evidence that DNA methylation  is not only required for craniofacial formation but that disruptions to that process at a critical stage of development results in cleft lip and palate in mice.  This work was also featured on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Grant Promoting Clinician-Scientist Training Propels SVM as Leader in Field

Summer Scholars Keegan Lim and Emma Sweet were featured in an article on new resources to bolster the training of veterinary clinician-scientists.  “I am eager to explore how I can conduct and incorporate research in my future career as a community leader for both human and animal welfare. I can think of no better place than the SVM to leverage such training”, says Lim.  Sweet noted “though I ultimately fell in love with clinical practice, research will always be a part of my practice as I will have to interpret and utilize new findings throughout my entire career. And someday, I may find myself running research on my own!”

The winners: Cool Science Images 2020

Miranda Sun was one of the 2020 cool science images award winners for her fluorescent microscopy image visualizing vasculature and laminin during facial morphogenesis in the mouse.

 

Common chemical linked to rare birth defect in mice

A chemical commonly used in consumer and agricultural products to boost the effectiveness of insecticides has been linked to a rare birth defect in mice. The chemical, piperonyl butoxide or PBO for short, is widely used as a “synergist” in household and agricultural insecticides to make the toxic effects of the insecticide longer lasting and to reduce the amount of actual insecticide in a product. Now, a team led by Robert Lipinski, a professor of comparative biosciences in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine, reports that PBO interferes with the critical signaling pathway dubbed by scientists as sonic hedgehog, resulting in stunted forebrain development and signature facial abnormalities.  The study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives and later selected as an NIEHS Extramural Paper of the Month.

The winners: Cool Science Images 2018

Hannah Chung was one of the 2018 cool science image award winners for her confocal microscopy image showing blood vessels developing in the face of an 11-day-old mouse embryo.  Facial development in mice and people is so similar, this is much what a human embryo’s facial blood vessels look like at 34 days.

Researchers identify gene mutations, chemicals behind birth defect

As one of the most common defects in human development, holoprosencephaly causes mild to severe malformations of the brain of those it afflicts.  A team of researchers from the UW SVM has demonstrated how mutations in a specific gene can cause holoprosencephaly while increasing sensitivity to a particular chemical.  “We’re investigating whether maternal exposure to these environmental chemicals is a risk factor for holoprosencephaly in humans” says Joshua Everson, co-lead author of the study (page 17).

New Method for Early Pregnancy Detection Reduces Reliance on Mice in Research

Animal-based research has led to nearly every major medical advancement in recent history. And mice, because they are very similar to humans in terms of genetics and biology, have played a vital role in studies on a range of diseases, from cancer to birth defects. “There are a lot of labs around the world that do studies similar to ours,” says Galen Heyne, referring to his work with Lipinski on cleft lip and palate, one of the most common birth defects in people. “So the potential to reduce the number of animals involved in this research is large if we can spread the word about this method”.

Milk fever, and more cowbell won’t do

Studying mice, the research team – led by CALS dairy science professor, Laura Hernandez – showed that serotonin – a hormone most often recognized for its role in depression but also shown to be linked to milk production in mammalian breasts – plays an important role in maintaining healthy calcium levels in the bloodstream.