Ana Rodríguez, Author at Baylor College of Medicine Blog Network

Sox9 reshapes the biliary tree in Alagille syndrome

October 10, 2019 Alagille syndrome, bile, bile tree, cholestasis, intrahepatic bile ducts, JAG1, liver, Notch signaling, Research, SOX9

Alagille syndrome is a rare pediatric genetic disorder that can affect the liver, heart, kidneys, blood vessels, skeleton and other tissues. One major characteristic of

From The Labs

ON A MATTER OF HEALTH: Clinical trial tests novel treatment strategy for ITP

October 8, 2019 bleeding, blood clot, clinical trial, eltrombopag, immune thrombocytopenia, ITP

The immune system is meant to protect the body from foreign invaders. A rare condition called immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) occurs when the body’s defense system

From The Labs

Exploring the stress-mood-appetite connection

October 3, 2019 appetite, dopamine, hypothalamus, Mood, POMC neurons, Research, Stress

Does stress affect your appetite or your mood? Many people have experienced stressful situations that trigger a particular mood and also change certain feelings toward

From The Labs

Image of the Month: Islet of Langerhans

October 1, 2019 Diabetes, DNA methylation, epigenetics, insulin, Islet of Langerhans, overnutrition, Research

Cells of the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas help regulate blood sugar. Disrupting their normal function can contribute to the development of diabetes. The

From The Labs

The unexpected functional diversity of reactive astrocytes

September 26, 2019 astrocytes, brain injury, brain repair, NFIA, Research, thrombospondin 4

When the brain is injured or diseased astrocytes are the first to respond. They become reactive and play roles that can be both beneficial and

From The Labs

Exploring the risk of ALL in children with Down syndrome

September 24, 2019 Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, ALL, CDKN2A gene, Childhood leukemia, Down syndrome, IKZF1 gene, Research

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Children with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) are 10 to 20 times more likely to develop ALL

From The Labs

Early postnatal overnutrition sets the body on a fast track to aging

September 19, 2019 Aging, Diabetes, DNA methylation, infancy, Obesity, overnutrition, Research

Overnutrition during early infancy can have adverse health consequences later in life. Although researchers have known this for quite some time, the explanations have been

From The Labs

What to expect within the tumor microenvironment

September 17, 2019 Breast Cancer, breast cancer diversity, immune cells in tumor, macrophages, neutrophils, Research, tumor microenvironment

Breast cancer is very heterogeneous. For many years researchers have recognized different subtypes of breast cancer, for instance, estrogen receptor positive (ER+), ER- and triple

From The Labs

E-cigarettes disrupt lung function and raise risk of infection

September 10, 2019 E-Cigarettes, infection, lung disease, pneumonia, Research, smoking, Tobacco, Vaping

A study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine raises health concerns about the use of electronic cigarettes. Some e-cigarette-related studies have reported negative

From The Labs

Ataxin-1: One gene, two different neurodegenerative diseases

September 5, 2019 Alzheimer's Disease, amyloid beta peptide, Ataxin-1, BACE1, Research, SCA1

Certain variants of the ataxin-1 gene cause a rare neurodegenerative disease called spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Years ago, the lab of Dr. Huda Zoghbi