The finding, which will make it possible to isolate the genes responsible for depression in mice in the future, will be presented tomorrow, Tuesday, at the first conference of the Center for Integrative Research of the Brain at the Ariel University Center
A unique model of its kind, which will help researchers study the roots of depression and examine new antidepressant drugs, was recently developed by researchers at the Ariel University Center in Samaria, and will be presented at the first conference of the Center for Integrative Research of the Brain, which will be held at the Ariel University Center on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.
For years, scientists all over the world have been grappling with the challenge of understanding and finding the basis and biological cause of mental illnesses in general, and depression in particular. One of the only tools currently available to science for the development of antidepressants are behavioral models of laboratory animals. Depression is a disease that develops gradually, and is probably influenced by genetic and environmental factors. In addition, the effect of the drugs currently on the market is observed only after chronic treatment with the drug, so there is an essential need to develop a chronic model in animals.
The researchers of the Center for Integrative Research of the Brain of the Ariel University Center in Samaria, led by Dr. Albert Panhasov, tried to meet the demand of science, and perfected a model called DSR - Dominant Submissive Relationship model. This model uses social traits that lie deep in the social life order of an animal living in a group. Since one of the characteristics of depression is obedient behavior, it is possible to experimentally characterize a pair of animals as dominant and obedient: two animals compete with each other for a single drinking source in a time limit of 5 minutes, for a week. About 25-35 percent of the couples will develop between them a relationship of submissive versus domineering, which is normal social behavior. The docile animals are a model for depression, since docility is one of the features of depression. Treatment with antidepressants in those obedient animals showed a sharp and significant decrease in the obedient behavior. The experiment of competition for the source of drinking was tested by Dr. Pankhasov on another generation, after the private pairing of each group, among themselves. The number of mice that formed obedience-dominance relationships increased in relation to their parents, and this trend was also maintained in subsequent generations.
The results obtained turned the model into a unique and effective tool for reviewing and studying the etiology of depression, and testing new antidepressants. With the help of multiplication within each group, the researchers succeed in creating a breed of animals with the dominant traits on the one hand, and with the docile traits on the other hand, with the help of which it will be possible to isolate the genes responsible for the development of these traits. Also, this unique model enriches and strengthens the behavioral models that are in use today, and provides a unique answer to the review of medications that have a long-term effect.
11 תגובות
shenanigans
Let's start with the fact that it doesn't seem to me that one of us has a doctorate in molecular biology - (otherwise the "educated" discourse would be conducted in a different forum and in a different form) and since this is the case, it doesn't seem logical to me that someone here would express his opinion about the researcher's research - let alone go into details - maybe you should schedule a meeting with him and pour all your claims before him, most likely you will get an answer and then...
Second thing - just like a researcher in mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc., there are misunderstandings that we don't always understand (even after a lesson in a certain subject you leave the class and despite all the explanations you still don't fully understand why and how much) so does that Dr. Pankhasov - a person who is not good at details Details in that field will not be able to understand the whole full picture
So before we all feel smart/smart - check, ask, learn, and then if you still have questions, complaints, you are welcome to ask questions to the researcher
The study's claim that "one of the characteristics of depression is obedient behavior" is simply not true. And apparently there is no mention of this in the depression entry on Wikipedia
http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9F
to H. Rishon.
You are such a fool that God can't help you!
In response 2, not only did you not substantiate your claim, you didn't even bother to check if they checked the weight issue. So your claims about it collapsed at once, because they actually showed that it has nothing to do with weight.
Regarding response 7, section 4, I'm really glad you decided not to have children, that way they won't have to be ashamed of their father.
Oh, and Dr. Pankhasov received his doctorate at Tel Aviv University...
Shaul may be right.
Roy, for your response:
1. I didn't prove anything, I suggested that there was no meaning to the experiment and these companies have been dealing with unnecessary things for years, but according to my understanding there is about 99% that I'm right, and then yes, I'm kidding, because if not me then who?
"Do you really think they aren't aware that size also affects how obedient they are?" Not just the size but a variety of factors.
I haven't read the article, but I think there is a basic lack of logical connection here as Michael explained, and also because there are depressed people and for some it also runs in the family - they will be happy if you find the genetics of the depression, which is a much better idea. Mentally ill people will be happy to participate. Me and my cousins too.
2. A person does not always shy away from prison, because there are people without money, and there they have a bed, a roof, and shitty food, but free.
The modern prison is a joke - a prisoner has committed a wrong and should work in prison not sit idle, in certain sociological experiments prisoners can indeed participate, and it will not harm them. At all, I'm not in prison and still every detail of our life is an experiment they do on us - how many people don't have money for medicine and die and how many have and die - isn't it interesting? Is TV addictive like chocolate??
3. "Where is the abuse here? The mice competed for water. In every cage..."
Do you want to spend your whole life in a cage? This is the abuse.
Is there much fiercer competition in nature? Even in the free market, yet you don't want to go to jail and get free food and shelter there? An interesting phenomenon..
And at all I did not claim that experiments in the BAH should be stopped, but rather reduced by a lot, because today a mouse costs NIS 2 and every "researcher" has become a professional sadist because it is possible.
4. Unfortunately I eat meat, but I will not make the mistake of bringing in harmful meat eaters who suffer and chase their own tails -
I did not choose to come into the world, but the decision to have children is mine, and they will not come into this world.
Plus, yes, suffering is necessary for the crusade of evolution - so what if some mice get cancer? Evolution will make a selection - those for suffering and death and those for life full of offspring, who will repeat the cycle.
In fact, the reality is, unfortunately, that evolution is extreme right - if you don't fit, we have nothing to do with you. Wait - are you delicious?
And by the way, I am also responsible for the warming of the planet, the amount of plastic and garbage, for many forests that are not, all of this is actually existential, but I will not be responsible for bringing new people into existence (into being)... in English it sounds better. How is that in Yiddish?
It is interesting to compare the 'products' to another field:
I have a friend who is a wizard (not Dumbledore or McConnell; just a wizard who shows up at events). He once explained to me that the pigeons that the magicians use are of a special breed, the product of hybridization over many years, to bring them to a state of complete lack of instincts (no magician wants the pigeon to fly to him just when he puts his hat on it...). It may be possible to compare the gene of these pigeons to the gene of normal pigeons and find something.
Bye
Michael,
Agreed, I thought so too. Still, I'd rather not disparage the researchers too blatantly before reading the paper myself. Certainly not to treat this hypothesis as a 'basis' for canceling the article.
In the worst case (but assuming that the researchers did take care to compare the sizes between the competing animals), the article obtained an interesting proof that obedience (or timidity) can be inherited in mice.
As with any biological study, it ultimately falls or adjusts according to the controls it uses, neutralizing all unrelated factors.
I'm afraid that there is a certain logical flaw in the experiment after all. Maybe it can be bridged over and maybe even addressed and resolved but it doesn't appear in the description.
Depression causes obedience. OK. I understand that this is a proven fact.
Is the opposite also true? Does obedience make man (or mouse) more depressed? There is not even a hint that anyone looked into the matter.
First,
Several points :
1. I haven't read the researchers' article, but it seems to me that you underestimate them a lot. They had several years to conduct the study, and they read dozens of articles on obedience and depression in rats before they started it. Do you really think they are unaware that size also affects obedience? I believe in the study they tried to compare all conditions, including the size of the mice .
In short, your claim is completely unfounded, unless you think baseless hypotheses are proof.
2. The idea in the research is to arrive at a model that can be applied to humans as well, but without conducting experiments on humans.
If you are so eager to volunteer human beings for a series of experiments, I suggest you go to jail for several months for tax evasion or similar offense. According to your suggestion (to try on criminals), you will be forced to be the experimental animal of the investigators. Successfully!
3. You accuse Pankhasov of senseless abuse of animals. Where is the abuse here? The mice competed for the water. In every cage with two mice there is competition for the food sources. In every group of mice in the wild there is much fiercer competition. The researchers as a whole isolated the interesting factors here.
4. Before you suggest handing Dr. Pankhasov over to the police, I suggest you think about yourself. If you eat meat, you are responsible for the death of many creatures yourself, who are slaughtered for your stomach. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you are responsible for the death of countless mice, who are poisoned so that they don't spoil the granaries. There is no way to live in the world without being responsible for the death of other creatures that compete with humans for food sources.
First of all, Tzachi is right.
Second, depression and obedience are not necessarily related - it is not possible to determine where obedience comes from and in nature obedience is mainly related to social hierarchy.
In this case, maybe the size of the mouse for example determines the hierarchy, and the small mouse will be called "obedient"?! It is clear that if you take 2 small mice and let them breed, they will produce... small mice (and "obedient" in front of the big mice) !!!
And now that I have established my claim, I know that there are a number (very limited) of studies where laboratory animals are indeed required for important experiments.
Personally, I would prefer that they do all this on people who have the problem being tested. or about criminals.
But please, take this Dr. Albert Panchasov and his friends to the police for senseless abuse of animals while getting paid for an article that lacks a shred of basic logic.
And on that occasion you will check if he is a doctor, from where, and put him in the same cell with sadistic and senseless people like him. Let them experiment with dominance.
Forgiveness in advance and after the fact to our mouse ancestors, who only wanted water.
Pinky, do you want water? The BRAIN
I don't know about a university center in the Ariel settlement. Maybe you mean Ariel College?