Compulsive behaviour in mice cured by bone marrow transplant
Friday, May 28, 2010 - 07:32
in Biology & Nature
Scientists earlier found that mice missing one of a group of core developmental genes known as the Hox genes developed an odd and rather unexpected pathology: the mutant animals groomed themselves compulsively to the point that they were removing their own hair and leaving self-inflicted open sores on their skin. Now, they've found a surprising connection between the Hoxb8 gene and the behaviour that looks an awful lot like that of people with an obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder (OCD)...