Lab Rats Get a Reptilian Makeover

Modern healthcare treatments would not exist were it not for the help of some very special furry friends: rats and mice. According to the National Association for Biomedical Research, these rodents make up roughly 95 percent of all lab animals in the United States. Through genetic and other disease testing, lab rats have revolutionized the way we treat cancer, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular diseases, viral infections, and seemingly every disorder to effect the human race. Long-acting insulin medications to treat diabetes are often first tested in mice, as their genetic characteristics are extremely similar to those of humans. However, an unlikely new lab assistants are making headlines with their groundbreaking diabetes research: Burmese pythons.

A scientist's best friends

A couple things can come to mind at the mention of a Burmese python: one of the largest snakes in the world, an invasive species in Florida's Everglades, or an expert dieter. The python's ability to go up to six weeks without a meal intrigued researchers, who wanted to understand why these snakes could change their homeostatic processes to survive in times of malnutrition. The answer lies in their genome, specifically when compared to those of other snakes. In the absence of food, Burmese pythons' cells carry out transcriptional responses, or changes in the way their DNA is transcribed into the RNA that codes for proteins. The newly created proteins regulate which genes are expressed in which cells. In this specific instance, genes promoting rapid cell growth and division are expressed, which alters the sizes and thus functions of digestion-related organs. This instance perfectly exemplifies two biology clichés: "form and function" and "cells make tissues which make organs which make organ systems which make organisms."

Researchers studying a Burmese python

In the process of studying Burmese pythons' unique digestion abilities, researchers linked the changing transcription factors to homologous genes in humans. Since these genes regulate metabolism, diabetes researchers were particularly fascinated with them in both humans and pythons. Knowledge of the snake's digestive system also steered these researchers down a different path. Instead of focusing on treatment options centered around the pancreas and insulin secretion, they proposed the hypothesis that increased glucose disposal in humans' gastrointestinal tract may not rely upon insulin.  A Harvard Medical School research team led by Nicholas Stylopoulos, M.D. is slated to begin their investigation into intestinal gene expression in pythons. They will focus on the link between "abrupt changes in the snakes' physiology" and abnormal digestive systems in humans, specially those affected by diabetes and short bowel syndrome.

So, while the lab rat will never be obsolete, science has once again shown that it has a few tricks up its sleeve (which can be a bit unnerving given the Burmese python's tendency to climb up people's arms.)