Kaléidoscope d'émotions sous cannabis

Cannabis is steadily gaining in popularity, but we still don't know all its secrets and how it works. Relaxation and pleasure sometimes go hand in hand with anxiety and paranoia. Clinical trials aim to explore the ratios of its compounds to minimize negative effects. This will enable individuals to make more informed consumption choices, while minimizing the risks associated with the plant.

(Amani Mahroug, Neuroscience research theme, 2024)

A Viral Nose Job!

This nose, dotted with chary papules with folliculocentric keratin spines, reveals trichodysplasia spinulosa, a rare dermatological entity due to trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus (TSPyV). The skin, like a mirror of internal diseases, reflects the profound immunosuppression of this patient, putting her at risk for this disease. Our photograph captures a key stage in research, where observation feeds therapeutic innovation. The success of her cidofovir cream is a further boost to the scientific community's efforts to compensate for the paucity of reported therapeutic options for the diseases of the immunosuppressed.

(Catherine Laferté, MD, résidente en dermatologie au CHUM, 2024)

Hulk Mice and Adiposity

GFP fluorescence conditional to 14-3-3zeta expression in adipocytes

The image depicts what appears to be subsets of mature adipocyte showing GFP fluorescence conditionally to the expression of 14-3-3zeta. Stromovascular fractions (SVF) from adipose tissues of a double fluorescent reporter mouse that we call Hulk mice (Cre+/mTmG+) were purified, allowed to proliferate, and induce to differentiate into mature adipocytes. Hoechst staining rendered the nuclei visible in blue while LipidTOX facilitated the visualization of lipid droplets shown here in red. The green fluorescence is visible via the expression of GFP conditionally to the cells with an active promoter of Ywhaz, the gene coding for 14-3-3zeta.

(Charles Bois, Cardiometabolic research theme, 2024)

Fishy Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol, the great artist of the 60s, loved to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art, proving that even a can of soup can be glamorous if you look at it long enough. Here we show that even science can become a pop masterpiece! Each zebrafish reveals its cartilage in vivid, hypnotic colors. This tough, flexible tissue found in the human body and in many animals plays a crucial role in maintaining structure and flexibility, acting as a shock absorber between bones.

(Fanny Nobilleau, Neuroscience research theme, 2024)

The renal vascular tree

Representation of the vascular architecture of the kidney, highlighting the symmetry of this system essential to renal function. These images were obtained after 3D micro-tomography reconstruction. This method is used by our research group to visualize and quantify renal vascular lesions in the context of lupus nephritis. This condition is developed by the majority of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease occurring predominantly in women. This image was produced at the CRCHUM's small animal phenotyping and cell imaging platforms.

(Marie-Hélène Normand, Immunopathology research theme, 2024)

Kidney Month

Kidney Month consists of the normal wing (left) and the Agtr2 deficiency wing (right). The inner part illustrates the micro-computed tomography imaging of vascular alterations, and the outer part shows the time course of glomerulogenesis from E14 to neonate in both wild-type and Agtr2 knockout mice. Agtr2, a key member of the renin-angiotensin system, is highly expressed in fetal mesenchymal tissues and plays a pivotal role in regulating cellular differentiation and kidney development. Agtr2 deficiency impairs glomerulogenesis which is observed by the fewer bright spots in the purple embryonic kidney at E14 and E15.

(Min-Chun Liao, Cardiometabolic research theme, 2024)