Osteopontin is induced in mouse skin by Paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA), and found in high levels in the serum of patients, or watery fluid from the patients. In humans, Osteopontin is located on chromosome 4q, which is toward the end of the chromosome On a mouse it is on chromosome 5. Another function of Osteopontin is that it binds calcium and interacts with the "vitronectin" receptor avb3 integrin. .
In these tests that are performed, living organisms must be used in order for the tests to be accurate. Since people are not used as test subjects all the time, other organisms must be used for the test to be completed. For this gene, researchers chose mostly the ordinary house mouse, or Mus Musculus. This mouse is found throughout the world, and it is most familiar out of most mice. They are really small and only range to about fifteen centimeters long, and weigh about twenty eight grams. It varies in color as well. Their colors can be anywhere from white, to gray, to brown. They have large rounded ears, and a pointed mouth/nose area. The tail is mostly scaly, with a pinkish color. The tails are even sometimes longer than the mouse. .
Osteopontin is a factor in the inflammatory immune response characteristic of Multiple Sclerosis, and now with more research done, it is believed that it has a lot to do with the progression of Multiple Sclerosis. In Multiple Sclerosis, there is inflammation of the nerve tissues which destroys the myelin covering the axons of the nerve cell, leaving areas of scar tissues. When this happens then the myelin of the spinal cord and brain is damaged, and there is no communication between the nerve cells. When this happens then it creates symptoms for the Multiple Sclerosis patients such as weakness, muscle spasms, and vision problems, such as temporary blindness, or blurriness. Multiple Sclerosis affects about one million people world wide, with females having a better chance of having it then the males.
The skeletal system includes the osseous tissues of the body and the connective tissues that stabilize or interconnect the individual bones. The bone is a dynamic tissue. Throughout the lifespan, bone adjusts to the physiologic and mechanical demands placed on it by the processes of growth and remod...