US scientists activate predatory 'kill switch' in mice
MIAMI (AFP) -
US scientists have ramped up predatory behavior in mice by stimulating a region of the brain known for its role in emotions like fear and pleasure, according to a study published Thursday.
The experiment turned the lab mice into super-eating machines, vigorously attacking food, bottle caps, and sticks as prey, said the findings in the journal Cell.
However, scientists cautioned that their goal was not to create an army of killer mice.
Rather, it was to better understand how the brain works and perhaps one day improve the treatment of degenerative brain diseases that affect motion and coordination.
"A major issue for neuroscientists is how the brain figures out how to respond appropriately to objects in the world," lead author Ivan de Araujo, associate professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, told AFP.
"Predatory behavior is the perfect model. It is a great window into how the brain solves the problem of how we respond to external stimuli by moving our bodies in an appropriate way."
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