co-investigator on the study, commented, Results of our preliminary tests in a mouse model of human infantile polycystic kidney disease showed that AVI's NeuGenes significantly reduced the number and size of the cysts and improved kidney function without adverse effects on body growth or blood formation.
Why are estuaries important? Estuaries are vital habitats for thousands of marine species. Estuaries have been called the nurseries of the sea because the protected environment and abundant food provide an ideal location for fish and shellfish to reproduce. Most commercially important fish species spend some part of their life cycle in estuaries. Besides fish, many species of birds depend on estuaries for food and nesting areas.
Estuaries are brackish (a mix of fresh and saltwater) zones found near the mouths of certain rivers, roiled both by freshwater currents and the churning of ocean tides. Taking any number of forms â from bays and lagoons to salt marshes and big sloughs â they are some of the most outstanding ecosystems for biodiversity in the world, nourished by sediments and nutrients of both river and ocean.