'Gene cure' for color blindness

US Scientists at the University of Washington have found a cure for color blindness in Squirrel Monkeys!

They used gene therapy where they introduced therapeutic genes into the light-sensing cells at the back of eyes in adult Squirrel Monkeys. The monkeys were treated over two years and their restored vision has remained the same.

The scientists hope they will be able to cure humans as well in a similar fashion, but they need more tests first!

Good Job guys!

Now that you can see some colors, try the famous Magic Eye Books - though I never see the sailboat : (

For more on this Story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8255112.stm

Thumbs UP! - ZooTV

(Live video streams from the Great Plains Zoo to Sanford Children's Hospital (Squirrel Monkeys!). Fun animal facts scroll across the screen. - Picture via USA TODAY )

Hi Everybody, its me - MoJo

I wanted to give a big Thumbs UP! to the Great Plains Zoo in South Dakota! Why? Because the Great Plains Zoo started ZooTV! ZooTV was started in March, using 14 weatherproof cameras to video tape live animals at the zoo and then beam the live feed to sick children at hospitals - whether its during hospital stays (giving them something to do and break up their stay/day) or to comfort them while going through medical procedures.

"ZooTV is one of a growing number of partnerships between hospitals and zoos to help comfort children who are, in many cases, waging life-and-death battles against cancer and other serious illnesses.

Video of tigers, monkeys, giraffes and some underwater creatures are being beamed into patient rooms in cities including Sioux Falls, Palo Alto, Calif., and Rochester, Minn."

This has inspired other Zoo's like the Houston Zoo in Houston, Texas who hopes to share their animals by adding cameras in their future expansion plans. At the same time hospitals are lining up to add ZooTV to their buildings as well.

There hasn't been any studies done yet - but it might be true that video of monkeys is especially cheerful to the children and may actually decrease their recovery time; we will have to wait and see. I mean look at the picture above - they chose to show the feed of some Squirrel Monkeys - they know a monkey a day keeps the doctor away.

For more on this Story: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-07-zootv_N.htm

And the Great Plains Zoo: http://www.gpzoo.org

Keep Smiling

- MoJo

Thumbs UP! - L.A. Times

(Picture via L.A. Times)

I have to give Thumbs UP! this week to the L.A. Times! The Los Angeles Times posted some pictures of a baby squirrel monkey getting a ride on the back of its mother. I thought is was great that the L.A. Times shared with the world just a couple of pictures of these monkeys and a little bit of information.

But it turns out that the L.A Times has many stories about Apes and Monkeys in it's L.A. Unleashed section! And that's great!

Be sure to check them out!

For more pictures and the story about the squirrel monkeys - Click Here

And to see the Monkeys and Apes Section of the L.A. Unleashed Section of the Los Angeles Times - Click Here

Good job L.A.! (We Love It!)
-MoJo