Metabolite News and Research

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Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term ''metabolite'' is usually restricted to small molecules.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy may prove to be the definitive diagnostic test for bipolar disorder

Magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy may prove to be the definitive diagnostic test for bipolar disorder, a serious brain illness characterized by an alternating pattern of extreme emotional highs and lows, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

30 Nov 2004

Study highlights importance of pesticide worker dermal exposure

Agricultural pesticide workers are not only exposed to pesticides from inhalation, but also through their skin. The dermal route of exposure to chlorpyrifos, a common agricultural pesticide, is known to contribute substantially to workers’ total exposure

24 Nov 2004

Cotinine not linked to hearing loss

Levels of cotinine, a chemical that is made by the body from nicotine, which is found in cigarette smoke, does not appear to be linked to hearing loss, according to an article in the November issue of The Archives of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.

16 Nov 2004

Technology to determine a patient's response to aspirin therapy taken to prevent heart attacks

This technology has demonstrated the ability to assess an individual's relative risk for heart attack by measuring the person's degree of aspirin resistance.

8 Nov 2004

Celebrex may one day be used to prevent and even treat breast tumors

The anti-inflammatory drug Celebrex, or celecoxib, reduces tumor mass by encouraging cell death and discouraging both cell proliferation and the sprouting of new blood vessels that feed growing tumors, according to a study reported in the November issue of Molecular Cancer Research.

5 Nov 2004

Flame retardants may cause brain damage

Reduced adaptability, hyperactivity, and disturbances in memory and learning functions. These are deficiencies mice and rats evince when exposed to bromide flame retardants, such as those found in computers, textiles, and other materials in our surroundings, during the period when the brain develops most rapidly.

1 Nov 2004

Study will evaluate arsenic exposure from the environment and its potential carcinogenic effects

The National Cancer Institute has awarded the Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center a three-year grant to evaluate associations between elevated arsenic exposure and cancer incidence in Arizona and Mexico.

19 Oct 2004

First sliver-sized sensor to monitor glucose level for diabetics and other bodily fluid levels

It's a good thing that the now eight-year-old son of Miklos Gratzl, a Case Western Reserve University biomedical engineer, got a splinter in his finger one day – at least for the sake of science. With apologies to his son – instead of an "Ouch!" moment, for Gratzl it was more of an "A-ha!" moment.

18 Oct 2004

Software translates improved diagnostic information to better target radiation at cancer cells

As diagnostic imaging and radiation treatment technologies both become more capable and precise, physicians using them face an increasingly difficult task: how to transfer information from the diagnostic systems to the treatment planning systems.

18 Oct 2004

Researchers bridge the gap between magnetic resonance spectroscopy and latest techniques for delivering precise doses of radiation to tumors

12 Oct 2004

Compound derived from fruit and vegetables could be used to improve the effects of an established cancer drug

The drug, mitomycin C (MMC), is a well-known anticancer treatment used mainly against solid tumours in the bladder and lower bowel. It is activated by enzymes naturally found in the human body, but its use is limited by severe side effects at higher doses.

5 Oct 2004

New technique offers efficient blood cleansing

Blood poisoning is fatal in almost half of all cases. Patients could be helped by efficient blood cleansing. Scientists are working on a new technique that will quickly and effectively retrieve toxic substances from the vital fluid without altering the blood count.

4 Oct 2004

Chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system pave way for future pharmaceutical treatments for depression

From mollusks to mammals, newly discovered chemical pathways of serotonin in the nervous system are paving a path toward future pharmaceutical treatments for depression and other disorders.

10 Sep 2004

Existing hepatitis drug could lead to the development of new drugs for the treatment of anthrax

Thanks to new screening tools, and some luck, researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered three unrelated compounds that inhibit the two toxins – edema factor and lethal factor -- that have made anthrax one of the most feared of potential bioterror agents.

21 Aug 2004

New service-oriented laboratory focused on bioanalysis and pharmacokinetics

Oregon Health & Science University researchers will more quickly move benchtop discoveries toward drug discoveries with the help of a new, service-oriented laboratory focused on bioanalysis and pharmacokinetics.

11 Aug 2004

Organic tomatoes have higher levels of vitamin C

In her study of organic and conventionally grown tomatoes, Alyson Mitchell, a food chemist at University of California at Davis, found organic tomatoes had higher levels of secondary plant metabolites and higher levels of vitamin C.

26 Jul 2004

The Phthalate Esters Panel responds to claims about the health effects of phthalates

A new report by Environment California Research & Policy Center makes several claims about the health effects of phthalates contained in consumer products that are unsupported by the science.

25 Jun 2004

Cutting down on cigarettes may actually increase consumption of smoke, carbon monoxide and nicotine

Smokers who pride themselves on successfully cutting back as a step toward quitting tobacco altogether may be caught in a haze of self-deception.

21 Jun 2004

Only half of gemcitabine dose may be activated in cancer patients

The study, presented in a poster discussion session by Jason Fisher, a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering, analyzed data from 31 cancer patients given 30-minute infusions of gemcitabine to determine what percentage of the drug dose was associated with concentrations that exceeded the body's ability to activate the drug.

9 Jun 2004

Research laboratory at the forefront of the science of metabolomics

A new $1.8 million research laboratory will catapult Iowa State University to the forefront of the science of metabolomics.

2 Jun 2004