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.

Research shows how glutamine plays role in regulating cellular differentiation programs

The 200 different types of cells in the body all start with the same DNA genome. To differentiate into families of bone cells, muscle cells, blood cells, neurons and the rest, differing gene programs have to be turned on or off.

17 Aug 2017

Researchers demonstrate potential of new PET tracer for imaging prostate cancer

In the featured translational article in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, researchers at the University of Michigan demonstrate the potential of a new PET tracer, Carbon-11 labeled sarcosine (11C-sarcosine), for imaging prostate cancer, and set the stage for its possible use in monitoring other cancers.

7 Aug 2017

Compound derived from cannabis may alter blood levels of antiepileptic drugs

New research published in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), suggests that an investigational neurological treatment derived from cannabis may alter the blood levels of commonly used antiepileptic drugs.

7 Aug 2017

New study shows how gut microbes can prevent severe flu infections in mice

Microbes that live in the gut don't just digest food. They also have far-reaching effects on the immune system.

3 Aug 2017

Low vitamin D may affect recovery of injured corneas

Injury or disease in combination with too little vitamin D can be bad for the window to your eyes. The three-layer, transparent cornea at the front of the eyes focuses the light coming in. But its prominent position also puts it at risk for injury from an errant mascara wand or over-prodding finger or a car accident.

24 Jul 2017

Researchers explore how physical exercise affects brain metabolism

Numerous studies have shown that physical exercise seems beneficial in the prevention of cognitive impairment and dementia in old age. Now researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt have explored in one of the first studies worldwide how exercise affects brain metabolism.

21 Jul 2017

EPFL researchers identify social rank as determining factor for vulnerability to stress

Stress is a major risk factor for a range of psychopathologies. However, stress does not affect everyone equally: in the face of sustained adversity, some people develop depression symptoms while others adapt and remain resilient.

13 Jul 2017

Targeting acid metabolite reduces size and spread of breast cancer

It's a metabolite found in essentially all our cells that, like so many things, cancer overexpresses. Now scientists have shown that when they inhibit 20-HETE, it reduces both the size of a breast cancer tumor and its ability to spread to the lungs.

12 Jul 2017

$Promising target may open door to new therapies for preventing bone fractures in diabetes patients$

Promising target may open door to new therapies for preventing bone fractures in diabetes patients

Researchers at New York University College of Dentistry have described a new target that may open the door to developing therapies for preventing bone fractures in people with type 2 diabetes.

7 Jul 2017

Researchers identify key protein that helps trigger ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have identified a key protein that helps trigger ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects in the brain, a crucial step to developing alternative treatments to the controversial drug being dispensed in a growing number of clinics across the country.

22 Jun 2017

Phthalate exposure linked to depressed thyroid function in young girls

Early childhood exposures to specific phthalates were associated with depressed thyroid function in girls at age 3, according to scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Phthalates, a class of chemicals thought to disrupt the endocrine system, are widely used in consumer products from plastic toys to household building materials to shampoos.

30 May 2017

Investigational compound inhibits cancer-specific mutations in mice

Many malignancies develop as a result of genetic alterations in individual cells. These gene mutations often cause altered proteins that give new, growth-promoting properties to the cell.

30 May 2017

TUM scientists develop new pH sensor that provides insights into tumor metabolism

Tumors, inflammation and circulatory disorders locally disturb the body's acid-base balance. These changes in pH value could be used for example to verify the success of cancer treatments.

12 May 2017

Metabolite 'signatures' can accurately distinguish typhoid from other fever-inducing diseases

Researchers have identified a metabolite 'signature' that can accurately distinguish typhoid from other fever-inducing tropical diseases using patient blood samples.

9 May 2017

Vitamin A deficiency leads to loss of blood stem cells

Many specialized cells, such as in the skin, gut or blood, have a lifespan of only a few days. Therefore, steady replenishment of these cells is indispensable. They arise from so-called "adult" stem cells that divide continuously.

5 May 2017

Phthalate exposure linked to increased risk of allergies among children

Phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in plastics, can considerably increase the risk of allergies among children.

3 May 2017

New review explains how calorie restriction can extend life

A new review proposes a theory to explain how calorie restriction can extend life across a variety of species.

3 May 2017

Researchers develop highly sensitive method to detect early stages of colorectal cancer

A highly sensitive method that can detect even the earlier stages of colorectal cancer has been developed by researchers in Japan. Shimadzu Corporation, the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, and the National Cancer Center in Japan have collaborated to develop a new screening method that comprehensively analyzes the metabolites in our blood.

26 Apr 2017

Study shows how gut microbiota may play role in effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs

The bacteria residing in your digestive tract, or your gut microbiota, may play an important role in your ability to respond to chemotherapy drugs in the clinic, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

25 Apr 2017

Brown fat in humans: more than previously thought

Brown fat is a tissue well studied in small mammals, where it acts as a heat-producing organ to stay warm in a cold environment. Its unequivocal identification in adult, healthy humans about a decade ago is of major importance due to its immense capacity to convert chemical energy into heat

20 Apr 2017