Calcium News and Research

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Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found in some foods, added to others, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines (such as antacids). Calcium is required for muscle contraction, blood vessel expansion and contraction, secretion of hormones and enzymes, and transmitting impulses throughout the nervous system. The body strives to maintain constant concentrations of calcium in blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids, though less than <1% of total body calcium is needed to support these functions.

The remaining 99% of the body's calcium supply is stored in the bones and teeth where it supports their structure. Bone itself undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption and deposition of calcium into new bone. The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes with age. Bone formation exceeds resorption in growing children, whereas in early and middle adulthood both processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds formation, resulting in bone loss that increases the risk of osteoporosis over time.

Study on zebrafish showcases neural basis of essential survival skill

A tiny, translucent juvenile zebrafish, on the hunt for even littler prey, has offered up a big insight into how a specific circuit of nerve cells functions in the brain. The technique used to illuminate this circuitry, and the fish model itself, provide one of the first insights into the way individual sets of neurons control a specific behavior.

11 Nov 2010

Zalicus third quarter total revenue decreases to $1.2 million

"We made solid product development progress this quarter," commented Mark H.N. Corrigan, MD, President and CEO of Zalicus. "We finalized our development plans for Synavive, and also related to Synavive, we were awarded a Therapeutic Discovery Project grant to help fund Synavive development going forward.

10 Nov 2010

New study highlights benefits of 100% juice

With so few Americans consuming the recommended amounts of fruit each day, finding quick and simple ways to add additional fruit servings - and the important nutrients they provide - is more critical than ever. Although USDA recognizes that 4-oz of 100 percent juice supplies one serving (1/2 cup) of fruit, there is still confusion regarding the healthfulness of juice.

9 Nov 2010

Scientist sheds new light on cellular basis of neural impulse transmission

Neural impulse transmission and its effects on the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) have always been in the forefront of discussion and studies, in the field of memory and behavioural changes.

8 Nov 2010

Amgen wins Scrip Best New Drug award for Prolia

Amgen is pleased to announce that it has won the Best New Drug award for Prolia™ (denosumab), a novel treatment approved in the United States (U.S.) for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, at the 2010 Scrip Awards ceremony Nov. 4 in London. Named one of TIME's Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2009, Prolia is the first treatment specifically designed to target osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

8 Nov 2010

Study finds vitamin D supplement does not reduce knee osteoarthritis progression

Adding vitamin D as a supplement does not appear to lessen the symptoms, or slow the progression, of knee osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

8 Nov 2010

Synta reports $10.3M net loss for third quarter 2010 vs. $118.1M net income for third quarter 2009

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today reported financial results and operational highlights for the quarter ended September 30, 2010.

4 Nov 2010

SurModics and Edge Therapeutics enter licensing agreement for drug delivery technology

SurModics, Inc., a leading provider of drug delivery and surface modification technologies to the healthcare industry, and Edge Therapeutics, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company that transforms proven, off-patent drugs into targeted, locally delivered therapies for neurological disorders, announced today that the companies have entered into a licensing agreement for drug delivery technology.

4 Nov 2010

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals receives $977,900 grant under QTDP program

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in oncology, today announced that it has been awarded grants totaling $977,900 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program administered under section 48D of the Internal Revenue Code.

4 Nov 2010

New mathematical modeling shows cellular basis of neural transmission

NJIT Associate Professor Victor Matveev, PhD, in the department of mathematical sciences, was part of a research team that published "N-type Ca2+ channels carry the largest current: Implications for nanodomains and transmitter release," in Nature Neuroscience on Oct. 17, 2010.

3 Nov 2010

Mouse study indicates black raspberries can prevent colorectal cancer

Black raspberries are highly effective in preventing colorectal tumors in two mouse models of the disease, according to a University of Illinois at Chicago study. The findings are published in the November issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

3 Nov 2010

Huber's Health & Nutrition business receives approval to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients

Huber Engineered Materials, a division of the J.M. Huber Corporation, has received approval for its Health & Nutrition business to begin producing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), such as calcium carbonate granulation for use in the manufacturing of antacids and other pharma applications.

3 Nov 2010

ISHIB releases new recommendations to manage hypertension in African Americans

Through the publication of its Consensus Statement on the Management of High Blood Pressure in Blacks in this week's issue of Hypertension, ISHIB today released new recommendations recognizing that high blood pressure among African Americans is a severe health problem. The consensus statement suggests that treatment should start sooner and be more aggressive among African Americans.

2 Nov 2010

Spectrum submits complete response to FDA's CRL for FUSILEV to treat colorectal cancer

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in oncology, today announced that on Friday, October 29, 2010 it submitted a complete response to the "Complete Response" letter issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), regarding its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for FUSILEV (levoleucovorin) for Injection for treatment of patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer.

1 Nov 2010

SPRYCEL receives FDA approval for treating adult patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase

After receiving a priority review, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SPRYCEL (dasatinib) 100 mg once daily for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase.

29 Oct 2010

TU/e researchers mimic process of bone formation in laboratory

Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have for the first time succeeded in mimicking the process of bone formation in the laboratory, and in visualizing the process in great detail. The results will be published in the December edition of the scientific journal Nature Materials.

28 Oct 2010

Tips to prevent lead poisoning in children

California Poison Control System is observing National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and warns consumers that lead can be found in a variety of products available to children.

27 Oct 2010

Researchers identify chain reaction of brain activity that controls sequential actions

As anyone who as ever picked up a guitar or a tennis racket knows, precise timing is often an essential part of performing complex tasks. Now, by studying the brain circuits that control bird song, MIT researchers have identified a "chain reaction" of brain activity that appears to control the timing of song.

25 Oct 2010

Taste receptors in lungs can revolutionize treatment option for asthma

Taste receptors in the lungs. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore have discovered that bitter taste receptors are not just located in the mouth but also in human lungs. What they learned about the role of the receptors could revolutionize the treatment of asthma and other obstructive lung diseases.

25 Oct 2010

Wright Medical launches PRO-STIM Injectable Inductive Graft

Wright Medical Group, Inc. a global orthopaedic medical device company, is pleased to announce the full commercial launch of PRO-STIM Injectable Inductive Graft.

22 Oct 2010