Hormone News and Research

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A hormone is a chemical released by one or more cells that affects cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. It is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

Anthropologists discover lower testosterone levels in Tsimane men

As part of an isolated indigenous group in central Bolivia, Tsimane men spend much of their time hunting, foraging, fishing, and clearing land by hand to grow crops. Their ability to maintain the physical activity required to survive each day might imply they have higher than average male testosterone levels.

29 Mar 2012

Researchers describe unexpected role of p75NTR in type 2 diabetes

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered a key protein that regulates insulin resistance-the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin and which sets the stage for the development of the most common form of diabetes. This breakthrough points to a new way to potentially treat or forestall type 2 diabetes, a rapidly growing global health problem.

29 Mar 2012

DSMB recommends Bionovo to continue Menerba Phase 3 trial for hot flashes

Bionovo, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of safe and effective treatments for women's health and cancer, announced today that the Company's independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) recommended that the Phase 3 trial of Menerba (MF101) could continue as designed after an initial review of its clinical safety and tolerability data.

29 Mar 2012

MiR-375 regulates IL-13-induced changes in allergic diseases

Researchers have taken a critical step in understanding how allergic reactions occur after identifying a genetic signature for regulation of a key immune hormone, interleukin (IL-13).

29 Mar 2012

EU-funded project to help control appetite, combat obesity

The University of Liverpool is leading a £6milllion European project to develop and test new food products with satiating qualities to help control appetite, manage weight and combat obesity.

29 Mar 2012

Stress response reduces memory during tests in older adults

Your mother had a doctor's appointment for a memory test. The results are conclusive: she presents with the first signs of Alzheimer type dementia. Now, to get to her appointment, your mother, who is no longer used to driving in town, took her car, looked for a parking space for 15 minutes, got lost in a labyrinth of one-way streets, had never used those new electronic parking meters before and is convinced that the "machine" stole her credit card number.

28 Mar 2012

Hyperinsulinemia itself not a cause of atherosclerosis

A number of studies have shown that excess insulin circulating in the bloodstream is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, a new study from Joslin Diabetes Center finds that this condition, called hyperinsulinemia, is itself not a cause of atherosclerosis.

28 Mar 2012

Intermittent androgen suppression therapy for prostate cancer

Androgen suppression - the inhibition of testosterone and other male hormones - is a routine therapy for prostate cancer. Unfortunately, it can dramatically reduce the quality of patients' sex lives and, more importantly, lead to cancer recurrence in a more deadly androgen-independent form.

28 Mar 2012

Morning after pills difficult for teenagers to procure

Quite a few U.S. pharmacies may give teen girls incorrect information over the phone about whether they can get the morning-after pill. The pill is a form of emergency contraception taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy without a prescription, a new study suggests.

27 Mar 2012

First study to explore differential gender effects of secondhand smoke exposure

The negative health effects of early-life exposure to secondhand smoke appear to impact girls more than boys-particularly those with early-life allergic sensitization, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.

27 Mar 2012

Scientist develops a way to encase nutraceuticals in food-based products

A Purdue University food scientist has developed a way to encase nutritional supplements in food-based products so that one day consumers might be able to sprinkle vitamins, antioxidants and other beneficial compounds right onto their meals.

27 Mar 2012

Ripeness of fruit determines how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them

The ripeness of fruit could determine how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week. Their work could lead to new strategies to improve food safety, bringing many health and economic benefits.

27 Mar 2012

Transplanted ovaries can delay menopause and allow for a successful pregnancy

Researchers may have found a way to end menopause after proving that transplanted ovaries remain effective for at least seven years. Of the three women, one has had three children since her transplant, a second has had two and the third is expecting her third child. Medical experts believe the three could be the pioneers for a treatment that would allow women to delay motherhood.

26 Mar 2012

Pregnancy raises risk of heart attacks

According to a new study pregnancy and related hormonal changes that continue 12 weeks after giving birth increase a woman's risk of heart attack. Although the likelihood of having a heart attack during pregnancy is very low - just 1 in every 16,000 deliveries - it is still 3 to 4 times higher than non-pregnant women of the same age.

26 Mar 2012

Minimally invasive treatments could target ‘hunger hormone’

A minimally invasive treatment may target hunger at its source, another uses X-ray visible embolic beads to block arteries to the stomach and suppress hunger and a third explores the use of stem cells to repair vertebral disc degeneration. Initial results from all these studies were reported at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

26 Mar 2012

Women more likely to experience UI following vaginal delivery

Women are nearly three times more likely to experience urinary incontinence for more than 10 years following a vaginal delivery rather than a caesarean section, finds new research at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

26 Mar 2012

Testosterone receptor may be a potential target for triple negative breast cancer

Could blocking a testosterone receptor lead to a new way to treat an aggressive form of breast cancer? That's a question researchers at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) are exploring. Preliminary results of a Mayo Clinic - TGen collaborative study shows the testosterone receptor may be a potential target to attack in treating triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

26 Mar 2012

Obese or overweight women may have increased risk of breast cancer recurrence

Women who are overweight or obese when they are diagnosed with breast cancer are at higher risk of cancer recurrence or related death than are leaner women, according to a new study to be presented to the 8th European Breast Cancer Conference.

26 Mar 2012

Insulin resistance occurs in the brains of people with Alzheimer's

Insulin resistance in the brain precedes and contributes to cognitive decline above and beyond other known causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Insulin is an important hormone in many bodily functions, including the health of brain cells.

26 Mar 2012

Medgenics to commence EPODURE Biopumps Phase IIa study in ESRD-related anemia

Medgenics, Inc., the developer of a novel technology for the sustained production and delivery of therapeutic proteins in patients using their own tissue, today announced receipt of clearance from the Israeli Ministry of Health to initiate a Phase IIa clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of sustained erythropoietin therapy produced and delivered by the Company's EPODURE Biopumps.

26 Mar 2012