Small Intestine News and Research

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Regorafenib able to control resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumor

A new targeted drug demonstrated its ability to control metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor, an uncommon and life-threatening form of sarcoma, after the disease had become resistant to all existing therapies, report investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who led the worldwide clinical trial.

21 Nov 2012

Combination of Abraxane and gemcitabine improves survival of patients with pancreatic cancer

A new cancer drug combination demonstrated significant improvement in overall survival of late-stage pancreatic cancer patients compared to those receiving standard treatment, according to results of a Phase III clinical trial led by physicians from Scottsdale Healthcare's Virginia G. Cancer Center Clinical Trials, a partnership with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

17 Nov 2012

Possible overlap exists between inflammatory bowel disease and IBS

Research unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas suggests a possible overlap of symptoms of two prevalent GI disorders: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and further suggests a possible link between subtle GI tract inflammation and IBS symptoms-a link that is also the focus of the first systemic review of the literature on this topic and an editorial both published in this month's American Journal of Gastroenterology.

23 Oct 2012

Chronic electrical stimulation may help treat gastroparesis symptoms

Diabetic patients who suffer from a common complication of diabetes called gastroparesis may find that chronic electrical stimulation (ES) at specific acupuncture points could relieve gastroparesis symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, early satiety, abdominal fullness, upper abdominal pain and bloating, according to study results unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.

22 Oct 2012

Losing weight does not lead to improved fertility in women

Losing weight does not lead to improved fertility in women, but does improve sexual function, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

19 Oct 2012

Insight into how coeliac disease is triggered

For the first time, scientists have visualised an interaction between gluten and T-cells of the immune system, providing insight into how coeliac disease, which affects approximately 1 in 133 people, is triggered.

12 Oct 2012

Favorable preliminary results from XenoPort’s XP23829 Phase 1 trial on RRMS, psoriasis

XenoPort, Inc. announced today favorable preliminary results from a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy adults designed to assess the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety and tolerability of single doses of four different oral formulations of XP23829, a novel fumaric acid ester compound that is a prodrug of monomethyl fumarate (MMF).

5 Oct 2012

Simple new test can monitor treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis

A simple new test, in which the patient swallows a string, can monitor treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis as effectively as an invasive, expensive and uncomfortable procedure that risks complications, particularly in children.

4 Oct 2012

Alpha-glucosidases can be turned on and off, finds study

A study co-led by Simon Fraser University and Purdue University has found that the intestinal enzymes responsible for processing starchy foods can be turned on and off, helping to better control those processes in people with Type 2 diabetes.

28 Sep 2012

MiR-34a plays a key role in obesity

Scientists have identified a key molecular player in a chain of events in the body that can lead to fatty liver disease, Type II diabetes and other metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity. By blocking this molecule, the researchers were able to reverse some of the pathology it caused in obese mice.

21 Sep 2012

Data from BioLineRx’s BL-7010 pre-clinical studies on celiac disease

BioLineRx, a biopharmaceutical development company, announced today that BL-7010, an orally available treatment for celiac disease, was found to be safe and well tolerated in pre-clinical studies conducted to date.

10 Sep 2012

Bile duct cancer chosen as next indication for PCI Biotech

PCI Biotech (PCIB) the Norwegian biopharmaceutical company, reported today that it has chosen bileduct cancer as the next indication for the use of its PCI (photochemical internalisation) localised cancer therapy. In this indication PCI Biotech’s proprietary photosensitiser Amphinex® will be used in combination with the generic cytotoxic agent gemcitabine. The aim is to start the clinical Proof of Concept study within end of 1H 2013.

21 Aug 2012

Researchers identify key element in the development of Burkitt lymphoma

Burkitt lymphoma is a malignant, fast-growing tumor that originates from a subtype of white blood cells called B lymphocytes of the immune system and often affects internal organs and the central nervous system. Now Dr. Sandrine Sander and Professor Klaus Rajewsky of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have identified a key element that transforms the immune cells into malignant lymphoma cells.

14 Aug 2012

Chemotherapy improves survival for patients with periampullary cancer following resection

Patients who had surgery for periampullary cancer (a variety of types of cancer that are located in and near the head of the pancreas, including an area called the ampulla where the bile duct joins up with the pancreatic duct to empty their secretions into the upper small intestine) and received chemotherapy had a statistically significant survival benefit, compared to patients who did not receive chemotherapy, after adjusting for prognostic variables, according to a study in the July 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Jul 2012

MiR-33 plays a key role in regulating bile metabolism

In research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association and published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, Saint Louis University investigator -ngel Bald-n, Ph.D., found that the microRNA miR-33 plays a key role in regulating bile metabolism. Further, the research suggests that, in an animal model, the manipulation of this microRNA can improve the liver toxicity that can be caused by statins.

10 Jul 2012

Roche receives FDA approval for CMV viral load test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first DNA test to help health care professionals gauge the progress of anti-viral treatment in solid organ transplant patients undergoing cytomegalovirus (CMV) antiviral therapy.

6 Jul 2012

Under-performance of small bowel biopsy a major reason behind underdiagnosis of celiac disease

Under-performance of small bowel biopsy during endoscopy may be a major reason that celiac disease remains underdiagnosed in the United States, according to a new study published online recently in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Investigators at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that the rate of small bowel biopsy is low in this country.

30 Jun 2012

Rate of small bowel biopsy is low in the U.S.

30 Jun 2012

Study reveals technique that allows scientists to watch lipid metabolism in live zebrafish

In mammals, most lipids are absorbed into the body via the small intestine. The complexity of the cells and fluids that inhabit this organ make it very difficult to study in a laboratory setting. New research from Carnegie's Steven Farber, James Walters and Jennifer Anderson reveals a technique that allows scientists to watch lipid metabolism in live zebrafish. This method enabled them to describe new aspects of lipid absorption that could have broad applications for human health.

29 Jun 2012

Type 2 diabetes often reverses after modified weight loss surgery

Type 2 diabetes often reverses after modified weight loss surgery, especially when the duration of diabetes is less than 10 years, a new study finds. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

26 Jun 2012