Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Study is the first to show that lowering the levels of lipid in nerve terminals affects the efficiency of neurotransmission

Yale researchers demonstrate the crucial role of a membrane lipid called phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns (4,5)P2) in the communication of information between synapses in the brain, according to a study published this week in Nature.

26 Sep 2004

Evidence pointing to chronic cellular inflammation as the precursor of heart disease and diabetes

Endocrinologists from the University at Buffalo are providing one more link in the growing chain of evidence pointing to chronic cellular inflammation as the precursor of heart disease and diabetes.

21 Sep 2004

World's most powerful magnetic resonance imaging machine for human studies

The University of Illinois at Chicago unveiled today the world's most powerful magnetic resonance imaging machine for human studies, capable of imaging not just the anatomy but metabolism within the brain.

21 Sep 2004

New imaging analysis techniques to probe causes of dyslexia

Using sophisticated new software that integrates a variety of imaging methods, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researchers will probe the mystery of what causes dyslexia with a four-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

20 Sep 2004

Slimming agents could pose major health risk

Commonly used nutritional supplements and body-building agents for elite athletes could pose an increased risk of cancer according to a study undertaken at the University of Sydney.

16 Sep 2004

New treatment for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

IL-7, a hormone-like protein involved in cell-cell interaction, has been associated with increased survival and expansion of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL).

9 Sep 2004

Controlling diarrhoea and constipation in autistic children without using antibiotics

Scientists checking bacteria which live in the intestines of autistic children may have found a way to control gut problems, such as diarrhoea or constipation, without using antibiotics

8 Sep 2004

First indication that Parkinson’s disease can be caused by a defect in a protein

The findings of Finnish scientists with their multinational collaborators shed light to the mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease and early menopause.

8 Sep 2004

Hormone leptin could play a key role in treating bone loss, anorexia and infertility in women

A new study has found that the hormone leptin plays a key role in women’s reproductive and neuroendocrine health and suggests a future for the hormone in treating a number of conditions including exercise-induced bone loss, anorexia and in some cases of infertility.

2 Sep 2004

Study suggests that patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension may benefit from Thelin therapy

Encysive Pharmaceuticals today announced the presentation of data from a clinical study of Thelin(TM) (sitaxsentan) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), at the European Society of Cardiology Annual Congress in Munich.

31 Aug 2004

Kiwis reverse heart disease in diabetics

New Zealand biopharmaceutical company Protemix Corporation has announced the discovery of a treatment which appears to reverse heart disease in people suffering from diabetes and may lead to a more effective intervention in a major cause of death worldwide.

30 Aug 2004

Summary of The Euro Heart Survey on the diabetic state of patients with coronary artery disease

The survey engaged 110 centres in 25 countries recruiting 4,196 patients referred to a cardiology department or outpatient clinic due to CAD. A total of 2 107 of these patients were admitted on acute basis while 2,854 had an elective consultation. Patient data were collected via a web-based case record form.

30 Aug 2004

New study confirms benefits of rimonabant in weight loss

Phase III clinical study comparing placebo to rimonabant, the first agent in a new therapeutic class known as selective cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) blockers, showed that overweight or obese people taking rimonabant 20mg once daily benefited from a significant reduction in their body weight

29 Aug 2004

Ephedra substitute - Seville orange may have risks

People taking “ephedra-free” weight loss products that contain the herb Citrus aurantium, or Seville orange, may be doing more harm to their body than good, according to a new review published by Georgetown University Medical Center researchers.

27 Aug 2004

Researchers have produced a marathon mouse that can run twice as far as normal mice

By enhancing the function of a single protein, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have produced a “marathon mouse” with altered muscle composition and enough physical endurance to run twice as far as normal mice.

23 Aug 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