Pancreas News and Research

RSS

The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as an exocrine gland, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that pass to the small intestine. These enzymes help in the further breakdown of the carbohydrates, protein, and fat in the chyme.

3-D structure of HNF-4α reveals new pockets that could be targeted with therapeutic drugs

Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have determined the complete three-dimensional structure of a protein called HNF-4α.

14 Mar 2013

Artificial pancreas outperforms insulin pump in diabetes camp

An artificial pancreas system proved more effective at controlling nocturnal glucose levels than a sensor-augmented insulin pump, in a study of children with Type 1 diabetes treated outside the hospital setting in a diabetes camp, report researchers.

8 Mar 2013

Endocrine Society issues position statement on estradiol measurement

In a Position Statement unveiled today, The Endocrine Society advocates that all methods for measuring estrogens, which play a crucial role in human biology, be made traceable to a common standard.

6 Mar 2013

Stem cell line could also advance research into liver cancers, cystic fibrosis

Chronic or acute, liver failure can be deadly. Toxins take over, the skin turns yellow and higher brain function slows. "There is no effective therapy at the moment to deal with the toxins that build up in your body," said Neil Talbot, a Research Animal Scientist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. "Their only option now is to transplant a liver."

1 Mar 2013

TikoMed, BRI partner to investigate IBsolvMIR in phase II trial for chronic pancreatitis

Baylor Research Institute (BRI), the research arm of Baylor Health Care System, and TikoMed AB announced today that an agreement has been established to investigate TikoMed´s product IBsolvMIR® in a phase II clinical trial.

28 Feb 2013

Anti-LG3 associated with high rate of organ rejection during transplantation

A team led by Dr. Marie-Jos-e H-bert from the University of Montreal Hospital* Research Centre (CRCHUM) has discovered a new cause of organ rejection in some kidney transplant patients. Her team has identified a new class of antibodies - anti-LG3 - which when activated lead to severe rejection episodes associated with a high rate of organ loss.

28 Feb 2013

GLP-1 pancreatitis concerns justified

Study results have raised further concerns over a link between pancreatitis and the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based therapies for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

28 Feb 2013

Study indicates how gastric bypass reverses diabetes

In a substudy of the STAMPEDE trial (Surgical Therapy And Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently), Cleveland Clinic researchers have found that gastric bypass surgery reverses diabetes by uniquely restoring pancreatic function in moderately obese patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

28 Feb 2013

GLP-1 may increase risk of hospitalization for people with acute pancreatitis

People who take the newest class of diabetes drugs to control blood sugar are twice as likely as those on other forms of sugar-control medication to be hospitalized with pancreatitis, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

25 Feb 2013

Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can increase risk of diabetes, heart disease

Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can lead not only to obesity, but can also increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

22 Feb 2013

New mouse model can advance research on iPS cells to next step

VIB scientists associated to the UGent have developed a mouse model that can advance the research on iPS cells to the next step.

21 Feb 2013

Study describes pharmacological action of TZDs directly on pancreas

A scientific study published on the journal Diabetes, edited by the American Diabetes Association, describes for the first time the pharmacological action of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) —anti-diabetic drugs— directly on pancreas, the organ which produces insulin.

18 Feb 2013

Artificial pancreas improves on insulin pump therapy in Type 1 diabetes

The dual-hormone closed-loop delivery system, a type of artificial pancreas, could offer significant advantages over conventional insulin pump therapy in Type 1 diabetes patients, report researchers.

15 Feb 2013

Blood vessels play an important role in preventing spread of tumour cells

A lack of the protein endoglin in the blood vessels of tumour-bearing mice enables the spread of daughter tumours, according to researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Lund University in Sweden in a study published in the scientific periodical The Journal of Experimental Medicine. Given that the tumour vasculature constitutes an important barrier to the spread of cancer cells, the team suggests that drugs should be developed to strengthen the blood vessels' protective function.

12 Feb 2013

More than £6M funding awarded to enhance development of biopharmaceuticals

More than £6M of funding has been awarded to enhance the development of biopharmaceuticals. In total £6.5M will fund 12 projects to deliver commercially important results, such as industrial-scale production of antibodies, stem cell preservation at room temperature, biopharmaceutical production using microbes and commercial scale stem cell therapy.

6 Feb 2013

Adequate vitamin D levels during young adulthood may reduce risk of type 1 diabetes

Having adequate levels of vitamin D during young adulthood may reduce the risk of adult-onset type 1 diabetes by as much as 50%, according to researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

5 Feb 2013

Scientists uncover key mechanism that links obesity and diabetes with cancer

Sugars are needed to provide us with energy and in moderate amounts contribute to our well-being. Sustained high levels of sugars, as is found in diabetics, damages our cells and now is shown that can also increase our chance to get cancer: The dose makes the poison as Paracelsus said.

1 Feb 2013

Mice with mitochondrial mutation live longer, have less fat

If findings of a new study in mice are any indication, it might be possible to fine-tune cellular powerhouses called mitochondria, tweaking one aspect to increase insulin sensitivity, reduce body and fat mass, and even extend life. Exploiting this target could one day lead to novel treatments for type 2 diabetes - an endocrine system disease that affects 8 percent of the U.S. population. The research also points to promising new avenues of investigation in the biology of aging.

30 Jan 2013

Dual-hormone artificial pancreas shows promise against type 1 diabetes

IRCM researchers, led by endocrinologist Dr. R-mi Rabasa-Lhoret, were the first to conduct a trial comparing a dual-hormone artificial pancreas with conventional diabetes treatment using an insulin pump and showed improved glucose levels and lower risks of hypoglycemia.

29 Jan 2013

Regular deep-fried food consumption may increase risk of prostate cancer

Regular consumption of deep-fried foods such as French fries, fried chicken and doughnuts is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, and the effect appears to be slightly stronger with regard to more aggressive forms of the disease, according to a study by investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

29 Jan 2013