Pancreas News and Research

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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.

Cook Medical adds 25 gage needle to line of FNB histology portfolio

Cook Medical has added a 25 gage needle to its EchoTip ProCore line of fine needle biopsy (FNB) histology needles, which are designed for use in a procedure known as endoscopic ultrasound, or EUS. The EchoTip ProCore is a single-use, disposable needle for FNB intended for sampling of submucosal lesions, mediastinal masses, lymph nodes and intraperitoneal masses.

21 May 2012

Biomarker neutralizes effect of bevacizumab in pancreas and kidney cancer patients

Diether Lambrechts (VIB - KU Leuven) said "in two large clinical studies with patients with advanced stages of pancreas and kidney cancer a variant in the DNA was discovered that identified patients who did not respond well to the prescribed course of bevacizumab.

21 May 2012

MRSA nasal colonization associated with increase in SSI in patients undergoing GI surgery

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA) nasal colonization is associated with longer hospital stays and an increase in surgical site infections (SSI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery, according to a new study from Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple, TX.

21 May 2012

Experimental bariatric surgery can lower blood sugar levels in rats with type 1 diabetes

For the first time, scientists at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute have shown that an experimental bariatric surgery can lower blood sugar levels in rats with type 1 diabetes.

21 May 2012

New directions and challenges in viral hepatitis care and research

The editors of Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, are pleased to announce the publication of this year's highly anticipated special 13th issue. Published each May, the 13th issue is devoted to a particular gastroenterological topic of broad interest; this year's topic is viral hepatitis.

16 May 2012

New hormone link between obesity and type 2 diabetes

A new link between obesity and type 2 diabetes found in mice could open the door to exploring new potential drug treatments for diabetes, University of Michigan Health System research has found.

16 May 2012

Significant breakthrough in understanding the cause of bile duct cancer

A team of international scientists has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the cause of bile duct cancer, a deadly type of liver cancer. By identifying several new genes frequently mutated in bile duct cancers, researchers are paving the way for better understanding of how bile duct cancers develop. Their discovery is published online in Nature Genetics.

15 May 2012

Researchers identify new biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified a new biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, an often-fatal disease for which there is currently no reliable method for early detection or therapeutic intervention. The paper will be published May 15 in Cancer Research.

15 May 2012

First U.S. outpatient trial of UVA-developed artificial pancreas

The University of Virginia School of Medicine has launched the first U.S. outpatient trial of a UVA-developed artificial pancreas that could make it easier for type 1 diabetes patients to manage their condition.

14 May 2012

Obese women more likely to have children with lower cognitive function

Women who are obese before they become pregnant are at higher risk of having children with lower cognitive function - as measured by math and reading tests taken between ages 5 to 7 years - than are mothers with a healthy prepregnancy weight, new research suggests.

9 May 2012

Lexicon to receive funding for LX4211 Phase 2 trial in type 1 diabetes

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that an independent, non-profit organization will provide funding to support the Phase 2 development of LX4211 in type 1 diabetes.

4 May 2012

Scientists discover new type of dynamic change in human stem cells

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of California (UC) San Diego has discovered a new type of dynamic change in human stem cells.

4 May 2012

Hypothalamic neuropeptide changes cause obesity in low-birth-weight babies

It seems improbable that a baby born underweight would be prone to obesity, but it is well documented that these children tend to put on weight in youth if they're allowed free access to calories. Now, researchers believe they understand why this happens.

3 May 2012

Lixte submits IND with FDA to conduct LB-100 Phase I trial for cancer

John S. Kovach, M.D., Chair, Board of Directors and CEO of Lixte Biotechnology Holdings, Inc., announced the submission of an IND application to the Food and Drug Administration to conduct a Phase I trial of its lead, anti-cancer compound, LB-100.

2 May 2012

Kras gene triggers metabolic changes that fuel cancer cells

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that advanced pancreatic cancers in mice can't survive without continued expression of a mutant oncogene that "rewires" key metabolic pathways to fuel the cancer cells.

27 Apr 2012

Irreversible Electroporation can more effectively kill cancer cells with BNNTs

A new study has shown that adding boron-nitride nanotubes to the surface of cancer cells can double the effectiveness of Irreversible Electroporation, a minimally invasive treatment for soft tissue tumors in the liver, lung, prostate, head and neck, kidney and pancreas.

27 Apr 2012

Novartis receives FDA approval for Afinitor to treat renal angiomyolipomas caused by TSC

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Afinitor (everolimus), the first drug approved specifically to treat non-cancerous kidney tumors (renal angiomyolipomas) not requiring immediate surgery in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.

27 Apr 2012

CytRx commences INNO-206 Phase 2 clinical trial for pancreatic cancer

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the preliminary efficacy and safety of INNO-206 in patients with advanced pancreatic ductual adenocarcinomas (PDA) who have progressed after receiving two prior therapies.

26 Apr 2012

Kidney donated two weeks after transplant

For the first time, a kidney that had been donated to a patient in need was removed and implanted into a new patient, the third individual to have the organ, after it failed in the first transplant recipient. Ray Fearing, a 27-year-old Arlington Heights resident received the organ from his sister, Cera, after a long battle with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a disease in which scar tissue develops on the part of the kidney that filters waste out of the blood, ultimately causing kidney failure.

26 Apr 2012

Scientists gain new insight into signaling paths that control insulin production

Scientists from The Danish Stem Cell Center (DanStem) at the University of Copenhagen and Hagedorn Research Institute have gained new insight into the signaling paths that control the body's insulin production. This is important knowledge with respect to their final goal: the conversion of stem cells into insulin-producing beta cells that can be implanted into patients who need them.

26 Apr 2012