Tryptophan News and Research

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Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet.

Researchers develop artificial enzymatic pathway for synthesizing isoprenoids in E. coli

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed an artificial enzymatic pathway for synthesizing isoprenoids, or terpenes, in E. coli.

17 Jan 2019

New drug could significantly slow progression of ALS, shows research

A new drug could significantly slow the progression of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists. Current treatments slow progression of the degenerative disease by only a few months, and these findings could revolutionize the treatment of patients suffering from ALS, extending and improving quality of life.

18 Dec 2018

Brazilian professors propose guidelines for therapeutic use of melatonin

Sixty years after melatonin was isolated and with more than 23,000 published studies showing the many functions of this hormone secreted by the pineal gland, guidelines should be discussed and established for its therapeutic use.

11 Dec 2018

Study uncovers link between gut bacteria and 'hedonic eating'

A study of 63 healthy people showed that those with elevated microbiome levels of the metabolite indole - produced when gut bacteria break down the amino acid tryptophan - had stronger function and connectivity in specific areas of the brain's reward network.

24 Aug 2018

New approach could provide objective and easy-to-obtain measure of dietary adherence

An analysis of small molecules called "metabolites" in a blood sample may be used to determine whether a person is following a prescribed diet, scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have shown.

20 Jun 2018

New studies on fat cell filling, history of biochemistry, and ketogenic diet

There's more than one type of fat cell. Besides the white fat that stores triglycerides in lipid droplets in preparation for lean times later, mammals also have heat-generating brown fat, which acts more like a radiator than a storage closet.

14 Jun 2018

Key metabolites shed by gut bacteria can help protect from inflammation, study finds

Researchers at Tufts University have elucidated a mechanism by which the "good" bacteria that reside in our gastrointestinal tract can help protect us from inflammation, and how their disruption (dysbiosis) can increase the susceptibility of the liver to more harmful forms of disease.

4 May 2018

Prebiotics could enhance the learning and memory skills of infants

This news article describes a recent study which showed that learning and memory skills could be enhanced by adding prebiotics to piglet feed.

19 Jan 2018

Discovery of key protein’s structure may help improve drug design

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have peered deep into the heart of a key protein used in drug design and discovered dynamic structural features that may lead to new ways to target diseases.

29 Dec 2017

High levels of natural immune suppressor in leukemia patients linked to poor survival

Patients diagnosed with the most common form of leukemia who also have high levels of an enzyme known to suppress the immune system are most likely to die early, researchers say.

27 Nov 2017

Researchers uncover link between abdominal aortic aneurysm and dysregulated tryptophan metabolism

Researchers have found a link between dysregulated tryptophan metabolism and abdominal aortic aneurysm, a life-threatening vascular disease, according to a new study led by Georgia State University.

13 Nov 2017

Montmorency tart cherry juice found to help extend sleep time among adults 50 years and older

Montmorency tart cherry juice was found to help extend sleep time by 84 minutes among eight study participants, ages 50 and older who suffer from insomnia, according to a new pilot study published in American Journal of Therapeutics.

28 Oct 2017

Penn State investigator receives $7.3 million grant for research on cellular protein

A faculty member in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has received a $7.3 million grant for innovative research on a cellular protein that could be a target for enhancing immune function in response to a variety of diseases and environmental toxins.

15 Sep 2017

Researchers find unique genetic mutation in 74-year-old man with Parkinson's disease

Mutations in the human genome may be responsible for many diseases. In the case of Parkinson's disease (PD), five locations have been the subject of recent attention. Variants of one of these locations, ACMSD (aminocarboxymuconate semialdehyde decarboxylase), may be implicated in PD, but until now, no mutations in ACMSD have been found in any PD patients.

14 Sep 2017

Protein-rich diet may foster more tolerant, less inflammatory gut environment

Immune cells patrol the gut to ensure that harmful microbes hidden in the food we eat don't sneak into the body. Cells that are capable of triggering inflammation are balanced by cells that promote tolerance, protecting the body without damaging sensitive tissues.

3 Aug 2017

Researchers identify new circulating compounds linked to risk of developing AD and dementia

In one of the largest studies to date to use metabolomics, the study of compounds that are created through various chemical reactions in the body, researchers have been able to identify new circulating compounds associated with the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

12 Jun 2017

Rice scientists develop new method to obtain structural details on molecules in biomembranes

Five years of hard work and a little "cosmic luck" led Rice University researchers to a new method to obtain structural details on molecules in biomembranes.

16 Feb 2017

Adjusting KYNA levels can have significant effects on schizophrenia-like behavior, mice study finds

A new study by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers has found that in mice, adjusting levels of a compound called kynurenic acid can have significant effects on schizophrenia-like behavior. The study appeared in the latest issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

7 Feb 2017

Researchers develop new compound that can take down defenses in M. tuberculosis

Part of the reason tuberculosis-causing bacteria are so good at colonizing the human body is that they have defenses against the body's immune system.

6 Dec 2016

Scientists develop safe, highly efficient method to improve searching of new germicides

Scientists from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in cooperation with colleagues have worked out a safe, not that expensive and highly efficient method, which allows to speed up and improve searching of new germicides.

29 Nov 2016