Digestive System News and Research

RSS

Researchers develop novel assay to identify genes controlling pharynx regeneration in flatworms

As multicellular creatures go, planaria worms are hardly glamorous. To say they appear rudimentary is more like it. These tiny aquatic flatworms that troll ponds and standing water resemble brown tubes equipped with just the basics: a pair of beady light-sensing "eyespots" on their head and a feeding tube called the pharynx (which doubles as the excretory tract) that protrudes from a belly sac to suck up food.

11 Apr 2014

Carb breakdown gene linked to obesity, researchers find

Researchers at King's College London and Imperial College London have discovered that people with fewer copies of a gene coding for a carb-digesting enzyme may be at higher risk of obesity. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that dietary advice may need to be more tailored to an individual's digestive system, based on whether they have the genetic predisposition and necessary enzymes to digest different foods.

31 Mar 2014

Celiac disease people may have near two-fold increased risk of coronary artery disease

People with celiac disease may have a near two-fold increased risk of coronary artery disease compared with the general population, according to research to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

31 Mar 2014

Ulcerative colitis control: an interview with Dr Paul Robinson, Medical Director, MSD UK

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which means there is chronic inflammation and ulceration in the lining of the digestive tract, usually in the large intestine.

26 Mar 2014

AAA gets orphan drug designation status for radiopharmaceutical, Gallium-68 DOTATATE

Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA), a fast growing international player in Molecular Nuclear Medicine (MNM), announced today that they have received orphan drug designation status for their radiopharmaceutical, Gallium-68 DOTATATE.

4 Mar 2014

Proactive health measures are the secret to health and happiness

The secret to health and happiness just may lie in the simple things, like spending time outdoors, according to a new survey by Traditional Medicinals, the nation's leading wellness tea company.

4 Mar 2014

Covidien closes acquisition of Given Imaging

Covidien plc today announced that it has closed its acquisition of Given Imaging Ltd., providing the company additional scale and scope to serve a significant medical specialty, the multibillion dollar global gastrointestinal (GI) market.

27 Feb 2014

Chewable drug candidate BTI320 can potentially prevent added sugar intake

It's official: sugar is not so sweet—for our health, that is. The new study "Added Sugar Intake and Cardiovascular Diseases Mortality Among US Adults," published in JAMA Internal Medicine, examines the intake of "added sugars," and the results suggest that sugar is now an independent risk factor for heart disease and other chronic diseases.

21 Feb 2014

Researchers propose new treatment to prevent mucositis in cancer patients

Experimental work pointing to a therapy for alleviating mucositis -- a common, severe side effect of chemotherapy and irradiation of cancer patients or patients prepared for bone marrow transplantation - has been achieved by an international team of researchers from the US and Israel headed by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

20 Feb 2014

Altrient C improves skin firmness and elasticity by 32.7%

...

17 Feb 2014

Children newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease may benefit from biologic drugs

Children newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease may benefit from early treatment with the biologic drugs known as anti-TNF-α agents, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

3 Feb 2014

Erosive GERD treatments: an interview with Professor Joaquim Moraes-Filho, University of São Paulo Medical School

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications.

20 Jan 2014

Bio-inspired biodegradable surgical glue repairs defects of heart and blood vessels

Gecko Biomedical, a French medical device company developing 'bio-inspired' biodegradable surgical glues and patches for wound closure, announces that the Company's co-founders have published data demonstrating the potential of its paradigm-shifting technologies for minimally invasive reconstructive heart surgery.

9 Jan 2014

Researchers start first cancer operation room with navigator

A team of researchers from Gregorio Marañón Hospital, the company GMV and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have started the first cancer operation room with a navigator. This image-guided system will allow for increased intraoperative radiotherapy safety.

22 Dec 2013

AGA guidelines recommend anti-TNF-α biologic agents to induce remission in Crohn's disease patients

The anti-TNF-α biologic agents, such as infliximab or adalimumab, are recommended to induce remission in patients with moderately severe Crohn's disease , according to a new guideline from the American Gastroenterological Association. Additionally, the guidelines recommend against using thiopurines or methotrexate alone to induce remission in these patients. The new guideline and accompanying technical review have been published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA Institute.

18 Dec 2013

Chemists able to trace narcotics substances, prescription drugs in Swedish wastewater

Chemists at Ume- University in Sweden have been able to trace narcotics substances and prescription drugs in measurements of wastewater from 33 Swedish sewage treatment plants. Cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, in measurable concentrations, were found in a total of half of the locations.

17 Dec 2013

Covidien signs definitive agreement to acquire outstanding shares of Given Imaging

Covidien plc and Given Imaging Ltd. today announced a definitive agreement under which Covidien will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Given Imaging for $30.00 per share in cash, for a total of approximately $860 million, net of cash and investments acquired. This transaction provides Covidien additional scale and scope to serve the multibillion dollar global gastrointestinal market and supports the Company's strategy to comprehensively address key global specialties and procedures.

8 Dec 2013

Experts suggest two ways to battle the holiday bulge

Though the Thanksgiving feast and leftovers are behind you, the holiday eating season has just begun. On average, Americans gain one or two pounds this time of year. Though that might not sound like much, the annual weight gain adds up from year to year and can lead to significant gains as time goes by.

30 Nov 2013

New evidence shows probiotics offer enormous potential for treatment of depression

Probiotics are not new, but their status as a nutritional buzzword is. Most folks have now heard and seen the term countless times in commercials and advertisements, as yogurt, dietary supplement, natural food product, and even cosmetic companies promote their probiotic-containing products.

20 Nov 2013

AGA publishes HCV Clinical Decision Tool for management of HCV-positive patients

The American Gastroenterological Association Clinical Decision Tool for the Screening and Evaluation of Hepatitis C will help gastroenterologists in the early management of HCV-positive patients, according to a new paper in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. Chronic HCV has a significant impact on the adult population and is a disease for which much progress has been made in its treatment.

6 Nov 2013