Insulin News and Research

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Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert glucose, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin allows cells to use glucose for fuel and is secreted by beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. The release of insulin from the pancreas is stimulated by increased blood glucose, vagal nerve stimulation, and other factors. Insulin is obtained from various animals and available in a variety of preparations. Commercial insulin preparations differ in a number of ways, including differences in the animal species from which they are obtained; their purity, concentration, and solubility; and the time of onset and duration of their biologic action. An oral hypoglycemic agent is not a form of insulin therapy.

Long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplants more likely to develop heart disease

New research appearing online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), suggests that long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) are at an increased risk of developing heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol when compared to the general population.

4 Oct 2012

Estrogen/progesterone treatment started soon after menopause appears safe and effective

Estrogen/progesterone treatment started soon after menopause appears safe and relieves many of the symptoms menopausal women face as well as improving mood and markers of cardiovascular risk, according to a multicenter randomized study presented at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

4 Oct 2012

Boehringer Ingelheim, Lilly announce data from LY2605541 Phase II study on type 2 diabetes

Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim today announced patient-reported health outcomes data from a Phase II study of their investigational novel basal insulin analogue, LY2605541, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

3 Oct 2012

New insights on mechanisms involved in regeneration of insulin-producing cells

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that a blood vessel-building gene boosts the ability of human bone marrow stem cells to sustain pancreatic recovery in a laboratory mouse model of insulin-dependent diabetes.

3 Oct 2012

New testing method for gestational diabetes

The increasingly common condition of gestational diabetes can have serious consequences for both the mother and child if left untreated. Prompt diagnosis and therapy can protect against these consequences. A new testing method developed at the MedUni Vienna now makes diagnosis easier and also cheaper.

3 Oct 2012

Low serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 associated with Alzheimer's in men

Low serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) are associated with Alzheimer's Disease in men, but not women, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

3 Oct 2012

Issa threatens to subpoena HHS documents related to Medicare Advantage bonuses

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, alleges that the Department of Health and Human Services is using an $8 billion Medicare bonus payment demonstration project to mask the health law's cuts to Medicare Advantage plans in advance of the election.

29 Sep 2012

Extending sleep duration may help reduce risk of diabetes in youth

A new study suggests that increasing the amount of sleep that teenagers get could improve their insulin resistance and prevent the future onset of diabetes.

29 Sep 2012

Thymus tissue, iPSCS and liver cells can thrive in lymph nodes

Lymph nodes can provide a suitable home for a variety of cells and tissues from other organs, suggesting that a cell-based alternative to whole organ transplantation might one day be feasible, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and its McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

28 Sep 2012

Researchers discover leptin hormone in fruit flies

Researchers have discovered in fruit flies a key metabolic hormone thought to be the exclusive property of vertebrates. The hormone, leptin, is a nutrient sensor, regulating energy intake and output and ultimately controlling appetite.

28 Sep 2012

Inhibiting TRPV4 protects against diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced the publication of key preclinical data demonstrating that inhibition of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) family of ion channels - specifically TRPV4 - resulted in activation of brown/beige fat and protection from diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. Ember holds an exclusive option to license these TRPV4 findings and technology.

28 Sep 2012

Molecular link between thermogenesis and development of inflammation in fat cells

Flipping a newly discovered molecular switch in white fat cells enabled mice to eat a high-calorie diet without becoming obese or developing the inflammation that causes insulin resistance, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

28 Sep 2012

Dietary habits associated with NAFLD in obese children

Research has identified a number of variables associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children.

27 Sep 2012

ApoA-V as a contributor to dyslipidemia in obese children

Insulin may be an important regulator of serum apolipoprotein A-V levels in obese people and may contribute to the development of obesity-associated dyslipidemia, say Japanese researchers.

27 Sep 2012

GW to evaluate effectiveness of glucose-lowering drugs against type 2 diabetes

John Lachin, professor of biostatistics, epidemiology and statistics at the George Washington University, has been awarded a five-year, $134 million grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to conduct a clinical trial examining the long-term effectiveness of several glucose-lowering medications for treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. The grant sets a record as the largest sum award GW has ever received.

27 Sep 2012

Karolinska Institutet scientists discover new approach to treat type II diabetes

An international team of scientists, led from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, have discovered an entirely new approach to the treatment of type II diabetes. The therapy involves the blockade of signalling by a protein known as VEGF-B and this prevents fat from accumulating in the 'wrong' places, such as in muscles and in the heart. As a result the cells within these tissues are once again able to respond to insulin.

27 Sep 2012

CeQur completes PaQ Insulin Delivery Device clinical study on type 2 diabetes

CeQur SA, a company focused on the development and commercialization of simple insulin delivery devices, announced the completion of a clinical study with the company's PaQ Insulin Delivery Device.

27 Sep 2012

CSL develops new drug candidate against type 2 diabetes

CSL Limited has developed a new drug candidate that is able to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and reverse its progression in animal models of the disease.

27 Sep 2012

Low blood sugar danger for critically ill

Further analysis of the NICE-SUGAR trial shows a dose‑response relationship between the degree of hypoglycemia and the risk for death in critically ill patients.

25 Sep 2012

UCSD bioengineers to play a central role in new NIH program to accelerate metabolomics

With a $6 million grant over five years, bioengineers from the University of California, San Diego will play a central role in a new program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to accelerate "metabolomics", an emerging field of biomedical research that offers a path to a wealth of information about a person's nutrition, infection, health, disease status and more.

25 Sep 2012