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.

Discovery explains how insulin prompts fat and muscle cells to absorb glucose

A PhD student at Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research has uncovered an important piece in the puzzle of how insulin works, a problem that has plagued researchers for more than 50 years.

6 Nov 2008

Investigational drug, MK-677 shows promise for reducing age-related frailty

Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System report that a daily single oral dose of an investigational drug, MK-677, increased muscle mass in the arms and legs of healthy older adults without serious side effects, suggesting that it may prove safe and effective in reducing age-related frailty.

5 Nov 2008

Maternal obesity can program fetal brain to induce adult-onset obesity

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

5 Nov 2008

Study look at use of insulin via insulin pump

Using an insulin pump to manage diabetes is more convenient than managing the disease with daily insulin injections.

5 Nov 2008

Resveratrol type drug mimics low-cal diet to ward off weight gain

A drug designed to specifically hit a protein linked to the life-extending benefits of a meager diet can essentially trick the body into believing food is scarce even when it isn't, suggests a new report in the November Cell Metabolism.

5 Nov 2008

Apelin hormone shows promise as target for managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

By injecting a hormone produced by fat and other tissues into mice, researchers report in the November Cell Metabolism that they significantly lowered blood sugar levels in normal and obese mice.

5 Nov 2008

New drug tricks the body into burning off fat

French scientists have found a drug they say tricks the body into burning off fat - and it even works on a high-fat diet.

5 Nov 2008

Anti-frailty pill for seniors in the pipeline

An 'anti-frailty' pill for seniors could be in the pipeline - the pill which increases muscle mass in arms and legs of older adults is the brainchild of researchers at the University of Virginia Health System.

5 Nov 2008

New weapon in the fight against obesity and diabetes

A study appearing November 5 in the journal Cell Metabolism demonstrates that a synthetic new chemical entity protects against diet-induced obesity, improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and enhances exercise endurance by enhancing fat utilization in certain target tissues.

4 Nov 2008

SurModics acquires drug delivery assets of PR Pharmaceuticals

SurModics, Inc. announced today that it has acquired a portfolio of intellectual property and collaborative drug delivery projects from PR Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a drug delivery company specializing in injectable, biodegradable sustained release formulations.

4 Nov 2008

Maternal obesity can program fetal brain to induce adult-onset obesity

Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

4 Nov 2008

Halozyme Therapeutics starts phase 2 trial of insulin with rHuPH20 in type 1 diabetes

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. today announced it has started a Phase 2 study of proprietary recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme (rHuPH20) co-formulations with Humulin R (regular insulin human injection) and with Humalog (insulin lispro) in Type 1 diabetic patients.

3 Nov 2008

Good genes behaving badly behind type 1 diabetes

Investigators combing the genome in the hope of finding genetic variants responsible for triggering early-onset diabetes may be looking in the wrong place, new research at the Stanford University School of Medicine suggests.

31 Oct 2008

GlaxoSmithKline believes there is no liver safety issue with Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate)

GlaxoSmithKline today issued the following response to a petition filed by Public Citizen to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Avandia (rosiglitazone maleate), a highly effective therapy for treating type 2 diabetes when used in the appropriate patient population.

31 Oct 2008

Scientists discover a catalytic antibody that degrades a known appetite stimulant

The antibody works against the gastric hormone ghrelin (pronounced "grell-in"), which has been linked to weight gain and fat storage through its metabolic actions. These findings point towards a potentially novel treatment for obesity that would interfere directly with the some of the biological mechanisms determining weight.

28 Oct 2008

Expensive new diabetes drugs don't necessarily produce better outcomes

The annual cost of prescription diabetes drugs nearly doubled to $12.5 billion between 2001 and 2007, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the University of Chicago. The researchers say the findings raise questions about whether the higher cost actually translates into improved care and better outcomes.

28 Oct 2008

Eating whole grains lowers heart failure risk

About 5 million people in the United States suffer from heart failure (HF). While some reports indicate that changes to diet can reduce HF risk, few large, prospective studies have been conducted.

27 Oct 2008

Life in Canada more deadly for immigrants?

Immigrants who come to Canada seeking a better life may in fact be setting themselves up for possible premature death.

26 Oct 2008

New Zealand to trial pig cells as treatment for type 1 diabetes

Authorities in New Zealand have given conditional approval for a human trial to go ahead using pig cells to treat type 1 diabetes.

21 Oct 2008

Discovery of two novel gene locations that raise risk of type 1 diabetes

Genetics researchers have identified two novel gene locations that raise the risk of type 1 diabetes. As they continue to reveal pieces of the complicated genetic puzzle for this disease, the researchers expect to improve predictive tests and devise preventive strategies.

14 Oct 2008