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DPP-4 inhibitors effective against low blood sugar levels

DPP-4 inhibitors are a group of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes that lower high blood sugar levels by stimulating insulin production in the body. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now discovered that DPP-4 inhibitors are also effective against low blood sugar levels.

23 Feb 2015

Betaretrovirus may infect patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

In a new study published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, researchers at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry have shown that a betaretrovirus which resembles a mouse mammary tumor virus infects patients with the rare liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).

20 Feb 2015

New research finds that synthetic flame retardants can cause metabolic and liver problems

Chemicals used as synthetic flame retardants that are found in common household items such as couches, carpet padding, and electronics have been found to cause metabolic and liver problems that can lead to insulin resistance, which is a major cause of obesity, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.

20 Feb 2015

LBBC to host metastatic breast cancer conference in April 2015

Philadelphia-based Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the national information and support organization, has opened registration for its ninth annual conference for women living with metastatic breast cancer. The event takes place Saturday, April 11 – Sunday April 12, 2015 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

19 Feb 2015

University of Alberta researcher named winner of A.S.P.E.N.'s 2015 Harry M. Vars Award

David Lim, MD, CM, of the University of Alberta has been named the winner of the 2015 Harry M. Vars Award by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The award is for his research on parenteral nutrition associated liver disease (PNALD) in infants, which was presented at A.S.P.E.N.'s Clinical Nutrition Week conference in Long Beach, California, February 14 to 17.

19 Feb 2015

Possible cause of liver disease identified in adolescents with cystic fibrosis

A professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus and his colleagues have found a possible cause of liver disease in adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

19 Feb 2015

Nicotine metabolite supports learning, memory by amplifying action of primary chemical messenger

Nicotine's primary metabolite supports learning and memory by amplifying the action of a primary chemical messenger involved in both, researchers report.

19 Feb 2015

Regulus Therapeutics reports net loss of $22.2 million for fourth quarter 2014

Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014, including a summary of recent corporate highlights.

19 Feb 2015

IL-23 predicts PegIFN response in chronic HBV

High baseline serum levels of interleukin-23 can help to identify hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients who are likely to respond to pegylated interferon treatment, a Chinese study indicates.

18 Feb 2015

SLU researchers halt fatty liver disease in animal model

Doctors believe that up to 30 percent of the U.S. population may have fat accumulation in the liver, known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), that can lead to a range of damaging health consequences.

18 Feb 2015

Eliglustat drug improves liver, spleen size and hemoglobin level in adults with Gaucher disease type 1

Among previously untreated adults with Gaucher disease type 1, a genetic disease in which there is improper metabolism due to a defect in an enzyme, treatment with the drug eliglustat resulted in significant improvements in liver and spleen size hemoglobin level, and platelet count, according to a study in the February 17 issue of JAMA.

18 Feb 2015

New class of experimental drug could help patients with bile duct cancer

Patients with bile duct cancer could be helped by a new class of experimental drug, a study has shown.

18 Feb 2015

Second-line bosutinib well tolerated by Japanese patients

Phase I/II clinical trial data support the use of bosutinib as second- or third-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in Japanese patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia.

17 Feb 2015

Study shows amyloid formation may link type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer disease

The pathological process amyloidosis, in which misfolded proteins (amyloids) form insoluble fibril deposits, occurs in many diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D).

17 Feb 2015

Rutgers patient gets second chance at life following liver transplant

Mati Muñoz is 65 years old - filled with the enthusiastic energy that comes with a second chance at life. A decade ago, says Muñoz, who lives in Woodbridge Township, N.J., her liver was being destroyed by hepatitis C, a viral disease she believes she contracted as a girl in her native Cuba from a poorly sterilized needle used in a medical procedure.

17 Feb 2015

Winter weather may cause vitamin D deficiency

Residents of snowy, northern U.S. cities are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and worse, may not even know it.

16 Feb 2015

Harmless plant extract can help treat Cushing Disease

Cushing Disease, not to be confused with Cushing's Syndrome, is caused by a tumour in the pituitary gland in the brain. The tumour secrets increased amounts of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) followed by cortisol release from the adrenal glands leading to rapid weight gain, elevated blood pressure and muscular weakness.

16 Feb 2015

New laser technology shows promise for cancer treatment

Surgeons rely on 200-year-old technology when removing cancer--sight and touch--to determine how much to remove and what to leave alone. Laser technology pioneered at Florida Atlantic University has the promise to help a surgeon better determine if an area is cancer or healthy tissue. Moreover, when combined with laser treatment for cancer, this work lays the groundwork for laser robotic treatment of cancer.

16 Feb 2015

Researchers develop novel strategy in fight against cancer

A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Caroline Lee from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, in collaboration with Associate Professor Song Jianxing of the Department of Biological Sciences at the NUS Faculty of Science, has developed a novel strategy in the fight against cancer.

15 Feb 2015

Door-to-door campaing encourages people to get tested for hepatitis C and to get linked to care

In Philadelphia, as in many cities, neighborhoods with high rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) often also have limited access to screening and treatment. A new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine shows that when expert advocates made a focused effort in a medically underserved area, they were able to help vulnerable patients leap each of the many hurdles that often keep people out of care.

15 Feb 2015