Pancreas News and Research

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The pancreas is a gland organ in the digestive and endocrine system of vertebrates. It is both an endocrine gland producing several important hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin, as well as an exocrine gland, secreting pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes that pass to the small intestine. These enzymes help in the further breakdown of the carbohydrates, protein, and fat in the chyme.

Study marks a major step towards beta cell replacement therapy

The loss of insulin-secreting beta cells by autoimmune destruction leads to type 1 diabetes. Clinical islet cell transplantation has the potential to cure diabetes, but donor pancreases are rare.

28 Apr 2020

Slightly elevated blood glucose levels can trigger major changes in insulin-producing cells

In diabetes, tiny clusters of insulin-producing "beta cells" in the pancreas don't produce enough of the hormone to keep people healthy, and their blood glucose levels climb.

22 Apr 2020

ACE2-TMPRSS2 profiling indicates tissue vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study published in April 2020 on the preprint server bioRxiv reports that the different levels of susceptibility of various organs to viral attack by the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the huge pandemic of COVID-19 sweeping around the world can be predicted from the level of expression of two molecules, the ACE2 receptor, and the TMPRSS2 protein.

20 Apr 2020

Prostate cancer mortality rates predicted to fall in the EU but rise in Poland

Death rates from prostate cancer are predicted to fall in 2020 in the EU, largely due to better diagnosis and treatment, according to new research published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology today (Monday).

20 Apr 2020

Type 2 diabetics secrete too much glucagon when α-cells become insulin resistant

Patients with type 2 diabetes secrete not only too little insulin but also too much glucagon, which contributes to poor blood glucose control.

20 Apr 2020

Salk scientists uncover surprising role of tuft cells in pancreatitis

Persistent inflammation of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis) is a known risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer, the third-deadliest cancer in the United States.

18 Apr 2020

MIT researchers devise new way to remotely control hormone release

Abnormal levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are linked to a variety of mental health disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

18 Apr 2020

Study shows huge effect of obesity on pancreatic cancer development

Pancreatic cancer is expected to become the second-deadliest cancer in the United States by 2030, driven in part by rising obesity rates.

17 Apr 2020

Death rates from prostate cancer predicted to decline overall in EU

Death rates from prostate cancer are predicted to fall in 2020 in the EU, largely due to better diagnosis and treatment.

17 Apr 2020

Blood test may aid in early detection of pancreatic cancer

A blood test may be able to detect the most common form of pancreatic cancer while it is still in its early stages while also helping doctors accurately stage a patient's disease and guide them to the appropriate treatment.

16 Apr 2020

Blood test may help doctors catch pancreatic cancer early

A blood test may be able to detect the most common form of pancreatic cancer while it is still in its early stages.

16 Apr 2020

Aspirin associated with reduction in risk of several digestive tract cancers

Aspirin is associated with a reduction in the risk of developing several cancers of the digestive tract, including some that are almost invariably fatal, such as pancreatic and liver cancers.

15 Apr 2020

Where cancers spread can give specific insights on disease traits

Kidney cancers that metastasize to the pancreas have a fundamentally different biology from those that metastasize elsewhere, with characteristics that can influence successful treatment, a study led by investigators with the UT Southwestern Kidney Cancer Program suggests.

12 Apr 2020

AGA publishes new COVID-19 recommendations for PPE during gastrointestinal procedures

Today, the American Gastroenterological Association published new COVID-19 recommendations in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the AGA: AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

1 Apr 2020

Pancreatitis drug Nafamostat shows promise for coronavirus

With the increasing number of infections across the globe, scientists have resorted to studying existing drugs in the hope of discovering a cure for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A team of researchers has found that an existing drug, Nafamostat or Fusan, a drug used to treat acute pancreatitis, may effectively block the process used by the novel coronavirus to spread and cause illness.

1 Apr 2020

New blood test detects more than 50 types of cancer, including at early, more treatable stages

Researchers have developed a simple blood test that can detect over 50 types of cancer, often before signs or symptoms.

31 Mar 2020

TWILIGHT trial: Brilinta reduces bleeding compared to dual therapy in high-risk coronary patients

Results from two subgroup analyses of the Phase IV independent TWILIGHT trial funded by AstraZeneca showed Brilinta (ticagrelor) monotherapy reduced the risk of clinically relevant bleeding over 12 months compared to aspirin plus Brilinta in high-risk coronary patients.

From AstraZeneca 30 Mar 2020

New blood test accurately detects more than 50 types of cancer

Researchers have developed a blood test that could accurately detect up to 50 types of cancers, and some of these detections could be even before the symptoms appear. The test would help physicians detect the origin or the source of cancer within the body explain the researchers from the European Society of Oncology. The study titled, "Sensitive and specific multi-cancer detection and localization using methylation signatures in cell-free DNA," was published in the latest issue of the journal Annals of Oncology.

30 Mar 2020

'Living drug factories' could be used to achieve long-term treatment of chronic diseases

One promising way to treat diabetes is with transplanted islet cells that produce insulin when blood sugar levels get too low.

30 Mar 2020

Has COVID-19 affected diabetes care?

The COVID-19 pandemic is rampaging across continents, leaving death, fear, and uncertainty in its wake. The virus is known to cause more severe illness and have a higher death rate in people who are already sick or immunocompromised, as well as the elderly. Several nations, states, and provinces have announced total lockdowns to try and minimize the impact of the virus.

29 Mar 2020