Hormone News and Research

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A hormone is a chemical released by one or more cells that affects cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. It is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

Early life stress could be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in adulthood

"We think early life stress increases sensitivity to a hormone known to increase your blood pressure and increases your cardiovascular risk in adult life," said Dr. Jennifer Pollock, biochemist in the Vascular Biology Center at the Medical College of Georgia and corresponding author on the study published online in Hypertension.

10 Feb 2010

Gene linked to PMDD and other maladies during menstrual cycle

Scientists have identified a gene they say is a strong candidate for involvement in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and other maladies associated with the natural flux in hormones during the menstrual cycle. In a paper to be published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Rockefeller University researchers detail experiments in mice showing that a common human variant of the gene increases anxiety, dampens curiosity and tweaks the effects of estrogen on the brain, impairing memory.

9 Feb 2010

Racial disparities continue in U.S. cancer screening practices

The incidence of advanced breast cancer diagnosis among black women remained 30 percent to 90 percent higher compared to white women between 1992 and 2004, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In addition, the disparity in the incidence of advance colorectal cancer actually widened over this time period as rates fell among whites but increased slightly among blacks.

9 Feb 2010

Findings point towards new therapeutic approach for breast and prostate cancer

In a new approach to developing treatments for breast cancer, prostate cancer and enlarged hearts, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine researchers are zeroing in on a workhorse protein called RSK.

9 Feb 2010

Butter leads to lower blood fat levels compared to olive oil

High blood fat levels normally raise the cholesterol values in the blood, which in turn elevates the risk of atherosclerosis and heart attack. Now a new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that butter leads to considerably less elevation of blood fats after a meal compared with olive oil and a new type of canola and flaxseed oil.

9 Feb 2010

Denosumab exhibits superiority over Zometa in treatment of prostate cancer men with bone metastases

Amgen today announced that a pivotal, Phase 3, head-to-head trial evaluating denosumab versus Zometa® (zoledronic acid) in the treatment of bone metastases in 1,901 men with advanced prostate cancer met its primary and secondary endpoints.

9 Feb 2010

Seven-day exercise plan for reducing cancer risk

Being active for at least 30 minutes every day reduces your risk of developing some types of cancer. Fitness experts at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have designed an exclusive exercise plan based on this evidence that will fit into almost anyone's lifestyle.

9 Feb 2010

Women using oestrogen-only HRT at increased risk of asthma after menopause

Oestrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase the risk of developing asthma after the menopause, suggests a large scale study published ahead of print in the journal Thorax.

7 Feb 2010

Artificial pancreas can help manage diabetes in kids overnight

In a landmark study in children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes, JDRF-funded researchers at the University of Cambridge showed that using a first-generation artificial pancreas system overnight can lower the risk of low blood sugar emergencies while sleeping, and at the same time improve diabetes control.

6 Feb 2010

Plants too can make progesterone

In a finding that overturns conventional wisdom, scientists are reporting the first discovery of the female sex hormone progesterone in a plant. Until now, scientists thought that only animals could make progesterone. A steroid hormone secreted by the ovaries, progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy and maintains pregnancy. A synthetic version, progestin, is used in birth control pills and other medications. The discovery is reported in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Natural Products, a monthly publication.

5 Feb 2010

Study suggests molecules and pathways in mood regulation and circadian rhythms are intertwined

Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered unexpected properties for a precursor to melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep cycles.

5 Feb 2010

Access Pharmaceuticals initiates Cobalamin technology program for targeted delivery of siRNA therapies

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. announced today that it initiated an internal pre-licensing program to confirm the utility of its proprietary Cobalamin (vitamin B12) platform technology for targeted delivery of siRNA therapies. The program is considered important because, despite the widely publicized potential of RNA therapy, researchers up to now have been stymied in their efforts to design a pharmaceutical product that efficiently transports siRNA therapeutics into the cells they are designed to inhibit or kill.

5 Feb 2010

Researchers may have discovered how hormone progesterone prevents preterm birth

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine believe they may have discovered how the hormone progesterone acts to prevent preterm birth.

5 Feb 2010

Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis can be operated within 48 hours of admission

Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis usually stay in the hospital for several days, waiting for the symptoms to subside, before undergoing surgery to remedy the condition. A new study from researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) indicates patients may no longer have to wait so long for surgery and could leave the hospital sooner.

5 Feb 2010

Study finds high levels of depression among children abused in the first five years of their lives

Although children can be depressed for many reasons, new evidence suggests that there are physiological differences among depressed children based on their experiences of abuse before age 5. Early abuse may be especially damaging due to the very young age at which it occurs.

5 Feb 2010

Akela announces the outcomes of two legal cases involving former employees

Akela a leader in the development of therapeutics for the treatment of pain and its wholly owned subsidiary, PharmaForm, a leader in the contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing business, today announced the outcomes of two legal cases involving former employees.

4 Feb 2010

Type 1 diabetes: Regeneration exhibits potential as a possible cure

A hormone responsible for the body's stress response is also linked to the growth of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, according to JDRF- funded researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California. The findings are the latest advances to underscore the potential for regeneration as a key component of a possible cure for type 1 diabetes.

4 Feb 2010

Ipsen launches Decapeptyl LP 22.5 mg in France

Ipsen, an innovation-driven global specialty pharmaceutical group and Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a Swiss-based global biopharmaceutical group of companies with a focus on the development of prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs, announce the launch by Ipsen in France of Decapeptyl(R) LP 22.5 mg 6-month sustained-release formulation for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic hormone-dependent prostate cancer.

4 Feb 2010

DNA variants in mother and fetus can increase risk of preterm labor

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified DNA variants in mothers and fetuses that appear to increase the risk for preterm labor and delivery.

4 Feb 2010

UTMB: Mother's exposure to BPA increases risks of asthma in her children

For years, scientists have warned of the possible negative health effects of bisphenol A, a chemical used to make everything from plastic water bottles and food packaging to sunglasses and CDs.

4 Feb 2010