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.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals acquires Metabasis Therapeutics

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that it has completed the acquisition of Metabasis Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBRX), following approval of the transaction by Metabasis stockholders yesterday. As a result, Ligand gains a fully funded partnership with Roche, additional pipeline assets and drug discovery technologies and resources. The transaction was first announced on October 27, 2009.

28 Jan 2010

Scientists discover mechanism that regulates prolactin hormone

A mechanism for regulating the hormone prolactin has newly been revealed by scientists at Karolinska Institutet. The results are to be published in the scientific journal Neuron, and may be significant for conditions and functions such as breast-feeding, sexual libido, and metabolism.

28 Jan 2010

Research suggests pomegranate seed extract could stimulate uterine contractions

The team identified beta-sitosterol - a steroid that can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine - as the main constituent of pomegranate seed extract. The research suggests that pomegranate extract could be used as a natural stimulant to encourage the uterus to contract during labour.

28 Jan 2010

Blocking CRF may prevent excessive alcohol consumption

A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has found that a specific stress hormone, the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), is key to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence in animal models.

28 Jan 2010

Phthalate exposure can affect child's neurobehavioral development, says study

A new study led by Mount Sinai researchers in collaboration with scientists from Cornell University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has found higher prenatal exposure to phthalates-manmade chemicals that interfere with hormonal messaging-to be connected with disruptive and problem behaviors in children between the ages of 4 and 9 years.

28 Jan 2010

Transdermal estrogen therapies: Effective alternatives to oral estrogen and compounded bioidentical hormones

Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that non-patch, transdermal estrogen therapies, such as Divigel® (estradiol gel 0.1%), prescribed for the management of moderate-to-severe hot flashes, including night sweats, associated with menopause are effective alternatives to oral estrogen and compounded bioidentical hormones.

28 Jan 2010

Merck receives marketing authorization for ELONVA

Merck & Co., Inc., which operates outside the U.S. and Canada as MSD, today announced the European Commission (EC) approval of ELONVA® (corifollitropin alfa injection). ELONVA is indicated for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in combination with a GnRH antagonist for the development of multiple follicles in women participating in an assisted reproductive technology (ART) program.

28 Jan 2010

Adipose tissue, a promising new source of HSPCs

Bone marrow is a leading source of adult stem cells, which are increasingly used for research and therapeutic interventions, but extracting the cells is an arduous and often painful process. Now, researchers have found evidence that fat tissue, known as adipose tissue, may be a promising new source of valuable and easy-to-obtain regenerative cells called hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), according to astudy prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

28 Jan 2010

Research shows even mild to moderate kidney disease may diminish child's quality of life

Challenging prevailing wisdom that only children with end-stage kidney disease suffer physical, social, emotional and educational setbacks from their disease, research led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center shows that even mild to moderate kidney disease may seriously diminish a child's quality of life.

28 Jan 2010

Vitamin D supplements can counter the effects of Crohn's disease

A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements or cod liver oil, can counter the effects of Crohn's disease. John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, led a team of scientists from McGill University and the Universit- de Montr-al who present their findings about the inflammatory bowel disease in the latest Journal of Biological Chemistry.

27 Jan 2010

FDA approves FIRST RESPONSE Early Result Pregnancy Test

Church & Dwight Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the FIRST RESPONSE® Early Result Pregnancy Test which can determine pregnancy up to six days before the day of a woman's missed period

27 Jan 2010

January is ‘Thyroid Awareness Month’

We often go to great lengths to look and feel our best. Yet many never realize that one of the keys to a healthy body and a productive life rests just below the neck.

27 Jan 2010

Two new studies further the understanding of molecular steps in PLC cascade

Two new studies by researchers at the University of Washington further our understanding of the molecular steps in the PLC cascade, a G protein-coupled receptor signaling mechanism that underlies a wide variety of cellular processes, including egg fertilization, hormone secretion, and the regulation of certain potassium channels.

27 Jan 2010

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals discontinues the development of ozarelix in BPH

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a commercial-stage biotechnology company with a primary focus in oncology, today announced that it is discontinuing development of ozarelix in benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).

27 Jan 2010

Tel Aviv University expert reviews environmental triggers of common autoimmune diseases

The links between autoimmune diseases, infections, genetics and the environment are complex and mysterious. Why are people who live near airports more susceptible to autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus? How do hormones in meat trigger the onset of a disease?

27 Jan 2010

Study shows congenital HGH deficiency has no effect on normal lifespan

People profoundly deficient in human growth hormone (HGH) due to a genetic mutation appear to live just as long as people who make normal amounts of the hormone, a new study shows. The findings suggest that HGH may not be the "fountain of youth" that some researchers have suggested.

27 Jan 2010

Study: PROSTVAC-VF vaccine effective in treating patients with metastatic prostate cancer

In a newly published clinical trial, patients with metastatic prostate cancer who received a vaccine of harmless poxviruses engineered to spur an immune system attack on prostate tumor cells lived substantially longer than patients who received a placebo vaccine, report researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and affiliated organizations.

27 Jan 2010

Women with higher blood levels of PBDEs take longer to become pregnant, say researchers

Women with higher blood levels of PBDEs, a type of flame retardant commonly found in household consumer products, took longer to become pregnant compared with women who have lower PBDE levels, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

27 Jan 2010

Women on antidepressant drugs may experience lactation difficulties

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), women taking commonly used forms of antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

27 Jan 2010