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.

Weight loss supplement - conjugated linoleic acid - shows nasty side effects

A supplement some people turn to in hopes of losing a few pounds may have some previously unknown, unsavory side effects, suggest two new studies.

30 Jan 2007

Merck Serono launches growth hormone injection device

Merck Serono has announced the launch of a unique growth hormone injection device, easypod, for the once-daily administration of Saizen (somatropin), the company's recombinant growth hormone deficiency therapy. easypod is the first of its kind in this therapeutic area and was designed to improve patients' ease of daily use, reliability and convenience.

30 Jan 2007

Drug giant Wyeth loses another HRT trial to the tune of $1.5 million

Drug giant Wyeth has been ordered by a court in Philadelphia to pay $1 million in compensation to a woman who developed breast cancer after taking the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) Prempro.

30 Jan 2007

SH2B1 protein plays a key role in controlling body weight, response to insulin and leptin

A single protein in brain cells may act as a linchpin in the body's weight-regulating system, playing a key role in the flurry of signals that govern fat storage, sugar use, energy balance and weight, University of Michigan Medical School researchers report.

29 Jan 2007

North American Menopause Society releases guidelines saying HRT beneficial for younger women

The North American Menopause Society on Thursday released a revised position statement that said the benefits of short-term hormone replacement therapy for treatment of menopausal women likely outweigh the risks for younger women, the Wall Street Journal reports.

28 Jan 2007

Brown seaweed may provide protective ingredient against skin cancers

Substances extracted from a marine seaweed may protect against skin cancer caused by too much sun, new research suggests.

28 Jan 2007

Melanin concentrating hormone found to be involved with insulin production

A new Joslin Diabetes Center-led study has shown conclusively that a neuropeptide, melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), found in the brain and known for its role in increasing appetite in people, plays a role in the growth of insulin-producing beta cells and the secretion of insulin.

28 Jan 2007

Gums produce substances that lead to degeneration of the jawbone

Our gums' own cells produce the substances that lead to the degeneration of the jawbone. This is one of the findings in a dissertation that Py Palmqvist defended at Umea University in Sweden recently.

24 Jan 2007

Using fibre in the fight against breast cancer

Wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereal could be key weapons in the battle against breast cancer.

24 Jan 2007

The art of prolongevity

The dream of perpetual life and eternal youth is not new. Notions of how to achieve it are roughly the same today as they were 300 years ago. But technological change has stretched the boundaries somewhat.

14 Jan 2007

Fat-hormone leptin may enhance the growth of colonic cancers

Tests on three human colon cancer cell lines showed that the fat-hormone 'leptin' may enhance the growth of colonic cancers. This finding could show why obese people are at increased risk of colon cancer.

10 Jan 2007

Simple blood test for the protein NT-proBNP predicts cardiac events

A simple blood test for the protein NT-proBNP accurately predicts the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and death in patients with known cardiovascular disease, according to a study led by a researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

9 Jan 2007

Allergic reactions to insulin have declined and Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion could reduce them further

A review of published research from the University of Liege, Belgium, reveals a decline in the number of people experiencing allergic reactions to insulin. This is largely due to better purification of animal insulin and the introduction of human recombinant insulin.

8 Jan 2007

Bulimia may result from hormonal imbalance

Bulimia is normally regarded as a mental illness that should be treated with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

3 Jan 2007

A central thermogenic-like mechanism in feeding regulation

During periods of fasting, brain cells responsible for stimulating the appetite make sure that you stay hungry.

2 Jan 2007

Stem cells grown into brain cells on a new 3D scaffold of tiny protein fragments

An MIT engineer and Italian colleagues will report the invention-which may one day replace the ubiquitous Petri dish for growing cells-in PLoS ONE.

2 Jan 2007

New oral contraceptive not such a bitter pill

A company in the United States has come up with the first chewable birth control tablet.

11 Dec 2006

Case studies examine role of hormones, psychology in false pregnancy

Recent case studies of pseudocyesis, or false pregnancy, as well as studies of similar conditions in animals, suggest that hormones and psychology might contribute to the condition, the New York Times reports.

5 Dec 2006

Mifepristone offers hope for breast cancer victims

A team of scientists have discovered some unexpected benefits with the abortion pill RU486 (Mifepristone).

4 Dec 2006

Why COX-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx can cause heart attacks and strokes

COX-2 inhibitors are primarily used to treat pain in conditions such as arthritis. They work by blocking the COX-2 enzyme, which is expressed at sites of inflammation and underlies the production of hormones called prostaglandins which swell the joints and cause the feeling of pain.

2 Dec 2006