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.

New software programs may help speed up drug discovery process for diabetes and other diseases

Proteins sometimes run amuck. All the good stuff (the useful genetic and biological material) they contain can get distorted. Mutations in specific amino acids can cause long strands of proteins to curl in on themselves (like a ball of wool a cat has played with) and refuse to break apart.

30 Sep 2015

Endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure linked to increased risk of diabetes and obesity

Emerging evidence ties endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure to two of the biggest public health threats facing society - diabetes and obesity, according to the executive summary of an upcoming Scientific Statement issued today by the Endocrine Society.

29 Sep 2015

EUROCARE 5 study shows large variations in blood cancer patients' survival in Europe

Comparisons of cancer patients' survival and care in Europe up to 2007 show that although more patients are surviving for at least five years after diagnosis, there are large variations between countries, which are particularly significant in cancers of the blood.

26 Sep 2015

Researchers identify new biochemical pathway that could be a potential target for insulin control

In the final event leading to the development of Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas loses its ability to secrete insulin and clear glucose from the blood. Preventing this breakdown in insulin secretion is a key goal in the fight to reduce the burden of a disease that afflicts an estimated 29 million people in the United States.

25 Sep 2015

NGN3-expressing cells in adult human pancreas offer hope to diabetics

Cells that express neurogenin 3 (NGN3) may one day be harnessed to create a plentiful supply of insulin-producing beta cells for the treatment of diabetes, a study led by researchers at the University of South Florida suggests.

24 Sep 2015

Researchers extend innovative research towards a cure for type I diabetes

Associate Professor Shane Grey, of Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, together with collaborators from the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research and the Children's Hospital at Westmead, have been awarded $3.3 million to extend their innovative research towards a cure for type I diabetes.

23 Sep 2015

University of Alberta researchers discover diabetes 'dimmer' switch

Patrick MacDonald has dedicated much of his life to diabetes research. It's a job he knows is far too large and complex for any one person, but with his latest publication, he knows his work is playing a part.

23 Sep 2015

Drug combination delivers effective punch against one form of pancreatic cancer

One form of pancreatic cancer has a new enemy: a two-drug combination discovered by UF Health researchers that inhibits tumors and kills cancer cells in mouse models.

22 Sep 2015

Latest data shows positive trend in how cancer is diagnosed in England

The proportion of cancers diagnosed as a result of emergency presentation at hospital has decreased. At the same time, the proportion of cancers diagnosed through urgent GP referral with a suspicion of cancer (known as the two week wait) has increased.

18 Sep 2015

Using integrated molecular pathology to manage incidental pancreatic cysts: an interview with Dr Ananya Das

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms, or PCNs, are a subset of all pancreatic cysts that are found on the pancreas. PCNs are neoplastic cysts that span a biological spectrum from benign to malignant.

15 Sep 2015

Researchers discover new gene that could be a potential therapeutic target for muscle wasting

It is estimated that half of all cancer patients suffer from a muscle wasting syndrome called cachexia. Cancer cachexia impairs quality of life and response to therapy, which increases morbidity and mortality of cancer patients. Currently, there is no approved treatment for muscle wasting but a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and University of Alberta could be a game changer for patients, improving both quality of life and longevity.

15 Sep 2015

New AGA guideline recommends colorectal cancer patients to undergo tumor test for Lynch syndrome

All colorectal cancer patients should undergo tumor testing to see if they carry Lynch syndrome, the most common inherited cause of colorectal cancer, according to a new guideline published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

11 Sep 2015

Dietary uptake of microRNAs certainly insufficient to affect physiological functions, reveal ETH biologists

The scientific world was astonished when, in 2011, Chinese researchers claimed to have found evidence suggesting that minute fragments of plant genetic material - so-called microRNA molecules - of rice ingested from food could play a role in regulating physiological processes in the human body. If this is indeed true, it might even be possible to deliberately modify human physiological functions via this route, for instance by incorporating microRNAs into novel functional foods.

9 Sep 2015

New study reveals conflicting role of two subtypes of pancreatic cancer stroma

Dense surrounding tissue can block drugs from reaching pancreatic cancer tumors, but it can also help prevent the cancer from spreading. Now a new study by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and collaborators helps explain the conflicting role of the surrounding tissue known as stroma. In the study, the researchers revealed that based on molecular characteristics, there are two subtypes of pancreatic cancer stroma.

9 Sep 2015

Lund University researchers reveal how the body develops acute pancreatitis

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden may have discovered one of the keys to understanding how the body develops acute pancreatitis. The results offer hope for the development of drugs that specifically target the disease.

8 Sep 2015

Study: High school athletes use smokeless tobacco at a higher rate compared to non-athletes

High school athletes who play on sports teams smoke tobacco products at a lower rate than non-athletes, but use smokeless tobacco at a higher rate, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

3 Sep 2015

Study reveals new epigenetic mechanism underlying progression of cancer tumors

Aggressive cancer growth and alterations in gene activity without changes in DNA sequence (epigenetics) are associated with mutant p53 proteins, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

3 Sep 2015

New book provides authoritative overview of neuroendocrine tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) originate from diffuse neuroendocrine cells that are dispersed throughout the body, predominantly in the gastrointestinal tract, islets of Langerhans in the pancreas and the bronchopulmonary system.

31 Aug 2015

Moffitt researchers hope to improve pancreatic cancer survival rates by developing blood test to identify IPMNs

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States and has a 5-year survival rate of only 6 percent, which is the lowest rate of all types of cancer according to the American Cancer Society.

29 Aug 2015

Scientists generate pluripotent stem cells with more stable genomes

Damaged tissue, such as pancreas, heart, and neuronal tissue, which is regenerated to treat cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or neurodegenerative diseases. This is one of the ambitious scenarios to which regenerative medicine aspires and that is being announced as one of the great promises of twenty-first century biomedicine for the treatment of a long list of diseases affecting people today.

28 Aug 2015