Digestion News and Research

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Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breaking down of food into smaller components, to a form that can be absorbed, for instance, into a blood stream. Digestion is a form of catabolism; a break-down of macro food molecules to smaller ones.

Researchers use atomic force microscopy technique to read information encoded in gut lining

A new technique based on atomic force microscopy was developed at the Institute of Food Research to help 'read' information encoded in the gut lining.

15 Apr 2013

Non-invasive gut health testing breakthrough

Health and functional claims made for foods such as probiotics still need to prove their effectiveness ― an important part of the answer rests in our small intestines and their role in digestion, and immunity.

5 Apr 2013

New concept to fight microorganisms can promote stronger immune system

Managing bacteria and other microorganisms in the body, rather than just fighting them, may be lead to better health and a stronger immune system, according to a Penn State biologist.

29 Mar 2013

Organism may cause people to reap more calories from food, contributing to weight gain

How much a person eats may be only one of many factors that determines weight gain. A recent Cedars-Sinai study suggests that a breath test profile of microorganisms inhabiting the gut may be able to tell doctors how susceptible a person is to developing obesity.

26 Mar 2013

Probiotics help stress-associated gastrointestinal disorders, study says

For those with irritable bowel syndrome who wonder if stress aggravates their intestinal disorder, a new University of Michigan Health System study shows it's not all in their head.

15 Mar 2013

Researchers: Acupuncture can reduce stress hormone response in animal model of chronic stress

While acupuncture is used widely to treat chronic stress, the mechanism of action leading to reported health benefits are not understood. In a series of studies at Georgetown University Medical Center, researchers are demonstrating how acupuncture can significantly reduce the stress hormone response in an animal model of chronic stress.

15 Mar 2013

Non-surgical weight loss devices: an interview with Richard Thompson, CEO ReShape Medical

Only a very few percent of patients that qualify for weight loss surgery actually choose to have it. It is a last resort and most patients do not see themselves as ready to give up. On the other hand, diet and exercise rarely work well and patients are looking for some extra help in their quest to lower their weight. A reversible, non-surgical approach has a lot of appeal to these patients.

15 Mar 2013

University of Sunderland pharmaceutical scientists receive CFUK grant for research into cystinosis

Pharmaceutical scientists at the University of Sunderland have been awarded £125,000 by the Cystinosis Foundation (CF) UK to fund the next stage of their research into a rare genetic disease.

7 Mar 2013

Researchers discover how LRRK2 mutations in familial Parkinson's damage brain cells

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), with collaborators at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinson's disease damage brain cells.

6 Mar 2013

IFR, PBL to further develop Dynamic Gastric Model

The Dynamic Gastric Model, developed from years of research at the Institute of Food Research, has taken significant steps towards improving its commercial use by food and drug companies worldwide.

26 Feb 2013

Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can increase risk of diabetes, heart disease

Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can lead not only to obesity, but can also increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

22 Feb 2013

Parenteral nutrition safety: an interview with Dr. Phil Ayers, A.S.P.E.N PN Safety Task Force Chair and Dr. Peggi Guenter, Director of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.)

Parenteral nutrition is intravenous nutrition for patients who are unable to eat or be tube fed. It is used with more than 300,000 patients per year - a quarter of whom are children and newborns.

11 Feb 2013

Consuming protein blend after exercise can promote muscle protein synthesis

A new study published in The Journal of Nutrition demonstrates the benefits of consuming a protein blend for muscle protein synthesis after exercise. This study is a first-of-its-kind, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and utilizes the proteins from soy, whey and casein consumed after an acute bout of resistance exercise. These proteins have complementary amino acid profiles and different digestion rates (amino acid release profiles).

25 Jan 2013

Scientists compare neuronal network connections in 2 worm species

Researchers in the group of Ralf Sommer at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tuebingen, Germany, have for the first time been able to identify neuronal correlates of behaviour by comparing maps of synaptic connectivity, or "connectomes", between two species with different behaviour.

19 Jan 2013

Protein in human blood platelets points to a new weapon against malaria

One of the world's most devastating diseases is malaria, responsible for at least a million deaths annually, despite global efforts to combat it. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, working with collaborators from Drexel University, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Johns Hopkins University, have identified a protein in human blood platelets that points to a powerful new weapon against the disease. Their work was published in this months' issue of Cell Host and Microbe.

28 Dec 2012

Mayo Clinic to receive Biomarkers of Gut Function grant

Mayo Clinic announced today that it will receive funding through the Biomarkers of Gut Function and Health program within the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative. This initiative was launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to overcome persistent bottlenecks preventing the creation of new and better health solutions for the developing world. William Faubion, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will continue to pursue a research project titled "Gut Permeability in Environmental Enteropathy."

21 Dec 2012

Two UT Southwestern researchers to receive 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award

The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas (TAMEST) announced that two UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are among the four chosen for the 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Awards.

12 Dec 2012

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center introduces CeliacNow website

It's estimated that one in 100 people in the United States are living with celiac disease, but there are only a handful of celiac centers throughout the country. In response to a growing need for educational materials, clinicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Celiac Center have launched CeliacNow, a nutritional management website designed to maximize the health and wellbeing of people living with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders.

10 Dec 2012

Study shows how anaplasma phagocytophilum subverts natural processes

Bacteria that cause the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis in humans create their own food supply by hijacking a process in host cells that normally should help kill the pathogenic bugs, scientists have found.

30 Nov 2012

FDA clears Avaxia’s AVX-470 IND for treatment of ulcerative colitis

Avaxia Biologics, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company developing oral antibody drugs that act locally within the digestive tract, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for AVX-470 for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

27 Nov 2012

Digestion News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers use atomic force microscopy technique to read information encoded in gut lining

Non-invasive gut health testing breakthrough

New concept to fight microorganisms can promote stronger immune system

Organism may cause people to reap more calories from food, contributing to weight gain

Probiotics help stress-associated gastrointestinal disorders, study says

Researchers: Acupuncture can reduce stress hormone response in animal model of chronic stress

Non-surgical weight loss devices: an interview with Richard Thompson, CEO ReShape Medical

University of Sunderland pharmaceutical scientists receive CFUK grant for research into cystinosis

Researchers discover how LRRK2 mutations in familial Parkinson's damage brain cells

IFR, PBL to further develop Dynamic Gastric Model

Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can increase risk of diabetes, heart disease

Parenteral nutrition safety: an interview with Dr. Phil Ayers, A.S.P.E.N PN Safety Task Force Chair and Dr. Peggi Guenter, Director of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.)

Consuming protein blend after exercise can promote muscle protein synthesis

Scientists compare neuronal network connections in 2 worm species

Protein in human blood platelets points to a new weapon against malaria

Mayo Clinic to receive Biomarkers of Gut Function grant

Two UT Southwestern researchers to receive 2013 Edith and Peter O'Donnell Award

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center introduces CeliacNow website

Study shows how anaplasma phagocytophilum subverts natural processes

FDA clears Avaxia’s AVX-470 IND for treatment of ulcerative colitis

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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