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.

Python heart holds surprises that could be of use in cardiology

The expanding hearts of pythons have intrigued researchers. Leslie Leinwand - a University of Colorado at Boulder molecular biologist who studies heart disease in humans called pythons’ expanding hearts “amazing biology”. “They're not swelling up. They're building (heart) muscle,” he said.

30 Oct 2011

Potential avenue to make an unhealthy heart grow more like a healthy version

Identification of three fatty acids involved in the extreme growth of Burmese pythons' hearts following large meals could prove beneficial in treating diseased human hearts, according to research co-authored by a University of Alabama scientist and publishing in the Oct. 28 issue of Science.

28 Oct 2011

CINJ experts available to discuss risk factors of pancreatic cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cancer killer in the country, with nearly 44,000 new cases expected in 2011 and more than 37,600 deaths by year's end. In New Jersey alone, an estimated 1,100 deaths are predicted this year due to the disease. The death of Steve Jobs, who suffered from a form of pancreatic cancer, has brought increased attention to the disease in recent weeks.

28 Oct 2011

Beneficial intestinal bacteria can activate immune cells and trigger MS

Multiple sclerosis is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. For a long time, pathogens were believed to be such external influences. According to scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Martinsried, however, it is apparently not harmful bacteria that trigger multiple sclerosis, but beneficial ones - specifically, the natural intestinal flora, which every human being needs for digestion.

28 Oct 2011

Researchers identify 42 genetic regions associated with liver function

Researchers have identified a large number of areas in the human genetic code that are involved in regulating the way in which the liver functions, in a new study of over 61,000 people, published today in the journal Nature Genetics.

18 Oct 2011

Applied Biomics adds iTRAQ service to its proteomics line

Applied Biomics, Inc., a leading Proteomics service provider, is pleased to announce the addition of iTRAQ service (Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantitation) to its proteomics line.

28 Sep 2011

Low vitamin B12 raises risk of dementia in the elderly: Study

According to a latest study the elderly with low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood may be more likely to develop problems with their thinking skills and have more brain shrinkage. The study points to a link between low B12 and early cognitive decline, a condition that often leads to dementia. Previous research has found that those people with high levels of vitamin B12 in their blood have lower levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, which some studies have linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, and stroke.

27 Sep 2011

Combination of lunasin and oxaliplatin prevents colon cancer from metastasis

A University of Illinois study reports a promising new weapon in treating metastatic colon cancer, particularly in patients who have developed resistance to chemotherapy.

20 Sep 2011

NTNU genetic research shows best recipe to limit risk of lifestyle-related diseases

What should we eat? Answers abound in the international media, all of which rely on their interpretation of recent medical literature to come up with recommendations for the healthiest diet. But what if you could answer this question at a molecular level - what if you could find out how our genes respond to the foods we eat, and what this does to the cellular processes that make us healthy - or not? That's precisely what biologists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have done.

19 Sep 2011

Study reveals altered digestive genes in children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances

Researchers at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and at the Harvard Medical School report that children with autism and gastrointestinal disturbances have altered expression of genes involved in digestion. These variations may contribute to changes in the types of bacteria in their intestines.

17 Sep 2011

Autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells

Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have discovered that an ancient pathway called autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells.

9 Sep 2011

UOHI team identifies that autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells

Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have discovered that an ancient pathway called autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells.

9 Sep 2011

Study: Gastric bypass surgery for obesity also decreases blood pressure

The kidneys play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure by adjusting the production of urine after eating or drinking. This process begins already in the upper digestive tract, which could explain why gastric bypass surgery for obesity also markedly reduce blood pressure, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.

7 Sep 2011

Curemark's novel compound CM-182 shows promise for treatment of hyperactivity without sedation

Curemark, LLC, a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, announced today that its compound CM-182 demonstrated positive results for reduction in hyperactivity in mice treated with amphetamines. The mouse model screening was performed by the contract research organization, Cerca Insights.

29 Aug 2011

Low-glycemic foods, high protein intake reduce body weight and fat mass

A new study out of Madrid, Spain shows that low-glycemic foods, and moderately high-protein intake has been shown to reduce body weight and fat mass.

29 Aug 2011

Study finds novel small molecule that inhibits EboV entry into host cells

Ebola virus (EboV) is the cause of sporadic outbreaks of highly fatal infections in Africa that are unpredictable in onset and rapid in progression. There is no effective vaccine or therapy for EboV infection.

25 Aug 2011

BTI completes SUGARDOWN human clinical study on blood sugar management

Boston Therapeutics, Inc. (BTI), a public company registered with the SEC and a developer of diabetes therapeutics, announced today the completion of a trial in healthy volunteers performed at the University of Sydney on SUGARDOWN, a dietary supplement designed to reduce post-meal elevation of blood glucose.

18 Aug 2011

Alcohol before bed hampers sleep: Study

A new small-scale study showed the impact of drinking before going to bed on heart rate and sleep.

18 Aug 2011

Green tea shows promise against two types of tumors, HHS

A compound found in green tea shows great promise for the development of drugs to treat two types of tumors and a deadly congenital disease. The discovery is the result of research led by Principal Investigator, Dr. Thomas Smith at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and his colleagues at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

16 Aug 2011

USPTO grants Bion new patent for removal of phosphorus

Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has been notified by the United States Patent and Trademark Office that the patent application entitled "Micro-Electron Acceptor Phosphorus Accumulating Organisms" has been granted.

12 Aug 2011