Digestive System News and Research

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Study on digestion of milk could lead to development of new formulas for premature babies

A new study on the digestion of milk could lead to the development of new formulas for premature babies, weight loss drinks and potentially new drug delivery systems.

23 Jun 2014

Cepheid releases molecular test for detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria

Cepheid today announced the release of Xpert® Carba-R, an on-demand molecular test for rapid and accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria, to be marketed as a CE IVD product under the European Directive on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices.

16 Jun 2014

Dr Alenka Brooks scoops top prize for setting up Sheffield Women in Medicine network

A DOCTOR specialising in disorders of the digestive system has scooped a top national prize for helping set up an inspiring network championing the need for more women to get top positions in medicine and academia.

12 Jun 2014

Study: Individuals' diet influences gut microbial diversity

Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin and five other institutions have discovered that the more diverse the diet of a fish, the less diverse are the microbes living in its gut. If the effect is confirmed in humans, it could mean that the combinations of foods people eat can influence the diversity of their gut microbes.

29 May 2014

Scientists develop magnetic bacteria that may help diagnose digestive diseases like stomach cancer

Scientists from the University of Granada have successfully created magnetic bacteria that could be added to foodstuffs and could, after ingestion, help diagnose diseases of the digestive system like stomach cancer.

13 May 2014

Breastfeeding promotes growth of beneficial lactic acid bacteria in baby's gut flora

The nutritional factor that has the greatest impact on the development of a child's gut flora is whether the child is breastfed, according to a new study by the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, and the University of Copenhagen.

7 May 2014

Research helps unpick long-standing mystery about how dietary fibre supresses appetite

New research has helped unpick a long-standing mystery about how dietary fibre supresses appetite. In a study led by Imperial College London and the Medical Research Council (MRC), an international team of researchers identified an anti-appetite molecule called acetate that is naturally released when we digest fibre in the gut.

30 Apr 2014

Research shows epigenetic changes contributed to human survival over other extinct species

In parallel with modern man (Homo sapiens), there were other, extinct types of humans with whom we lived side by side, such as Neanderthals and the recently discovered Denisovans of Siberia. Yet only Homo sapiens survived. What was it in our genetic makeup that gave us the advantage?

23 Apr 2014

Researchers develop novel assay to identify genes controlling pharynx regeneration in flatworms

As multicellular creatures go, planaria worms are hardly glamorous. To say they appear rudimentary is more like it. These tiny aquatic flatworms that troll ponds and standing water resemble brown tubes equipped with just the basics: a pair of beady light-sensing "eyespots" on their head and a feeding tube called the pharynx (which doubles as the excretory tract) that protrudes from a belly sac to suck up food.

11 Apr 2014

Carb breakdown gene linked to obesity, researchers find

Researchers at King's College London and Imperial College London have discovered that people with fewer copies of a gene coding for a carb-digesting enzyme may be at higher risk of obesity. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that dietary advice may need to be more tailored to an individual's digestive system, based on whether they have the genetic predisposition and necessary enzymes to digest different foods.

31 Mar 2014

Celiac disease people may have near two-fold increased risk of coronary artery disease

People with celiac disease may have a near two-fold increased risk of coronary artery disease compared with the general population, according to research to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

31 Mar 2014

Ulcerative colitis control: an interview with Dr Paul Robinson, Medical Director, MSD UK

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which means there is chronic inflammation and ulceration in the lining of the digestive tract, usually in the large intestine.

26 Mar 2014

AAA gets orphan drug designation status for radiopharmaceutical, Gallium-68 DOTATATE

Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA), a fast growing international player in Molecular Nuclear Medicine (MNM), announced today that they have received orphan drug designation status for their radiopharmaceutical, Gallium-68 DOTATATE.

4 Mar 2014

Proactive health measures are the secret to health and happiness

The secret to health and happiness just may lie in the simple things, like spending time outdoors, according to a new survey by Traditional Medicinals, the nation's leading wellness tea company.

4 Mar 2014

Covidien closes acquisition of Given Imaging

Covidien plc today announced that it has closed its acquisition of Given Imaging Ltd., providing the company additional scale and scope to serve a significant medical specialty, the multibillion dollar global gastrointestinal (GI) market.

27 Feb 2014

Chewable drug candidate BTI320 can potentially prevent added sugar intake

It's official: sugar is not so sweet—for our health, that is. The new study "Added Sugar Intake and Cardiovascular Diseases Mortality Among US Adults," published in JAMA Internal Medicine, examines the intake of "added sugars," and the results suggest that sugar is now an independent risk factor for heart disease and other chronic diseases.

21 Feb 2014

Researchers propose new treatment to prevent mucositis in cancer patients

Experimental work pointing to a therapy for alleviating mucositis -- a common, severe side effect of chemotherapy and irradiation of cancer patients or patients prepared for bone marrow transplantation - has been achieved by an international team of researchers from the US and Israel headed by scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

20 Feb 2014