Ghrelin News and Research

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Ghrelin is a hormone produced mainly by P/D1 cells lining the fundus of the human stomach and epsilon cells of the pancreas that stimulates appetite. Ghrelin levels increase before meals and decrease after meals. It is considered the counterpart of the hormone leptin, produced by adipose tissue, which induces satiation when present at higher levels. Ghrelin is also produced in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus where it stimulates the secretion of growth hormone from the anterior pituitary gland.

Transarterial embolization procedure helps reduce body weight

A new study reports that individuals who underwent embolization of the left gastric artery for gastrointestinal bleeding experienced a 7.9 percent decrease in body weight three months after the procedure. Results of the study, which offer a potential new avenue for obesity research, will be presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

25 Nov 2013

Helsinn grants exclusive commercialization rights to Chugai Pharma Marketing for anamorelin drug

Swiss-based Helsinn group has granted Chugai Pharma Marketing Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., exclusive commercialization rights to their innovative ghrelin receptor agonist, anamorelin, for the three major European pharma markets.

12 Nov 2013

Diets and the famine reaction: an interview with Associate Professor Amanda Salis, University of Sydney

The statistic that you often hear is that 95% of diets fail, but in actual fact, emerging research is now showing that it’s around 70% of diets that fail. That means that around 30% of people who are losing weight are actually keeping it off. So we’re doing better now than we were doing in the past, but there’s still work to be done.

7 Nov 2013

Aeterna Zentaris submits macimorelin acetate NDA to FDA

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for its ghrelin agonist, macimorelin acetate (AEZS-130).

5 Nov 2013

Researchers highlight presence of specific antibodies that regulate appetite in obese patients

Obesity affects more than 15% of adults in France, and its constitutive mechanisms are still not completely explained. Normally, fine control of weight and food intake is coordinated by a specialised part of the brain (the hypothalamus).

31 Oct 2013

Ghrelin hormone released during chronic stress may predispose people to PTSD

About a dozen years ago, scientists discovered that a hormone called ghrelin enhances appetite. Dubbed the "hunger hormone," ghrelin was quickly targeted by drug companies seeking treatments for obesity - none of which have yet panned out.

16 Oct 2013

Rhythm starts RM-493 clinical trials in obesity patients with genetic deficiency

Rhythm announced today the initiation of the first of a series of clinical trials with RM-493, the company's novel melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) agonist, for the treatment of obesity in individuals with a genetic deficiency in the MC4R pathway.

24 Sep 2013

Rhythm Awarded $1.35M From Michael J. Fox Foundation

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10 Sep 2013

MJFF awards $1.35M to Rhythm for Phase 2 clinical trial of RM-131 for Parkinson's disease

Rhythm announced today that The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has awarded a $1.35 million research grant to Rhythm to help fund a Phase 2 clinical trial of RM-131, the company's novel ghrelin agonist, for the treatment of refractory constipation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

10 Sep 2013

Sleep-deprived people may buy more high-calorie foods the following day

People who were deprived of one night’s sleep purchased more calories and grams of food in a mock supermarket on the following day in a new study published in the journal Obesity, the official journal of The Obesity Society.

7 Sep 2013

Study: People who are deprived of sleep purchase more food on following day

People who were deprived of one night's sleep purchased more calories and grams of food in a mock supermarket on the following day in a new study published in the journal Obesity, the official journal of The Obesity Society.

6 Sep 2013

Appetite-Controlling Hormone Leaves Obese People Still Hungry

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22 Aug 2013

Glucagon loses its ability to help obese people, but continues to suppress hunger pangs

Glucagon, a hormone involved in regulating appetite, loses its ability to help obese people feel full after a meal, but it continues to suppress hunger pangs in people with type 1 diabetes, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

21 Aug 2013

Health benefits of sufficient sleep: an interview with Dr Monique Verschuren, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, the Netherlands

We used 6 hours or less per 24 hours as the definition of insufficient sleep, with 7 hours or more as sufficient sleep. In general, this is considered the amount of sleep that is sufficient for adults, although there can be differences between persons with respect to the amount of sleep needed.

6 Aug 2013

High-calorie breakfast protects against diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular problems

Whether you hope to lose weight or just stay healthy, what you eat is a crucial factor. The right nutrients can not only trim your waistline, but also provide energy, improve your mood, and stave off disease. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher has found that it's not just what you eat - but when.

6 Aug 2013

Alize Pharma initiates AZP-531 Phase I clinical trial for treatment of type 2 diabetes

Alize Pharma, a company specialized in the development of drugs for the treatment of metabolic diseases and rare diseases, announces today the launch of the first Phase I clinical trial for AZP-531, its unacylated ghrelin analog, in type 2 diabetes.

16 Jul 2013

Study shows link between FTO, ghrelin and impaired brain food-cue responsivity

Individuals carrying the "obesity-risk" allele of the fat mass and obesity associated gene, FTO, are prone to obesity and obesity related eating behaviors such as increased food consumption, preference for high fat foods and lack of satiation after eating.

16 Jul 2013

Coffee and appetite: an interview with Matt Schubert and Associate Professor Ben Desbrow, Griffith University

We wanted to do something a bit different than the “typical” work on caffeine and exercise, and I have considerable interest in appetite regulation, so we built up from there.

15 Jul 2013

NIH awards $12.7M to research groups to explore new treatments for patients in eight disease areas

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $12.7 million to match nine academic research groups with a selection of pharmaceutical industry compounds to explore new treatments for patients in eight disease areas, including Alzheimer's disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and schizophrenia.

19 Jun 2013

Surefire Infusion System to be used for obesity treatment

Surefire Medical, Inc., the developer of a new class of infusion systems designed to maximize targeted delivery of embolization agents without reflux, today announced that the company's Surefire Infusion System will be used in the development of the first clinically viable microcatheter-based, minimally invasive treatment for obesity as an alternative to bariatric surgery.

2 May 2013