Glucose News and Research

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More data released on key diabetes genes

One of the most reliable indicators to predict that a person will develop type 2 diabetes is the presence of insulin resistance.

19 Nov 2008

Metabolex announces positive results from phase 2 trial of MBX-8025

The Phase 2 study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of MBX-8025, both alone and in combination with atorvastatin (marketed as Lipitor(R)), over an 8-week treatment period.

19 Nov 2008

Garlic drug treats diabetes

A drug based on a chemical found in garlic can treat diabetes types I and II when taken as a tablet, a study in the new Royal Society of Chemistry journal Metallomics says.

19 Nov 2008

Systems biology brings hope of speeding up drug development

Almost every day brings news of an apparent breakthrough against cancer, infectious diseases, or metabolic conditions like diabetes, but these rarely translate into effective therapies or drugs, and even if they do clinical development usually takes well over a decade.

19 Nov 2008

Accera to launch Axona, medical food product for Alzheimer's in 2009

Accera, Inc. will launch Axona in the United States for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the first quarter of 2009.

18 Nov 2008

Two common cancer drugs prevent, reverse type 1 diabetes

Two common cancer drugs have been shown to both prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes in a mouse model of the disease, according to research conducted at the University of California, San Francisco.

18 Nov 2008

Why HIV treatment makes people more susceptible to metabolic complications

Clinicians have known for some time that people treated for HIV also become much more susceptible to diabetes and heart disease.

17 Nov 2008

Breakthrough reveals first ever complete structure of a nuclear hormone receptor on human DNA

For decades, scientists have been studying nuclear hormone receptors to gain a better understanding of how they turn genes on and off throughout the body and how they function as key drug targets for a number of diseases, such as diabetes, breast cancer, osteoporosis and high cholesterol. A new UVA Health System study, led by Fraydoon Rastinejad, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and director of the UVA Center for Molecular Design and published in the October 29 issue of Nature, reveals the first ever complete structure of a nuclear hormone receptor on human DNA – a discovery that now clears a new path for scientists to design more effective drugs with fewer associated health risks. “Dr. Rastinejad’s findings fundamentally change the way people all over the world will study how nuclear hormone receptors work and introduces a new platform for designing better drugs,” says Jim Garrison, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at UVA Health System. Nuclear hormone receptors, including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), are proteins that sit on the surface of cells and bind to specific hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormone. Once the receptor binds to its hormone and its DNA regulatory element, it can cause a number of alterations in the cell, switching genes on and off. These switches control the continual regulation of the metabolic system and reproductive tissues, as well as the development and differentiation of skin, bone and behavioral centers in the brain. “PPARs are widely studied because they regulate the genes that produce fat cells, glucose, insulin, lipids and metabolism,” says Dr. Rastinejad. “That’s what makes them such good drug targets for diseases like diabetes. We can design drugs more rationally to bind to the PPAR nuclear receptor complex to help regulate these functions in the body.” A number of diabetes drugs, called insulin sensitizers, have been developed based on that knowledge, but now that scientists have a clear view into how these receptors bind and what shape they take the door is wide open for the development of better drugs. "After 40 years of nuclear receptor research, we finally can view the first full and complete structure of a nuclear receptor, thanks to Dr. Rastinejad’s break-though achievement,” says Bert W. O’Malley, Ph.D., professor and chairman, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine who is widely considered a top expert in the field.

17 Nov 2008

Hypertension may develop undetected in young African-American men

Young and healthy African-American men have higher central blood pressure and their blood vessels are stiffer compared to their white counterparts, signs that the African American men are developing hypertension early and with little outward sign, according to a new study.

17 Nov 2008

Staying active may lower health risks for large, retired athletes

The larger body size of professional football players doesn't increase risk of cardiovascular disease or atherosclerosis after they retire, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008.

12 Nov 2008

Nanoporous ceramic membranes could provide breakthroughs for implantable medical devices

A team of researchers led by North Carolina State University has made a breakthrough that could lead to new dialysis devices and a host of other revolutionary medical implants.

11 Nov 2008

Effects of depression on glycemic control in veterans with type 2 diabetes

Depression can cause diabetes patients to suffer from higher glucose levels over time compared to those who are not depressed, finds a study of older veterans with the disease.

11 Nov 2008

New study highlights potential for cost effective NHS policy

A new University of Leicester study reveals that screening people who are at risk of developing diabetes could be a cost-effective health policy and improve the lives of patients.

11 Nov 2008

Diabetes and foot problems

Bradford Miller has had diabetes for nine years, and he knows the importance of quick treatment for related problems such as swelling and numbness in the feet.

11 Nov 2008

Sydney student solves piece of the diabetes puzzle

An important piece in the diabetes puzzle which has perplexed scientists for decades has been uncovered by a Sydney PhD student at Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

9 Nov 2008

Advances in use of stem cells for tissue regeneration

A major issue in the development of regenerative medicine is the cell sources used to rebuild damaged tissues.

7 Nov 2008

Metabolic syndrome found in quarter of the U.S. workforce

The combination of health risks known as metabolic syndrome affects slightly less than a quarter of the U.S. workforce and is linked to increased absenteeism and poorer health status, reports a study in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

7 Nov 2008