Hypothalamus News and Research

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The Hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst.

Motherhood may cause brain to grow

Motherhood may actually cause the brain to grow, not turn it into mush, as some have claimed. Exploratory research published by the American Psychological Association found that the brains of new mothers bulked up in areas linked to motivation and behavior, and that mothers who gushed the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the mid-brain.

21 Oct 2010

Mothers who gush about babies grow bigger brains

21 Oct 2010

Arena, Eisai provide update on lorcaserin NDA

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9 to 5 that the available data do not adequately demonstrate that the potential benefits of lorcaserin outweigh the potential risks, when used long-term in a population of overweight and obese individuals to allow marketing approval.

17 Sep 2010

Phase II clinical trial shows GTx-758 reduces serum free testosterone

GTx, Inc. today announced that in a Phase II, open label, pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic clinical trial, GTx-758, an oral selective estrogen receptor alpha agonist being developed to treat advanced prostate cancer, suppressed serum total testosterone to castrate levels, increased serum SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), and markedly reduced serum free testosterone in healthy male volunteers.

15 Sep 2010

23rd ECNP Press conference on impact of circadian rhythms on human brain

All humans are synchronised to the rhythmic light-dark changes that occur on a daily basis. Rhythms in physiological and biochemical processes and behavioural patterns persist in the absence of all external 24-hour signals from the physical environment, with a period that is close to 24 hours

30 Aug 2010

Depomed announces SPA agreement with FDA for Serada Phase 3 trial for menopausal hot flashes

Depomed, Inc. announced today that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding a Special Protocol Assessment on the design and analysis of Breeze 3, a Phase 3 trial evaluating Serada® (extended release gabapentin tablets) for menopausal hot flashes.

11 Aug 2010

FDA confirms Advisory Committee meeting date for lorcaserin NDA review

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company of the confirmed scheduling of an Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting on September 16, 2010, for the review of the lorcaserin New Drug Application (NDA). Lorcaserin, which Arena discovered and has developed for weight management, is intended for obese patients as well as overweight patients who have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.

7 Aug 2010

Excess maternal weight gain predicts high birth weight: Research

Expectant mothers who gain large amounts of weight tend to give birth to heavier infants who are at higher risk for obesity later in life. But it's never been proven that this tendency results from the weight gain itself, rather than genetic or other factors that mother and baby share. A large population-based study from Children's Hospital Boston, looking at two or more pregnancies in the same mother, now provides evidence that excess maternal weight gain is a strong, independent predictor of high birth weight.

5 Aug 2010

FSU biologist-mathematician team receives $2.64 million grant to study prolactin secretion

A Florida State University biologist and mathematician have joined forces to find out exactly how the brain oversees the secretion of the hormone prolactin from the pituitary gland, research that could lead to new ways to treat hundreds of disorders, including infertility.

4 Aug 2010

Increased SIRT1 protein can delay delay aging, extend lifespan

Researchers watched two groups of mice, both nearing the end of a two-day fast. One group was quietly huddled together, but the other group was active and alert. The difference? The second set of mice had been engineered so their brains produced more SIRT1, a protein known to play a role in aging and longevity.

29 Jul 2010

PI3 kinase boosts body heat, helps burn excess calories

New findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers suggest that an enzyme in the brain known as PI3 kinase might control the increased generation of body heat that helps burn off excess calories after eating a high-fat meal.

7 Jul 2010

POMC neurons suppress appetite, induce weight loss: Research

A protein found in cells throughout the body must be present in a specific set of neurons in the brain to prevent weight gain after chronic feeding on high-calorie meals, new findings from UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers suggest.

7 Jul 2010

Eisai to commercialize lorcaserin for obesity and weight management in U.S.

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that Eisai Inc. will market lorcaserin for obesity and weight management in the United States following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval under the terms of a marketing and supply agreement between Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Eisai. Lorcaserin, which Arena discovered and has developed for weight management, is intended for obese patients as well as overweight patients who have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.

1 Jul 2010

Eisai signs agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH to commercialize lorcaserin

Eisai Inc., the U.S. pharmaceutical operation of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for exclusive U.S. rights to commercialize lorcaserin, a drug candidate for potential use in the treatment of obesity, including weight loss, for patients who are obese (Body Mass Index or BMI ≥ 30) or overweight (BMI ≥ 27) with at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.

1 Jul 2010

Arena's lorcaserin reduces body weight across patient subgroups

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported pooled Week 52 data from more than 6,000 patients in lorcaserin's pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial program that demonstrate lorcaserin 10 mg dosed twice daily reduced body weight in all patient subgroups evaluated, as defined by gender, age, ethnicity and starting body weight and Body Mass Index (BMI). Greater improvements in cardiovascular risk factors were also achieved with lorcaserin treatment compared to placebo overall and in most subgroups.

28 Jun 2010

Many Huntington's disease patients suffer from weight loss, sleeping problems

An aggregating protein causes many of the symptoms of Huntington's disease, an incurable and frequently fatal brain disorder. Mosaic winner Ahmad Aziz discovered that the abnormal protein also aggregates in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system.

16 Jun 2010

Merck's MK-4305 improves overall sleep efficiency in primary insomnia patients

Clinical results from a Phase IIb study showed that MK-4305, Merck's investigational dual orexin receptor antagonist, was significantly more effective than placebo (p<0.005) in improving overall sleep efficiency at night one and at the end of week four in patients with primary insomnia. MK-4305 was generally well-tolerated in the study. Orexins are neuropeptides (chemical messengers) that are released by specialized neurons in the hypothalamus region of the brain and are believed to be an important regulator of the brain's sleep-wake process.

9 Jun 2010

Hunger-signaling hormone ghrelin regulates circulation of cholesterol in brain

Circulation of cholesterol is regulated in the brain by the hunger-signaling hormone ghrelin, researchers say. The finding points to a new potential target for the pharmacologic control of cholesterol levels.

7 Jun 2010

Researchers generate the first comprehensive genetic parts list of mouse hypothalamus

A Johns Hopkins and Japanese research team has generated the first comprehensive genetic "parts" list of a mouse hypothalamus, an enigmatic region of the brain — roughly cherry-sized, in humans — that controls hunger, thirst, fatigue, body temperature, wake-sleep cycles and links the central nervous system to control of hormone levels.

4 Jun 2010

New breakthrough may help understand human obesity and eating disorders

A nutrient that's common to all living things can make hibernating marmots hungry - a breakthrough that could help scientists understand human obesity and eating disorders, according to a new study by a Colorado State University biologist.

3 Jun 2010