Hypothalamus News and Research

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

Scientists pinpoint brain site where leptin hormone may trigger onset of puberty

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have pinpointed a tiny site in the brain where the hormone leptin may help trigger the onset of puberty.

23 Dec 2010

Later onset of puberty associated with malnutrition, earlier onset to childhood obesity

The timing of the onset of puberty is linked to levels of nutrition: later onset is associated with malnutrition, while earlier onset is linked to childhood obesity. A team of researchers, led by Carol Elias, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, has now generated data in mice that run counter to current thinking about the molecular pathway by which nutrition status affects the onset of puberty. Further, the team defines a new regulatory pathway for the process, which, if confirmed in humans, could potentially lead to new approaches to treating disorders of puberty and fertility.

23 Dec 2010

Arena, Eisai complete lorcaserin NDA end-of-review meeting with FDA

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. announced today the completion of an end-of-review meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the lorcaserin New Drug Application (NDA).

22 Dec 2010

GTx announces Capesaris proof of concept clinical trail in men with advanced prostate cancer

BETHESDA, Md.,GTx, Inc. this weekend presented results of the Capesaris™ (GTx-758) proof of concept pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) clinical trial at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology.

14 Dec 2010

Gene mutation can lead to different mental illnesses when influenced by same environmental factor

Male mice born with a genetic mutation that's believed to make humans more susceptible to schizophrenia develop behaviors that mimic other major psychiatric illnesses when their mothers are exposed to an assault to the immune system while pregnant, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

4 Dec 2010

Diabetes plays a vital role in regulating brain cholesterol: Research

The brain contains more cholesterol than any other organ in the body, has to produce its own cholesterol and won't function normally if it doesn't churn out enough. Defects in cholesterol metabolism have been linked with Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Now researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that diabetes can affect how much cholesterol the brain can make.

1 Dec 2010

Santarus announces commercial U.S. launch of CYCLOSET for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced the commercial U.S. launch of CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets. CYCLOSET is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus both as monotherapy and in combination with other oral antidiabetic agents.

15 Nov 2010

New findings suggest serotonin may have anti-diabetic property

New findings by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center suggest that serotonin a brain chemical known to help regulate emotion, mood and sleep might also have anti-diabetic properties.

11 Nov 2010

Arena and Eisai report positive results from lorcaserin BLOOM-DM trial in obese, overweight diabetics

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. reported today that top-line results from the one-year lorcaserin BLOOM-DM trial demonstrate statistically significant weight loss in obese and overweight patients with type 2 diabetes. In this trial, lorcaserin met all three co-primary efficacy endpoints. In addition, as described below, lorcaserin patients taking lorcaserin 10 mg twice daily (BID) achieved statistically significant improvements in multiple secondary endpoints, including HbA1c, as compared to patients randomized to placebo.

9 Nov 2010

Study finds anti-obesity drug reduces brain’s response to appetizing foods

Scientists have revealed that an anti-obesity drug changes the way the brain responds to appetising, high-calorie foods in obese individuals. This insight may aid the development of new anti-obesity drugs which reduce the activity in the regions of the brain stimulated by the sight of tasty foods.

27 Oct 2010

Colour of light influences the way brain processes emotional stimuli

Researchers at the Cyclotron Research Centre (University of Liege), Geneva Center for Neuroscience and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences (University of Geneva), and Surrey Sleep Research Centre (University of Surrey) investigated the immediate effect of light, and of its color composition, on emotion brain processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results of their study show that the colour of light influences the way the brain processes emotional stimuli.

26 Oct 2010

Scientists find two proteins that regulates water retention in salt-sensitive hypertension

Research conducted by scientists at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans has found that two proteins in the brain act as valves to turn the hormone that regulates water retention in the body on and off. Their findings may lead to advances in treatment for diseases like high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and cirrhosis of the liver. The research is published in the November 1, 2010 issue of Endocrinology.

25 Oct 2010

Arena's NDA receives Complete Response Letter for lorcaserin

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Complete Response Letter (CRL) regarding Arena's New Drug Application (NDA) for lorcaserin. Lorcaserin is intended for weight management, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, in patients who are obese

25 Oct 2010

Motherhood helps women grow their grey matter: Study

According to the latest research motherhood helps women grow their grey matter. The study was conducted by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland and it showed that the brains of new mothers substantially gained in nerve cells while they coped with the steep learning curve of dealing with a newborn. Also in a bizarre way, mothers who ‘gushed’ the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the brain.

24 Oct 2010

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