Insulin News and Research

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Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert glucose, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin allows cells to use glucose for fuel and is secreted by beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. The release of insulin from the pancreas is stimulated by increased blood glucose, vagal nerve stimulation, and other factors. Insulin is obtained from various animals and available in a variety of preparations. Commercial insulin preparations differ in a number of ways, including differences in the animal species from which they are obtained; their purity, concentration, and solubility; and the time of onset and duration of their biologic action. An oral hypoglycemic agent is not a form of insulin therapy.

Study examines impact of microvascular decompression surgery for type 2 diabetes

A team of Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) physicians led by neurosurgical pioneer Peter Jannetta, MD, has made an important new discovery linking the central nervous system to the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Reporting today in the journal Surgical Neurology International, Dr. Jannetta and his colleagues present evidence from a prospective clinical trial that vascular compression of a section of the brain called the medulla oblongata is a factor in some patients with type 2 diabetes and that microvascular decompression surgery (MVD) may be an effective treatment for the condition.

13 Aug 2010

Halozyme Therapeutics granted U.S. patent for recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme platform

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,767,429 claiming its proprietary recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme platform (rHuPH20). Claims to the human PH20 glycoprotein, PEGylated variants, the glycoprotein produced by recombinant methods, and pharmaceutical compositions with other agents, including antibodies, insulins, cytokines, anti-infectives and additional therapeutic classes were awarded in the '429 patent. Additional claims are in prosecution.

12 Aug 2010

Study offers clues to potential treatments for preserving, restoring insulin-producing cells

In type 1 diabetes, the body relentlessly attacks and destroys its own insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. But a study by Joslin Diabetes Center scientists now has firmly established that some of these cells endure for many decades in a small group of people with the disease—offering clues to potential treatments for preserving and even restoring the crucial cell population.

12 Aug 2010

Intellect Neurosciences receives patent for insulin sensitizer drugs

Intellect Neurosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company with an internal preclinical and clinical-stage pipeline and licenses with major pharmaceutical companies covering products in late-stage clinical trials, announced today that its Chairman & CEO, Dr. Daniel Chain, was granted a patent by the European Patent and Trademark Office related to the use of insulin sensitizers for the prevention and treatment of memory loss and dementia. Insulin sensitizer drugs include Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone, which have been approved for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus.

12 Aug 2010

NKTreg white blood cells migrate into liver, suppress immune responses: Research

After a transplant - and to assure that the new organ is not rejected - patients are put on life-long therapy to suppress their immune system, which, nevertheless, needs to be left intact enough to be able to defend the body against all kinds of disease. A tricky balance as the many rejected organs attest. But a discovery by Maria Monteiro and Luis Graça, two Portuguese scientists, could change all this, at least for the liver.

11 Aug 2010

Survey finds prevalence of diabetic retinopathy high among U.S. adults

Nearly 30 percent of U.S. adults with diabetes over the age of 40 are estimated to have diabetic retinopathy, with about 4 percent of this population having vision-threatening retinopathy, according to a study in the August 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Aug 2010

Common soluble proteins become insoluble and form aggregates while aging: Study

In neurodegenerative diseases, clumps of insoluble proteins appear in patients' brains. These aggregates contain proteins that are unique to each disease, such as amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease, but they are intertwined with small amounts of many other insoluble proteins that are normally present in a soluble form in healthy young individuals. For years, these other proteins were thought to be accidental inclusions in the aggregates, much as a sea turtle might be caught in a net of fish.Now, in a surprising new finding, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, report that many of the proteins present as minor components of disease aggregates actually clump together as a normal part of aging in healthy individuals.

11 Aug 2010

Mild sleep restriction for several nights can affect cognitive tasks: Research

Many people are sleep restricted, either because they have to or because they choose to be, she says. "Instead of going to bed when they are tired, like they should, people watch TV and want to have an active social life," she says. "People count on catching up on their sleep on the weekends, but it may not be enough."

10 Aug 2010

Researchers examine differences in eating habits of African Americans

7 Aug 2010

Halozyme second-quarter revenue increases to $3.2 million

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix for the endocrinology, oncology, dermatology and drug delivery markets, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

7 Aug 2010

Scientists combine basic adipose tissue mass knowledge with clinical experience

These proceedings cover the nervous regulation of both white and brown adipose tissue mass. Different physiological parameters such as metabolism (lipolysis and thermogenesis) and secretory activity (leptin and other adipokines) are reviewed. The plasticity of adipose tissue (proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis) showing the presence of a neural feedback loop between adipose tissue and the brain, which plays a major role in the regulation of energy homeostasis, is discussed.

6 Aug 2010

Survey reveals need for nutrition education among African Americans for disease prevention, management

Researchers looking for differences in eating habits of African Americans based on whether or not they had Type 2 diabetes uncovered an unexpected result: No matter what the blood sugar level was, the dietary intakes were pretty much the same.African Americans are 1.8 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and 1.4 times more likely to be obese than are non-Hispanic whites, according to federal health agencies. Obesity is a leading risk factor for development of diabetes, a condition that results when the body cannot properly use insulin to transfer sugar from the blood to muscle and fat cells that use glucose for energy.

6 Aug 2010

Eliminating depression, diabetes can reduce levels of dementia: Study

Eliminating diabetes and depression, as well as increasing education and fruit and vegetable consumption, are likely to have the biggest impact on reducing levels of dementia in the coming years, should no effective treatment be found, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.These findings suggest priorities for future public health interventions.While the exact cause of dementia is still unknown, several modifiable risk factors have already been identified. These include vascular risk factors (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol), a history of depression, diet, alcohol consumption, and education level.

6 Aug 2010

Scientist invents new approach to boost body's response to vaccinations

As the medical community searches for better vaccines and ways to deliver them, a University of Rochester scientist believes he has discovered a new approach to boosting the body's response to vaccinations.Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D., found that the same molecules used in drugs that treat diabetes also stimulate B cells in the immune system, pushing them to make antibodies for protection against invading microorganisms.

5 Aug 2010

Roche inaugurates National Infusion Site Awareness Week to promote diabetis management

Roche Diabetes Care, makers of the ACCU-CHEK portfolio of diabetes management products and services, is pleased to announce the inaugural National Infusion Site Awareness Week, Aug. 30-Sept. 5. Roche made the announcement during the 37th annual American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) conference to highlight the important role that certified diabetes educators and other health care professionals play in promoting better site management for the 400,000 people in the United States with Type 1 diabetes who use an insulin pump.

5 Aug 2010

Contrave added to diet and exercise regimen can induce significant weight loss

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. announced the online publication of results from its COR-BMOD trial of Contrave (naltrexone SR/bupropion SR) in the journal Obesity. The COR-BMOD trial evaluated intensive behavior modification plus Contrave32 (32mg naltrexone sustained release (SR)/360mg bupropion SR) compared to BMOD plus placebo, in 793 overweight or obese patients.

4 Aug 2010

Researchers identify TACI; MyD88 activates immune system against infection

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found a new mechanism that explains how certain immune cells are activated to create protective antibodies against infections or pathological antibodies such as those present in autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The research is published online in the September issue of Nature Immunology.

4 Aug 2010

DTB launches Don't Drop Mixtard 30 campaign to change Novo Nordisk's drug removal decision

Drug company Novo Nordisk's decision to pull its Mixtard 30 insulin drug from the UK could add 9 million to the NHS drugs bill in England alone, says an editorial in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB). The decision could also leave thousands of patients dependent on others to help them take their insulin, says DTB, which today launches its "Don't Drop Mixtard 30" campaign to convince the company to change its mind.

4 Aug 2010

Arena reports lower net loss of $28.80M for second-quarter 2010

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, and recent developments, including the successful Pre-Approval Inspection, or PAI, of the company's Swiss drug product manufacturing facility by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

4 Aug 2010

Insulin resistance from obesity leads to lower cognitive performance in children: Research

A study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have found that obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes have diminished cognitive performance and subtle abnormalities in the brain as detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Identification of cognitive impairments as a complication of type 2 diabetes emphasizes the importance of addressing issues of inactivity and obesity, two important risk factors for the development of the disease among the young.

3 Aug 2010

Insulin News and Research

Further Reading

Study examines impact of microvascular decompression surgery for type 2 diabetes

Halozyme Therapeutics granted U.S. patent for recombinant human hyaluronidase enzyme platform

Study offers clues to potential treatments for preserving, restoring insulin-producing cells

Intellect Neurosciences receives patent for insulin sensitizer drugs

NKTreg white blood cells migrate into liver, suppress immune responses: Research

Survey finds prevalence of diabetic retinopathy high among U.S. adults

Common soluble proteins become insoluble and form aggregates while aging: Study

Mild sleep restriction for several nights can affect cognitive tasks: Research

Researchers examine differences in eating habits of African Americans

Halozyme second-quarter revenue increases to $3.2 million

Scientists combine basic adipose tissue mass knowledge with clinical experience

Survey reveals need for nutrition education among African Americans for disease prevention, management

Eliminating depression, diabetes can reduce levels of dementia: Study

Scientist invents new approach to boost body's response to vaccinations

Roche inaugurates National Infusion Site Awareness Week to promote diabetis management

Contrave added to diet and exercise regimen can induce significant weight loss

Researchers identify TACI; MyD88 activates immune system against infection

DTB launches Don't Drop Mixtard 30 campaign to change Novo Nordisk's drug removal decision

Arena reports lower net loss of $28.80M for second-quarter 2010

Insulin resistance from obesity leads to lower cognitive performance in children: Research

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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