Metabolite News and Research

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Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term ''metabolite'' is usually restricted to small molecules.

Phthalate exposure linked to depressed thyroid function in young girls

Early childhood exposures to specific phthalates were associated with depressed thyroid function in girls at age 3, according to scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Phthalates, a class of chemicals thought to disrupt the endocrine system, are widely used in consumer products from plastic toys to household building materials to shampoos.

30 May 2017

Investigational compound inhibits cancer-specific mutations in mice

Many malignancies develop as a result of genetic alterations in individual cells. These gene mutations often cause altered proteins that give new, growth-promoting properties to the cell.

30 May 2017

TUM scientists develop new pH sensor that provides insights into tumor metabolism

Tumors, inflammation and circulatory disorders locally disturb the body's acid-base balance. These changes in pH value could be used for example to verify the success of cancer treatments.

12 May 2017

Metabolite 'signatures' can accurately distinguish typhoid from other fever-inducing diseases

Researchers have identified a metabolite 'signature' that can accurately distinguish typhoid from other fever-inducing tropical diseases using patient blood samples.

9 May 2017

Vitamin A deficiency leads to loss of blood stem cells

Many specialized cells, such as in the skin, gut or blood, have a lifespan of only a few days. Therefore, steady replenishment of these cells is indispensable. They arise from so-called "adult" stem cells that divide continuously.

5 May 2017

Phthalate exposure linked to increased risk of allergies among children

Phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in plastics, can considerably increase the risk of allergies among children.

3 May 2017

New review explains how calorie restriction can extend life

A new review proposes a theory to explain how calorie restriction can extend life across a variety of species.

3 May 2017

Researchers develop highly sensitive method to detect early stages of colorectal cancer

A highly sensitive method that can detect even the earlier stages of colorectal cancer has been developed by researchers in Japan. Shimadzu Corporation, the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, and the National Cancer Center in Japan have collaborated to develop a new screening method that comprehensively analyzes the metabolites in our blood.

26 Apr 2017

Study shows how gut microbiota may play role in effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs

The bacteria residing in your digestive tract, or your gut microbiota, may play an important role in your ability to respond to chemotherapy drugs in the clinic, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

25 Apr 2017

Brown fat in humans: more than previously thought

Brown fat is a tissue well studied in small mammals, where it acts as a heat-producing organ to stay warm in a cold environment. Its unequivocal identification in adult, healthy humans about a decade ago is of major importance due to its immense capacity to convert chemical energy into heat

20 Apr 2017

Vanderbilt geneticists find new way to tap plant pharmacopeia to produce improved therapeutics

Cocaine, nicotine, capsaicin. These are just three familiar examples of the hundreds of thousands of small molecules (also called specialized or secondary metabolites) that plants use as chemical ammunition to protect themselves from predation.

17 Apr 2017

Study may provide insight into how R-LA promotes death of hepatoma cells

A new study that measured metabolite levels over time in starved rat liver cancer cells showed that treatment with a form of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) inhibited glucose uptake and glycolysis, and led to decreased cellular glucose production from non-carbohydrate sources, which may help explain how the naturally occurring R enantiomeric form of LA (R-LA) promotes the death of hepatoma cells.

12 Apr 2017

Metabolite produced by intestinal bacteria protects against type 2 diabetes, study shows

A high concentration of indolepropionic acid in the serum protects against type 2 diabetes, shows a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. Indolepropionic acid is a metabolite produced by intestinal bacteria, and its production is boosted by a fibre-rich diet.

11 Apr 2017

Gene CRY1 variant alters circadian clock contributing to delayed sleep phase disorder, study finds

If all your life, you have been functioning best in the evening and night compared to the mornings, a gene mutation may be a reason.

10 Apr 2017

Children's hands may carry significant levels of nicotine, study shows

Children may carry significant levels of nicotine on their hands just by coming into contact with items or surfaces contaminated with tobacco smoke residues, even when no one is actively smoking around them at the time.

6 Apr 2017

Unique metabolic ‘signature’ in urine may help predict development of diabetes in obese teenagers

Researchers have discovered a unique metabolic "signature" in the urine of diabetic, obese black teenagers that they say may become a way to predict the development of type 2 diabetes in people at risk.

4 Apr 2017

Pyrethroid pesticide exposure may cause earlier sexual maturity in boys

Environmental exposure to common pesticides may cause boys to reach sexual maturity earlier, researchers have found. They will present their study results Saturday at the Endocrine Society's 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

2 Apr 2017

Researchers identify appetite-suppression mechanism in flies

Researchers have identified a molecule sent by fat cells to the fly brain that senses when they have had enough food and inhibits feeding, according to a study publishing March 28 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Walton Jones of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, and colleagues.

29 Mar 2017

Platforms for NMR software for spectrometer control and data analysis announced by Bruker

New Magnetic Resonance Technologies and Applications Open New Frontiers for Biological, Chemical and Materials Research and Routine Analysis in Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industries.

28 Mar 2017

Sphere Medical introduces new functionality to Proxima platform for efficient critical care patient monitoring

Sphere Medical, an innovative company in critical care monitoring and diagnostics equipment, announces the introduction of new functionality to its Proxima™ bedside blood gas, electrolyte and metabolite analyser.

22 Mar 2017