Muscle Wasting News and Research

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Pomegranate juice helps fight prostate cancer

Drinking an eight ounce glass of pomegranate juice daily increased by nearly four times the period during which PSA levels in men treated for prostate cancer remained stable, a three-year UCLA study has found.

4 Jul 2006

Etanercept and chemo might reduce fatigue in cancer patients

Researchers here have found evidence that combining a drug typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis with chemotherapy might help reduce fatigue and muscle wasting that often afflicts cancer patients.

3 May 2006

Quicker and more effective way to diagnose motor neurone disease

Researchers from University of New South Wales (UNSW), the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (POWMRI) and the Prince of Wales Hospital have found a quicker and more effective way to diagnose Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

20 Apr 2006

First gene therapy human trial in the United States for a form of muscular dystrophy under way

The clinical trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) tests the safety and effectiveness of a therapy that was developed over two decades by scientists at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh.

16 Apr 2006

Early intervention is a critical consideration in efforts to preserve the musculoskeletal system after spinal cord injury

Richard Shields, Ph.D., University of Iowa professor in the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, can foresee a time when it might be possible to cure spinal cord injury (SCI).

7 Apr 2006

Parents win high court battle to keep their baby alive

The parents of an 18-month-old boy with a terminal muscle-wasting disease, won a High Court legal battle to stop doctors turning off the ventilator keeping him alive.

16 Mar 2006

Preventing muscle wasting with a leucine-rich diet

Muscle in adults is constantly being built and broken down. As young adults we keep the two processes in balance, but when we age breakdown starts to win. However, adding the amino acid leucine to the diet of old individuals can set things straight again.

5 Dec 2005

Unexpected link between muscular dystrophy and muscle wasting associated with cancer

A new study provides important insight into the mechanisms of a muscle wasting disorder that interferes with treatment for cancer and has a negative impact on patient survival.

5 Dec 2005

Better understanding of cancer cachexia

New research shows that a wasting condition responsible for nearly a third of all cancer deaths involves the loss of an essential muscle protein that is also lost in people with muscular dystrophy.

15 Nov 2005

Anabolic steroids help people with HIV put on weight and muscle mass

People with HIV who are treated with anabolic steroids to prevent AIDS wasting may realize modest gains in weight and muscle mass, a new review shows.

10 Nov 2005

Growth hormone illegal for off-label anti-aging use

Because of 1988 and 1990 amendments to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, off-label distribution or provision of human growth hormone to treat aging or age-associated illnesses is illegal in the United States, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Oct 2005

Gene therapy used to successfully treat heart failure

University of Pittsburgh investigators have for the first time used gene therapy to successfully treat heart failure and other degenerative muscle problems in an animal model that is genetically susceptible to a human muscular dystrophy.

25 Oct 2005

Conjugated linoleic acid prevents inflammatory damage resulting from immune response

One of the isomers of conjugated linoleic acid, a group of fatty acids found in milk, is a natural regulator of the COX-2 protein, which plays a significant role in inflammatory disease such as arthritis and cancer, according to a study published by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.

18 Oct 2005

Discovered of gene mutations associated with hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy

In a significant advance toward understanding a perplexing and painful neurological disorder, an international team of researchers has discovered gene mutations associated with an inherited chronic pain and weakness syndrome known as hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy (also called HNA).

27 Sep 2005

Discovery of gene that may play a role in centronuclear myopathy

By studying the molecules that regulate the formation of muscle, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered a gene that may play a role in a rare muscular disease in humans.

31 Aug 2005

Gene therapy success for the treatment of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) in mice

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh report the first study to achieve success with gene therapy for the treatment of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) in mice, demonstrating that the formidable scientific challenges that have cast doubt on gene therapy ever being feasible for children with muscular dystrophy can be overcome.

15 Aug 2005

Bone marrow-derived cells fail to meet high expectations says Bonn study

Adult stem cells taken from bone marrow are the "shooting stars" of their field. Many research scientists have been speculating that the cells might be able to pass through the blood into diseased organs and replace defective tissue. Such cells are seen as the potential key to the treatment of certain muscle diseases.

3 Aug 2005

New theory on aging says popping pills and drinking orange juice no guarantee you'll live longer

In direct contrast to previous reports, researchers now say that drinking gallons of orange juice and popping vitamin pills may not be a guarantee that you will live longer.

18 Jul 2005

New cholesterol drug Crestor causes safety concerns

A study by a leading medical journal has concluded that AstraZeneca's controversial drug Crestor produces more than twice as many side effects as other common cholesterol lowering treatments.

24 May 2005

Exercise training in ordinary people affects the activity of 500 genes

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm shows that hundreds of genes in the thigh muscle are activated in regular cycle training. The study also reveals that great differences in training response may be due to the ability in some people to activate their genes much more forcefully. The study is published May 2 in FASEB Journal.

2 May 2005