Nephrology News and Research

RSS

Nephrology is a branch of internal medicine and pediatrics dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney.

Cinacalet helps control overactive thyroids, a major complication of advanced kidney disease

A new drug can help control an overactive thyroid, a major complication of advanced kidney disease, by playing a trick on the gland, a new study finds. The drug, cinacalet, is much more effective at keeping the parathyroid gland working normally than a placebo, according to the study. It may be a good alternative to standard therapy, researchers said.

7 Apr 2004

A new technique for engineering protein crystals is helping scientists figure out the three-dimensional structures of some important biological molecules

A new technique for engineering protein crystals is helping scientists figure out the three-dimensional structures of some important biological molecules, including a key plague protein whose structure has eluded researchers until now. The technique, developed with support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), promises to help pharmaceutical companies develop more effective drugs to treat various diseases by tailor-making molecules to "fit" a protein's shape.

6 Apr 2004

NeoRx Corporation acquires worldwide rights to platinum-based anti-cancer agent

NeoRx Corporation today announced that it has acquired from AnorMED Inc. the worldwide exclusive rights, excluding Japan, to develop, manufacture and commercialize AMD473, a platinum-based anti-cancer agent. AMD473 has been administered to more than 500 cancer patients in phase I and phase II clinical trials, demonstrating anti-cancer activity in a wide range of tumors and a manageable safety profile. NeoRx expects to initiate clinical studies of AMD473 in one or more cancer indications in the second half of this year.

5 Apr 2004

BRITONS risk dying prematurely from cancer due to ignorance

An NOP survey, released today by Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, reveals that only three per cent of those surveyed know that people who are overweight are more likely to develop cancer than people of normal weight, while 70 per cent are aware of the link with heart disease.

5 Apr 2004

Trial of new drug that may halt progression of Type I Diabetes

The results of a long-term clinical trial on a new drug designed to inhibit the progression of type I diabetes was announced at the International Diabetes Society meeting in Cambridge, England, March 29. The findings of the 18-month long clinical trial confirm the drug's efficacy in improving a diabetic's ability to produce insulin.

30 Mar 2004

New Zealand researcher awarded largest renal failure grant ever

With the incidence of kidney failure on the increase in this country, it is timely that the NZ Kidney Foundation has recently awarded a $76,000 grant to Professor Zoltan Endre to further research into renal failure. The grant is the largest single amount awarded by the NZ Kidney Foundation and has been largely funded from funds donated via an ongoing nationwide telephone appeal.

29 Mar 2004

70% of Americans not aware of their blood glucose (sugar) level

A new national survey conducted by the American Diabetes Association reveals that 7 out of 10 Americans are not aware of their blood glucose (sugar) level, critical information for determining the presence of diabetes or pre-diabetes. This awareness level is considered extremely low, especially as it relates to individuals' knowledge of blood pressure and cholesterol.

23 Mar 2004

Stem cell research that could help diabetics

University of Florida adult stem cell experts have restored normal blood sugar levels in diabetic mice for three months by chemically coaxing bone marrow cells to produce insulin, a hormone normally made in the pancreas.

22 Mar 2004

Risk of kidney stones increases higher if overweight

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found that the more overweight a person is the more at risk he or she is for forming uric acid kidney stones.

22 Mar 2004

Study of three treatments of type 2 diabetes in children and teens has begun in US

A clinical study comparing three treatments of type 2 diabetes in children and teens has begun in 12 medical centers and their affiliated sites around the country, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today.

22 Mar 2004

Lupus Discovery May Lead To Improved Drugs

In an important development in the treatment of lupus as well as certain cancers, scientists at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University have discovered how autoimmune lupus T cells stave off programmed cell death and drive production of autoantibodies directed against the body’s own DNA.

22 Mar 2004

Government, industry, and academia focus on obesity

Amid shifting scientific data on nutrition and obesity, experts from government, industry, and academia converged on Harvard Medical School last week to discuss obesity's causes and how to craft a coherent public nutritional message.

22 Mar 2004

Researchers find link that could aid in treatment of kidney cyst diseases

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have uncovered a link between two cyst-forming diseases that affect the kidneys, a finding that could lead to treatments for both a rare form of diabetes and a common kidney disease.

22 Mar 2004

Gene Responsible for The Most Common Form of Diabetes

International research teams studying two distinct populations have found variants in a gene that may predispose people to type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. The researchers, who collaborated extensively in their work, report their findings in companion articles in the April issue of Diabetes.

22 Mar 2004