Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Extending sleep duration may help reduce risk of diabetes in youth

A new study suggests that increasing the amount of sleep that teenagers get could improve their insulin resistance and prevent the future onset of diabetes.

29 Sep 2012

Women with early menopause more likely to develop heart attack or stroke

Women who experience early menopause are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than women whose menopause occurs at a later age, according to a new study by Melissa Wellons, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine in the Vanderbilt Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

29 Sep 2012

Intarcia announces results from ITCA 650 phase 2 study on type 2 diabetes

Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc. announced that an analysis of the results of a phase 2 clinical study of ITCA 650 (continuous subcutaneous delivery of exenatide) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes will be presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday, October 3, 2012.

29 Sep 2012

Thymus tissue, iPSCS and liver cells can thrive in lymph nodes

Lymph nodes can provide a suitable home for a variety of cells and tissues from other organs, suggesting that a cell-based alternative to whole organ transplantation might one day be feasible, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and its McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

28 Sep 2012

Researchers discover leptin hormone in fruit flies

Researchers have discovered in fruit flies a key metabolic hormone thought to be the exclusive property of vertebrates. The hormone, leptin, is a nutrient sensor, regulating energy intake and output and ultimately controlling appetite.

28 Sep 2012

Inhibiting TRPV4 protects against diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance

Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a company harnessing breakthroughs in brown fat biology and insulin sensitization to revolutionize the treatment of metabolic disease, today announced the publication of key preclinical data demonstrating that inhibition of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) family of ion channels - specifically TRPV4 - resulted in activation of brown/beige fat and protection from diet-induced obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. Ember holds an exclusive option to license these TRPV4 findings and technology.

28 Sep 2012

Molecular link between thermogenesis and development of inflammation in fat cells

Flipping a newly discovered molecular switch in white fat cells enabled mice to eat a high-calorie diet without becoming obese or developing the inflammation that causes insulin resistance, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

28 Sep 2012

Alpha-glucosidases can be turned on and off, finds study

A study co-led by Simon Fraser University and Purdue University has found that the intestinal enzymes responsible for processing starchy foods can be turned on and off, helping to better control those processes in people with Type 2 diabetes.

28 Sep 2012

Two-part ACR guidelines on gout

Gout is one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis, affecting nearly 4% of adult Americans. Newly approved guidelines that educate patients in effective methods to prevent gout attacks and provide physicians with recommended therapies for long-term management of this painful disease are published in Arthritis Care & Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

28 Sep 2012

Medtronic to acquire Kanghui

Medtronic, Inc. and China Kanghui Holdings announced today that they have entered into a merger agreement whereby Medtronic will acquire Kanghui.

From Medtronic 28 Sep 2012

Leptin hormone may play a role in hearing and vision loss

Leptin - commonly dubbed the "fat hormone" - does more than tell the brain when to eat. A new study by researchers at The University of Akron and Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) shows that leptin may play a role in hearing and vision loss.

27 Sep 2012

Aeterna Zentari expects to file AEZS-130 NDA with FDA for adult growth hormone deficiency

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that it continues to expect to file a New Drug Application (NDA) early next year, for its oral ghrelin agonist, AEZS-130, as a diagnostic test for adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD), after receiving notification from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that Fast Track designation had not been granted.

27 Sep 2012

Study indicates the amounts paid by antipsychotic manufacturers to D.C. Medicaid psychiatrists

The D.C. Department of Health (DOH) has released a study by George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services (SPHHS) indicating the high levels of marketing by antipsychotic drug manufacturers to Medicaid psychiatrists in the District of Columbia.

27 Sep 2012

Sleep apnea linked to poor perinatal outcomes in obese mothers

The newborns of obese pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased chance of being born by cesarean and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, study findings indicate.

27 Sep 2012

British Society for Immunology, Springer partner to publish six books per year

Springer and the British Society for Immunology (BSI) have entered into an agreement to publish six books per year, to be included in Springer's long-running book series, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.

27 Sep 2012

Article reveals biochemical chain of events involved in penile erection

For two decades, scientists have known the biochemical factors that trigger penile erection, but not what's needed to maintain one. Now an article by Johns Hopkins researchers, scheduled to be published this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uncovers the biochemical chain of events involved in that process.

27 Sep 2012

GW to evaluate effectiveness of glucose-lowering drugs against type 2 diabetes

John Lachin, professor of biostatistics, epidemiology and statistics at the George Washington University, has been awarded a five-year, $134 million grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to conduct a clinical trial examining the long-term effectiveness of several glucose-lowering medications for treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. The grant sets a record as the largest sum award GW has ever received.

27 Sep 2012

Type 2 diabetes may be derived from composition of specific intestinal flora

Whether you have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, in the future may be derived from the composition of your intestinal flora. That according to new metagenomics research of an international consortium of scientists, including Jeroen Raes, connected to VIB and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Metagenomics is the study of the genetic material of complete ecosystems, in this case the human intestine. This study appears in the leading journal Nature.

27 Sep 2012

MicroRNA processing in fat tissue plays a major role in aging and stress resistance

As part of their ongoing research investigating the biology of aging, the greatest risk factor for type 2 diabetes and other serious diseases, scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a new factor - microRNA processing in fat tissue - which plays a major role in aging and stress resistance.

27 Sep 2012

Karolinska Institutet scientists discover new approach to treat type II diabetes

An international team of scientists, led from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, have discovered an entirely new approach to the treatment of type II diabetes. The therapy involves the blockade of signalling by a protein known as VEGF-B and this prevents fat from accumulating in the 'wrong' places, such as in muscles and in the heart. As a result the cells within these tissues are once again able to respond to insulin.

27 Sep 2012