Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Penn researchers pinpoint underlying cause of Best disease

Named for Friedrich Best, who characterized the disease in 1905, Best disease, also known as vitelliform macular dystrophy, affects children and young adults and can cause severe declines in central vision as patients age.

19 Apr 2017

SLU researchers make advances in understanding plaque-causing protein in neurological disorders

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry Yuna Ayala, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Saint Louis University, and her research team made advances in understanding how a protein causes damaging plaques to build up in neurodegenerative illnesses like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a form of dementia called frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

19 Apr 2017

Salty food doesn’t make you thirsty; it makes you hungry, say experts

A new study has shown that eating salty food does not make you thirsty, but rather, it diminishes thirst. What eating salty food does do is increase the need for energy and therefore food.

19 Apr 2017

LIH scientists discover unknown immune activation mechanism to ward off pathogens

Scientists of the Luxembourg Institute of Health have discovered a so far unknown molecular mechanism by which the human immune system activates its immune cells: T cells, a particular type of white blood cells, effectively ward off pathogens if a gene known as Gclc is expressed within them.

19 Apr 2017

TUM study shows link between zinc supply in the body and cardiac function

In addition to essential metabolic functions, the level of zinc in the body also affects the heart muscle. When oxidative stress occurs, it may be due to a shortage of zinc, which can be determined by examining the heart muscle.

18 Apr 2017

Saturated fatty acids in diet linked to onset of osteoarthritis

Saturated fat is a prime suspect in the onset of osteoarthritis after QUT scientists found it changed the composition of cartilage, particularly in the weight-bearing joints of the hip and knee.

18 Apr 2017

Atomic resolution structure of key molecule may contribute to drug discovery for devastating conditions

Culminating a nearly 10 year effort, researchers have determined the atomic resolution structure of a key molecule that translates signals from a cell's local environment into a language that the cell can understand and use.

18 Apr 2017

New study reveals sympathetic nervous system as main driver of thermogenesis

A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides important insights into how the body regulates its production of heat, a process known as thermogenesis that is currently intensely studied as a target of diabetes and obesity treatment in humans.

17 Apr 2017

Study establishes potential of BAT receptors as druggable targets for treatment of obesity, diabetes

According to research published online in The FASEB Journal, scientists have discovered a way to increase the amount of metabolism-boosting brown adipose tissue (BAT) ("good" fat) by employing two receptors on BAT cells as potential therapeutic targets.

17 Apr 2017

Electroacupuncture may lead to better blood sugar regulation in obese and overweight women

For women who are overweight or obese and are unable to exercise, new research appearing online in The FASEB Journal suggests combining acupuncture with an electrical current may help.

17 Apr 2017

Thyroid cancer patients with bone metastases have worse survival, study finds

When cancer metastases, bone unwittingly offers a friendly place for tumor cell growth--only to have its hospitality betrayed by pathologic fractures, spinal cord compression, the need for bone surgery or irradiation, and an increased risk of death.

17 Apr 2017

Study investigates differences between heavy and light drinkers

Heavy drinkers develop behavioral tolerance to alcohol over time on some fine motor tasks, but not on more complex tasks, according to a study led by a Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System researcher. While heavy drinkers showed less impairment than light drinkers on a rote fine motor test over time, they did not perform better on a test involving more short-term memory, motor speed, and more complex cognitive processing.

14 Apr 2017

Researchers uncover global regulator that 'switches on' silent biosynthetic gene clusters

Bacteria have supplied some of today's most indispensable anti-cancer and anti-bacterial drugs. Yet these compounds comprise only a fraction of their possible offerings. Now, researchers have found a way to unleash their full potential as natural product dispensers.

13 Apr 2017

'Human knockouts': Genetics in families reveals basic biology and possible therapeutics for disorders

More than 1,800 individuals carrying loss-of-function mutations in both copies of their genes, so-called "human knockouts," are described in the first major study to be published in Nature this week by an international collaboration led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues.

12 Apr 2017

Scientists discover how insulin-producing cells show differences in age

Diabetes researchers have puzzled for decades about why insulin-producing beta cells in one pancreatic islet often look and behave quite differently than their counterparts in the same islet or in nearby islets.

12 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

TSRI scientists find new way to make cell population resistant to HIV

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a way to tether HIV-fighting antibodies to immune cells, creating a cell population resistant to the virus.

11 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

Feeding status alters the human adipose tissue response to exercise, study reveals

Time and again, fitness enthusiasts have a question–to exercise before or after breakfast. A new study published online in the American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism has highlighted the role of fat toward metabolism. This is the first study that reveals the effects of fasting and feed status on human adipose tissue responses to exercise.

11 Apr 2017

Salk Institute receives additional $3 million Glenn Foundation gift to continue aging research

The Salk Institute has received a $3 million gift from the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research for the second time in 4 years, enabling the Institute to continue investigating the biology of normal human aging and age-related diseases.

10 Apr 2017

Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Penn researchers pinpoint underlying cause of Best disease

SLU researchers make advances in understanding plaque-causing protein in neurological disorders

Salty food doesn’t make you thirsty; it makes you hungry, say experts

LIH scientists discover unknown immune activation mechanism to ward off pathogens

TUM study shows link between zinc supply in the body and cardiac function

Saturated fatty acids in diet linked to onset of osteoarthritis

Atomic resolution structure of key molecule may contribute to drug discovery for devastating conditions

New study reveals sympathetic nervous system as main driver of thermogenesis

Study establishes potential of BAT receptors as druggable targets for treatment of obesity, diabetes

Electroacupuncture may lead to better blood sugar regulation in obese and overweight women

Thyroid cancer patients with bone metastases have worse survival, study finds

Study investigates differences between heavy and light drinkers

Researchers uncover global regulator that 'switches on' silent biosynthetic gene clusters

'Human knockouts': Genetics in families reveals basic biology and possible therapeutics for disorders

Scientists discover how insulin-producing cells show differences in age

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

TSRI scientists find new way to make cell population resistant to HIV

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

Feeding status alters the human adipose tissue response to exercise, study reveals

Salk Institute receives additional $3 million Glenn Foundation gift to continue aging research

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

Leveraging the Radian ASAP in standard casework