Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Amgen, UCB commence CDP7851/AMG 785 Phase 3 trial in postmenopausal osteoporosis

UCB and Amgen announced today the start of their sclerostin antibody (CDP7851/AMG 785) Phase 3 clinical trial program for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

4 Apr 2012

Researchers figure out how rapamycin causes diabetes

The drug known as rapamycin is widely used by cancer and transplant patients, and there are hints that it might even help us put off old age and live longer. But, it also comes with a downside: rapamycin leads to diabetes in as many as 15 percent of the people who take it.

4 Apr 2012

PET allows survival predictions in sarcoma after initial cycle of neoadjuvant chemo

An early Positron Emission Tomography (PET) response after the initial cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be used to predict increased survival in patients with soft tissue sarcomas, according to a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

3 Apr 2012

Systemic inflammation may contribute to depressive symptoms

New research published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine reveals that systemic inflammation causes an increase in depressive symptoms and metabolic changes in the parts of the brain responsible for mood and motivation. With this finding, researchers can begin to test potential treatments for depression for patients that experience symptoms that are related to inflammation in the body or within the brain.

3 Apr 2012

Special fatty molecules pave novel way to treat infections, autoimmune diseases, allergies and cancer

An international research team led by scientists from Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) under the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) discovered that a special class of fatty molecules is essential for activating a unique group of early-responding immune cells.

2 Apr 2012

Metformin prevents primary liver cancer in animal models

Metformin, a drug widely used to treat Type II diabetes, may help to prevent primary liver cancer, researchers at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center report in the April 2012 issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

2 Apr 2012

Study shows how fat cells can protect the body against diabetes

In a finding that may challenge popular notions of body fat and health, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have shown how fat cells can protect the body against diabetes. The results may lead to a new therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes and obesity-related metabolic diseases, the authors say.

2 Apr 2012

FDA approves Roche's cobas p 630 pre-analytical instrument

Roche announced today the FDA approval of a new pre-analytical instrument that provides an integrated primary tube handling solution for its widely adopted automated molecular testing platform.

31 Mar 2012

AlphaCore Pharma commences ACP-501 Phase 1 study in coronary arterial disease

AlphaCore Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing ACP-501 (rhLCAT) for the treatment of high risk atherosclerosis and serious lipid metabolism disorders, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 study of ACP-501 in patients with stable coronary arterial disease.

31 Mar 2012

BPA shows tangible effects on health endpoints at high dosage levels

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)-such as BPA-can show tangible effects on health endpoints at high dosage levels, yet those effects do not predict how EDCs will affect the endocrine system at low doses, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Endocrine Reviews.

30 Mar 2012

Disrupting mTORC1 protein complex extends lifespan

One of the secrets to a longer, healthier life is simply to eat less. When subjected to calorie restriction (CR), typically defined as a 20-40% reduction in caloric intake with corresponding maintenance of proper nutrition, animals in labs not only live longer, but also have improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, both of which decline during aging.

30 Mar 2012

Birth weight may identify future metabolic risks in girls

Heavier female babies are more likely to develop diabetes and related metabolic risks when they grow up compared with their male counterparts, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

30 Mar 2012

Vitamin D-fortified doogh improves inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetics

Daily intake of vitamin D-fortified doogh (Persian yogurt drink) improved inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetics and extra calcium conferred additional anti-inflammatory benefits, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

30 Mar 2012

New synthetic small molecules could treat obesity, diabetes and sleep disorders

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have synthesized a pair of small molecules that dramatically alter the core biological clock in animal models, highlighting the compounds' potential effectiveness in treating a remarkable range of disorders-including obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and serious sleep disorders.

30 Mar 2012

Research supports link between alcohol consumption and type II diabetes

Subjects in a cohort in Sweden, some of whom had been exposed to a community intervention program to prevent diabetes, were evaluated 8-10 years after baseline for the presence of diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose metabolism in relation to a baseline report of alcohol consumption.

30 Mar 2012

Researchers discover MicroRNAs as new switch of adipose cell development

Hunger has always threatened mankind. This makes it unsurprising that human bodies attempt to store all surplus nourishment in adipose tissue. In developed countries, this life-saving craving is turning into a problem and obesity—adiposity—is turning into a danger. Why, though, does excess fat the body ill? How does fat trigger diabetes? And can these superfluous fat reserves be turned into warmth and just as well burnt?

30 Mar 2012

Thyroidectomy may increase risk of postoperative complications in the elderly

Elderly patients who undergo thyroid surgery are at a much higher risk than their younger counterparts for serious cardiac, pulmonary and infectious complications, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

30 Mar 2012

Study explains how rapamycin also causes insulin resistance

A Penn- and MIT-led team explained how rapamycin, a drug that extends mouse lifespan, also causes insulin resistance. The researchers showed in an animal model that they could, in principle, separate the effects, which depend on inhibiting two protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, respectively.

30 Mar 2012

Roche announces increase in offer price for outstanding Illumina shares

Roche announced today that it has increased its offer price for all outstanding publicly-held shares of Illumina, Inc. to US$ 51.00 per share in cash.

From Illumina, Inc. 29 Mar 2012

Researchers describe unexpected role of p75NTR in type 2 diabetes

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered a key protein that regulates insulin resistance-the diminished ability of cells to respond to the action of insulin and which sets the stage for the development of the most common form of diabetes. This breakthrough points to a new way to potentially treat or forestall type 2 diabetes, a rapidly growing global health problem.

29 Mar 2012