Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

New approach to predict protein function

In a paper published online this month in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, researchers report that they have developed a way to determine the function of some of the hundreds of thousands of proteins for which amino acid sequence data are available, but whose structure and function remain unknown.

12 Jul 2007

Ajinomoto to market Capsiate Natura in the U.S.

Ajinomoto has announced plans to introduce Capsiate Natura, a capsinoid dietary supplement, into the United States market.

12 Jul 2007

Diabetes researcher honored with prestigious Novartis prize

John E. Gerich, M.D., professor of Medicine and program director of the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center, has been awarded the Novartis Prize for Long-Standing Achievement in Diabetes.

11 Jul 2007

Master switch for the production of brown fat discovered

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have identified a long-sought "master switch" in mice for the production of brown fat, a type of adipose tissue that generates heat and counters obesity caused by overeating.

11 Jul 2007

Adiponectin serves as energy-conserving signal to the brain

A fat-derived protein known for its effects on the liver and skeletal muscle might also serve as an energy-conserving signal to the brain during periods of starvation, suggests a new study in the July issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press.

11 Jul 2007

Incretin-based therapy offers alternative option for treating type 2 diabetes

A review of previous studies indicates that use of a class of medications known as “incretin-based therapy”, which act via certain pathways that affect glucose metabolism may provide modest effectiveness and favorable weight change outcomes for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and may represent an alternative to other hypoglycemic therapies.

11 Jul 2007

Hydroxychloroquine may reduce risk of diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Preliminary research suggests that use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine may help reduce the risk of the development of diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study in the July 11 issue of JAMA .

11 Jul 2007

Selenium supplements may do more harm than good

In a British trial examining the benefit of selenium supplements it has been found that in some cases the supplement can do more harm than good.

11 Jul 2007

Selenium supplements appear to increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes

A new analysis of data from a large national study found that people who took a 200 microgram selenium supplement each day for almost eight years had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who took a placebo or dummy pill.

10 Jul 2007

Scientists identify two brain networks in Parkinson's

The disease that causes tremors, rigidity and slowed movements in a million Americans also targets another brain network that regulates cognitive thought and the ability to carry out everyday tasks.

10 Jul 2007

Rimonabant may prevent and treat obesity-related liver disease

A new study on the effect of the anti-obesity drug rimonabant on liver function in obese rats found that it reduced markers of liver damage, decreased levels of pro-inflammatory proteins, and improved lipid profiles.

4 Jul 2007

Biomira files NDA for novel inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha

Biomira Inc. has announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for PX-478. PX-478 has been shown in preclinical studies to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha, a protein that controls the transcription of a number of genes whose products are important for tumor growth and survival.

4 Jul 2007

Reactive oxygen species mediate a cellular 'memory' of high glucose stress signaling

Researchers at the University of Warwick’s Warwick Medical School have uncovered a process that locks the body’s metabolism in a diabetic state after only relatively limited exposure to high glucose levels.

29 Jun 2007

Study of a Paleolithic diet in early humans

Foods of the kind that were consumed during human evolution may be the best choice to control diabetes type 2. A study from Lund University, Sweden, found markedly improved capacity to handle carbohydrate after eating such foods for three months.

28 Jun 2007

Absence of a gene called CD38 is a protective barrier to obesity

A search for the molecular clues of longevity has taken Mayo Clinic researchers down another path that could explain why some people who consume excessive calories don't gain weight.

27 Jun 2007

Alogliptin for type 2 diabetes shows promise in early trial

Alogliptin, a highly selective dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4) inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, demonstrated efficacy in reducing glucose levels throughout the day, in an early phase clinical study.

26 Jun 2007

Morning sickness may indicate lower risk of breast cancer

It may not seem so at the time, but women who suffer through morning sickness during their pregnancies actually may be fortunate.

23 Jun 2007

Study to investigate how dietary iron is used by cells

A four-year study on iron metabolism within cells, an essential process that impacts both iron deficiency and iron toxicity, conditions responsible for a multitude of human diseases, is underway at the University at Buffalo funded by a $1.16 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

23 Jun 2007

Arpida receives FDA approval to initiate Phase II trial with intravenous iclaprim

Arpida Ltd. has announced that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for a Phase II trial with intravenous iclaprim in the treatment of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) or healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) suspected or confirmed to be due to Gram-positive pathogens.

23 Jun 2007

First genome-scale model of microbe that causes tuberculosis

Tuberculosis remains one of the biggest killers in the world today being responsible for nearly ten million cases and one and a half million deaths each year.

23 Jun 2007