Insulin News and Research

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Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert glucose, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin allows cells to use glucose for fuel and is secreted by beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. The release of insulin from the pancreas is stimulated by increased blood glucose, vagal nerve stimulation, and other factors. Insulin is obtained from various animals and available in a variety of preparations. Commercial insulin preparations differ in a number of ways, including differences in the animal species from which they are obtained; their purity, concentration, and solubility; and the time of onset and duration of their biologic action. An oral hypoglycemic agent is not a form of insulin therapy.

New islet transplantation improves results for patients with type 1 diabetes

The latest approach to islet transplantation, in which clusters of insulin-producing cells known as islets are transplanted from a donor pancreas into another person's liver, has produced substantially improved results for patients with type 1 diabetes, and may offer a more durable alternative to a whole pancreas transplant.

20 Sep 2013

New research explores effects of avocado consumption in healthy overweight adults

New research findings on avocado consumption, presented as two posters at the IUNS 20th International Congress of Nutrition, in Granada, Spain suggest that although calorie consumption at dinner was unchanged, inclusion or addition of fresh Hass Avocado to a meal may help to reduce hunger and the desire to eat in overweight adults.

19 Sep 2013

Efficacy and safety data on linagliptin and investigational compound empagliflozin* in various diabetes subpopulations presented by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company today announced they will feature five oral and 12 poster presentations for linagliptin and the investigational compound empagliflozin* at the 49th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) which will take place in Barcelona, from 23 – 27 September. The presentations will add to the already existing body of data on safety and efficacy of these two compounds.

18 Sep 2013

Researchers reveal mechanisms that connect Mfn2 protein to endoplasmic reticulum stress

Each cell in an organism has a sensor that measures the health of its "internal" environment. This "alarm" is found in the endoplasmic reticulum, which is able to sense cellular stress and trigger either rescue responses or the death of the cell.

18 Sep 2013

Scientists isolate, grow stem cells from the pancreases of mice

Scientists have succeeded in growing stem cells that have the ability to develop into two different types of cells that make up a healthy pancreas. The research team led by Dr. Hans Clevers of the Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands, have isolated and grown stem cells from the pancreases of mice using a 3-D culture system previously developed by the scientists.

18 Sep 2013

microRNA-486 found to be potent tumor-suppressor molecule in lung cancer

New research shows that microRNA-486 is a potent tumor-suppressor molecule in lung cancer, and that the it helps regulate the proliferation and migration of lung-cancer cells, and the induction of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, in those cells.

17 Sep 2013

Researchers identify new link between meal times and daily changes in immune system

A new link between meal times and daily changes in the immune system has been identified by UC San Francisco researchers, and has led them to question assumptions about the roles of specific immune cells in infection and allergy.

17 Sep 2013

Vanderbilt examines ability of drug abatacept to prevent type 1 diabetes

Vanderbilt's Eskind Diabetes Clinic has been selected to examine the ability of the drug abatacept to prevent type 1 diabetes (T1D). As part of the TrialNet consortium, Vanderbilt will be one of 14 North American sites observing the effects of the drug in people at high risk to develop T1D.

17 Sep 2013

Researchers identify biomarker that can predict diabetes risk

Researchers at the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital have identified a biomarker that can predict diabetes risk up to 10 years before onset of the disease.

17 Sep 2013

Drug used in patients for cancer treatment has beneficial effects on diabetes

A pair of studies by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine has identified a molecular pathway - a series of interaction among proteins - involved in the development of diabetes. Furthermore, they have found that a drug already approved for use in humans can regulate the pathway.

16 Sep 2013

Novel DiaRem scoring system can predict diabetes remission after gastric bypass surgery

US Scientists have developed a simple scoring system (DiaRem), based on four readily available preoperative patient characteristics, that can predict which candidates for gastric bypass surgery are likely to achieve diabetes remission within 5 years.

13 Sep 2013

Diabetes Mellitus Incidence Cohort Registry study reveals mixture of diabetes phenotypes

The DiMelli (Diabetes Mellitus Incidence Cohort Registry) study examines the frequency and characteristics of diabetes phenotypes in children and young adults below the age of 20. The study was commissioned to investigate the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus, particularly in childhood and early adulthood. The project is funded by the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD).

13 Sep 2013

Pancreatic protein essential for maintaining functional state of beta cells

Researchers at the Pediatric Diabetes Research Center (PDRC) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that the pancreatic protein Nkx6.1 - a beta-cell enriched transcription factor - is essential to maintaining the functional state of beta cells.

13 Sep 2013

Hormonal disorder causes irregular periods among teenage girls

While irregular periods are common among teenage girls, an underlying hormonal disorder may be to blame if this problem persists.

12 Sep 2013

Research shows smoking and obesity together may pose triple health threat

Millions of people who are obese and smoke tobacco may face additional health problems — including their responses to common prescription medicines — that extend beyond the well-known links with cancer, heart attacks and stroke, according to a report presented here today.

12 Sep 2013

MicroBiome Therapeutics' NM504 eliminates diarrhea caused by metformin in type 2 diabetes patient

MicroBiome Therapeutics LLC, a biotechnology company developing pharmaceutical and medical food products that shift the human microbiome in specific ways for improved health, today reported publication of a case report suggesting a potentially important new application for its lead product, NM504. NM504 is in clinical development to promote healthy blood glucose levels and metabolic fitness in prediabetic and diabetic populations.

11 Sep 2013

New advances toward making molecular prosthetics a reality

The vision for a new branch of medicine, inspired by the ancient field that began with peg legs and hand hooks, commanded the spotlight in a major address by its pioneer here today at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

11 Sep 2013