Calcium News and Research

RSS

Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found in some foods, added to others, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines (such as antacids). Calcium is required for muscle contraction, blood vessel expansion and contraction, secretion of hormones and enzymes, and transmitting impulses throughout the nervous system. The body strives to maintain constant concentrations of calcium in blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids, though less than <1% of total body calcium is needed to support these functions.

The remaining 99% of the body's calcium supply is stored in the bones and teeth where it supports their structure. Bone itself undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption and deposition of calcium into new bone. The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes with age. Bone formation exceeds resorption in growing children, whereas in early and middle adulthood both processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds formation, resulting in bone loss that increases the risk of osteoporosis over time.

U-M researchers target a protein channel in the cell’s lysosome to selectively kill cancer cells

Cancer treatments necessarily target unchecked cell growth, and selectively kill cancer cells while sparing normal cells and avoiding general toxicity in the human body.

20 Oct 2021

Neuroscientists discover specific brain circuit that triggers cocaine relapse in mice

Relapse is a common feature of addiction recovery – two in three patients treated for substance use disorder in the United States relapse within 12 months, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

18 Oct 2021

Researchers explore how opioids may have become so widely abused

Researchers may have uncovered new answers on how to create safer opioids. Design a new opioid to bypass the part of brain that feels pleasure, but retain the analgesic properties, which make opioids one of the most effective pain relievers.

15 Oct 2021

Study reveals unique molecular mechanisms of stomach’s acid pump

Nagoya University researchers and colleagues have improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of a key protein that makes the stomach acidic. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, could lead to better drugs for stomach ulcers and shed light on the functions of similar proteins across the human body.

15 Oct 2021

Researchers find how iron deficient plants protect themselves from damaging light

Researchers have identified how iron deficient plants protect themselves from damaging light, according to a Dartmouth study.

13 Oct 2021

Drug developed at Duke is approved by FDA as only therapy for congenital athymia

The phone rang into the pediatric unit that Louise Markert, M.D., Ph.D., was staffing as a junior faculty member in 1991. Had she not answered, there would have been little hope for the more than one hundred patients who were subsequently treated.

11 Oct 2021

Study explores ways to reduce sodium in bread without sacrificing taste and leavening ability

Most people in the U.S. consume too much salt; adult Americans typically eat twice the daily amount recommended by dietary guidelines.

29 Sep 2021

Review describes nutritional imbalances in adults with celiac disease following a gluten-free diet

A review by the GLUTEN3S research group at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country describes the nutritional imbalances found in adults suffering from celiac disease who follow a gluten-free diet. The keys to avoiding possible problems among these patients are proper monitoring and good nutritional education, to ensure a diet that is not only gluten-free but well-balanced also.

27 Sep 2021

Researchers use new laser-assisted technology for bioprinting adult neuron cells

A group of researchers including a Concordia PhD student have developed a new method of bioprinting adult neuron cells. They're using a new laser-assisted technology that maintains high levels of cell viability and functionality.

22 Sep 2021

MMRI explores overlapping cardiac conditions as result of electrocution

It's not uncommon for people to live normal, healthy lives without knowledge of any underlying genetic conditions. However, all it takes is one external impact, such as a heart attack, to induce the expression of the condition.

22 Sep 2021

Physical activity may hasten plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, finds research

Physical activity may paradoxically hasten the build-up of calcium deposits (plaque) in the coronary arteries, the amount of which is used to assess future cardiovascular disease risk, finds research published online in the journal Heart.

21 Sep 2021

Enclosing radiation-loaded particles for targeted treatment of cancer cells

Being able to deliver drugs directly to diseased cells would improve options for treating diseases. Some radioactive isotopes are already approved to target cancers.

20 Sep 2021

Atherosclerosis found in more than 40% of adults in Sweden without known heart disease

More than 40% of adults ages 50 to 64 years in Sweden without known heart disease were found to have some degree of atherosclerosis, according to a new study published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

20 Sep 2021

Fountain of youth for the epigenome could become important in the treatment of osteoporosis

As we age, our bones become thinner, we suffer fractures more often, and bone-diseases such as osteoporosis are more likely to occur. One responsible mechanism involves the impaired function of the bone-marrow stem cells, which are required for the maintenance of bone integrity.

15 Sep 2021

Researchers focus on improving biomaterials used for bone and tissue repair

Bone injuries in the face and skull-;known as craniomaxillofacial defects-;can be caused by sports injuries, vehicle accidents, or battlefield injuries.

14 Sep 2021

SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides play distinct roles according to neutron scattering

A new study determines the physical and thermodynamic events associated with the interactions that lead to the fusion between SARS-CoV-2 and the host.

5 Sep 2021

FDA grants seven years of marketing exclusivity for Octapharma’s Octagam 10%

Octapharma USA today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has awarded seven years of marketing exclusivity for Octagam® 10% [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)], the first and only intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) to be indicated for the treatment of adult dermatomyositis (DM).

31 Aug 2021

Calcium News and Research

Further Reading