Calcium News and Research

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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.

Researchers discover molecule that plays an important role in sperm motility regulation

About 120 million unintended pregnancies occurred each year between 2015 and 2019 worldwide. While there are oral contraceptives for women, the development of oral contraceptives for men has not been successful.

24 Aug 2021

Study suggests a novel therapeutic target to reverse lung fibrosis

Researchers have reversed lung fibrosis in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, as reported in a study published in the journal Cell Death and Differentiation.

24 Aug 2021

Scientists develop a scalable method to harvest exosomes from unpasteurized cow's milk

Exosomes are nano-sized biological capsules that cells produce to protect and courier delicate molecules throughout the body.

23 Aug 2021

Analysis of seadragon genome offers new insights into its phenotype and sex-determination locus

A study by Prof. LIN Qiang from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and his collaborators from Singapore and Germany lifts the veil on seadragons' mysterious looks, and sheds light on a sex-determination locus shared by seadragons and alligator pipefish, both members of the Syngnathidae family.

22 Aug 2021

Antihypertensives may improve survival for patients with colorectal cancer

Common blood-pressure drugs may improve survival for patients with colorectal cancer, a new study suggests.

19 Aug 2021

Researchers create the first 3D-bioprinted model of active glioblastoma tumor

A scientific achievement for researchers at Tel Aviv University: printing an entire active and viable glioblastoma tumor using a 3D printer.

18 Aug 2021

HORIBA to showcase novel POCKIT Central PCR analyser at BEVA and Vets North

HORIBA UK Limited will be showcasing its new benchtop POCKIT™ Central* in-house veterinary PCR analyser on Stand C3 at the BEVA Congress.

From HORIBA Medical 17 Aug 2021

FDA approves a new indication for chronic sleep disorder treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new indication for Xywav for idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) in adults.

12 Aug 2021

Simplified glycan modeling of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Gecht et al. (August 4th, 2021), a new method of representing glycan conformers on static protein structures is explored, named GlycoSHIELD.

6 Aug 2021

Study provides new understanding on function of mitofusin 2 in cellular energy metabolism

Mitofusin 2 is a key protein in the regulation of the physiology of mitochondria ─cellular organelles that produce energy─ involved in several neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, as well as in cancer.

30 Jul 2021

Healthy eating during pregnancy is fundamental for mother and child

Healthy and balanced nutrition during pregnancy and early infancy is important for mother and child. However, despite some recent progress in Europe, there is still a long way to achieve the nutrition targets set by the WHO to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition.

29 Jul 2021

Two types of blood pressure drugs provide equal benefits, but side effects differ

People who are just beginning treatment for high blood pressure can benefit equally from two different classes of medicine - angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) - yet ARBs may be less likely to cause medication side effects, according to an analysis of real-world data published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

26 Jul 2021

Activation of integrins by SARS-CoV-2 may be key to infection

A new study describes the key role of membrane proteins called integrins, which are present in epithelia, in the entry and propagation of SARS-CoV-2.

25 Jul 2021

Gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in glaucoma mouse models

A form of gene therapy protects optic nerve cells and preserves vision in mouse models of glaucoma, according to research supported by NIH's National Eye Institute.

23 Jul 2021

Freiburg surgeons develop new treatment method to improve survival after cardiac arrest

Around 50,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest in Germany every year. When occurring outside a hospital, the chances of survival are only ten percent. Survivors often suffer from severe permanent neurological damage.

23 Jul 2021

Study reveals calcium's role in directing blood flow in the brain

Unlike the rest of the body, there is not enough real estate in the brain for stored energy. Instead, the brain relies on the hundreds of miles of blood vessels within it to supply fresh energy via the blood. Yet, how the brain expresses a need for more energy during increased activity and then directs its blood supply to specific hot spots was, until now, poorly understood.

22 Jul 2021

New substance derived from Saussurea controversa exhibits osteoprotective properties

Metabolic bone diseases, including osteoporosis, when bones lose their mass and become so fragile that they could be damaged while sneezing or under little stress, are called the silent epidemic of the 21st century.

20 Jul 2021

Targeting Piezo1 protein may be a new and ideal strategy to cure multiple sclerosis

In a new University of California, Irvine-led study, researchers found that a certain protein prevented regulatory T cells (Tregs) from effectively doing their job in controlling the damaging effects of inflammation in a model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a devastating autoimmune disease of the nervous system.

20 Jul 2021

Excess caffeine intake may be linked to increased risk of osteoporosis

University of South Australia researchers have a bone to pick when it comes to drinking too much coffee as new research finds that excess caffeine may be linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis.

16 Jul 2021

Specialized protein appears to regulate key step in cancer metastasis

Researchers have identified a specialized protein that appears to help prevent tumor cells from entering the bloodstream and spreading to other parts of the body.

12 Jul 2021