Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Changes in gut bacteria strongly associated with PCOS-related obesity

Modifying gut bacteria could be a treatment option for some of the symptoms associated with the widespread disease polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a recent study by San Diego State University researchers in collaboration with investigators from the University of California, San Diego.

8 Mar 2016

Healthy aging brings unexpected benefits to pancreatic beta cell function, insulin production

New research shows that a cellular program that causes aging can also bring unexpected benefits in the function of pancreatic beta cells and the production of insulin in mice and humans.

8 Mar 2016

Novel mechanism identified to protect the brain from many neurodegenerative conditions

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified a novel mechanism that could be used to protect the brain from damage due to stroke and a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, including sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

8 Mar 2016

Research findings offer new way to look at cancer cell metabolism

Cancer cells are notorious for their ability to divide uncontrollably and generate hordes of new tumor cells. Most of the fuel consumed by these rapidly proliferating cells is glucose, a type of sugar.

8 Mar 2016

P53 genetic variant heavily implicated in metabolism, new research finds

The study may also provide an evolutionary explanation for differences in populations living farther away from the Equator. Human ancestors may have undergone this change in R72 to promote energy storage in cold climates and during times of famine. However, in modern society, the need for this type of variant in our genes is unnecessary, leading instead to increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obesity is also a risk factor for certain types of cancer, so these findings may also explain why the R72 variant of p53 might predispose certain people to cancer.

4 Mar 2016

Inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uptake specifically toxic to cancer cells

Inhibiting the transfer of calcium ions into the cell's powerhouse is specifically toxic to cancer cells, according to an article published this week in Cell Reports by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

4 Mar 2016

Study provides critical insight into Warburg effect

PGK1, a glycolytic enzyme, has been found to play a role in coordinating cellular processes crucial to cancer metabolism and brain tumor formation, according to results published in today's online issue of Molecular Cell. The findings may lay the groundwork for improved approaches to diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma and other cancers.

4 Mar 2016

Researchers aim to develop gentler treatment that 'tricks' cancer cells

The most common treatments for cancer are radiation and chemotherapy. However they have side effects and also damage healthy tissues. Moreover, their effectiveness is limited when the cancer has spread through out the body. Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute are therefore working to develop a gentler treatment that 'tricks' the cancer cells, which would absorb a cytotoxin and therefore be destroyed, while healthy cells would remain unaffected. The results are published in the scientific journal, Scientific Reports.

2 Mar 2016

Inhibitors that activate brown fat may help treat diabetes, metabolic disorders

In recent decades, obesity has become a global problem. The disease goes hand in hand with a dramatic increase in the proportion of body fat. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research and the Cologne Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases at the University of Cologne have now succeeded in inhibiting a protein in mice that hampers activation of the useful "brown fat" in obese mice. When treated with inhibitors against this protein, obese mice exhibited a notable improvement of their glucose metabolism.

2 Mar 2016

Stemina developing new screening method to diagnose autism

A University of Wisconsin-Madison spinoff is screening blood samples in an effort to develop a biologically based method to diagnose autism.

2 Mar 2016

Surprising bone health findings in women with restless legs syndrome

Contrary to the researchers' expectations, a study shows that women with restless legs syndrome have increased bone mineral density in some sites.

2 Mar 2016

UAB researchers focus on five key areas to improve care of CVD patients

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year — that's one in every four deaths. The impact of cardiovascular diseases is quite large.

28 Feb 2016

Researchers explore genetically-tailored diets

Genes are the latest trend in nutrition, at least going by the burgeoning legion of Internet companies offering diets tailored to our genetic make-up. These services are relatively affordable and simple to use.

27 Feb 2016

Novel mitochondria-specific ceria nanoparticles can effectively suppress neuronal cell death

The brain is an enormous network of communication, containing over 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, with branches that connect at more than 100 trillion points. They are constantly sending signals through a vast neuron forest that forms memories, thoughts and feelings; these patterns of activity form the essence of each person.

27 Feb 2016

Rockefeller research reveals vital new component of system responsible for regulating food intake

The molecular intricacies of hunger and satiety, pivotal for understanding metabolic disorders and the problem of obesity, are not yet fully understood by scientists. However, new research from The Rockefeller University reveals an important new component of the system responsible for regulating food intake: a hormone called amylin, which acts in the brain to help control consumption.

27 Feb 2016

New imaging study shows how exercise affects the brain

People who exercise have better mental fitness, and a new imaging study from UC Davis Health System shows why. Intense exercise increases levels of two common neurotransmitters -- glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA -- that are responsible for chemical messaging within the brain.

27 Feb 2016

Low-sodium intake has little impact on bone health in postmenopausal women

A low-salt diet does not necessarily translate to stronger bones in postmenopausal women, physician-scientists report.

26 Feb 2016

Researchers map cellular pathway that may lead to treatments for obesity, diabetes

Control over obesity and diabetes may be one step closer thanks to a Hiroshima University study in fat tissue.

26 Feb 2016

Over-expression of heme oxygenase-1 enzyme protects the heart from doxorubicin damage

Life-threatening heart damage is an adverse side effect of the cancer drug doxorubicin, damage that also limits the use of newer chemotherapeutic agents such as trastuzumab and imatinib. The ability to protect the heart from these side effects would benefit patients, including cancer survivors who are at risk of developing heart damage years later, and it also could allow safer use of these drugs at higher doses.

26 Feb 2016

New study allows researchers to see how insulin in islets responds to sugar

"Scientists and doctors have wanted to know how much insulin a person has in their body, but haven't been able to know the exact amount without the patient being deceased and actually removing the pancreas," says Peter Arvan, division chief of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes at the University of Michigan.

25 Feb 2016