Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Data from Infinity’s IPI-145 pre-clinical study on inflammatory diseases

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported preclinical data for IPI-145, the company's oral inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma. The data demonstrate potent PI3K-delta and -gamma inhibition in biochemical, cellular and whole blood assays and activity in multiple preclinical models of inflammatory disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

28 Jun 2012

Study suggests adverse role for BclI polymorphism in obesity and insulin resistance

A large study in people at risk of diabetes has found a direct association between the presence of a small genetic alteration in a hormone receptor and increased body fat and insulin resistance. The results, to be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, suggest an adverse role for a previously described genetic variant, the BclI polymorphism.

28 Jun 2012

Health Canada approves AutoGenomics’ INFINITI PGx testing system

AutoGenomics, a leader in providing automated, molecular microarray testing solutions, announced today that they have received their first Health Canada Medical Device Class III approvals for their automated INFINITI Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing system.

28 Jun 2012

$Chinese herbal preparation reduces fragility fractures$

Chinese herbal preparation reduces fragility fractures

Herbal Fufang – a multi-herbal preparation used in traditional Chinese medicine –increases bone mineral density and reduces fragility fractures in postmenopausal women, Chinese researchers report.

27 Jun 2012

Protein kinase A activated in the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm

Using a new tool allowing proteins in a living cell to be manipulated in real time, researchers at Johns Hopkins have stumbled across the answer to a longstanding debate about where and how a certain protein is turned on in the cell. Reporting in the February 2012 issue of Nature Chemical Biology, scientists show that protein kinase A is also activated in the nucleus rather than inside the cell’s body, a challenge to traditional beliefs.

27 Jun 2012

EU agenda focusses on lifesyle changes towards healthy diets and improved physical activity

A common Strategic Research Agenda of 22 countries in Europe focusses on lifesyle changes towards healthy diets and improved physical activity. Biomarker research, nutrigenomics, perzonalized food supplies and the prevention of chronic lifestyle related diseases are key-fields of the Joint Programming Inititative " A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life."

27 Jun 2012

Obese children show greater exposure to phthalates

Obese children show greater exposure than nonobese children to a phthalate, a chemical used to soften plastics in some children's toys and many household products, according to a new study, which found that the obesity risk increases according to the level of the chemical found in the bloodstream.

27 Jun 2012

Study investigates how glucose metabolism affects biochemical signals in cancer cells

Compared to normal cells, cancer cells have a prodigious appetite for glucose, the result of a shift in cell metabolism known as aerobic glycolysis or the "Warburg effect." Researchers focusing on this effect as a possible target for cancer therapies have examined how biochemical signals present in cancer cells regulate the altered metabolic state.

27 Jun 2012

Seahorse Bioscience launches XF Palmitate-BSA FAO Reagent for FAO assays

Seahorse Bioscience, the world leader in manufacturing instrumentation and assay kits for measuring cellular metabolism, has announced the launch of its newest product, the XF Palmitate-BSA FAO Reagent, eliminating the need for radioactivity in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) assays.

27 Jun 2012

Study shows how brain insulin resistance contributes to neurodegeneration in AD

Rhode Island Hospital researcher Suzanne de la Monte, M.D., has found a link between brain insulin resistance (diabetes) and two other key mediators of neuronal injury that help Alzheimer's disease (AD) to propagate.

27 Jun 2012

Vitamin D and calcium supplements could increase risk of kidney stones

Calcium and vitamin D supplements are associated with high calcium levels in the blood and urine, which could increase the risk of kidney stones, a new study finds. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

27 Jun 2012

Exercise-induced metabolic improvement not caused by just adipose change

The improvements in metabolic parameters that are achieved with increased physical activity are unlikely to be due to functional changes in adipose tissue alone, report researchers.

26 Jun 2012

Degludec reduces risk of nighttime low blood sugar in elderly diabetic adults

A new variety of long-lasting insulin, called insulin degludec, lowers the risk of nighttime low blood sugar in elderly diabetic adults compared with insulin glargine, a systematic review of diabetes studies has found.

26 Jun 2012

Reproductive hormone helps regulate food intake, energy metabolism without adverse effects

A reproductive hormone helps regulate food intake and energy metabolism without causing adverse effects, a new animal study finds. The results will be presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

26 Jun 2012

Older women with low levels of Vitamin D gain more weight

Older women with insufficient levels of Vitamin D gained more weight than those with sufficient levels of the vitamin, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published online today in the Journal of Women's Health.

26 Jun 2012

Intensive insulin may backfire in acute stroke

Intensive control of glucose levels in patients with hyperacute stroke may do more harm than good, results of the randomized INSULINFARCT trial suggest.

25 Jun 2012

New test can identify low-risk thyroid nodules and reduce unnecessary surgeries

A new test can be used to identify low-risk thyroid nodules, reducing unnecessary surgeries for people with thyroid nodules that have indeterminate results after biopsy. The results of the multi-center trial, which includes researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, appear online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

25 Jun 2012

Afirma gene expression test can reduce unnecessary thyroid cancer surgeries

Veracyte, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company that is pioneering the emerging field of molecular cytology, today announced results from a large, prospective, multicenter study, which demonstrated the potential for the Afirma® Gene Expression Classifier, a gene expression test, to reduce the large number of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid cancer diagnosis by more than half.

25 Jun 2012

Standard aspirin dose may not protect diabetics against blood clots

Many patients with type 2 diabetes may be aspirin resistant. That means the standard aspirin dose may not protect them against blood clots that cause heart attacks and strokes among diabetics, a new clinical study finds. The results will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

25 Jun 2012

Inexpensive exome sequencing can quickly detect heterogeneous diseases

The first report of the diagnostic use of the technique of exome sequencing, where short sequences of DNA are analysed, shows that it can give good results at low cost, a researcher from The Netherlands will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics.

25 Jun 2012