Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Cardiotrophin 1 has marked effect on fat and glucose metabolism

Scientists from the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) of the University of Navarra (Spain) have discovered that cardiotrophin 1, a protein synthesized by muscle cells and adipose tissue, has a marked effect on fat and glucose metabolism.

13 Sep 2011

Researchers identify glucokinase triggers beta cell regeneration in pancreas

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have identified the key signal that prompts production of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas -- a breakthrough discovery that may ultimately help researchers find ways to restore or increase beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes.

12 Sep 2011

Roche initiates Phase 1 clinical trial of investigational drug for Down syndrome

Roche today announced the initiation of its first Phase 1 clinical trial to investigate the safety and tolerability of a molecule designed to address the cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with Down syndrome.

12 Sep 2011

Autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells

Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have discovered that an ancient pathway called autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells.

9 Sep 2011

Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee recommends FDA approval of J&JPRD's rivaroxaban

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee recommended approval of rivaroxaban, a novel, once-daily, oral anticoagulant, for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

9 Sep 2011

UOHI team identifies that autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells

Researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) have discovered that an ancient pathway called autophagy also mobilizes and exports cholesterol from cells.

9 Sep 2011

ATA announces five recipients of 2011 thyroid cancer research grants

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) announced the five recipients of its 2011 research grants, each of whom will receive up to $25,000 annually for up to two years. Three of the five recipients were awarded special ATA ThyCa grants for research projects that focus on thyroid cancer. These grants are funded by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors, Inc.

8 Sep 2011

Cyclic proteins transport drugs faster

Biologists at the Technische Universität Darmstadt have discovered means for speeding the transport of the active ingredients of drugs into live cells that might allow drastically reducing drug dosages in the future.

8 Sep 2011

Inhibition of Sab protein protects liver from acetaminophen toxicity

New research from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) may help prevent damage to the liver caused by drugs like acetaminophen and other stressors.

8 Sep 2011

Social engagement transforms white fat into energy-burning brown fat

When mice are given a more engaging place to live with greater opportunities for social stimulation, some of their energy-storing white fat is transformed to energy-burning brown fat. As a result, the animals expend more energy and lose weight even as they eat more. The findings reported in the September Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, point to the powerful effect that animals' social and physical environments can have on their metabolisms.

8 Sep 2011

Researchers rethink fenretinide for prevention of oral cancer

Scientists on the cutting edge of biomedical research know that research is a process - a combination of successes and failures that inform the next step forward. However, for some researchers at The Ohio State University progress means taking a step back. Supported by the Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), these scientists are using failed and forgotten research to uncover future treatments for major health conditions as diverse as oral cancer and stroke.

7 Sep 2011

Individuals with excess BMI more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

Obesity is a known risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. But it hasn't been clear whether the "dose" of obesity—how much excess weight a person has, and for how long—affects the risk of diabetes.

7 Sep 2011

Researchers discover new genetic defect that can lead to Leigh syndrome

In Leigh syndrome, infants are born apparently healthy only to develop movement and breathing disorders that worsen over time, often leading to death by the age of 3. The problem is that the mitochondria responsible for powering their cells can't keep up with the demand for energy in their developing brains.

7 Sep 2011

Scientists uncover new ways to stimulate pancreatic beta cell growth

One of the holy grails in diabetes research is to discover molecules that stimulate beta cell growth and to find drugs that target these molecules. Now, JDRF-funded researchers in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche, have done both, discovering not only a protein that regulates beta cell growth, but also a chemical compound that stimulates it.

7 Sep 2011

Diabetes prevention in five steps: Study

According to a new study meeting just one of five key health goals reduces the odds of developing diabetes in middle age by roughly one-third. The report adds that the more goals are met the lower the risk falls, even if there is a family history of diabetes.

6 Sep 2011

Discovery of a key protein’s role in cell clearance could impact future treatments of autoimmune diseases, obesity and atherosclerosis

The healthy human body is extremely efficient at cleaning house. Every day, we purge 100 to 200 billion dead or dying cells – a process called cell clearance, which is fundamental in our ability to maintain a healthy physiological balance and prevent a number of chronic diseases. Professional cleaning cells, called phagocytes, are responsible for ridding the body of dead, or ‘apoptotic,’ cells.

6 Sep 2011

NOXXON to commence NOX-H94 Phase I trial in anemia of chronic disease

NOXXON Pharma today announced the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial for NOX-H94, the Company's third compound to enter the clinic. NOX-H94 is a Spiegelmer designed to treat anemia of chronic disease by targeting the peptide hormone hepcidin, the key regulator of iron metabolism.

6 Sep 2011

McMaster team demonstrates essential role of AMPK enzyme in exercise

You may think your lack of resolve to get off the couch to exercise is because you're lazy, but McMaster University researchers have discovered it may be you are missing key genes.

6 Sep 2011

Inhibiting the ability of immune cells to use fatty acids slows MS progression

In a paper published today in the journal Scientific Reports, a pair of researchers at the University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences report that inhibiting the ability of immune cells to use fatty acids as fuel measurably slows disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

3 Sep 2011

Scientists identify several links between genetic variants and specific metabolic changes

Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich and LMU Munich, in cooperation with Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and King's College London (KCL), have identified several associations between genetic variants and specific metabolic changes.

3 Sep 2011