Metabolism News and Research

Latest Metabolism News and Research

Blocking parasites' communication reduces infection

One of the most common human parasites, Toxoplasma gondii, uses a hormone lifted from the plant world to decide when to increase its numbers and when to remain dormant, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

10 Jan 2008

New insight into factors that drive muscle-building stem cells

A report in the January issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press, provides new evidence explaining how stem cells known as satellite cells contribute to building muscles up in response to exercise.

9 Jan 2008

Taranabant shows promise for weight loss in obese people

The first clinical studies of an experimental drug have revealed that obese people who take it for 12 weeks lose weight, even at very low doses.

9 Jan 2008

Vitamin D deficiency linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease

The same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones now has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

8 Jan 2008

New understanding of cell's inner workings

A group of scientists in Princeton's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology has uncovered a new biological mechanism that could provide a clearer window into a cell's inner workings.

7 Jan 2008

Breakthrough for organ transplants and cardiovascular diseases

When a blood vessel clogs up, a localized deficiency of oxygen results, causing the surrounding tissue to die.

7 Jan 2008

Researchers overcome oxygen deficiency

No life without oxygen - but oxygen can also be harmful Oxygen is necessary to life.

7 Jan 2008

Pregnant women who are overweight/obese set the stage for offspring's obesity risk

The number of overweight and obese Americans continues to grow rapidly. Today, 50 percent of adults are overweight and up to 20 percent are obese. While the number of overweight/obese children is at an all time high, the steady increase of overweight infants -- individuals under 11 months old -- is alarming.

4 Jan 2008

Peptide hormone found in the body prevents obesity and diabetes

A new study finds that a chemical found in the body is capable of promoting weight loss, improving insulin resistance and reversing diabetes in an animal model.

4 Jan 2008

Gene therapy can reduce long-term drinking among rodents

Just as the risk of developing alcoholism is strongly influenced by genetic factors, mutations in gene coding - such as the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2*2) allele - also appear to protect against the risk.

4 Jan 2008

Vitamin D2 is as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that vitamin D2 is equally as effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.

3 Jan 2008

Deep sleep maintains normal glucose control

Suppression of slow-wave sleep in healthy young adults significantly decreases their ability to regulate blood-sugar levels and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, report researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center in the "Early Edition" of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, available online as soon as Dec. 31, 2007.

2 Jan 2008

Diabetes linked to poor sleep quality

According to new research from the U.S. having a good night's sleep has important health ramifications.

2 Jan 2008

Vitamin B-12 function may be diminished by excessive folate

In a study of adults aged 20 and over, researchers at Tufts University showed that homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are at much higher levels in individuals who have a combination of vitamin B12 deficiency and high blood folate levels than in individuals who are also vitamin B12 deficient but have normal folate levels.

20 Dec 2007

Genetic link to spina bifida discovered

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston have discovered an association between genes regulating glucose metabolism and spina bifida.

20 Dec 2007

Hardening of the arteries - mutant gene identified as culprit

A genetic mutation expands lesions in the aorta and promotes coronary atherosclerosis, more commonly known as hardening of the arteries, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine in Cell Metabolism.

20 Dec 2007

Agent orange chemical, dioxin, attacks the mitochondria to cause cancer

Researchers with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have demonstrated the process by which the cancer-causing chemical dioxin attacks the cellular machinery, disrupts normal cellular function and ultimately promotes tumor progression.

18 Dec 2007