Mayo researchers collaborating with investigators at the University of Iowa, University of Connecticut and New York University (NYU) have discovered a molecular mechanism that controls energy expenditure in muscles and helps determine body weight. Researchers say this could lead to a new medical approach in treating obesity. The findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism. The energy-saving mechanism is controlled by ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the "energy currency" utilized by cells in the body. These particular channels can sense ATP pools and regulate heart and skeletal muscle performance accordingly.
Researchers have found that even a very little bit of the fat hormone leptin goes a long way when it comes to correcting diabetes. The hormone controls the activity of a gene known as IGFBP2 in the liver, which has antidiabetic effects in animals and could have similar therapeutic effect in humans, according to a report published by Cell Press in the January issue of Cell Metabolism. The new findings confirm what some at least had already suspected: that leptin's antidiabetic effects are independent of the hormone's well-known ability to reduce body weight. "It was surprising to me how potent leptin was in treating diabetes, " said Jeffrey Friedman of Rockefeller University.
Aneeve Nanotechnologies LLC has been selected to work in the UCLA on-campus Technology Incubator Program at the California NanoSystems Institute. The startup company will conduct early-stage research for the development of a novel hormone sensor/meter for biomedical applications in the areas of infertility and menopause. Aneeve has licensed related carbon nanotube technology from UCLA developed by Kang Wang, a UCLA professor of electrical engineering. The technology increases hormonal detection sensitivity significantly, allowing detection beyond traditional sensors. The company is using this technology to develop biomedical applications that are low in power consumption and small in size and that involve ultra-sensitive nanoelectronic technologies.
Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp. Announces Publication Of Results From Phase 2a Trial Of DR Cysteamine For Treatment Of Cystinosis
Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: RPTP), announced the publication of results from a Phase 2a clinical trial of a prototype formulation of its proprietary delayed-release cysteamine bitartrate ("DR Cysteamine") in patients with nephropathic cystinosis ("cystinosis"). The Phase 2a study demonstrated proof-of-concept for DR Cysteamine, which is Raptor's proprietary, delayed-release, enteric-coated microbead formulation of immediate release cysteamine bitartrate contained in a gelatin capsule. Immediate-release cysteamine bitartrate ("IR Cysteamine") is the current standard of care for treating cystinosis. The results indicated that when given twice daily, the prototype DR Cysteamine formulation was effective at maintaining low white blood cell ("WBC") cystine levels (<2 nmol half-cystine/mg protein) in subjects with cystinosis.
A leading clinical research center in Salt Lake City has joined an international trial program to test an experimental new drug designed to treat painful menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea, a condition that affects between 45 and 90 percent of women of childbearing age in the United States. Although not life threatening, dysmenorrhea can be debilitating and psychologically taxing and is one of the leading causes of absenteeism from work and school. Current therapies for the condition (including NSAIDs and 'off label' oral contraceptives) are not completely effective for all women and sometimes do not provide satisfactory relief of symptoms, particularly in women with more severe pain.
Low Growth Hormone Levels Linked To Memory Defects Later In Life Can Be Prevented With Early Growth Hormone Treatment
Scientists have shown that early growth hormone supplementation in rats with growth hormone deficiency can prevent defects in memory developing later in adulthood. The study, published in the Journal of Endocrinology is the first to show that memory defects in adults as a result of growth hormone deficiency arising in childhood can be prevented by growth hormone treatment during adolescence. Growth hormone levels start off low in early life, and peak just before puberty, after which they gradually decline with increasing age. Growth hormone deficiency can be present from birth, or arise during childhood or adulthood as a result of various disorders.