http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Abnormalities of mineral metabolism worsen with progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are linked with a higher risk for kidney failure among African Americans, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings suggest that measuring mineral metabolites may be a useful way to determine a CKD patient's prognosis, and targeting mineral metabolites may help slow progression of the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-problems-mineral-metabolism-linked-kidney.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:30:47 EST news274642241 A team of scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, led by its director, María Blasco, together with Jose M. Mato, the director of the Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences, has shown that the metabolic profile of an organism indicates its level of cellular aging and the general state of health in mice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-metabolic-biomarkers-molecular-medicine.html Medical research Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:10:03 EST news273841786 Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Center for Drug Design have developed a synthetic compound that, in a mouse model, successfully prevents the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-alzheimer-drug.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:04:19 EST news273773050 Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy and the major cause of death for both mother and child in Europe and the U.S. It affects about one in 20 pregnancies. The main symptoms are high blood pressure and protein in the urine. The cause of preeclampsia is still unclear. Dr. Florian Herse (Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) and the Charité), Dr. Ralf Dechend (ECRC and Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch) and their collaborators have now identified an enzyme that is overexpressed in affected women and thus apparently contributes to development of the condition. In animal experiments, the researchers inhibited this enzyme and were able to ameliorate the disease process. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-factor-high-blood-pressure-pregnancy.html Medical research Mon, 26 Nov 2012 09:37:06 EST news273145012 Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have identified metabolic signatures that may pave the way for personalized therapy in glioma, a type of tumor that starts in the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-metabolic-aggressive-brain-tumors.html Cancer Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:15:53 EST news271689336 Investigators at Washington University and The Scripps Research Institute have announced the launch of a "Global Metabolomic Initiative" to facilitate meta-analyses on studies of the metabolism of bacteria, yeast, plants, animals and people. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-global-metabolomic-scientists-uncharted-metabolome.html Other Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:37:28 EST news271496229 Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have used bioengineered mice with livers composed largely of human cells to characterize a drug about to enter early-stage clinical development for combating hepatitis C. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-mice-humanized-livers-early-drug.html Medical research Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:13:36 EST news270926006 Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with emotions, movement, and the brain's pleasure and reward system. In the current issue of Advances in Neuroimmune Biology, investigators provide a broad overview of the direct and indirect role of dopamine in modulating the immune system and discuss how recent research has opened up new possibilities for treating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis or even the autoimmune disorders. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-role-dopamine-immune.html Immunology Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:30:26 EST news269177418 A research team led by Anna Floegel of the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) and Tobias Pischon of the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) has identified 14 novel biomarkers for type 2 diabetes. They can serve as basis for developing new methods of treatment and prevention of this metabolic disease. The biomarkers can also be used to determine diabetes risk at a very early point in time. At the same time the markers enable insight into the complex mechanisms of this disease, which still have not been completely elucidated. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-team-biomarkers-diabetes.html Diabetes Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:00:01 EST news268571259 The way the body metabolizes a commonly prescribed anti-retroviral drug that is used long term by patients infected with HIV may contribute to cognitive impairment by damaging nerve cells, a new Johns Hopkins research suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-popular-hiv-drug-memory-declines.html HIV & AIDS Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:11:39 EST news267963091 For almost a century, researchers have known that cancer cells have peculiar appetites, devouring glucose in ways that normal cells do not. But glucose uptake may tell only part of cancer's metabolic story. Researchers from the Broad Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital looked across 60 well-studied cancer cell lines, analyzing which of more than 200 metabolites were consumed or released by the fastest dividing cells. Their research yields the first large-scale atlas of cancer metabolism and points to a key role for the smallest amino acid, glycine, in cancer cell proliferation. Their results appear in the May 25 issue of the journal Science. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-amino-acid-consumption-fast-cancer.html Cancer Thu, 24 May 2012 15:26:18 EST news257091961 Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children normalizes disturbances in the neuronal network responsible for attention and executive function, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-treatment-childhood-obstructive-apnea-reverses.html Sleep apnea Sun, 20 May 2012 13:31:15 EST news256739462 (HealthDay) -- Twenty metabolites, including amino acids, intermediates in glucose synthesis, ketone bodies, and fatty acids, are associated with insulin resistance, according to a study published online April 17 in Diabetes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-metabolites-linked-insulin-resistance-normoglycemia.html Diabetes Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:30:49 EST news254421042 A new blood test is twice as sensitive and can detect breast cancer recurrence a full year earlier than current blood tests, according to a scientist who reported here today at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-more-sensitive-blood-recurring-breast-cancer.html Cancer Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:30:01 EST news252151882 By analyzing the hundreds of metabolic products present in the liver, researchers with the UC Irvine Center for Epigenetics & Metabolism have discovered that circadian rhythms – our own body clock – greatly control the production of such key building blocks as amino acids, carbohydrates and lipids. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-circadian-rhythms-profound-metabolic-output.html Medical research Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:01:31 EST news251395271 Geneticist Michael Snyder, PhD, has almost no privacy. For more than two years, he and his lab members at the Stanford University School of Medicine pored over his body's most intimate secrets: the sequence of his DNA, the RNA and proteins produced by his cells, the metabolites and signaling molecules wafting through his blood. They spied on his immune system as it battled viral infections. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-first-ever-omics-profile-scientist-track.html Genetics Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:00:06 EST news251031494 By engineering cells to express a modified RNA called "Spinach," researchers have imaged small-molecule metabolites in living cells and observed how their levels change over time. Metabolites are the products of individual cell metabolism. The ability to measure their rate of production could be used to recognize a cell gone metabolically awry, as in cancer, or identify the drug that can restore the cell's metabolites to normal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-powerful-tool-metabolites-cells.html Medical research Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:00:11 EST news250437225 One way to tackle a tumor is to take aim at the metabolic reactions that fuel their growth. But a report in the February Cell Metabolism shows that one metabolism-targeted cancer therapy will not fit all. That means that metabolic profiling will be essential for defining each cancer and choosing the best treatment accordingly, the researchers say. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-metabolic-profiles-essential-personalizing-cancer.html Cancer Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:10:01 EST news247841927 In a study to the genetic variance of human metabolism, researchers have identified thirty one regions of the genome that were associated with levels of circulating metabolites, i.e., small molecules that take part in various chemical reactions of human body. Many of the studied metabolites are biomarkers for cardiovascular disease or related disorders, thus the loci uncovered may provide valuable insight into the biological processes leading to common diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-genetic-metabolomic-biomarkers-paths.html Diabetes Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:00:14 EST news247034984 Observational epidemiologic studies relating wine and alcohol to health all suffer from the fact that they, of necessity, compare people who prefer certain beverages, but not the beverages themselves. While there have been many intervention trials in animals, randomized trials in humans are less common. Randomized crossover trials, in which each subject receives all interventions in sequence, can be especially important as they tend to avoid baseline differences among subjects and can detect effects of different interventions with smaller numbers of subjects. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-alcohol-polyphenols-red-wine-decreases.html Cardiology Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:19:06 EST news246016974 Older people with low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood may be more likely to lose brain cells and develop problems with their thinking skills, according to a study published in the September 27, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Foods that come from animals, including fish, meat, especially liver, milk, eggs and poultry, are usually sources of vitamin B12. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-vitamin-b12-brain-shrinkage-cognitive.html Neuroscience Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:00:04 EST news236267527 A newly published study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health heightens concerns over the potential health effects on children of a group of ubiquitous chemicals known as phthalates. Phthalates are a class of chemicals that are known to disrupt the endocrine system, and are widely used in consumer products ranging from plastic toys, to household building materials, to shampoos. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-prenatal-exposure-phthalates-linked-decreased.html Health Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:15:49 EST news234497728 Researchers have undertaken the most comprehensive investigation of genetic variance in human metabolism and discovered new insights into a range of common diseases. Their work has revealed 37 new variants that are associated with concentrations of metabolites in the blood. Many of these match variants associated with diseases such as chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes and blood clotting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-biochemical-discoveries-disease.html Genetics Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:16:40 EST news234015385 Soy has recently been reviewed and supported for introduction into general medical practice as a treatment for distressing vasomotor symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, but its use in other medical areas, such as heart health, requires further research, according to a new report reviewing the risks and benefits of soy protein, isoflavones and metabolites in menopausal health from The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)/Wulf H. Utian Translational Science Symposium, published in the July Menopause, the peer-reviewed NAMS journal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-role-soy-menopausal-health.html Other Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:33:35 EST news233922786 A brain imaging scan identifies biochemical changes in the brains of normal people who might be at risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to research published in the August 24, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-chemical-brains-people-alzheimer-disease.html Neuroscience Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:47:01 EST news233423113 Analyses of the metabolic profile of blood serum have revealed significant differences in metabolites between men and women. In a study to be published on August 11 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have concluded that there is a need for gender-specific therapies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-metabolomics-basis-gender-specific-drugs.html Genetics Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:00:01 EST news232302690 Excess nutrients, such as fat and sugar, don't just pack on the pounds but can push some cells in the body over the brink. Unable to tolerate this "toxic" environment, these cells commit suicide. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-culprits-cell-death-fat-sugar.html Medical research Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:27:26 EST news229087626 Smoke from cigarettes can affect nearly every organ in the body by promoting cell damage and causing inflammation, but no one has understood which smoker is or is not susceptible to disease development. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-methods-cigarette-affects-smokers.html Cancer Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:24:58 EST news221300687