Obesity leads to altered energy metabolism and reduced insulin sensitivity of cells. The so-called “anti-obesity drugs” are increasingly used to treat obesity and have caused tremendous interest, especially in the USA. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Reseat reduced insulin sensitivity affects learning of sensory associations. A single dose of the anti-obesity drug […]
Scientists have found that an enzyme called Fumarate Hydratase is repressed in macrophages, a frontline inflammatory cell type implicated in a range of diseases including Lupus, Arthritis, Sepsis and COVID-19. Professor Luke O’Neill, says: “No-one has made a link from Fumarate Hydratase to inflammatory macrophages before and we feel that this process might be targetable […]
Scientists have discovered an additional potential cause of the genetic mutations that result in rare conditions such as Huntington’s disease (HD). The neurodegenerative diseases usually are inherited, given that the expansion of CAG repeats in a gene can be passed down the generations. Previously, it had been thought the damage in these genetic diseases was […]
A simple blood test may predict the risk of progressive heart and kidney disease in people with Type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation. “Treatment with canagliflozin, a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, lowered biomarker levels and reduced the risk of hospitalization […]
Pre-clinical trials by University of Queensland researchers have found an injection of a specific blood factor can replicate the benefits of exercise in the brain. Dr Odette Leiter and Dr Tara Walker from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute led a team which discovered platelets, the tiny blood cells critical for blood clotting, secrete a protein that […]
A deaf adult cannot recover the ability to hear, because the sensory hearing cells of the inner ear don’t regenerate after damage. In two new studies, scientists explain why this is the case and how we might be able to change it. “In the non-sensory supporting cells of the inner ear, key genes required for […]
Glioblastoma, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer, grows rapidly to invade and destroy healthy brain tissue. The tumor sends out cancerous tendrils into the brain that make surgical tumor removal extremely difficult or impossible. Now, scientists have found the immunotherapy treatment anti-CTLA-4 leads to considerably greater survival of mice with glioblastoma. Furthermore, […]
E-cigarettes and marijuana have similar harmful effects on the heart as tobacco cigarettes, opening the door to abnormal heart rhythms, reports a team of researchers at UC San Francisco. “We found that cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and marijuana greatly interfere with the electrical activity, structure, and neural regulation of the heart,” said lead author Huiliang Qiu, MD, […]
Over 20 years, a new research team examined people’s regular dietary intake, paying particular attention to non-nutritive sweeteners commonly found in artificial sweeteners. They found that long-term consumption of aspartame, saccharin and diet beverages were linked to increased fat stores in the abdomen and fat within muscle. “This study showed that habitual, long-term intake of […]
July 2023 was the hottest month on record, with cities like Phoenix experiencing record-breaking heat waves for weeks on end. A new study finds that ongoing extreme heat can worsen cognitive decline among vulnerable groups — particularly Black older adults and those living in poor neighborhoods. Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths […]