Latest Endocrinology News From Medical News Today.

Total news: 195
Last news: May 2, 2008 07:00:00

Therapies under development to treat prostate cancer by inhibiting the ability of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) to activate its target receptor could have unexpected results, especially if a major tumor suppressor gene -- p53 -- is already compromised, according to new research by investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. - [Read more]

A common component of the contraceptive pill (progesterone) could improve the neurologic outcome for patients with severe head injuries, according to a study published in BioMed Centrals open access journal Critical Care.Traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as that caused by traffic accidents, falls and sporting injuries, is a major cause of death and disability. - [Read more]

New research will highlight the "missing link" between the insulin resistance (metabolic) syndrome and cardiovascular disease at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 17th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress, on Thursday, May 15, 2008, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando."Insulin resistant patients face a constellation of cardiovascular risk factors without diabetes ever being present," AACE Member and the sessions speaker Ralph A. - [Read more]

A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth. They found that, in contrast to most adult stem cells, these cells are distinct from those that fuel the initial growth of this important organ. - [Read more]

Two genes that help insulin regulate mosquitoes growth have been identified as key contributors to how the insects enter a dormant state to survive winters cold.The research finding broadens the understanding of the mosquito life cycle and appears to shed some light on how other insects and invertebrate species weather the winter months.The shorter days of autumn trigger certain species of mosquitoes into - [Read more]

Age at menopause may now be predicted more realistically according to a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The study revealed that anti Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels are related to the onset of menopause and are able to specify a womans reproductive age more accurately than chronological age alone.The levels of AMH in the blood reflect the number of small follicles present in a womans ovaries. - [Read more]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new once-a-month dose (150 mg) of Actonel(R) (risedronate sodium) tablets for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Actonel is approved to reduce the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The FDA approval of the once-a-month dose is based on a study comparing Actonel 150 mg once monthly to Actonel 5 mg daily. - [Read more]

Randox Laboratories produces Thyroid Array biochips to simultaneously test for three thyroid hormones in a single sample. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is released by the pituitary gland in the brain. Thyroxine (FT4 or TT4) and tri-iodothyronine (FT3 or TT3) are hormones produced by the thyroid gland. TSH is performed as the initial screening test and all three hormones are essential in the diagnosis of thyroid disease. - [Read more]

What do bioidentical hormones and Mothers Day have in common? The official kick-off for the ninth annual National Womens Health Week (May 11-17). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Womens Health, is asking "women across the country to get healthy by taking action." This includes checking hormonal balance and symptoms associated with menopause, adrenal fatigue and perimenopause. - [Read more]

Boys are twice as likely as girls in the U.S. and Asia (mostly Japan) to receive recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) for growth hormone deficiency, illnesses that affect height, and short stature of a non-medical nature. A smaller gender difference exists in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, but in the rest of the world short boys and girls are treated at the same rate. This indicates a likely cultural bias for male height in some countries. - [Read more]

The extra fat we carry around our middle could be making us hungrier, so we eat more, which in turn leads to even more belly fat. Dr. Kaiping Yang and his colleagues at the Lawson Health Research Institute affiliated with The University of Western Ontario found abdominal fat tissue can reproduce a hormone that stimulates fat cell production. The researchers hope this discovery will change in the way we think about and treat abdominal obesity. - [Read more]

Compared to placebo treatment, taking 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) can reduce a mans risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer from around 5-9% to around 4-6% during up to 7 years of treatment, according to a new Cochrane Review. However, those who are diagnosed with prostate cancer may be at a slightly increased risk of having a more dangerous (high grade) tumour. - [Read more]

Summary: Genmab has announced that HuMax-EGFr (zalutumumab) inhibits epidermal growth factor receptor signaling by locking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) molecules into a very compact, inactive conformation. The flexibility of the EGFr is central to its role in signaling, and binding of HuMax-EGFr (zalutumumab) results in effective inhibition of cancer cell growth. - [Read more]

Medarex, Inc. (Nasdaq: MEDX) announced interim results from two ongoing Phase 1 trials in hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) demonstrating dose-dependent T-cell activation and clinical activity of ipilimumab, an investigational anti-CTLA-4 antibody. - [Read more]

When City traders have high morning testosterone levels they make more than average profits for the rest of that day, researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered.The scientists hypothesize that this may be because testosterone has been found to increase confidence and appetite for risk - qualities that would augment the performance of any trader who had a positive expected return. - [Read more]

Bionovo, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNVI) will present seminal information on a new drug candidate for the treatment of vaginal dryness at the 7th Annual Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals & American Society of Pharmacognosy 4th Interim Meeting, April 12-16, 2008. Scott Baggett, Ph.D. - [Read more]

New research monitoring the effects of Islet cell transplantation resulted in near-normal metabolic control and decreased hypoglycemia. This research will be presented at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 17th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress, on Friday, May 16th, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando. - [Read more]

Women who took conjugated equine estrogen, a commonly prescribed form of estrogen, had more than twice the risk of developing specific types of benign breast disease as women who took a placebo, according to a randomized controlled trial published online April 8 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - [Read more]

An adequate amount of Vitamin D is known to improve bone density, but the impact goes much further than bone strength; Vitamin D deficiency can impact nearly all of the bodys functions. This topic will be investigated at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 17th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress, on Thursday, May 15, 2008, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando. "Vitamin D plays an important role in most of the bodys tissues," Robert P. - [Read more]

The amount of oxygen available to a baby in the womb can affect their susceptibility to developing particular diseases later in life. Research presented at the annual Society for Endocrinology BES meeting in Harrogate shows that your risk of developing cardiovascular disease can be predetermined before birth, not only by your genes, but also by their interaction with the quality of the environment you experience in the womb. - [Read more]