In a new study published in
Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, Chen-Yu Zhang s group and Antonio Vidal-Puig s group at University of Cambridge report that pancreatic β cells secrete miR-29 family members (miR-29a, miR-29b and miR-29c) in response to high levels of free fatty acids (FFAs). These β cell-derived miR-29s are delivered to the liver, promoting insulin resistance and enhancing hepatic glucose output.
Over 100 years after insulin was discovered, it was believed that pancreatic β cells only secreted a single hormone insulin. Pancreatic β cell-derived insulin regulates glucose homeostasis by binding with the insulin receptors located in the liver, skeletal muscle, adipose tissues and other peripheral organs. The discovery of insulin and its receptor was essential to understand the mechanisms controlling glucose homeostasis and the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes defined by defective insulin secretion, signal transduction and insulin resistance. However, glucose homeos
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IMAGE: INRS Professor Julien van Grevenynghe, expert in immunology and virology, and doctoral student Hamza Loucif, first author of the paper. view more
Credit: INRS
Prompted by the need to improve conventional treatments for people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), a team from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has identified a therapeutic approach to restore the effectiveness of immune cells. The study, led by doctoral student Hamza Loucif and Professor Julien van Grevenynghe, was published in the journal
Autophagy.
Most people infected with HIV-1 require daily antiretroviral therapy to control the infection. These drugs cause significant side effects without fully restoring the normal functioning of the immune system. Yet, a specific group of patients, called elite controllers , are able to live with the infection without any drug intervention.
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Although SGLT-2 inhibitors are central to the treatment of diabetes, their exact mode of action was hitherto unknown. In a study conducted by a research group led by Peter Wolf, Martin Krssak and Michael Krebs from MedUni Vienna s Department of Medicine III, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to show that there is a direct correlation between the elimination of glucose via the kidneys and new glucose production in the liver. A single dose of the SGLT-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin gives rise to a beneficial regulation mechanism, in which glucose loss due to drug-induced SGLT-2 inhibition is exactly balanced out by an equal increase in new glucose production in the liver. The study has been published in the leading journal
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During every instant of life, over a hundred trillion microbes, collectively known as the microbiome, reside on skin surfaces and course through the human body. In the human gut, vast colonies of bacteria, belonging to around 1000 different species, carry out duties ranging from the digestion of food and the management of body weight to effects on the brain and behavior, many of these still elusive to science.
Recent studies in mice and humans have revealed intriguing links between the composition of gut microbiota and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a disease believed to affect one in 54 children, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Dr. Krajmalnik-Brown s lecture will propose linkages between gut bacteria and ASD, highlighting encouraging results of a microbiome-targeted, ASD open-label clinical trial.
Resources and tools to support new and existing Post-Fracture Care Programs
An extensive online global hub of resources, the Resource Center now provides healthcare professionals, hospitals and clinics with valuable resources to help them set up new Post-Fracture Care Coordination Programs, or to improve their existing services. Practical insights and step-by-step guidance is provided in the form of webinars and related slide kits, information leaflets, audits and reports. The website will soon host dedicated tools to help support the business case for service implementation and to assist programs in tracking key performance indicators and facilitating the management of patient pathways.