Two new studies reveal that patients with a rare autoimmune disease produce antibodies that attack microbe-fighting immune proteins called cytokines. These findings may help explain why these patients suffer recurrent yeast infections.
Fat tissue in women with polycystic ovary syndrome produces an inadequate amount of the hormone that regulates how fats and glucose are processed, promoting increased insulin resistance and inflammation, glucose intolerance and greater risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study.
According to a new study, women taking commonly used forms of antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Scientist have discovered a mechanism for regulating the hormone prolactin. The finding may be significant for conditions and functions such as breast-feeding, sexual libido, and metabolism.
Researchers have shown that measuring the fetal zone of the adrenal gland is a better predictor of pre-term birth than measuring cervical length.
Researchers have found a mechanism by which a hormone responsible for milk production blocks an oncogene that makes breast cancer more aggressive.
Doctors have been studying the role of the enzyme 12-Lipoxygenase (12-LO) in the development of Type 1 diabetes. They hope that targeting this enzyme will hold the key to reversing the disease.
N-acetylserotonin, the immediate precursor to melatonin, activates the same growth circuits in the brain as BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). The results have implications for how some antidepressants function and suggest that the molecules and pathways involved in mood regulation and circadian rhythms are intertwined.
Scientists have made a significant step towards developing a so-called “artificial pancreas” system for managing type 1 diabetes in children. The team has developed and successfully tested a new algorithm, providing a stepping stone to home testing for the artificial pancreas.
Estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of developing asthma after the menopause, suggests a large scale study.
We all have at one time or another experienced the typical signs of an infection: the fever, the listlessness, the lack of appetite. They are orchestrated by the brain in response to circulating cytokines, the signaling molecules of the immune system. But just how cytokines’ reach extends beyond the almost impenetrable blood-brain barrier has been the topic of much dispute.
A man’s male hormones may ward off heart damage by helping vessels around the heart regenerate, suggest Australian researchers.
Scientists have found 13 new genetic variants that influence blood glucose regulation, insulin resistance, and the function of insulin-secreting beta cells in populations of European descent. Five of the newly discovered variants increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.
New research has identified a treatment in animal models for glioblastomas — deadly brain tumors which, once diagnosed, offer a poor prognosis and relatively short life expectancy. Using a synthetic form of a naturally-occurring hormone combined with chemotherapy, researchers were able to inhibit tumor growth and achieve a 25 percent cure rate.
For the first time, a study links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — a persistent organic chemical used in industrial and consumer goods including nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics.
The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) makes cameo appearances throughout the body, but its leading role is as the opening act in the stress response, jump-starting the process along the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Researchers have found that CRF also plays a part in the pancreas, where it increases insulin secretion and promotes the division of the insulin-producing beta cells.
Researchers have found that prostate cancer treatments varied significantly between county hospitals and private providers. Patients treated in county hospitals are more likely to undergo surgery while patients treated in private facilities tend to receive radiation or hormone therapy.
Restoring normal levels of estrogen may work as a protective agent in menopausal women vulnerable to schizophrenia.
Researchers have discovered that small clusters (oligomers) of islet amyloid polypeptides (IAPPs) may contribute to the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
People profoundly deficient in human growth hormone (HGH) due to a genetic mutation appear to live just as long as people who make normal amounts of the hormone, a new study shows. The findings suggest that HGH may not be the “fountain of youth” that some researchers have suggested.
Not only is acupuncture as effective as drug therapy at reducing hot flashes in breast cancer patients, it has the added benefit of potentially increasing a woman’s sex drive and improving her sense of well-being, according to a new study.
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 new study.
Eating fruit, such as pomegranates, that contain anti-aromatase phytochemicals reduces the incidence of hormone-dependent breast cancer, according to results of a new study.
A new study finds that postmenopausal HIV-infected women have a high prevalence of low bone mineral density and high bone turnover, placing them at high risk for future bone fractures.
A cell type that causes significant scarring in lung disease appears to have a similar effect in Graves’ disease, researchers have found. The cells, called fibrocytes, are present at a higher than normal frequency in patients with Graves’ disease, according to a new study, the first to associate fibrocytes with this autoimmune disease.
