As the pandemic sends thousands of recovering alcoholics into relapse, hospitals across the country have reported dramatic increases in alcohol-related admissions for critical diseases like alcoholic hepatitis and liver failure.
Study elucidates the mode of action of SGLT2 inhibitors in diabetes
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
HIV: New therapeutic approach to restore the effectiveness of immune cells
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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Scientists to explore whether anti-inflammatory drugs control blood sugar
Meals prepared for scientific studies of metabolism and nutrition stand ready for distribution at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Researchers at the School of Medicine are studying whether drugs to treat inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease also could help control blood sugar levels. (Photo: Matt Miller/School of Medicine)
Inflammation and metabolic disorders are deeply intertwined. For example, people with inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease and psoriasis are at risk of developing metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. However troubling that connection might seem, it also might point to some promising news.