Study Identifies Likely Mechanism Underlying Resveratrol Activity

February 8, 2012 | by

National Institutes of Health researchers and their colleagues have identified how resveratrol, a naturally occurring chemical found in red wine and other plant products, may confer its health benefits. The authors present evidence that resveratrol does not directly activate sirtuin 1, a protein associated with aging. Rather, the authors found that resveratrol inhibits certain types of proteins known as phosphodiesterases (PDEs), enzymes that help regulate cell energy.

These findings may help settle the debate regarding resveratrol’s biochemistry and pave the way for resveratrol-based medicines. The chemical has received significant interest from pharmaceutical companies for its potential to combat diabetes, inflammation, and cancer. The study appears in the February 3rd issue of the journal Cell [1].

Resveratrol

Embryonic Stem Cells Improve Vision of Blind Patients

February 7, 2012 | by

Researchers at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute and colleagues have successfully used specialized retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells to improve the vision of two legally blind patients.

The trial was led by Dr. Steven Schwartz, opthalmologist and chief of the retina division at the Institute. Although the results are extremely promising, only two patients were treated. The trial will have to be preformed successfully many more times before the procedure can be accepted as an option for care.

Steven Schwartz performs stem cell transplant

Nevertheless, the preliminary findings represent a milestone in the therapeutic use of stem cells and may pave the way for a new therapy to treat eye diseases. The research was recently published online in the journal The Lancet.

Study: Embryonic stem cell trials for macular degeneration: a preliminary report

Source: UCLA Newsroom

Just Because It Isn’t Sweet … Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Sugar

February 6, 2012 | by

From a nutritional perspective, is a spoonful of white rice more like a spoonful of sugar or a spoonful of brown rice? Because they taste and look similar, most people assume that white rice and brown rice share many of the same nutritional qualities. It turns out, however, that this is not the case. The reason has to do with the chemical nature of carbohydrates.

White and brown riceImage credit: Two kinds of rice in spoons via Shutterstock

Heart Conditions Don’t Just Affect Older Adults

February 3, 2012 | by

This article was written by Julianne Wyrick.

February is American Heart Month. Sponsored by the American Heart Association, American Heart Month is a time to battle cardiovascular disease and educate people on what they can do to live heart-healthy lives. Heart disease, including stroke, is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

How much do you know about the condition of your heart? Heart health awareness typically focuses on heart disease in older adults caused by an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise. But what if you could be at risk for cardiac arrest and sudden death even though you are young and in shape?

Heart arrhythmiaImage credit: Heart arrhythmia via Shutterstock

Drug Companies Collaborate to Fight Neglected Tropical Diseases

February 2, 2012 | by

A global initiative to fight neglected tropical diseases launched in London this week. The so-called London Declaration calls for the eradication of 10 neglected tropical diseases by 2020. Experts are calling it the largest coordinated effort ever undertaken to combat diseases that affect 1.4 billion people in the world’s poorest countries.

Tropical disease