Hormone News and Research

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A hormone is a chemical released by one or more cells that affects cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. It is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

Commonly used antidepressant drugs can also help the immune system to attack cancer

A class of drug called monoamine oxidase inhibitors is commonly prescribed to treat depression; the medications work by boosting levels of serotonin, the brain's "happiness hormone."

10 Jun 2021

Diets that increase inflammation linked to increased risk of breast cancer

A new study of more than 350,000 women found that women with diets incorporating more foods that increase inflammation in the body had a 12% increase in their risk of breast cancer compared to women who consume more anti-inflammatory diets. The new findings are being presented at NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE.

8 Jun 2021

More informed choices of contraceptives can prevent breast cancer

Hormonal contraceptives, e.g. the pill, the patch, and the vaginal ring, contain synthetic hormones that prevent pregnancy by either stopping ovulation, changing the cervical mucus to stop sperm from passing through the cervix and finding an egg, or changing the womb's lining to prevent a fertilized egg from being implanted in it.

31 May 2021

Breast cancer survivors have higher risk of new cancer diagnosis compared to healthy individuals

A new study finds breast cancer survivors in general have higher risk of new cancer diagnosis compared to healthy individuals. The article, which appears in CANCER, states that compared to the general population in the United States, the risk of new cancer diagnoses among survivors was 20% higher for those with hormone receptor (HR) positive cancers and 44% higher for those with HR-negative cancers.

19 May 2021

Mutant corn gene found to increase the amount of sugars in the seeds and leaves

An abnormal accumulation of carbohydrates—starches and sugars—in the kernels and leaves of a mutant line of corn can be traced back to a single misregulated gene, and this finding provides insights into how the plant responds to stress.

From Penn State University 5 May 2021

New, altered form of prolactin receptor found to drive breast cancer

Prolactin is a hormone that has long been thought to play an important role in breast development and growth, as well as milk production during pregnancy.

27 Apr 2021

SDIR1 enzyme plays a major role in the expression of defense gene in plants

A new study offers evidence that microbes are trying to hijack the plant immune system to induce disease while also offering insights into a new mechanism.

26 Apr 2021

Study shows how stem cells make specific types of cells

With the help of a novel single-cell technique, researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) have revealed a new way to interpret the programming behind stem cells and how these cells make specific types of cells.

From Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) 16 Apr 2021

Dopamine-releasing brain cells shed light on Parkinson’s disease

Scientists have found that botulinum toxin—commonly known as Botox—can expose the inner workings of the brain, in addition to smoothing out wrinkles.

From New York University (NYU) 7 Apr 2021

Stem cell therapy could help restore debilitating muscle loss that happens with age

As the name implies, induced pluripotent stem cells can become any type of cell in our body, and scientists have evidence that when they prompt them to become muscle progenitor cells they can help restore the sometimes debilitating muscle loss that happens with age.

24 Mar 2021

Hormone drugs may help disarm coronavirus spike protein and stop disease progression

Hormone drugs that reduce androgen levels may help disarm the coronavirus spike protein used to infect cells and stop the progression of severe COVID-19 disease, suggests a new preclinical study from researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania and published online in Cell Press's iScience.

23 Mar 2021

Lowering apolipoprotein CIII levels can prevent deleterious effects of a high-fat diet

Consumption of a diet with high fat levels increases the risk of fatty liver, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes.

15 Mar 2021

Researchers generate thyroid mini-organs in the lab

Hormones produced by the thyroid gland are essential regulators of organ function. The absence of these hormones either through thyroid dysfunction due to, for example, irradiation, thyroid cancer or autoimmune disease or thyroidectomy leads to symptoms like fatigue, feeling cold, constipation, and weight gain.

12 Mar 2021

Vegan diet leads to poorer bone health, shows study

The vegan diet is on-trend. How this type of diet affects health is the subject of scientific studies. In a new study from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the bone health of 36 vegans, as well as 36 people following a mixed-food diet, was determined with an ultrasound measurement of the heel bone.

5 Mar 2021