Latest news with #Metabolism
Medscape
13-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: What's the Real Connection?
Priya Jaisinghani, MD, DABOM Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Physician, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Associates, New York, New York Disclosure: Priya Jaisinghani, MD, DABOM, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships: Received income in an amount equal to or greater than $250 from: Novo Nordisk
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists identify strategy to boost mitochondrial function, improve immunotherapy treatment
May 2—Despite the massive successes of immunotherapy, which utilizes the body's immune system as a tool to fight cancer, therapy resistance is still a common treatment obstacle for many patients with solid tumors. With a new paper in the leading scientific journal Cell Metabolism, the lab of Vivek Verma, PhD, assistant professor at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, outlines a pharmacological method to boost mitochondrial function in cells that could be easily translated to clinics, enhancing immunotherapy treatments for better outcomes in patients. "This study has huge implications in reversing the resistance of cancer patients to various immunotherapies," Verma said. "Our study provides a direct link between cell metabolism and gene expression, especially in mitochondria." The cancerous tumor microenvironment is a hostile one, especially to an immune cell's powerhouse: the mitochondria. Signals given off in this microenvironment can interfere with nutrition, inhibit mitochondrial function, and lead to immune cell exhaustion. With little to no energy, immune cells are unable to actively fight off pathogens, infections, and cancerous cells. Mitochondrial function is also essential for the process of T cells transitioning from their naive phase to the effector phase—when these immune cells begin actively fighting off pathogens or cancerous cells. Currently, there are not yet any clinically viable strategies that can be used to target mitochondria to ensure it retains the power necessary to fight off disease, including cancer. In the Cell Metabolism paper, Verma and the team found that activating the enzyme PKM2 helped boost mitochondrial metabolism in anti-tumor CD8 T cells. Additionally, the team learned that CD8 T cells with activated PKM2 also displayed better efficacy in adoptive cell models and in combination with immune checkpoint-based immunotherapy. "Surprisingly, the roles of PKM2 in CD8 T cells had not yet been established. In this study, we show for the first time that pharmacological activation of PKM2 leads to mitochondria-mediated enhancement of effector functions in CD8 T cells," Verma said. "Also surprisingly, we found that PKM2 modifies cell metabolism that regulates the expression of genes located on mitochondrial DNA. Our study provides a direct link between cell metabolism and gene expression, especially in mitochondria."
Jordan News
10-03-2025
- Health
- Jordan News
New Discovery Reveals the Secret Behind Weight Loss Struggles - Jordan News
New Discovery Reveals the Secret Behind Weight Loss Struggles Researchers from Concordia University in Canada have revealed that a "defect in fat tissue" may be the primary reason behind the difficulty many people face in losing weight, challenging the traditional view that blames weak willpower. اضافة اعلان According to the study conducted by the Metabolism, Nutrition, and Obesity Laboratory at the university, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) plays a crucial role in regulating energy and metabolic health, which refers to the processes that convert food into energy in the body. When fat accumulates, a dysfunction occurs in this tissue, leading to excessive fat storage in vital organs such as the liver and muscles, which increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Obesity and diabetes researcher, Mohammad Elias Nadim, stated: "We've all heard the advice to eat less and move more, but the reality is more complex." He continued: "For individuals with obesity, complex biological mechanisms work against their efforts to lose weight, going beyond the issue of willpower." In 2022, there were 2.5 billion adults globally who were overweight, with 890 million people living with obesity, according to the World Health Organization. These figures represent 43% of adults aged 18 and over (43% of men and 44% of women) who are overweight, a significant increase from the rates in 1990 when 25% of adults aged 18 and over were overweight. The study reveals that the location of fat storage in the body affects its functions. Fat stored in the lower body (around the hips and thighs) operates differently from fat stored in the upper body (around the abdomen). Researchers also found that the behavior of adipose tissue differs depending on gender and the timing of obesity, whether it occurred in childhood or adulthood. Professor Silvia Santos, head of the Canadian Clinical Nutrition Research Program, calls for a shift in the obesity debate: "Instead of blaming individuals, we should focus on understanding the underlying physiological mechanisms and developing treatments that target the root causes of obesity." Researchers believe that the future of obesity treatment lies in personalized medicine, which tailors treatment to each patient's unique metabolic profile. This approach could help move away from ineffective, one-size-fits-all solutions and towards more precise interventions. Agencies
