Latest news with #TDN
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Shortcut to weight loss? Scientists discover 'hidden' brain shortcut without nausea
Weight loss is the kind of ever-evolving and ever-elusive goal we keep on chasing throughout our whole lives. Whether it's due to reasons related to better health or just for the sake of a better appearance, weight loss ranks quite high on our to-do list. Simultaneously, shedding pounds is one of the hardest tasks to do, especially if it's the stubborn visceral fat you're trying to lose. Even with proper diet, rigorous workout, and other wellness rituals, losing a considerable amount of weight is a tough job. Unless you're resorting to fast solutions like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and medications of a similar kind. But they do come with their fair share of downsides. Enter nausea, vomiting, and whatnot! But, imagine losing weight without the nausea that often makes popular drugs like Ozempic impossible to stick with. A team led by Syracuse University's Prof. Robert Doyle has identified a brain peptide that can curb appetite and improve glucose control, without causing nausea or vomiting. Read on to know more. A 'shortcut' to weight loss: What's the science? Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management. It is a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, modified with a side chain. It can be administered by subcutaneous injection or taken orally. Now, these traditional weight-loss drugs, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy), focus on neurons in the brain's hindbrain region. While effective at curbing appetite, they often cause nausea and vomiting, which causes about 70% of patients to stop treatment within a year. Enter the research team from Syracuse University, led by chemistry professor Robert Doyle. They looked beyond neurons to explore the role of brain 'support cells,' like glia and astrocytes, cells that don't transmit electrical signals but help neurons function properly. Talk about introducing science and smart work, packed together! The appetite-suppressing molecule: ODN to TDN The research team discovered that astrocytes in the hindbrain generate a natural peptide, octadecaneuropeptide (ODN), which reduces appetite and improves glucose metabolism in lab animals. Because ODN itself isn't suitable for human use, researchers created a modified version named tridecaneuropeptide (TDN). When injected into obese mice and musk shrews, TDN triggered weight loss and better blood sugar control, without causing nausea or vomiting. Why is this a shortcut? Doyle compares current drugs to running a marathon from the very start. They must navigate many steps, some causing side effects, before appetite suppression occurs. TDN, in contrast, starts the race halfway through by directly activating downstream support cells, skipping the early neuron-focused steps that provoke nausea. As quoted by Science Daily, Doyle explained, 'Instead of running a marathon from the very beginning like current drugs do, our targeting downstream pathways in support cells is like starting the race halfway through, reducing the unpleasant side effects many people experience,' adding, 'If we could hit that downstream process directly, then potentially we wouldn't have to use GLP-1 drugs with their side effects. Or we could reduce their dose, improving the toleration of these drugs. We could trigger weight loss signals that happen later in the pathway more directly.' What's next This discovery opens the door to new obesity and diabetes treatments that are potentially more tolerable and easier to stick with. To bring this to reality, a new biotech company called CoronationBio has been formed. It holds the licensing rights from Syracuse University and the University of Pennsylvania, and plans to start human clinical trials around 2026–2027. Why this discovery is 'groundbreaking' Syracuse University's discovery of a brain 'shortcut' via support cells marks a potential turning point in obesity treatment. Why? Without nausea, patients may stick to treatment longer, which means better compliance and quality of life. Moreover, TDN or similar drugs could make obesity treatments safer and more appealing to more people. Additionally, bypassing the neuron-heavy path might allow lower doses of traditional drugs when combined with this approach. Bonus point? Shifting focus from neurons to support cells could inspire more targeted approaches in brain-related treatments.
The Independent
24-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Breakthrough weight-loss drug works without nausea or vomiting, scientists reveal
A breakthrough has been made in weight-loss drugs after scientists discovered a new medication – known as TDP – that works without causing side effects of nausea or vomiting. Millions of Americans are already using Ozempic and other GLP-1 class drugs to lose weight. While largely successful, the shots can cause uncomfortable gastrointestinal side effects. Those symptoms and others have landed patients in emergency rooms in recent years, with 25,000 visits occurring from 2022 to 2023, according to scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers say the new experimental rival largely forgoes those issues although how it works to curb appetite is still being researched. 'This paper shows for the first time that giving a smaller version of octadecaneuropeptide in the periphery is still effective to improve body weight and metabolic control without side effects,' Caroline Geisler, an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky's College of Pharmacy, told Gizmodo this week. Octadecaneuropeptide, commonly referred to as ODN, is a protein produced by brain cells called glia that support the nervous system. The researchers used ODN to create the drug TDP. 'Now we know that [glia] play a large role in sensing and communicating the status of the body, and we hope that by targeting a glial signaling molecule, we can engage many energy-regulating pathways in the brain and avoid the side effects of nausea and vomiting,' Geisler said. In studies, the researchers inserted ODN into the hindbrain of rats, which contains the brainstem and cerebellum. The cerebellum is a part of the brain that controls movements and other cognitive processes, such as language and attention span. Once the rats were treated with ODN, they lost weight and improved their ability to control their blood sugar. Whereas when the researchers blocked ODN, the animals showed a weaker response to treatment with the popular GLP-1 drugs. They also dosed mice, rats, and shrews with TDN. The drug also improved blood sugar control, causing weight loss without nausea or vomiting in the rats for over a week. The shrews did not vomit either, and the drug appeared not to have effects on the animals' movement, body temperatures, and heart rate. However, the results, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, are only a proof of concept. The study's authors are hoping to test the drugs in people next. 'We have an optimistic timeline that we could be ready to start clinical trials within two years,' Geisler said.
Belfast Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
‘He never fails to turn heads': Co Armagh golden retriever makes final of Nose of Tralee
A therapy dog with an 'infectious personality' is sniffing out glory as he represents Co Armagh in this year's Nose of Tralee. Three-year-old golden retriever Binx has been selected from over 1,550 entries as one of 32 finalists in the competition, run by Pet Sitters Ireland. Now in its 12th year, the annual contest is a play on the Rose of Tralee international festival. People are invited to submit pictures and stories of their dogs, with the end goal of being crowned the Nose of Tralee. Binx's owner, Ruth Parkes, said the duo are 'ecstatic' to be representing their home county. 'We entered it for a bit of fun and never thought we would get so far,' she said. "Armagh has never won it. It would be great to bring it home.' In 2022, Sadie the Labrador, rescued from Serbia by a Co Tyrone charity, won the competition. Ruth said Binx, who recently qualified as a therapy dog with the charity Therapy Dogs Nationwide (TDN), 'never fails to turn heads' when out and about. He is also training in gundog classes. She added: 'He has an infectious personality and is always smiling and wanting cuddles. He never fails to get attention when we are out for our walks, so he has plenty of dog and human friends. Now trained to offer emotional support and companionship, Binx and Ruth are looking forward to giving back to their community. 'This is something that has been on my heart for a while,' she added. "Seeing the love Binx has for people, and them for him, I thought it would be a great opportunity to give something back to the people of Co Armagh and help people who may be feeling lonely and struggling with their mental health. "It would be great to make someone's day with our visit.' The Open at Royal Portrush: What happened in 2019 Ruth said they are hoping to get involved in TDN's 'Bark and Read' programme – an initiative funded by the Kennel Club that brings therapy dogs into schools to help children build confidence in reading. Reading to dogs has been proven to help children improve literacy and build confidence, as dogs listen without judgment or criticism. 'As someone who loves reading, this is a big passion of mine to help develop a love of reading among the younger generations and to spend time at their local library. We hope to volunteer in local nursing homes, schools, and hospitals,' said Ruth. 'He is a special boy and hopefully we can make a difference in our community, no matter how small.' The 2025 Nose of Tralee winner will be crowned on August 19, following an island-wide vote to determine who will take home the title. Voting for the final opens on July 24 and closes on August 18 at 5pm. The winner will receive a hotel stay, a photoshoot, pet sitting vouchers and a range of gifts from small Irish pet brands.
Wall Street Journal
23-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Kuehne + Nagel to Buy Spanish Road-Logistics Provider
Kuehne + Nagel agreed to acquire Spanish road-logistics provider Transporte y Distribucion Nacional. The purchase of the Madrid-based company, expected to be completed within the coming weeks, will be immediately earnings accretive, the Swiss-based logistics group said. TDN has more than 600 employees and it has 45 terminals and a fleet of 700 vehicles within their partner network. The company is complementary to Kuehne + Nagel's existing road-logistics business, it said. Kuehne + Nagel didn't disclose financial details. Write to Pierre Bertrand at
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Sierra Leone Out Of Saudi Cup With Hoof Abscess
Trainer Chad Brown told the Thoroughbred Daily News Wednesday that his Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone will not make the trip to the Middle East for the $20 million Saudi Cup due to a hoof abscess which came out of his coronet band.'I couldn't really work him, so I just kind of played it safe and skipped it, which takes him out of the Saudi race,' Brown told TDN. 'It's not a big deal and I'm glad the abscess did come out in a clean fashion. It'll grow down and his foot will be fine. He just wasn't 100 percent to breeze, so I didn't want to push it.' Sierra Leone will not have his first start of 2025 in the Dubai World Cup, either, Brown said, because he doesn't want to run the colt 1 1/4 miles in his first start of the season. Instead, Brown suggested that the Oaklawn Handicap on April 19 might be a good starting Champion 3-Year-Old of 2024, the son of Gun Runner won the G2 Risen Star and G1 Blue Grass en route to a contentious third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. Sierra Leone also ran third in the G1 Belmont Stakes, then placed second in the G2 Jim Dandy and third in the G1 Travers before his late-running triumph in the Breeders' Cup Sierra Leone has a record of 4-3-2 from nine starts for earnings of over $6 more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
