By Shannon Pettypiece - 2012-09-21T20:00:00Z Sugary soda may worsen the effect of genes that put people at risk for obesity, according to one of several studies reported today on how the drinks affect weight gain. People genetically predisposed to obesity were more likely to gain weight from the beverages than those without the traits, according to the study, published today in a New England Journal of Medicine theme issue. Other research showed that switching to a diet soda from a sugary one may help kids control weight gain. One in three adults and 17 percent of children are obese in the U.S. Sugary beverages are the largest single caloric food source in the nation, according to an editorial that accompanied the studies. This month, New York City limited the cup size that restaurants can use for sugary drinks, and schools across the country have banned the beverages. It is important to begin to create publishable studies to support what everyone knows, said Steven Safyer, chief executive officer of Montefiore Medical Center in New York, who has worked to curb obesity in the city. We are in the eighth inning of the worst public health crisis that we have encountered in … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Sep. 21, 2012) Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health have found that greater consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is linked with a greater genetic susceptibility to high body mass index (BMI) and increased risk of obesity. The study reinforces the view that environmental and genetic factors may act together to shape obesity risk. The study appears Sept. 21 in an advance online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. "Our study for the first time provides reproducible evidence from three prospective cohorts to show genetic and dietary factors -- sugar-sweetened beverages -- may mutually influence their effects on body weight and obesity risk. The findings may motivate further research on interactions between genomic variation and environmental factors regarding human health," said Lu Qi, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at HSPH and senior author of the study. In the past three decades, consumption of SSBs has increased dramatically worldwide. Although widespread evidence supports a link between SSBs, obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes, there has been little research on whether environmental factors, such as drinking sugary beverages, influence genetic predisposition to obesity. The research was based on data from three large cohorts, 121,700 women in … Continue reading →

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online Thousands of years ago, a genetic mutation occurred which might be the answer to how early humans were able to move from central Africa and across the continent. This movement has been called the great expansion. Three teams of researchers, from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and University of Washington School of Medicine, have analyzed genetic sequence variation patterns in different populations around the world. Their research, published this week in the online journal PLoS One, demonstrates that about 85,000 years ago, a critical genetic variant arose in a key gene cluster on chromosome 11, known as the fatty acid desaturase cluster (FADS). This genetic variant would have allowed humans to convert plant-based polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to brain PUFAs. The long-chain of PUFAs found in the brain are necessary for increased brain size, complexity and function, and the FADS cluster plays a critical role in determining how effectively medium-chain PUFAs in plants are converted. According to archeological and genetic studies, Homo sapiens appeared approximately 180,000 years ago. For almost 100,000 years, our early ancestors tended to stay in one location close to bodies of water in … Continue reading →

By Karen Rogers - September 21, 2012 | Tickers: BAX, NBS, OSIR | 0 Comments Karen is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited. Stem cell research puts immortality in our hands. By medically treating stem cells to repair damaged organs, one could, in theory, live forever. The following three stem cell research companies are achingly close to perfecting techniques that will repair and strengthen damaged human hearts. Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OSIR) Prochymal is the only drug thats been granted fast track status and Orphan Drug status by the FDA. Already in Phase III clinical evaluations, Prochymal repairs heart tissue damaged by a heart attack and it is also under evaluation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Osiris biologic drugs utilize either human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) or stem cells taken from adult bone marrow to avoid the ethical controversy surrounding embryonic or fetal stem cell research usage. MSC are taken directly from the donors human bone marrow and one single donation can produce up to 10,000 treatments. Osiris has designed their treatment to be universally accepted by all recipients to eliminate rejection problems. This treatment … Continue reading →

BONITA SPRINGS, fla - A controversial stem cell doctor, who lost his medical license in March, is back in business. Dr. Zannos Grekos is listed as the Chief Medical Officer on the website for Intercellular Sciences, a new company that is "following in the footsteps of Regenocyte," a stem cell company started by Grekos. WINK News has not been able to confirm whether or not that means the stem cell doctor is practicing medicine at the new company. In 2011, Grekos was ordered to stop practicing medicine after a cancer patient died following an unapproved stem cell treatment at Regenocyte. Then, in March of 2012, the Health Department revoked Grekos medical license following the death of a second patient, Richard Poling. At that time, the Lee County Sheriff's Office raided Regenocyte. We tracked down the phone number of Intercellular Sciences, Grekos new company. The answering machine message links Grekos' old company Regenocyte and Intercellular Sciences. Despite all the trouble Grekos faces, many of his patients stand by him. "He gave me new life," says Peter Holler. "I can't say enough for him. He's so dedicated to his work and his patients and he doesn't deserve what he's going through." Holler, … Continue reading →

HOUSTON, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyberonics, Inc. (CYBX), a global leader in medical devices for the treatment and management of epilepsy, today announced an initial investment of 2 million in cerbomed GmbH ("cerbomed"). Based in Erlangen, Germany, cerbomed is a privately-held company developing a non-invasive neurostimulation device for the treatment of epilepsy. The NEMOS t-VNS device received CE Mark approval for the treatment of epilepsy and depression in 2010 and for pain in 2012 and is now commercially available in Germany and Austria. The investment in cerbomed can total up to 5.5 million, subject to the achievement of certain clinical milestones. Cyberonics is a minority shareholder with certain rights, including representation on cerbomed's advisory board and an exclusive option for worldwide sales and distribution of the NEMOSsystem for the treatment of epilepsy. The initial investment will be used to fund cerbomed's current clinical trial in epilepsy in Germany. Subject to certain conditions, Cyberonics has the option to conduct a trial in the U.S. for the purpose of seeking FDA approval. "As a company focused on device solutions for epilepsy, an investment in cerbomed's technology is aligned with our strategic priorities and core expertise," said Dan Moore, Cyberonics' President and … Continue reading →