Since 1996 WHN is the second oldest medical website on the net, second only to the American Medical Association, servicing over 35,000 physicians and scientists worldwide.
Non-Profit Trusted Source of Non-Commercial Health Information
A growth factor protein produced by rare immune cells in the intestine can protect against the effects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a new discovery from Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. In their study, published Jan. 31 in Nature Immunology, the researchers found that the growth factor, HB-EGF, is produced in response to gut …
A robot has performed laparoscopic surgery on the soft tissue of a pig without the guiding hand of a human—a significant step toward fully automated surgery on humans. Designed by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers, the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot, or STAR, is described today in Science Robotics. “Our findings show that we …
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba show that the intestinal hormone Neuropeptide F, acting through glucagon-like and insulin-like hormones, regulates sugar and fat metabolism in the fruit fly in a manner similar to incretins in mammals. Incretins are hormones secreted by intestinal cells that regulate pancreatic insulin and glucagon to control sugar metabolism in mammals. …
The body’s so-called good cholesterol may be even better than we realize. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that one type of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has a previously unknown role in protecting the liver from injury. This HDL protects the liver by blocking inflammatory signals produced by common gut …
As the owner of a human body, you’re carrying trillions of microbes with you everywhere you go. These microscopic organisms aren’t just hitching a ride; many of them perform essential chemical reactions that regulate everything from our digestion to our immune system to our moods. One important set of reactions relates to fat absorption via …
That sinful sugar sweet sensation may begin at the tongue but those sugar molecules also trigger sensors in the gut that directly signal the brain which may explain why artificial sweeteners for the most part fail to satisfy those insatiable cravings for sugar. Sugar triggers specialized taste buds on the tongue and switches on a …
Mechanism by which good microbiota bacteria help maintain a healthy intestine have been identified by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, as published in the journal Immunity. Findings of this study have shown that microbiota balance intestinal immune responses and protect against inflammation through interactions with epithelial and immune cells, findings that suggest manipulating good …
IBS affects about 1 in 6 people, an international team has provided clues to the organic triggers of irritable bowel syndrome. Pathogenic factors of irritable bowel syndrome is an altered function of nerves in intestinal walls triggered by molecules released within the wall, this can be experimentally mimicked by mucosal biopsy supernatants from irritable …
Potential treatment for diabetes via surgery in a pill may be a reality in the future. Orally administered materials could temporarily coat the intestine to reduce blood sugar spikes, as published in Nature Materials. Great progress has been made by bariatric surgeons during the past decade in weight loss surgery that can also reverse …
Dietary fiber promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria. Microbes that live in the gut are responsible for fermenting fiber in the intestine, producing short-chain fatty acids and other metabolites better beneficial for the body. It is therefore important that sufficient dietary fiber is consumed daily, in order to promote the growth of such beneficial bacteria. …