News by Subject Medicine & Health

Vitamin D deficiency may impair muscle function due to a reduction in energy production in the muscles, according to a mouse study published in the Journal of Endocrinology. Vitamin D deficient mice were found to have impaired muscle mitochondrial function, which may have implications for muscle function, performance and recovery. This may suggest that preventing vitamin D deficiency in older adults could help maintain better muscle strength and function and reduce age related muscle deterioration, but further studies are needed to confirm this.

Researchers in Japan have found that the anti-diabetic drug metformin significantly prolongs the survival of mice in a model that simulates the pathology of non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (ND-CKD) by ameliorating pathological conditions like reduced kidney function, glomerular damage, inflammation and fibrosis. Metformin's mechanism is different from existing therapeutics which only treat symptoms, such as the blood pressure drug losartan, so researchers believe that a combination these medications at low dose will be highly beneficial.

The slurred speech, poor coordination, and sedative effects of drinking too much alcohol may actually be caused by the breakdown of alcohol products produced in the brain, not in the liver as scientists currently think.

Phenformin, in combination with immunotherapies like PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors, shows greater promise than phenformin or metformin alone. A clinical trial is under way at MGH to evaluate the use of phenformin with an inhibitor of the BRAF-mutated gene, present in roughly half of all melanomas.

Chronic inflammation is increasingly a focus of research. A recent study has now identified differences in indicators of inflammation between novel diabetes subgroups.

This new Calcified Tissue International special issue includes a comprehensive series of state-of-the-art reviews on key issues in chronic kidney disease and mineral & bone disorders (CKD-MBD). Authored by leading international experts, the reviews aim to improve understanding and interdisciplinary knowledge of CKD -MBD research and clinical management.