We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
RANDOX LABORATORIES

Download Mobile App




Potential Diabetes Drug Works by Relieving Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 30 Jun 2015
Print article
Image: Three dimensional rendering of the endoplasmic reticulum (Photo courtesy of Blausen Gallery 2014 via Wikimedia Commons).
Image: Three dimensional rendering of the endoplasmic reticulum (Photo courtesy of Blausen Gallery 2014 via Wikimedia Commons).
A recent paper linked stress affecting the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the development of several chronic diseases including diabetes, retinitis pigmentosa, cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

The ER plays a critical role in protein, lipid, and glucose metabolism as well as cellular calcium signaling and homeostasis. Disruptions of ER function and chronic ER stress have been associated with many disease states ranging from diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases to cancer and inflammation. Although ER targeting shows therapeutic promise in preclinical models of obesity and other diseases, available drugs generally lack the specificity and other pharmacological properties required for effective clinical use.

To gain a better understanding of how the ER connects to disease development, investigators at Harvard University Medical School (Boston, MA, USA) designed and chemically and genetically validated two high-throughput functional screening systems that independently measured the free chaperone content and protein-folding capacity of the ER in living cells.

Using these screening platforms they characterized a small-molecule compound, azoramide (N-{2-[2-(4-Chlorophenyl)-1,3-thiazol-4-yl]ethyl}butanamide), which improved ER protein-folding ability and activated ER chaperone capacity to protect cells against ER stress in multiple systems.

They further reported in the June 17, 2015, online edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine that azoramide exhibited potent anti-diabetic efficacy in two independent mouse models of obesity by improving insulin sensitivity and pancreatic beta cell function.

"While we and others had previously discovered the central role that ER stress plays in diabetes and metabolic disease, efforts to translate that knowledge into clinically effective ways to improve ER function have had limited success so far," said senior author, Dr. Gokhan S. Hotamisligil, professor of genetics and complex diseases at Harvard University Medical School. "These results show the broad potential for azoramide or drugs with similar functions targeted at the endoplasmic reticulum. ER dysfunction is implicated in many other disease processes such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's, which makes this novel screening strategy an exciting new tool that can be applied by multiple labs to discover new drug candidates for diseases that are linked to ER stress."

Related Links:

Harvard University Medical School


Gold Member
Turnkey Packaging Solution
HLX
Unit-Dose Packaging solution
HLX
New
Leishmania Test
Leishmania Real Time PCR Kit
New
Flow Cytometer
BF – 710

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The bowel cancer breakthrough could result in better treatment outcomes (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

New RNA Molecules Can Help Predict Bowel Cancer Return Recurrence

Colorectal cancer accounts for 10% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide and was ranked as the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States in 2022. Currently, clinicians face diagnostic... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: QScout CBC will give a complete blood count in 2 minutes from fingerstick or venous blood (Photo courtesy of Ad Astra Diagnostics)

Next Gen CBC and Sepsis Diagnostic System Targets Faster, Earlier, Easier Results

Every hour is critical in protecting patients from infections, yet there are currently limited tools to assist in early diagnosis before patients reach a hospital. The complete blood count (CBC) is a common... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The InfectoSynovia test has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

High-Accuracy Bedside Test to Diagnose Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Five Minutes

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) represents a significant global issue that is worsening as the number of joint replacements increases due to aging populations. In the United States alone, the anticipated... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image

AI-Based Method Shows Promise for Pathological Diagnosis of Hereditary Kidney Diseases

Alport syndrome is a hereditary kidney disorder characterized by kidney dysfunction, sensorineural hearing loss, and ocular abnormalities. Early in the disease, patients experience hematuria, which is... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.