Latest news with #enzyme
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hope For Healthy Hearts: Enzyme Breakthrough Could Tame Cholesterol
Scientists at the University of Texas at Arlington have identified a new enzyme that can help control cholesterol levels. The enzyme discovered by the researchers can be shut off, effectively helping the body maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The breakthrough development could pave the way for new treatments to help the millions of Americans with elevated cholesterol levels. Subhrangsu S. Mandal, lead author of a new study and professor of chemistry at UT Arlington, said the team found that by blocking the enzyme IDO1, inflammation within immune cells called macrophages could be controlled. 'Inflammation is linked to so many conditions… By better understanding IDO1 and how to block it, we have the potential to better control inflammation and restore proper cholesterol processing, stopping many of these diseases in their tracks,' said Mandal, per UTA. While some inflammation is beneficial, when it becomes abnormal due to triggers such as stress or injury, it can damage cells, disrupt normal functions, and even increase the risk of disease. The researchers found that the enzyme IDO1 is active during inflammation. This produces a substance called kynurenine, which disrupts the macrophages' ability to process cholesterol effectively. However, when IDO1 is blocked, macrophages regain their ability to absorb cholesterol. Moreover, the team found that another enzyme that can drive inflammation, nitric oxide synthases (NOS), worsens the effects of IDO1. Blocking NOS, the team theorizes, could provide another avenue for controlling information-linked cholesterol problems. 'These findings are important because we know too much cholesterol buildup in macrophages can lead to clogged arteries, heart disease and a host of other illnesses,' Mandal said. 'Understanding how to prevent the inflammation affecting cholesterol regulation could lead to new treatments for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and others.'
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'I will fade away without vital pancreas medication', says Hartley man
A Kent man who has had three-quarters of his pancreas removed says he will "fade away" without a medication that there has been a nationwide shortage of since Elcombe, from Hartley, takes Creon three times a day, after major surgery three years ago left him no longer able to create enough enzymes to break down food. As it stands, he has three and a half weeks worth of tablets left, having only had one prescription filled this said: "You need it to survive, without it [Creon] your body can't break down the as important as insulin is to a diabetic." The nationwide shortage, which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says is a "European-wide" supply issue, has forced the 63-year-old and his wife to spend time travelling to different pharmacies in a bid to get the said: "I know it sounds dramatic, but without it you will just fade very scary."Mr Elcombe also had a third of his stomach removed during the operation, alongside his gallbladder and part of his small said he had a hugely depleted supply of Creon despite reducing his intake from the intended 24 tablets to just eight a limits what he can consume because the 63-year-old can't eat without it. He added: "You're never 100% after your operation. The fatigue you get is chronic; not eating makes it worse."Mr Elcombe said the shortage - which has become worse this year - was not expected to lift until December 2026.A spokesperson for the DHSC said: "We know how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be for patients and the clinicians caring for them."The European-wide supply issues with Creon are caused by a limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints."We are working closely with industry and the NHS to mitigate the impact on patients and resolve the issues as quickly as possible."
