Associated with an aging population and the development of metabolic syndrome, atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death worldwide. Researchers from Inserm Unit 970, the "Paris Cardiovascular Research Center" (Inserm/Université Paris Descartes), have succeeded in revealing the mechanisms underlying the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. In particular, they have discovered the protective role of autophagy, a mechanism for cleaning and recycling cell components, in the cells that line the inner...
A new study led by Inserm researchers from Irset, the Research Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health,[1] shows for the first time in humans that simultaneous exposure to endocrine disruptors exacerbates the effects observed from exposure to each chemical independently. This study focused principally on the human fetal testes and the potential consequences of these mixtures on development of the reproductive system, as the selected chemicals inhibited testosterone production....
Inserm researchers have succeeded in producing a human protein in laboratory conditions and to use it against bacterial infections and for the treatment of sepsis. Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response by the body to a serious infection. Should the inflammation reach a critical stage (septic shock), the condition becomes life-threatening. Sepsis kills one person every 3 to 4 seconds worldwide. This research, published in Scientific Reports, therefore represents...
In humans, apelin is able to regulate blood sugar levels and increase the sensitivity of cells to insulin. These two observations have paved the way for a clinical trial led by Inserm researchers from Toulouse, and represent a promising step forward for the development of a new treatment for diabetes, in particular type 2 diabetes.
Skeletal muscle wasting, a process commonly associated with aging but also seen with various chronic diseases (obesity, cancer, kidney failure), situations of immobilization (accidents, post-operative periods) or prolonged weightlessness (astronauts), strongly impacts quality of life. Researchers from the Cardiovascular, Metabolism, Diabetology and Nutrition (CarMeN) laboratory (Inserm/Inra/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1/Insa Lyon) in Lyon (France), led by Hubert Vidal, Inserm Research Director, in collaboration with the team of Dr. Jérome...
Since the end of the 20th century, it has been proven that women who have been pregnant (including those who have miscarried or aborted) store the fetal cells of their children in their bone marrow for at least 50 years. The team of Professor Selim Aractingi - Paris Descartes Faculty of Medicine, Cochin Hospital (Paris hospital group) Dermatology Department, “Saint Antoine Research Center” Inserm joint research unit, and Université...
Researchers at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (Inra) and their partners[1] have done animal studies on the consequences of having a certain group of microbiota bacteria and a common food contaminant, deoxynivalenol (DON), present in the gut simultaneously. They show that the presence of this mycotoxin enhances the genotoxicity of the bacteria, i.e. it increases the number of DNA strand breaks in intestinal cells, a phenomenon that...
Matteo Serino, chargé de recherche Inserm à l’Institut de recherche en santé digestive (IRSD, une unité mixte de recherche Inserm/Université Toulouse III- Paul Sabatier/Ecole nationale vétérinaire de Toulouse/Inra), et ses collaborateurs, montrent que l’altération du microbiote intestinal, qu’elle soit d’origine nutritionnelle ou génétique, peut avoir des effets bénéfiques sur le métabolisme du foie. Ces résultats contredisent des résultats précédents obtenus dans le domaine qui montraient que le transfert d’un...
Inserm researchers led by Patrick Collombat at Unit 1091,“Institute of Biology Valrose” (Inserm/CNRS/Nice Sophia Antipolis University), show that GABA, a neurotransmitter that is sometimes used as a dietary supplement, can induce the regeneration of insulin-producing cells. This discovery, confirmed in mice and partially validated in humans, gives new hope to patients with type 1 diabetes. This research is published in the journal Cell.
In 1973, the rare syndrome of uncombable hair or 'pili trianguli et canaliculi' was described by a Toulouse dermatologist. More than 40 years later, Michel Simon, Inserm research director his colleagues at the 'Epidermal Differentiation and Rheumatoid Autoimmunity' Unit [UDEAR] (Inserm/CNRS/Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University) have identified its genetic cause.