Diabetes Pharmacist : Diabetes Pharmacist Blog : Focus Express Mail Pharmacy : Insulin Pumps, Diabetes Supplies and Information

Are you one of the millions of diabetics worldwide who must endure multiple painful daily insulin injections?  Maybe you have considered other therapies such as an insulin pump but were intimidated by the somewhat invasive procedure. What if there was a way for you to restore your body’s ability to produce insulin using your very own cells?  This is the basis of a revolutionary new therapy called “autologous cell replacement” therapy that is being studied by researchers at a small biotech company named Orgenesis.  

The fundamental process of ACR therapy is the harvesting of one’s own stem cells and re-implanting them, in order to regenerate functional adult cells; in this case, the intent is to regenerate cells that are capable of producing insulin.  The first step is to extract healthy liver cells via a standard liver biopsy. These cells are then sent to a lab where they are carefully separated, and a portion of them are manipulated using a therapeutic agent known as PDX-1. This “master regulator” oversees pancreatic development and can be used to transform a portion of your liver cells into “autologous insulin producing” cells that function similarly to beta cells, which normally produce insulin in the pancreas of healthy people.

In addition to producing insulin, these new AIP cells are also capable of storing and secreting insulin in a glucose-regulated manner. These cells are then transplanted back into the patient’s liver where they will continue to produce insulin; because they were originally produced by the patient, there is no risk of rejection. Your liver would now serve a dual-purpose by continuing to work in the normal metabolic function yet produce insulin as well.

The use of PDX-1 to change the function of liver cells has been shown to be successful in mice using recombinant adenovirus gene therapy, and researchers are currently working to initiate the first clinical trial for human patients. You may have heard on the news of the controversy surrounding stem-cell therapy, but that is the great feature of ACR therapy: you are using your own stem cells to treat your own disease. This eliminates the need for organ donation as well as embryo-derived stem cells.

The benefits from this therapy would be significant, as patients would be able to eliminate multiple daily injections, rigid dietary restrictions and regimented exercise plans. While the progress being made at Orgenesis is truly remarkable, it must be realized that the therapy is years away from being a viable option. Until the day comes when ACR therapy is the first treatment option for diabetics, the people at Focus Express Mail Pharmacy are here to help you receive all your current diabetic supplies at no out-of-pocket cost. With over 20 years of experience in all diabetic therapies, Focus Express Mail Pharmacy will no doubt be pioneering new and exciting therapies such as ACR to all those who suffer from diabetes.

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A recent study of more than 1,000 men and women over age 60  found that people with diabetes were twice as likely as the other study participants to develop Alzheimer's disease within 15 years. They were also 1.75 times more likely to develop dementia of any kind.

"It's really important for the [public's] health to understand that diabetes is a significant risk factor for all of these types of dementia," says Rachel Whitmer, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in the research division of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a nonprofit health-care organization based in Oakland, California

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 Researchers associated with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that the presence of diabetes increased the 10-year risk of thyroid cancer by 25% among adults 50 to 71 years old. Women were at a particularly high risk.

No one is quite sure why there is a connection although both diseases are endocrine disorders and are linked to autoimmune problems.

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Patients with previous cardiac episodes who were taking a low dose of aspirin daily -- usually 81 mg -- had very little benefit in terms of prevention of a second heart attack or a decreased risk of mortality according to new research based on 21 differerent studies. According to Scot Simpson of the University of Alberta,"We found that, if those same patients took up to 325 milligrams of aspirin per day, they had a 23 percent lower risk of death."

"People with diabetes are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and there is evidence that suggests as much as 60 percent of deaths in diabetics are attributable to heart disease," Simpson said.

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Hearing loss  is more than twice as common in people with diabetes than in people without the condition, according to an analysis of 13 studies. However, no cause and effect was found when Japanese researchers pooled the results of studies involving nearly 8,800 people with hearing impairment, of whom more than 1,000 had diabetes, and 23,839 people without hearing impairment, of whom nearly 2,500 had diabetes.

It’s unknown why hearing loss is more common among people with diabetes, but most researchers believe that damage to the blood vessels is the main culprit, according to Pamela D. Parker, MD, of the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Ariz.. Autopsy studies of diabetes patients have shown that high blood sugar levels have damaged small blood vessels of the inner ear making it more difficult to hear.

For me, I just  wonder what the AGES were of those who had Diabetes and Hearing Loss? As we age, of course, the ability to hear decreases gradually and significantly. It would be interesting to see how age, diabetes, and hearing loss are related.

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According to obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Brian Egan,  50 percent of women with gestational diabetes develop Type 2 Diabetes within 5 years of their pregnancy and another 20 percent after 28 years of being pregnant.

“Pregnancy tends to be a little crystal ball of the future,” Egan said. “It tells us what the future could be, but we do have the opportunity to change that future.” Egan added "there is a greater risk of birth trauma to both mother and baby when the mother has gestational diabetes, as the babies tend to be larger."

It is recommended that women get checked for the presence of diabetes before getting pregnant.

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According to a new study, people who have diabetes have at least a 10% higher risk for certain cancers than those who are not diabetic.

Compared to people without diabetes, diabetic men were more likely to report having colon, pancreas, rectum, urinary bladder, kidney or prostate cancer. For men, the greatest increase in risk was for pancreatic cancer, with 16 per 10,000 cases among diabetics and just two per 10,000 among non-diabetics. Diabetic women had more cases of breast cancer, leukemia or cancer of the womb.

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A new study has shown that people with diabetes who have difficulties sleeping, have higher levels of blood glucose and experience greater difficulty in controlling their hyperglycemia.

But, it is still unknown if  diabetes causes the problems with sleep OR if the problems with sleep cause the higher levels of blood glucose.

The take-home message for those with diabetes is to pay attention to their sleep quality, agreed both Dr.Joel Zonszein, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. and study leader Kristen  Knutsonan, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "If no sleep studies have been done, they might want to ask their doctor [about doing some],'" Zonszein said.

In a related study, people who stay up late INSTEAD of sleeping, may be more likely to eat excess calories and have a higher body mass index (BMI), putting themselves at risk for developing Type II Diabetes. Instead of going to bed at a normal hour, these people tend to eat far more fast food and significantly less fruits and vegetables.

Dr. Phyllis Zee, MD., who participated in the research noted that"When sleep and eating are not aligned with the body's internal clock, it can lead to changes in appetite and metabolism, which could lead to weight gain."



 

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 New research has discovered enzymes in maple syrup that may help inhibit Type 2 diabetes. "Our study took it to a different level," said Dr. Navindra Seeram,  a University of Rhode Island natural product chemist. "We did this large scale, and took a large quantity of maple syrup and found 54 phenolics (plant compounds) of which 40 were being reported from maple syrup for the first time." 
 More studies will be needed to determine if an effective drug can be produced.

All of the above sounds great, right? Well, just as an FYI ,  the study was funded by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.  I think I would embrace the results more if the funding came from a different source.  If a drug is produced in the near future, I'll feel better about the reason for the research.

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In a recent Stanford University study,  researchers found that obese men with diabetes had a distinct group of antibodies against cellular proteins that were not present in a group of obese men who did NOT have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes therefore, like Type 1, may also be an autoimmune disease, but the immune system's target cells are different,

"We are in the process of redefining one of the most common diseases in America as an autoimmune disease, rather than a purely metabolic disease," Daniel Winer, endocrine pathologist now at the University of Toronto, said in a statement. "This work will change the way people think about obesity, and will likely impact medicine for years to come as physicians begin to switch their focus to immune-modulating treatments for Type 2 diabetes."

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An international study has determined that the diet a woman follows during pregnancy can actually alter the DNA of the baby in the womb.  The study, published in the journal Diabetes, showed that by eating LOW levels of carbohydrates during pregnancy,  bits of DNA changed, resulting in children that were not only fatter, but  who also had a higher risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes later in life.

 Dr. Peter Gluckman of the Liggins institute at Auckland University said that "Children with a high degree of this epigenetic change, caused by the diet,  were about three kilograms heavier than their peers by the time they were aged six to nine."  ''That's a hell of a lot of extra weight at that age,'' he said, adding that the extra fat was likely to be carried into adulthood, raising the chances of diabetes and heart disease.

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Wrist circumference size may predict which children are at risk for insulin resistance, which in turn is a risk factor for heart disease.

Results from a recent study show that large wrist sizes in adolescents are associated with high insulin levels which means an individual may go on to develop insulin resistance, a condition in which the body does not respond properly to the hormone.

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Two recent studies have linked deficiencies in Magnesium and Potassium to an increase in the prevalence of Diabetes.

The first study, done in Brazil,  found that those patients with lower fasting and after-meal blood glucose levels had higher blood magnesium levels while those patients with higher fasting glucose levels had lower blood magnesium levels and higher urine levels of magnesium. 

According to the author of "The Magnesium Miracle", Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD ,ND, "Magnesium plays a pivotal role in the secretion and function of insulin; without it, diabetes mellitus is inevitable. Measurable magnesium deficiency is common in diabetes and in many of its complications, including heart disease, eye damage, high blood pressure, and obesity. When the treatment of diabetes includes magnesium, these problems are prevented or minimized."

 In the second study, lower potassium levels in the blood may help explain why African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

According to  Hsin-Chieh “Jessica” Yeh, Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an author of the study, which appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "We now know lower serum potassium is an independent risk factor for diabetes and that African-Americans have, on average, lower potassium levels than whites. What remains to be seen is if increasing potassium levels through diet or supplementation can prevent the most common form of diabetes.”

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James Perfield, a University of Missouri researcher, has, found that a specific plant oil, known as sterculic oil, may be able to reduce belly fat in humans. Belly fat leads to serious medical problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke. Sterculic oil is extracted from seeds of the Sterculia foetida tree.

Dr Perfield adds"This research paves the way for potential use in humans."

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A new study  purports that children with Diabetes generally have poorer eating habits than other children, leading to, what could be,  very serious complications in their future.

 Minority male adolescents 15 and above are those with the highest risk. Influential factors include a low level of parental education, low-to-middle family income,  and low parental involvement in Diabetes management. A sedentary lifestyle is also a factor. These young adults tend to have numerous cardiovascular disease risk factors. Ninety percent of children with Type 2 Diabetes have metabolic syndrome — a group of conditions that  increases the risk for coronary artery disease and stroke.

Dr. Beth Mayer-Davis, a leader in the field of childhood Diabetes, spoke about the study, part of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute’s Appetite for Life Seminar Series. She said that "Diet in children with Diabetes is, then, of utmost importance. Children with Diabetes need to be able to match insulin to food intake, eat foods high in fiber, consume whole grain breads and cereals, get enough fresh fruits and vegetables and increase physical activity."

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Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona are developing a new type of self-monitoring blood glucose sensor that would measure glucose in tear fluid,   Testing may give an indication of glucose levels in the blood as accurately as a test using a blood sample, the researchers said.

"This new technology might encourage patients to check their blood sugars more often, which could lead to better control of their diabetes by a simple touch to the eye," said Jeffrey T. LaBelle, the designer of the device technology. (ANI)

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New research by the University of Cambridge in Britain says that having diabetes at 50 may reduce a person’s life expectancy by an average of six years.

The research suggests that a  person with diabetes is more than twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease as someone without diabetes and 25% more likely to die of cancer. People with Type 2 diabetes are also more likely to die from kidney disease, liver disease, pneumonia, infectious diseases and even intentional self-harm, according to the study,

 In light of the rapidly expanding incidence of diabetes in the United States, where an estimated 25.8 million Americans have diabetes, this research shows how important and vital it is to PREVENT diabetes.

Researchers knew that diabetes could shorten lifespan, "but this really says how many years of life may be lost and to what causes," said Dr. David M. Kendall, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Assn., who was not involved in the study.

 

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Because  this month is National Diabetes Month and this Sunday, November 14th is World Diabetes Day, NOW is a good time to think about the current "state of affairs: concerning what is probably the biggest health issue in this country: Diabetes.

Here's the Good:

• In the lab of Dr. Pere Santamaria at the University of Calgary,  researchers developed a vaccine that successfully reversed insulin dependent diabetes in mice. Most importantly,  only those immune cells that were responsible for destroying the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.were targeted by the vaccine. Hopefully, we will see testing done on humans in the near future..

• Although it is probably years away from market, the first closed loop artificial pancreas system was officially tested with positive results.

• Pedro Herrera, at the University of Geneva Medical School, and his team found that the adult pancreas can actually regenerate alpha cells into functioning beta cells. Other researchers have been able to "reprogram" other cells in the body into beta cells,

Here's The Bad:

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According to researcher Marie L. Misso, PhD, of the Australasian Cochrane Center at Monash University, Clayton, Australia, "good evidence is now available to support the use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in the appropriate patient."

To assess and compare the effects of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with multiple insulin injections, researchers studied 23 randomized controlled trials which included a total of 973 patients who used one of the two interventions for their type 1 diabetes. Results showed that  the continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion users (users of insulin pumps)  had significantly lower HbA1c levels compared with multiple insulin injection users.

For more information about insulin pumps, click here!

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A published report out of Australia says that every hour viewers spend watching television increases the risk of premature death.  The study was undertaken by the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.The report involving more than 8,000 adults in Australia over a six-year period revealed that those adults who watched television the most died younger.

Professor David Dunstan, who led the study, says the elevated risk of an early death was independent of other risk factors, including high blood pressure or cholesterol levels as well as diet, exercise and smoking. The research showed that too much sitting on the couch/sofa can be detrimental to our health.

"What this study provides is the first compelling evidence linking television viewing to an increased risk of early death," Dunstan said. "People who watch four or more hours of television a day have a 46 percent higher risk of death from all causes and an 80 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease."  There is a difference between not doing enough exercise and sitting down too much, which scientists  believe upsets the body's rhythms and regulatory processes, such as breaking down and using glucose.

So, you want to watch that 4 hour movie? Or you want to see those television shows that you taped or DVR'd while you were away? Watch them while walking/running on a treadmill or peddling a stationary bicycle. You'll live longer and feel better!


 

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A new European study has shown that obese people have large amounts of the chemokine molecule CXCL5, produced by certain cells in fatty tissue, and it is this molecule that  researchers feel will cause an obese person to develop Type II Diabetes.

'Chronic inflammation of the adipose tissue, which is characteristic of obese people, is a crucial stage in the development of insulin resistance and Type II Diabetes", Lluis Fajas, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in France, said.

 Serum levels of CXCL5, produced by certain adipose tissue cells, appear at much high levels in the tissues of obese people than in those of individuals with normal weight. An experimental treatment aimed at inhibiting the action of CXCL5 has protected obese mice from developing Type II Diabetes. If this can be shown in humans, an important step to prevent diabetes in obese people will have been taken.

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Using noninvasive imaging (Magnetic Resonance Imaging  (MRI) ) for the first time in diabetes research, physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have discovered how it may aid in the early diagnosis, staging, and treatment of diabetes.

"With noninvasive MRI we have the ability to evaluate beta cell mass, a major factor of insulin secretion that is significantly reduced in type two diabetes and almost gone in type one,” said Anna Moore, MD, lead author of the study. “Knowing the number of functional beta cells left would allow physicians to develop the most appropriate treatment plans for their patients. It would also allow them to respond, change or manipulate those treatment plans at any time,” she said.

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Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as from Harvard Medical School are reporting that two medications that treat allergies, Cromolyn and Zaditor, helped mice lose weight and controlled their blood sugar. Test results showed that a group of diabetic and obese mice that  only used these drugs saw almost a complete reversal of their health problems. Monkeys will be tested next to see if, in fact, obesity and diabetes may be connected to immune system changes.

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A new standard, called the A1C assay, is being recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), to help doctors test for and diagnose diabetes.

Instead of the 12-14 hour fasting glucose test and the glucose tolerance test currently in use, a simple blood test will be taken to measure how much protein in the blood has been fused with excess glucose that is not able to be used by the body because of diabetes.This is a process called called Glycation. Because it is such a simple test to do, the ADA recommends that everyone 45 or over has it regardless of lack of symptoms or family history.

Click here to learn more about diabetes testing supplies available from Focus Express Mail Pharmacy!

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A recent  study from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that over the next 4 decades,  the number of adults 40 and older with diabetic retinopathy— the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults — will reach 16 million in 2050, up from 5.5 million in 2005. People with diabetic retinopathy ,which is damage to the small blood vessels in the retina, usually do not have symptoms until they actually start to lose vision. As a result, many skip the recommended annual eye exams.The study further states that elderly Hispanics and blacks will be hit hardest because of their higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes.

Dr. Jinan B. Saaddine, an epidemiologist at the disease centers and an author of the study. said that “This calls for more awareness and more action, not just to do something about the condition before it develops but to do more to PREVENT DIABETES to start with.”

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A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 3,277 newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes patients who were asked to tightly manage their blood sugar either through diet restrictions or drugs.

The results show that the group taking insulin had a 15 percent lower risk of heart attack and a 13 percent lower risk of death compared with the group who used diet. The early, intensive approach to blood sugar control amounted to a head start. The researchers call this the "Legacy Effect."

 "These results emphasize the importance of detecting and treating diabetes at the earliest opportunity and the major benefits that can be obtained with good blood glucose control."  said Professor Rury Holman, of Oxford University, who led the study.

Intensive and not-so-intensive approaches to blood pressure were also compared among the diabetes patients in the study. When the study ended, the patients who took the intensive approach were less likely to have died from diabetes, had a stroke or developed diabetes-related complications.

It's not news that controlling blood sugar and blood pressure are musts for managing type 2 diabetes. But the new findings show that doing so promptly and intensively will lead to a lower likelihood of a heart attack as well as a healthier cardiovascular system.

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 High arsenic levels in drinking water has been linked to diabetes according to research done over the years. It is known that impaired insulin secretion in pancreas cells occurs when those cells are treated with an arsenic compound.

Here's the Bad News: a recent analysis of government data has linked Low-level arsenic exposure, possibly from drinking water, with Type 2 diabetes.

Molly Kile, an environmental health research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health says in an editorial in the journal JAMA. “Urinary arsenic reflects exposures from all routes—air, water, and food—which makes it difficult to track the actual source of arsenic exposure, let alone use the results from this study to establish drinking water standards,” . Kile also said the findings raise a sort of “chicken-and-egg problem,” since it’s unknown whether diabetes changes the way people metabolize arsenic. It is also possible that people with diabetes actually excrete more arsenic.

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Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have determined that insulin resistance is likely the reason why gallstones are more common in obese people. Sudha Biddinger, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study and a researcher in the Joslin Section on Obesity and Hormone Action, said:

"Obesity is associated with increased secretion of cholesterol into the bile. The excess cholesterol accumulates in the gallbladder which can lead to the formation of painful gallstones. This study shows that insulin resistance is key to this process, as the lack of insulin receptors in the livers (of research mice) was sufficient to promote gallstones".

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In important research, scientists in Michigan have discovered  that signs of metabolic stress in the retina caused by diabetes can be detected by capturing a snapshot of the eye.They say that new imaging technology may offer a quick, noninvasive way of detecting diabetes early and monitoring its progress
Although the study focused on patients with diabetes, the researchers feel that  the screening technology should be able to identify people with prediabetes--a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal and that often progresses to full-blown diabetes.  Clinical trials begin this fall (2008), using the system on diabetics and prediabetics.

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Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Does a diagnosis of diabetes lead to depression or does depression lead to diabetes? Probably both according to new research reported on Newsday.com.

People with diabetes are more likely to become depressed as they face a lifetime of keeping their disease in check, researchers said. About 21 million Americans have diabetes, which requires patients to adhere to a strict diet and exercise routine and to monitor their blood sugar levels regularly. People being treated for Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, were 52 percent more likely to develop depression than those without the disease, according to a paper published in a recent Journal of the American Medical Association. John Buse, the American Diabetes Association's president of medicine and science, said. "It's a very tough business to take care of diabetes."

On the flip side, depression may cause patients to develop behaviors that cause diabetes or make it worse. For example, research has shown that many people who are depressed don't exercise, smoke, and/or overeat. "It's important that doctors be attuned to look for both conditions in patients at risk for either diabetes or depression," lead author Sherita Hill Golden, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said in a statement. "We may want to develop interventions for both treatments, instead of just one or the other."

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Researchers at the University of Virginia were able to reverse Type 1 diabetes in 70% of the diabetic mice tested  by using a combination of 2 drugs, Lisofylline and INGAP,  according to reporter Mark Tenia.

This may be the only type of medication for people with existing Type 1 Diabetes," said Dr. Jerry Nadler, director of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Virginia. "We're very excited about the findings and these mice simulate what happens in people with type 1 diabetes," he added.

 Lisofylline, stops the body from destroying insulin producing cells while  INGAP, helps the body regenerate new cells that create insulin. 
"The most exciting part to us is that this combination therapy approach could actually go to the clinic in a reasonably short period of time," said Nadler. 

Both drugs have already been tested in humans in clinical trials separately. Safety testing that usually takes years and years, has already been passed."Even if it works partially well and helps the body regenerate some insulin producing cells that stay functional, that's a major advance. There's no other therapy like that out there," said Nadler. If all goes well, Dr. Nadler says that the drugs could be available to the public within three to five years.

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News of bariatric surgery restoring high blood sugars to normal in grossly overweight people has made the rounds lately. Now, similar surgery on people who are NOT overweight has gotten similar results. According to the Washington Post News Service, this surgery is promising but the mechanism of action is uncertain.

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Researchers are now investigating the strong blood sugar reducing capability of Bitter Melon, a vegetable commonly used in Asia for medicinal use.

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It's a connection that wouldn't surprise Dr. Ulysses Magalang, a sleep expert with Ohio State University Medical Center. He says that depriving your body of oxygen often takes its toll.
"We do not know whether sleep apnea actually causes diabetes. What we do know is that patients with sleep apnea have an increased insulin resistance, which is a hallmark of patients with diabetes," says Magalang.

Dr. Magalang also says that  "obesity is a common risk factor for both diabetes and sleep apnea, and fat cells seem to function similarly in both. Studies have shown that wearing airflow masks at night can prevent problems with those fat cells. The problem is, getting patients to wear them."

Research will continue to see if, in fact, there is a direct link between sleep apnea and diabetes.

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A new study shows that diabetes and Alzheimer s diseases are more related than everybody thought. According  to Suzanne M. de la Monte,a Rhode Island Hospital neuropathologist and professor of pathology at Brown University Medical School ,insulin disappears early and dramatically in Alzheimer's disease and many of the unexplained features of Alzheimer's, such as cell death and tangles in the brain, appear to be linked to abnormalities in insulin signaling. MORE......

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Robert Langreth, in Forbes.com, writes about a new type of drug, called an anti-CD3 antibody, which aims for the first time to delay or prevent development of diabetes by arresting the immune system's attack on pancreatic islet cells. This new class of drugs, now entering final-stage human trials, are given to newly diagnosed patients for just a few days or weeks but appear to preserve some insulin-producing capacity for years. Ultimately the drugs may even be able to prevent the disease from striking people at high risk because of a family history of diabetes or bad genes. MORE.....

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 Natreon Inc., a nutraceutical industry’s leading supplier of botanical extract ingredients announced today the incorporation of Puredel Ltd., (Puredel), a company aimed at developing 
Ossulin™, an oral insulin which has shown promising results in preliminary animal and human studies.. More...

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