Hormone

New research is offering compelling evidence to suggest levels of a steroid hormone called allopregnanolone can affect fetal brain development, and when disrupted can result in cerebral abnormalities and increases in autism risk.

Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”, has been associated with brain lesions thought to play a role in cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer's.

A study suggests the drugs used to initially treat breast cancer may be triggering some cancer cells to enter a dormant state.

A new study has discovered a mechanism explaining how obesity and high-fat diets can disrupt the appetite-suppressing signals from the brain and lead to overeating. The fascinating research revealed a hormone in the gut, triggered by high-fat meals, actually induces the body to keep eating.

A new slow-release hormone treatment is being touted as an alternative to gastric bypass surgery in obese patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. The novel therapy delivers three appetite-regulating hormones via a subcutaneous pump, resulting in weight loss and improved blood glucose levels.

Two studies are suggesting modulating activity of the hormone vasopressin may help treat the social impairments associated with autism. The two trials use different approaches but some experts are suggesting it is too early to conclude these hormones would be beneficial to all autistic subjects.

A possible diabetes cure could be found by replenishing a patient’s own supply of beta cells, which naturally produce insulin. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are a step closer to that kind of treatment, after tweaking the recipe for turning stem cells into beta cells.

A new study has revealed a compelling link between a hormone released during exercise and the prevention of neurodegeneration seen in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. The research suggests the exercise-induced hormone irisin may improve brain plasticity and memory.

A new study is adding weight to the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease is somewhat transmissible, providing experimental evidence that in the past amyloid beta plaques may have been seeded in a patient's brain through contaminated samples of human growth hormone.

A Phase 2 trial into the efficacy of a male contraceptive gel is about to get underway bringing modern medicine closer than it ever has before to finally developing a male birth control drug, decades after the female contraceptive pill hit the market.

A meta-analysis of 27 existing studies has concluded that testosterone treatment seems to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms in men. While a relationship between testosterone and depression has been hypothesized for years, experts suggest more specific and rigorous trials are still needed.

A study has revealed a new reason why getting less than eight hours of sleep a night could be damaging to our health. The research found adults who only got around six hours of sleep per night were more likely to be dehydrated, and the cause could be a particular hydration-regulating hormone.