Andy, I thought that the board was a bit too quite. Its now in the #1 slot on the Hot Topics board. I'll post the Reuter's article on the diabetes paper to you. Peter seems a bit overwhelmed although he made the comment about consultants and wanted some references for LGND's science. The Nature reference is at the bottom of the Reuter's story:
Here's a Reuter's report on the Nature publication showing that
Rexinoids synergize with TZDs:
New Class Of Retinoids Improves Insulin Utilization
WESTPORT, Apr 02 (Reuters) - A new class of retinoids that act as
insulin sensitizers
enable mice with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus to use
insulin more efficiently,
according to an article in the March 27 issue of Nature.
Lead author Dr. Ranjan Mukherjee of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in San
Diego, California
reports that he and his colleagues have been able to show that
retinoid X
receptor-selective agonists, which they call rexinoids, replicate
the activity of ligands
for a variety of hormone receptors. Dr. Mukherjee explains that
because one such
receptor, known as peroxisome proliferator activated
receptor-gamma, is a target for
antidiabetic agents, his group "...investigated whether retinoid X
receptor ligands could
alter insulin and glucose signaling."
According to Dr. Mukherjee, rexinoids do indeed "...function as
insulin sensitizers and
can decrease hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, and
hyperinsulinaemia. This
antidiabetic activity can be further enhanced by combination
treatment with
[peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma] agonists, such
as
thiazolidinediones."
"The biological activity of [retinoid X receptor] ligands is
different from that of retinoids
that activate the retinoic acid receptors," Dr. Mukherjee writes.
"Therefore, it is
appropriate that [retinoid X receptor] activators be considered a
distinct class of
pharmacologic agents and could be referred to as 'rexinoids' to
distinguish their activity
from 'retinoids'....These [retinoid X receptor] agonists appear to
offer a new approach
for the treatment of insulin resistance."
Nature 1997;386:407-410. |
