Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Ligand (LGND) Breakout! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Henry Niman who wrote (25973)	10/1/1998 8:10:00 AM
From: Cheryl Galt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32384

OT RE: an obesity gene. Henry, that's the best study on obesity I've seen --- not that I'm some expert.... ;-) But it feels like a breakthrough, that might lead to hope for people with a real health problem (not yoyo dieters). >> Results. Four of the 121 obese subjects had a missense mutation in the gene for PPAR(gamma)2 that resulted in the conversion of proline to glutamine at position 115, as compared with none of the 237 subjects of normal weight (P=0.01). >> All the subjects with the mutant allele were markedly obese, with body-mass-index values ranging from 37.9 to 47.3, as compared with a mean of 33.6 in the other obese subjects. >> Overexpression of the mutant gene in murine fibroblasts led to the production of a protein in which ... -------------------------------------- Incidently, Henry, one of your uploads many moons ago led me to investigate a Dr. Irl Hirsh at the U of W, which led to involvement in testing there and good luck (for Tom), with an investigational drug (not Rezulin, but a better delivery system for glyburide and metformin --- (a single combination tablet-->better compliance) ). The four-month test was unblinded a couple months ago. Tom WAS on the test drug, and it's worked out great. He was VERY careful not to deviate from his normal eating/activity patterns, so can be sure the drug made the difference. His fasting blood sugar is consistently at normal levels now, and he's slowing losing weight with no effort. (Tho his weight wasn't really a problem before, he's not complaining about the loss. Glyburide promotes weight gain, and in the combo, the glyburide is greatly reduced, and metformin does NOT cause weight gain. (Rezulin MIGHT, btw -- anecdotal evidence. Have you heard this too, Henry? ) ) I don't have official study results, but (before unblinding) Alice D. at the Seattle Lipid Clinic was pretty sure who was on the drug, because some people were doing so well. Tom's now on a one-year test to monitor those who decided to continue. I hope they extend the test to 10 years. One year is NOT enough for people with a life-long condition, IMO. I will lobby SBH for such long-term testing. -------------- Henry, your manic uploads sometimes drive me crazy. That day, when Rezulin was newly in the news and you sensed good news for Ligand, you uploaded about 20 docs in 30 minutes. For some unknown reason, I scanned all of them! And a needle in your haystack got lucky. Udub caught my eye. So, what can i say ...... Certainly, I'm not urging manic posting... ;-) Maybe just: Keeping eyes open works! Regards, Cheryl (the Bear, still... ) PS - None of this works if he drinks much coffee --- personal discovery. We KNOW it's true. Too bad there are no studies. But who would fund such a study? Surely not Starbucks! MAYBE a biotech, as one sub-group of a study ... ? But this knowledge hurts. We'd been addicted to Starbucks' dark roast Kenya since 1967, when we bought our beans from a couple of guys at their 10x6 foot stall in an out-of-the-way corner of the Pike Street Market. Now, I brew it only when he's not around. And he gets a Starbucks fix only occasionally, when he walks by one of their outlets, and the fragrance is irresissstable -- which is limit enough.