The Research

Treating ovariectomized mice with a combination of conjugated estrogens and the drug bazedoxifene triggers the expression of genes that improve metabolism and prevent weight gain - without stimulating the uterus and increasing risks of reproductive cancer, a new study suggests. University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Zeynep Madak-Erdogan led a group of researchers who explored the effects of conjugated estrogens and bazedoxifene on the liver by analyzing gene transcription and the metabolism of about 150 chemicals in the blood. The findings were reported in a paper published in the online journal  PLOS One . Bazedoxifene is commonly prescribed in combination with conjugated estrogens to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. It is among a class of compounds known as selective estrogen receptor modulators, which bind to estrogen receptors and either promote or block their activity. "Once women enter menopause and estrogens are lost, their metabol...

A treatment called deep brain stimulation (DBS) could extend the life of people with Parkinson’s disease. Researchers at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital in Illinois found that patients who received stimulation via an implanted device had a modest survival advantage compared with those treated with medication only. The results appeared in the Nov. 18, 2017, issue of  Movement Disorders . Previous studies have shown that DBS can improve motor function in people with Parkinson’s disease. The treatment involves electrodes surgically inserted into specific areas of the brain. An impulse generator battery–similar to what is used in pacemakers–is also implanted, under the collarbone or in the abdomen. The battery creates electrical impulses that the electrodes deliver to the brain tissue. Dr. Frances Weaver, lead author on the study, explained the benefit of DBS: “Overall, DBS surgery has been viewed quite positively by both patients and providers. There is an immediate e...