2025 News Feed
Answer ALS Launches AI Drug Development Collaboration with Tulane, Pennington Biomedical Research Center and GATC Health to Advance ALS Treatment Discovery
Answer ALS is proud to announce the launch of a groundbreaking collaborative initiative aimed at accelerating AI-powered drug discovery for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. This effort, known as the Louisiana AI Drug Development Infrastructure for ALS (LADDIA), brings together leading institutions and innovators, including Tulane University, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and GATC Health - a tech-bio innovator using validated AI models to accelerate drug discovery from large-scale multiomics data-, to harness the power of artificial intelligence and one of the largest ALS datasets in the world.
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Pennington Biomedical Q&A: Dr. Kara Denstel
Dr. Kara Denstel is leading the Pennington Generation study, which is designed to capture a clear picture of the health of Louisiana families, specifically physical activity, sleep quality, eating habits and more. Dr. Denstel recently participated in a Pennington Biomedical Q&A to elaborate on the Pennington Generation study, how she got involved, and what she and colleagues hope to learn from the collected data.
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Tirzepatide Reduces Food Intake and Appetite, and Affects Brain Functioning, more than a Placebo and Liraglutide
Researchers found that tirzepatide, a medication primarily used for treating type 2 diabetes and weight loss, reduced body weight, food intake and many measures of appetite more than placebo and liraglutide. These results were recently published in Nature Medicine in the study titled “Tirzepatide on ingestive behavior in adults with overweight or obesity: a randomized 6-week phase 1 trial.”
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Reduction in Amino Acid Cysteine Triggers Weight Loss
Consuming fewer calories is largely accepted as a way to improve health and lose weight, but a recently published study in Nature Metabolism points to a specific sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine as a key component in weight loss. In the study “Cysteine depletion triggers adipose tissue thermogenesis and weight loss,” researchers discovered that when study participants restricted their calorie intake, it resulted in reduced levels of cysteine in white fat.
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Bill Signing Event Held at Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry hosted a bill signing event at Pennington Biomedical Research Center on Friday, June 27, joined by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The event drew approximately 200 attendees, including legislators and community members, with supporters standing on stage alongside the Governor, Secretary, and bill sponsor Senator Patrick McMath.
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New GLP-1 Therapies Enhance Quality of Weight Loss by Improving Muscle Preservation
Findings from two groundbreaking studies highlight potential pharmacological and biosensor solutions for muscle mass preservation in patients undergoing obesity treatment therapy. Results from the BELIEVE study of bimagrumab and semaglutide combination therapy and a study of a novel continuous protein sensor for sarcopenia management were featured as a late-breaking symposium and late-breaking poster, respectively, at the 85th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) in Chicago.
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Pennington Biomedical Researchers to Present at the ADA’s 2025 Scientific Sessions in Chicago
Researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center are scheduled to present their latest findings in diabetes research and treatment at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) flagship conference, the 85th annual Scientific Sessions taking place June 20 – 23 in Chicago.
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Louisiana Obesity Society Conference Returns Aug. 8 and 9 in New Orleans
The Louisiana Obesity Society (LOS) and the Louisiana Chapter of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (LA-ASMBS) announce the return of the Louisiana Obesity Conference Aug. 8 and 9, in New Orleans. The third annual, two-day conference will be held at the Loews New Orleans Hotel and will feature opportunities for networking, continuing education courses, vendor showcases and much more. Keynote speakers will include Donna Ryan, MD, professor emerita at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and Erik Wilson, MD, medical director of bariatric surgery at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
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Pennington Biomedical’s Greaux Healthy Initiative for Louisiana Addresses Childhood Obesity
Pennington Biomedical Research Center publicly introduced its Greaux Healthy initiative, a public service initiative designed to help improve Louisiana kids’ health at every age, during the weekly Red Stick Farmer’s Market on Thursday. Developed in partnership with the State of Louisiana, Greaux Healthy implements 35 years of Pennington Biomedical research and discoveries to inform tools, resources and programing for children, parents, healthcare providers and educators throughout the state.
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In Preparing Patients for Metabolic Surgery, a Combination of Weight Loss Drugs May Be Better than GLP-1s or Traditional Dieting Alone
For patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 70 or higher, metabolic surgery is a highly effective treatment for this form of extreme obesity. In preparing for this minimally invasive surgery and to increase perioperative safety, it is important for patients to lose weight, especially those with a high BMI. While traditional strategies for perioperative weight loss include dieting and exercise, GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) have been increasingly used in recent years. Prior studies have shown that achieving 5% weight loss prior to metabolic surgery may be associated with reduced postoperative complications, but this is often difficult to achieve with diet alone.
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