Lumen Spring Summer 2023 - Flipbook - Page 28
Fast track to reducing
risk of type 2 diabetes
A fasting diet which focuses on eating early
in the day could be the key to reducing the
risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide
and South Australian Health and Medical
Research Institute compared two different
diets; a time-restricted, intermittent-fasting
diet and a reduced-calorie diet, to see which
was more beneficial for people prone to
developing type 2 diabetes.
Following the fasting diet “could help
lower the chances of developing type 2
diabetes,” says senior author, the University
of Adelaide’s Professor Leonie Heilbronn,
Adelaide Medical School.
Photo by Tina Easterbrook
Human meds
treating canine cancer
A new trial will investigate if a potential treatment for breast cancer in humans can
prolong the lives of pet dogs diagnosed with the disease.
The FiDo (First-In-Dog) Cure for Cancer trial is an Australian-first initiative and
will evaluate if the estrogen-blocking medication is more effective than surgery for
treating mammary cancer in canines.
“There is an urgent need for an alternative to surgery that will cure mammary
cancer in dogs rapidly,” says the University of Adelaide’s Professor Wayne Tilley,
Director of the Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories. “For many
dogs with malignant mammary cancer, the cancer has already spread to other
organs by the time of diagnosis, surgery is not curative and the disease
can progress.
“Our aim is to develop a safe medical treatment for mammary cancer in dogs that
is affordable, improves quality of life and is also effective in treating cancer that’s
spread to other organs.”
Like breast cancer in women, the growth of mammary tumours in dogs is often
initiated and driven by the female sex hormone, estrogen.
Researchers will trial a new medication that blocks the cancer-fuelling actions of
estrogen by targeting androgen receptors in the body.
Androgens are male sex hormones and androgen receptors (AR) govern how the
body reacts to this hormone.
Previous research suggests AR could counteract the effects of estrogen, stopping
breast cancer from spreading.
“We recently published a ground-breaking study showing that drugs that activate
the androgen receptors have excellent potential as an effective, well-tolerated
treatment for most breast cancers in women. We believe this could produce better
outcomes for dogs as well,” says Professor Tilley.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
Select for reliable
renewables and save
New research suggests considering the
predictability of a solar or wind farm site’s
energy output could reduce costs for
consumers.
Solar and wind farms sell their energy to
the market before it’s generated and are
penalised if they don’t meet projections,
making reliably predicting power
generation “one of the biggest challenges
in the renewable energy sector,” says PhD
candidate Sahand Karimi-Arpanahi, who
led the research.
The team analysed six solar farms in
New South Wales and selected up to nine
alternative sites. When the predictability of
energy generation was considered, they found
a significant increase in potential revenue.
Traumatic brain injuries
under the microscope
People who sustain a traumatic brain injury
(TBI) may soon know if they are likely to
develop Parkinson’s disease or a long-term
memory impairment.
University of Adelaide researchers will use
state-of-the-art brain scans, biomarker
analysis and machine learning to compare
