Kynurenine

What is metabolism? A biochemist explains how different people convert energy differently − and why that matters for your health

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 5, 2024
Blood pressure, Agonal respiration, Dicarboxylic acid, Kynurenine, Health, Metabolism, Burn, COVID, Obesity, Sport, Exercise, Cell, Multiple sclerosis, Diabetes, COVID-19, Patient, Inflammation, Social media, Mitochondrion, Fats, Electron, Radiation exposure, Food, Carbohydrate, Smoke, Anti-transglutaminase antibodies, Medicine, Protein, Athlete, Carbon, Coenzyme A, Phenotype, Oxygen, Metabolic syndrome, BMI, Blood, Ageing, Medical device

But what exactly is your metabolism?

Key Points: 
  • But what exactly is your metabolism?
  • Everything you expose your body to – from lifestyle to an airborne virus – influences your physical characteristics, such as your blood pressure and energy levels.

Metabolism is energy conversion

  • At the chemical level, energy metabolism begins when the three macronutrients – carbohydrates, fats and protein – are broken down atom by atom to release electrons from chemical bonds.
  • Simply put, a primary role of metabolism is to convert chemical energy into electrical energy and back into chemical energy.
  • I am a biochemist who studies the various networks of metabolism that are used as your body changes.
  • My team and I have been able to define specific traits of metabolism, such as the presence and amount of certain metabolites – products made from breaking down macronutrients – across a wide range of conditions.

Elite athletes define the upper limits

  • Elite athletes offer a prime population to study metabolic function at its best, since their network of molecular and chemical reactions must be finely tuned to compete on the world stage.
  • Traditionally, lactate threshold has been a critical measure of athletic performance by pinpointing exercise intensity when lactate starts to rise in muscles and blood.
  • When comparing the lactate thresholds of a group of elite cyclists, we found that the cyclists with higher thresholds had markers of better mitochondrial function.

Dysfunctional metabolism in diseases like COVID-19

  • Your metabolism also changes if you get an acute illness such as COVID-19.
  • In contrast to elite cyclists, COVID-19 patients have an impaired ability to burn fat that appears to persist with long COVID.


Burning fat uses a lot of oxygen. COVID-19 damages the red blood cells that deliver oxygen to organs. Because red blood cells have a limited ability to repair themselves, they might not function as well during the remainder of their roughly 120-day life span. This may partially explain why COVID symptoms last as long as they do in some people.

Blood donors define the middle

  • Blood donors, coming from every walk of life, also have a diverse range of biological traits as a study population.
  • My team and I looked at blood from over 13,000 blood donors to shed light on their metabolic diversity.
  • We found that blood from donors with higher levels of kynurenine was less likely to restore hemoglobin levels in transfusion recipients compared with donors with lower kynurenine levels.


In addition to his appointment at the University of Colorado, Travis Nemkov is an Affiliate Investigator of Vitalant Research Institute and a co-founder of Omix Technologies.

Kynexis Launched to Advance Precision Therapeutics for Brain Diseases

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Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Molecule, Psychosis, Biomarker, Therapy, Rare, Biotechnology, Genetics, Psychiatry, Novo Nordisk, CNS, Deficit spending, Access, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Metabolism, Clinic, Lundbeck, Myenteric plexus, Lead candidate, Medicine, Drug discovery, Neurology, Maryland School, Cognitive deficit, University, Health, Brain, Roche, Kynurenine, Cognition, Pharmaceutical industry, Management, CIAS, Schizophrenia, Takeda, Pfizer, Series

NAARDEN, The Netherlands, Nov. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kynexis, a biotechnology company focused on precision therapeutics for brain diseases, launched today with €57 million in Series A financing led by Forbion, with participation from Ysios Capital and Sunstone Life Science Ventures. Kynexis will advance its lead therapeutic candidate, KYN-5356, a potential first-in-class KAT-II inhibitor for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), toward clinical development.

Key Points: 
  • Kynexis will advance its lead therapeutic candidate, KYN-5356, a potential first-in-class KAT-II inhibitor for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), toward clinical development.
  • Dr. Schwarcz pioneered the study of the kynurenine pathway in the brain, which established kynurenine’s substantive role in cognition and in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
  • Through the convergence of human genetics, biomarkers, and deep phenotyping, Kynexis is well-positioned to pursue a novel, precision psychiatry-based approach to develop KYN-5356 in CIAS.
  • Under the terms of the agreement, Kynexis has an exclusive worldwide license from MTPC to develop and commercialize KYN-5356 worldwide.

Good Night, Sleep Tight with affron® Natural Melatonin Booster

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Wednesday, September 13, 2023
JAMA, Melatonin, Obesity, Headache, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention timeline, Sleep, National Sleep Foundation, Diabetes, Tryptophan, Agriculture, Enzyme, Kynurenine pathway, Person, Trial of the century, American Medical Association, Plasma, Journal, Dizziness, Espinel, Pineal gland, Vivo, Kynurenine, SLU, Water, Menopause, Relaxation, Somnolence, Dietary supplement, Pharmaceutical industry

MADRID, Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of a new study demonstrate that the standardized affron® saffron extract boosts the body's endogenous production of melatonin. Melatonin—nicknamed the "sleep hormone"—is naturally produced in the body from the dietary amino acid tryptophan. Among other roles, melatonin helps synchronize the sleep–wake cycle and other circadian rhythms and helps adjust for seasonal changes in sleep timing. It has become one of the most commonly used treatment for sleep disorders.

Key Points: 
  • Among other roles, melatonin helps synchronize the sleep–wake cycle and other circadian rhythms and helps adjust for seasonal changes in sleep timing.
  • In summary, the study shows unequivocally that affron has an effect on sleep quality because it stimulates endogenous melatonin production.
  • Insufficient Sleep is defined by The Sleep Foundation as "curtailed sleep that persists for three months or longer," as well as "poor sleep that occurs because of sleep fragmentation or other disruptions."
  • "Better sleep is as much about good sleep as it is about duration of sleep," explains Espinel.

Roswell Park Study May Provide Clues to Treating Colorectal Cancer More Effectively in Younger Patients

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Sunday, June 4, 2023
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, American Society of Clinical Oncology, The James Cancer Hospital, Doctor of Philosophy, Oncogene, Incidence, DO, Metabolism, Patient, The Cancer Genome Atlas, Risk, Informatics, Colorectal cancer, Body mass index, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, TCGA, PSA, Prostate cancer, MYC, University, National Cancer Institute, AYA, Research, MS, Cancer, Diagnosis, Growth, BMI, Smoking, PD-L1, Metastasis, Behavior, NRAS, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Lipid, Cell, Dicarboxylic acid, Ohio State University, CRC, Health informatics, ASCO, Kynurenine, CDT, Gene, Society, Pharmaceutical industry, Birth control, Medical imaging, Upstate New York, MD, Roswell Park

That information could guide the development of new treatments for younger patients, who typically have poorer outcomes.

Key Points: 
  • That information could guide the development of new treatments for younger patients, who typically have poorer outcomes.
  • The team hopes the results of their study will help future studies zero in on new ways of treating colorectal cancer in younger patients.
  • From the world's first chemotherapy research to the PSA prostate cancer biomarker, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center generates innovations that shape how cancer is detected, treated and prevented worldwide.
  • To learn more about Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Roswell Park Care Network, visit http://www.roswellpark.org , call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email [email protected] .

Ikena Oncology to Present at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022 Annual Meeting

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Thursday, April 28, 2022
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BOSTON, April 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ikena Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKNA, Ikena), a targeted oncology company forging new territory in patient-directed cancer treatment, today announced that it will be presenting two trial-in-progress posters at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022 Annual Meeting.

Key Points: 
  • BOSTON, April 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ikena Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKNA, Ikena), a targeted oncology company forging new territory in patient-directed cancer treatment, today announced that it will be presenting two trial-in-progress posters at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022 Annual Meeting.
  • The presentations will include overviews of the clinical trials for Ikenas novel TEAD inhibitor, IK-930, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) antagonist, IK-175.
  • BMS has the right to exclusively license the program through the completion of the Phase 1b portion of the clinical trial.
  • Ikena OncologyTM is focused on developing novel therapies targeting key signaling pathways that drive the formation and spread of cancer.

Ikena Oncology Presents Data at SITC 36th Annual Meeting Describing the Indication Selection Methodology, Translational Data, and Trial in Progress for IK-175

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Friday, November 12, 2021
AHR, Safety, SITC, Bladder cancer, Kynurenine, Cancer, Ligand, Squamous cell carcinoma, IL-2, Hippopotamus, CLIA, Neoplasm, Cytokine, Clinical trial, RAS, Method, RNA, IL-9, Immune system, Society, Nivolumab, BMS, Aryl hydrocarbon receptor, Standard of care, Tumor microenvironment, PD-1, Program, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, Annual general meeting, GLOBE, Immunology, Immunotherapy, Survival, TEAD, Prevalence, Cell, Adult, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pharmaceutical industry, Vaccine, Medical imaging

BOSTON, Nov. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ikena Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKNA, “Ikena”), a targeted oncology company navigating new territory in patient-directed cancer treatment, today announced data from multiple presentations at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 36th Annual Meeting from their IK-175 AHR antagonist program. The ongoing IK-175 clinical trial is currently recruiting patients in both monotherapy and combination cohorts with nivolumab.

Key Points: 
  • AHR is a transcription factor that facilitates tumor progression by allowing cancer cells to evade the immune system.
  • Cancer cells release multiple different AHR ligands, including kynurenine, activating the pathway and fostering an immunosuppressive effect within the tumor microenvironment.
  • The data presented at SITC speak to the robust translational approaches we employ across the entirety of our portfolio.
  • Ikena Oncology is focused on developing novel therapies targeting key signaling pathways that drive the formation and spread of cancer.

Enzymes Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth, Impacts and Changes to 2030 - ResearchAndMarkets.com

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Thursday, August 12, 2021
Health, Biotechnology, Lipase, Acquisition, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, Immune system, Vivus, American Cancer Society, Disease, Neoplasm, Inflammation, Degenerative disease, Nattokinase, Allergan, BASF, AbbVie, Risankizumab, Patient, COVID-19, Enzyme, Prevalence, Kynurenine, RNA, Research institute, Hand, Leukemia, Growth, Pain management, Pfizer, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, University, Leadiant Biosciences, Solution, Research, Cancer, Fabry disease, Adalimumab, Horizon Therapeutics, Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, DME, Animal, Fine chemical, Pharmaceutical industry

The "Enzymes Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Key Points: 
  • The "Enzymes Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
  • Enzymes that are used in medical applications in their isolated or conjugated form with other drugs or therapies are known as therapeutic enzymes.
  • The development of new approaches to treat cancer using enzymes is a key trend gaining popularity in the enzymes market.
  • The growing prevalence of cancer requiring drug-metabolising enzymes (DMEs) for chemotherapy is expected to drive the growth of the enzymes market in the coming years.

Ikena Oncology Announces Publication in Nature Communications of Preclinical Data Supporting the Therapeutic Potential of AHR Blockade

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Oncology, Health, Other Health, Clinical trials, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Branches of biology, Immune system, Transcription factors, Clusters of differentiation, T cells, Aryl hydrocarbon receptor, Receptors, Programmed cell death protein 1, Immunotherapy, Kynurenine, Regulatory T cell, IK-175, Ikena Oncology

The manuscript, titled, Blockade of the AHR restricts a Treg-Macrophage suppressive axis induced by L-Kynurenine, (Campesato, et al) describes the preclinical activity of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) blockade, alone and in combination with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Key Points: 
  • The manuscript, titled, Blockade of the AHR restricts a Treg-Macrophage suppressive axis induced by L-Kynurenine, (Campesato, et al) describes the preclinical activity of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) blockade, alone and in combination with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
  • It further supports the potential of IK-175, Ikenas internally developed, orally administered, selective AHR antagonist currently in Phase 1 clinical development.
  • These data also point towards the potential for evaluating IK-175 in combination with an anti-PD-1 inhibitor.
  • In this preclinical study, which includes use of an Ikena AHR antagonist similar to IK-175, researchers demonstrated that AHR blockade reverses IDO/TDO-mediated immunosuppression.

iBrands Corporation Reports Reduction of Brain Inflammation/Depression Associated Biochemical Pathway Using QuadraMune™ in Animal Studies

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 29, 2020
Branches of biology, Kynurenine, Inflammation, Lipopolysaccharide

In the study, mice were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a compound known to stimulate inflammation, in order to replicate inflammation-associated depression.

Key Points: 
  • In the study, mice were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a compound known to stimulate inflammation, in order to replicate inflammation-associated depression.
  • Mice receiving LPS suffered a reduction in memory activity, as quantified using the Morris Water Maze test.
  • Administration of QuadraMune significantly inhibited inflammation associated with memory impairment, as well as reduced levels of kynurenine.
  • Elevation of kynurenine is associated with activation of indolamine 2,3 deoxygenase, an enzyme associated with inflammation and depression [1].

Therapeutic Solutions International Reports Reduction of Brain Inflammation/Depression Associated Biochemical Pathway Using QuadraMune™ in Animal Studies

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 15, 2020
Branches of biology, Biology, Kynurenine, Gene expression, RNA, RNA interference, Inflammation

Administration of QuadraMune significantly inhibited inflammation associated with memory impairment, as well as reduced levels of kynurenine.Elevation of kynurenine is associated with activation of indolamine 2,3 deoxygenase, an enzyme associated with inflammation and depression [1].

Key Points: 
  • Administration of QuadraMune significantly inhibited inflammation associated with memory impairment, as well as reduced levels of kynurenine.Elevation of kynurenine is associated with activation of indolamine 2,3 deoxygenase, an enzyme associated with inflammation and depression [1].
  • Dr. Thomas Ichim, Board Member of Therapeutic Solutions International, has been working on this enzyme since 2013 when he published in the peer-reviewed literature regression of breast cancer using RNA interference to block its expression [2].
  • Therapeutic Solutions International is focused on immune modulation for the treatment of several specific diseases.
  • The Company's corporate website is at www.therapeuticsolutionsint.com and our e-commerce is at www.youcanordernow.com and for additional info on QuadraMune visit www.areyoucovidmune.com/covidmune/ .