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News in Research NRI Study Aims to Determine Cause of Male Infertility (more) Almost half of male infertility cases have no known cause. Research being done in our area may be able to provide some answers. The study is being conducted at the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis. “This is a project that I’ve been trying to get up and running for a while now,” said Amy Johnson, a PhD student at UNC Chapel Hill. Johnson first started studying mice and found a link between a certain gene and infertility. “We found that if you delete the choline dehydrogenase gene males are infertile,” she said. Jordan and her team are now working to find out if the same is true for humans. For the research, they need volunteers to provide samples of blood and semen. Volunteers will be paid $50 for participating in the study. In addition to determining a possible cause, the research may lead to a possible cure for a type of male infertility. “It could be that men that have their share of these variants might have different dietary requirements for choline, which is an essential nutrient,” Johnson said. For more information about the study, call 919-966-0245 or email sperm_study@unc.edu UNC Nutrition Research Institute Study Reveals Choline-Rich Diet Increases Blood Vessel Development in Fetal Brain (more)
For Immediate Release – July 20, 2010 KANNAPOLIS- Prenatal diets lacking in choline—an essential nutrient that is part of all cell membranes— form fewer blood vessels in the brains of developing fetuses, according to a mouse study by UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) scientists. These findings, published in the journal, “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” could be of great importance to women. According to NRI Director Steven Zeisel, MD, PhD, “most pregnant women in the United States have diets that are choline deficient – only 14% of expecting mothers in the US are eating enough choline in their diet.” Pregnant women with the lowest amount of choline are four times more likely to have babies with birth defects than are women who eat the most. Choline-rich foods include milk, egg yolks, soybeans, beef, chicken, peanuts, wheat germ, flax seeds, sesame seeds, potatoes, cauliflower, lentils, and oats. To test whether choline directly affects fetal blood vessel formation, Zeisel, and colleagues fed choline-deficient and control diets to pregnant mice and then examined the brains of the pups. The researchers report that choline-deficient fetal mice had fewer hippocampal blood vessels than the control group that were fed a normal diet. In addition, the choline-deficient diet correlated to high levels of two growth factors that regulate new blood vessel formation. This research complements previous studies that link low choline in diet to a decreased production of nerve cells in the brain of fetal mice, caused because choline regulates the genes that make stem cells divide. About NRI The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is located on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis. The NRI is dedicated to developing the field of individualized nutrition — understanding variance in people’s DNA, metabolism and nutrient requirements and how this impacts health. Long term, the NRI’s discoveries will lead to individually tailored nutrition recommendations that will allow people to customize their diets in order to maximize wellness and reduce risk of disease. For more information on the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, or to schedule an interview, contact Beverly Jordan at 704-250-5008 or Beverly_jordan@unc.edu.
UNC Nutrition Research Institute UNC NRI Welcomes Renowned International Scientist to Advance Research on Personalized Nutrition (more) For Immediate Release – June 18, 2010 The UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, NC is continuing growth trends, demonstrating an increasing level of activity and development. One example of this growth is internationally-renowned researcher and accomplished author, Martin Kohlmeier, M.D., Ph.D., who is relocating to Kannapolis to join the NRI team. Dr. Kohlmeier brings with him an impressive professional resume. He earned doctorates in medicine, biochemistry and clinical biochemistry from Heidelberg University and Freie Universität, Berlin, has authored a comprehensive textbook on nutrient metabolism, and is the lead author of numerous online nutrition courses for healthcare professionals. In addition to his new role as faculty and primary investigator in the NRI Nutrigenetics Laboratory, Dr. Kohlmeier will maintain his appointment as a Research Professor with the Department of Nutrition, UNC-Chapel Hill, School of Medicine and School of Public Health. Dedicated to helping the public benefit from the recent advancements in genetics and nutrition, Dr. Kohlmeier explains, “We can now read the body’s DNA blueprint down to very fine details and I want to help translate this knowledge into practical directions for people’s health. For instance, I am currently developing software that can take detailed genetic information and tell consumers which foods are healthiest for them.” Dr. Kohlmeier is now developing ways to reduce breast cancer risk by using genetic research to guide food selections. “I want to find out whether we can help each individual navigate safely their daily food choices and how that might affect cancer risk.” Recognizing the trends toward online education, Dr. Kohlmeier has developed a website that can help tailor personalized nutrition plans, based on user and health professional’s input. With this data, the site suggests daily menu plans that meet personal needs. The website is now available for pilot testing by health professionals who leverage it to generate menu plans. Ultimately, consumers will be able to use this online tool to shape their diet patterns. Also, the tool will be used in long-term trials of personalized nutrition plans for the prevention of cancer and other major diseases. This and other medical nutrition education online programs by Dr. Kohlmeier have proven to be very successful for physicians. Dr. Kohlmeier explains, “About 25% of all US medical students currently use our programs, and more than 150 universities worldwide.” Notably, Dr. Kohlmeier authored Nutrient Metabolism, a textbook describing how the body handles about one hundred important compounds in food, from alcohol to zinc, and back from zeaxanthin to arsenic. The textbook outlines the major food sources of these compounds, and additional related information, such as our chemical senses, appetite and thirst, and the nutrient path from food to the using body part. The strength of the book is that a rich collection of information on each of the food ingredients is easily accessible in one place, making it a powerful resource for researchers, health professionals, and anyone needing nutrition facts at their fingertips. Dr. Steven Zeisel, Director of the NRI, shares, “Dr. Kohlmeier is one of the world’s leaders in laboratory diagnostics, nutritional genetics and use of technology for nutritional education. He brings more than thirty years experience to the NRI, and he will contribute a significant amount of research leadership to the Institute.” Dr. Kohlmeier is equally eager to begin his contribution to the NRI, stating, “The NRI offers an exciting opportunity to use state-of-the-art technology, collaborate with world-class researchers and share a focus on individualized nutrition.” You can help make a difference With each new researcher that joins the NRI team, the benefits to future public health are exponential. To recruit top-flight researchers like Dr. Kohlmeier and build the world’s next premier institute for scientific discovery, the NRI must compete with other science centers and universities. Visiting scholar programs, endowed professorships, and competitive research funds that attract distinguished scientists to the NRI are made possible by the generous gifts of friends and supporters. If you are interested in helping the NRI recruit great scientists from around the world, visit UNCNRI.org/MakeAGift.asp to learn about ways you can help make a difference. UNC NRI Partners with International Researcher from Keimyung University, Korea (more) For Immediate Release – June 30, 2010 The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) in Kannapolis, NC welcomes Dr. Seung-Wan Ryu, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Ryu, Associate Professor in Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery at the Keimyung University School of Medicine in Korea, is visiting the NRI to collaborate on cutting edge nutrition research, critical to his role as Director of the Nutritional Support Team at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Dr. Ryu joined the NRI in September 2009 to focus on how nutrition impacts stomach cancer. Specifically, Dr. Ryu is studying whether dietary choline, found in eggs and other foods, influences the growth of blood vessels needed to support tumor growth. Dr. Ryu and Dr. Steven Zeisel M.D., Ph.D., Director of the NRI, are collaborating on this research. Dr. Ryu shares, “I am very grateful for Dr. Zeisel’s active support of my work on all possible occasions. All the staff and scientists at the NRI are so kind and their passion for learning is amazing.” Dr. Ryu explains that as a University Professor in Korea, he is provided the opportunity to study abroad for one to two years, funded by a specialized Keimyung University scholarship. The study of nutritional support of cancer patients is still evolving, and Dr. Ryu explains that his time with the NRI affords his team in Korea significant research collaboration and clinical application opportunity. He intends to continue the relationship after his return home, sharing, “I will introduce our research to Korean and other doctors using an international conference, and will continue nutritional research on the basis of my NRI experience. I will want to remain in contact with the NRI forever.” Dr. Ryu has become an integral partner in the NRI choline lab over the past few months, as Dr. Zeisel states, “We are thrilled to host such a dedicated and promising scholar who is well-positioned to develop international research partnerships for years to come. Dr. Ryu is a bright young scientist, and I appreciate his collaboration, both here at the NRI this year, as well as on longer term research projects.” With his family, a wife and two young children, Dr. Ryu moved to America last September, living abroad for the first time. They held some concern about the move, as few Koreans live in this area, and they prepared for an obvious language barrier and cultural difference. However, the Ryu family has found a helpful embrace by the locals. “Everyone is so kind. We really enjoy American life, and now have many American friends who really want to help us. I will recommend the NRI and this area to other doctors who want to study nutrition.” Unlike Dr. Ryu, many young scientists do not have a scholarship opportunity from their home university or local government. If you are interested in helping a young scholar like Dr. Ryu partner with the NRI toward critical research, visit uncnri.org/MakeAGift.asp to learn about the NRI’s Great Scientist Recruitment Fund. New epigenetic study linking maternal diet and brain development in gestating mice, Mihai George Mehedint, M.D. (more) January 2010 Steven Zeisel, M.D., Ph.D. presents research at Harvard's 11th Annual Postgraduate Nutrition Symposium (more) July 2009 Steven Zeisel, M.D., Ph.D. delivers prestigious W.O. Atwater Lecture at 2009 Experimental Biology Meeting (more) April 2009 |
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