SAN ANTONIO (April 21, 2015) — Veterans and non-veterans between 18 and 60 are sought to participate in two studies led by UT Medicine San Antonio endocrinologist Nicolas Musi, M.D., at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, in San Antonio.
This research seeks to determine whether an investigational medication, eritoran, can either:
• Improve, from the start of the study, measurements of inflammation and insulin resistance in obese nondiabetic and type 2 diabetic participants
• Prevent inflammation and insulin resistance in lean, normal, glucose-tolerant subjects
Dr. Musi is a diabetes and metabolism researcher in the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. UT Medicine is the clinical practice of the School of Medicine, and patient visits for these studies take place at the Audie L. Murphy Campus.
Eritoran inhibits proteins called TLR4 receptors that promote inflammation. Inflammation is a significant problem in type 2 diabetes mellitus, and is believed to play a role in diabetes-related complications such as heart attack and stroke.
“We have advanced a great deal in our understanding of what it takes to prevent diabetes,” Dr. Musi said. “I believe that, in the near future, new strategies will be available to prevent this disease.”
Dr. Musi’s research focuses on understanding the molecular causes of diabetes and finding ways to reverse the molecular abnormalities seen in diabetes patients. He is director of both the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at the UT Health Science Center and the San Antonio Geriatric Research, Education, & Clinical Center at the Audie L. Murphy Campus.
Study volunteers may be with or without diabetes, and male or female. If selected to participate, individuals will receive blood work, a physical exam and compensation for their time.
To inquire about study eligibility, call 210-617-5243 or 210-861-7224. Friendly and qualified research staff will explain everything in detail and stay in close communication with research participants.
These studies are funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, with support from the Clinical and Translational Science Award of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and its South Texas partners.
UT Medicine San Antonio is the clinical practice of the School of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. With more than 700 doctors – all School of Medicine faculty – UT Medicine is the largest medical practice in Central and South Texas. Expertise is in more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. Primary care doctors and specialists see patients in private practice at UT Medicine’s flagship clinical home, the Medical Arts & Research Center (MARC), located at 8300 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio 78229. Most major health plans are accepted, and UT Medicine physicians also practice at several local and regional hospitals. Call (210) 450-9000 to schedule an appointment, or visit www.UTMedicine.org for a list of clinics and phone numbers.