Jie Chen

TL;DR: It is found that γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a potent inhibitory neurotransmitter, is generated in β-cells by an extension of the GABA shunt during glucose stimulation and interacts with α-cell GHB receptors, thus mediating the suppressive effect of glucose on glucagon release.

TL;DR: Despite the presence of galactose and its metabolites in tissues and urine and impaired ability to oxidize the sugar, the GALT-deficient animals are indistinguishable from normal animals and do not exhibit the phenotype of humans with GALT -deficiency galACTosemia.

TL;DR: FTY720, a water-soluble sphingolipid drug that is effective in many animal cancer models, selectively starves cancer cells to death by down-regulating nutrient transporter proteins, and FTY720 analogues such as AAL-149 should be effective against many different tumour types, particularly in combination with drugs that inhibit autophagy.

TL;DR: An oral 2-h [1-13C]galactose breath test distinguishes severe and variant GALT genotypes and enables delineation of the extent of impaired galactose metabolism in an array of patients who possess diverse GALT mutations.

TL;DR: It is shown that the intestinal epithelium can also oxidize long-chain fatty acids, and that luminally-delivered acylcarnitines in bile can be consumed via apical absorption by the intestinal tissue resulting in mitochondrial oxidation.