ake Havasu Eagles #4299 donated $12,375 to Camp Courage Arizona Burn Camp. Pictured, Rex Albright, Chris Deutsch, Marian Deutsch, Wendy Kirchhoff and Dorothy Nickell.
From the August 2022 edition of People Helping People.
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Author: Editorial Team
Lebanon, Ohio – August 2022
Miami Valley Eagles Auxiliary #1395 held their 69th Anniversary Party recently, recognizing all the Past Madam Presidents. The six in attendance were Lynn Rudolph Philpot, Pat Winfield, Peg Mathney, Joan Crowe, Tiffany Dorgan Boggs, and Debbie Jacobs.
From the August 2022 edition of People Helping People.
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DRC Director’s Report – July 2022
Recently, the University of Iowa Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOEDRC) held our annual Diabetes Research Day in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. This year, Diabetes Research Day was a hybrid event comprised of speakers from both institutions and split into two different events.
Our first keynote speaker was Bryan Bergman, PhD. Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus who gave a talk entitled Intermuscular Adipose Tissue: A Novel Adipose Depot Impacting Muscle Strength, Size, and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans.
Our second keynote address was given by Carmella Evans-Molina, Ph.D., MD, Director, Indiana Diabetes Research Center Indiana University School of Medicine who presented a talk entitled Precision Approaches to Disease Modifying Therapies in Type 1 Diabetes. In addition to the keynote address, Dr. Eric Weatherford of the University of Iowa FOEDRC provided a new update on our Metabolic Phenotyping Core, and Dr. Maria Razzoli of the University of Minnesota presented an update on the Physiology Core.
Trainees from both institutions also presented their ongoing research: Kathleen Robinson presented a talk entitled Experiences of Weight Stigma in Healthcare: A Mixed Methods Analysis; Adeyinka Taiwo presented Metabolomics analysis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Megan Beetch, Briana Clifton, Brian Ahkaphong, and Emilyn Alejandro presented Mechanisms of Fetal Programming of Metabolic Dysfunction by Placental mTORC1 Nutrient Sensing; Tyler Titcomb presented Association of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Dementia-related Mortality Among Postmenopausal Women: A Prospective Cohort Study; Gary Deng presented Loss of ciliary adenylyl cyclase 3 in the ventromedial hypothalamus results in a sex-dependent obese phenotype in Type 1 Diabetes.
The winners of the 2021 Collaborative Pilot & Feasibility Grant, Katie Larson-Ode, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Iowa, and Melena Bellin, MD, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, University of Minnesota gave a talk on their Pilot & Feasibility research entitled “Mechanisms of Dysglycemia and Development of Diabetes in Children with Acute Recurrent or Chronic Pancreatitis:” In addition, in our virtual talk sessions (in lieu of a traditional in-person poster session) we featured over 130 faculty members, trainees, post-docs, and graduate students from both the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota. Diabetes Research Day 2022 was a resounding success. We are already looking forward to Diabetes Research Day 2023!
DRC Director’s Report – June 2022
On May 24, 2022, Fraternal Order of Eagles members joined the University of Iowa President, College of Medicine Executive Dean, faculty, staff, and students for an investiture ceremony honoring three Carver of College of Medicine faculty.
The investiture celebrated faculty appointments to endowed chairs established by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Dr. Sue Bodine was conferred the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center Chair. Dr. Bodine is a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. Her research centers on the study of the neuromuscular system and its response and adaptation to stressors, including obesity, diabetes, and aging. Her laboratory is working to identify the mechanisms responsible for muscle atrophy and determine strategies for preventing atrophy and accelerating muscle recovery.
The Verna Funke Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center Chair was bestowed on Dr. Ayotunde Dokun who is an associate professor and director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the Department of Internal Medicine. He performs research on Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and diabetes-associated peripheral arterial disease, with the goal of preventing diabetes-related limb amputations.
Finally, the E. Dale Abel Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center Chair was given to Dr. Kamal Rahmouni who is a professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology and interim co-director of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center. The work in Dr. Rahmouni’s laboratory is focused on the neurobiology of metabolism, energy homeostasis, and cardiovascular function as relates to obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The goal of his research is to identify the neuroanatomical and molecular pathways involved in the regulation of metabolic, autonomic, and cardiovascular functions.
A reception followed the ceremony outside of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center, located in the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building.
DRC Director’s Report – May 2022
Obesity causes a buildup of fat metabolites, including the toxic lipid molecule ceramide. The buildup of ceramide worsens health because it contributes to the development of diabetes and other diseases.
Previous work has shown that targeting ceramide is an effective strategy to treat obesity, diabetes, and associated cardiovascular disease. This can be achieved using a molecule called myriocin which is a very potent inhibitor of ceramide generation.
Myriocin-mediated reduction of ceramide levels was found to be an effective way to treat obesity and associated diseases in rodents. Myriocin, which is not approved for use in humans, is abundant in a number of fungal species including the one called Cordyceps which is routinely consumed as part of traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of numerous diseases including diabetes.
In a recently published study, FOEDRC member, Dr. Chaurasia, and his team screened extracts of Cordyceps currently being consumed by humans to identify those containing myriocin and tested their efficacy in improving body weight and glucose in obese animals. Interestingly, they identified several commercially available Cordyceps that contain myriocin.
When they treated obese mice with a human equivalent dose of Cordyceps extract containing myriocin they found it was effective in reducing ceramide accumulation. This treatment was also successful in preventing obesity and improving blood glucose and liver disease. This study provides proof of the principle that inhibiting the buildup of ceramide using myriocin-containing Cordyceps extract improves not only obesity but also diabetes and liver disease.
Collectively, this work identifies commercially available Cordyceps as a readily available supplement to treat obesity and associated diseases.
Important Dues Reminder Notice
Brothers and Sisters,
Late last week, we were notified by our billing partner that the Dues Reminders have yet to be mailed because a National paper shortage has left them without the standard mail envelopes needed for the mailing.
The only envelopes available currently are stamped with a First Class postage indicia, which costs more than standard mail. In order to get the notices out as soon as possible, the Grand Aerie has decided to send the notices First Class and cover the difference between the standard and First Class rates for our Aeries and Auxiliaries.
We will be pulling an updated mail file for the mailing. Any Aeries or Auxiliaries who have already paid will receive a credit on their account for any charges already paid exceeding what is necessary that will go toward the second reminder notice.
We are also working with our other printing partners to obtain standard mail envelopes as soon as possible for the additional mailings.
The second notice was scheduled to be pulled today, April 25, and sent to our billing partner. Due to this delay, that will obviously be changed to a later date which we will announce in the coming days.
We apologize for the inconvenience and will continue to work with our partners to get the reminders out as soon as physically possible.
Thank you,
The Fraternal Order of Eagles Grand Aerie
Stay posted to FOE.com and our social media channels for up-to-date information.