Grants Given to StudyAmino Acids and Cancer, AIDS

Grants Given to StudyAmino Acids and Cancer, AIDS

AMES, Iowa--MTI BioTech, based here, received $850,000 in research monies to further study the effect of amino acids on muscle atrophy in cancer and AIDS patients. Having received a $750,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute and an additional $100,000 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, MTI will study how these often fatal conditions respond to the over-the-counter (OTC) productJuven, which contains B-hydroxy-B-methylbutyrate (HMB), arginine and glutamine. HMB works to limit muscle breakdown, while the other two nutrients promote synthesis of muscle proteins. The study will be conducted by the University of Nevada in Las Vegas and Reno, as well as at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. According toMTI, once the study has been accepted into a peer-reviewed journal, it will appear on its Web site (www.juven.com).