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Week 52
12 skin creams banned for health
danger
The National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB) has banned 12 cosmetic products that
contain ingredients, including scheduled poisons, that are dangerous to health.
A Billion People's Water at Risk
From Melting Ice
At UN climate talks Monday, he warned that record melting of Polar and Himalayan ice could
deprive deprive more than a billion people of access to clean water.
A world willing to fry for the
prize of `green gold'
From the air, Sumatra's palm oil plantations are quietly impressive. Up close, it is
ecological chaos: an unending and inefficient cycle of burning, cutting and putrefaction
that stings the throat and eyes like the dirtiest of heavy industries.
Al Gore’s melting Arctic claim
unites scientist and sceptic alike
Al Gore stood by his claim yesterday that the North Pole could be ice-free within five
years, attracting a storm of criticism from scientists and sceptics alike.
Alcohol consumption may increase
breast cancer recurrence risk
Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages (at least three to four drinks per week, no
matter the type of alcohol) is associated with a 30 percent increased risk of breast
cancer recurrence, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study. Post-menopausal or
overweight women may be most susceptible to the effects of alcohol on recurrence,
according to the researchers. Detailed results of this study will be presented December
9-13 at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center - American Association for Cancer
Research San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium by Marilyn L. Kwan, Ph.D., staff scientist in
the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. "Women previously
diagnosed with breast cancer should consider limiting their consumption of alcohol to less
than three drinks per week, especially women who are postmenopausal and overweight or
obese," Kwan said While previous research has shown that consumption of alcohol is
associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, there have been limited studies about
alcohol's role in patient prognosis and survival among those already diagnosed with breast
cancer. Kwan and her colleagues examined the effects of alcohol on cancer recurrence and
mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology Study, a prospective cohort study of 1,897
breast cancer survivors diagnosed with early-stage invasive breast cancer between 1997 and
2000. The researchers recruited participants from the Kaiser Permanente Northern
California Cancer Registry and compared breast cancer recurrence in women previously
diagnosed with breast cancer who drank with a reference group of women previously
diagnosed with breast cancer who did not drink. Researchers used a questionnaire to
document information on wine, beer and liquor consumption over the past year. Each year,
participants also completed information on health outcomes, including recurrence of breast
cancer, which was then verified by their medical records.
Amount of gene surplus determines
severity of mental retardation in males
Researchers have discovered a new explanation for differences in the severity of mental
illness in males. The more excess copies of a certain gene, the more serious the handicap.
The genetic defect is situated on the X-chromosome; and it is suspected that it is the
amount of copies of the GDI1 gene that is responsible. The results are being published in
the American Journal of Human Genetics, and are the result of work by the group of Guy
Froyen connected to VIB, a life sciences research institute in Flanders, Belgium at the
University of Leuven, in close collaboration with Hilde Van Esch of the Center for Human
Genetics (University Hospital Leuven) and colleagues in Germany and Spain. It is for first
time that scientists have linked the degree of a mental illness to the number of copies of
a gene on the X-chromosome, normally present as a single copy in males. The mental
handicap is much more severe in patients with 5 copies than in patients with 2 copies. An
intermediate severity has been observed in case of 3 copies. In their publication, the
scientists also present a new mechanism by which such defects can arise. This mechanism
might also underlie other genetic disorders.
An end to sleep problems
There is hope for those who miss one night too many or whose children keep them up at
night. The unwelcome effects of a bad night's sleep - forgetfulness, impaired mental
performance - can be dealt with by reducing the concentration of an enzyme in the brain.
These are the conclusions of research published by Rubicon-grant winner Robbert Havekes
and colleagues in the 22 October issue of Nature. Millions of people are regularly plagued
by sleep deprivation. This can lead to both short-term and long-term problems with memory
and learning capacity. How sleep deprivation causes these kinds of problems was largely
unknown up to now. Havekes and his colleagues discovered that sleep deprivation in mice
undermines the function of a specific molecular mechanism in the hippocampus, the area of
the brain responsible for consolidating new memories.
Ancient algae provide insights into
Earth's response to global warming
Using algae records from the early Pliocene, when earth's climate was warmer, scientists
are finding evidence which suggests that coastal upwelling off the California coast was
sustained in this period even though sea surface temperatures were several degrees higher
than today. San Francisco State University Professor Petra Dekens and her team presented
results of their analysis today at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San
Francisco.
Anger as NHS bosses pocket pay
rises of up to £10,000
THE huge salaries commanded by top-earning employees in the public sector have come under
scrutiny again after it emerged that NHS chiefs were given big pay rises as the financial
crisis took hold.
Anti-estrogens may offer protection
against lung cancer mortality
Anti-estrogens as therapy for breast cancer may also reduce the risk of death from lung
cancer, according to study results presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer
Symposium, held here Dec. 9-13, 2009. "We found a reduction in lung cancer mortality
among women treated with anti-estrogens for breast cancer. This work builds on previous
studies that had suggested estrogens have a role in lung cancer development and
progression," said Elisabetta Rapiti, M.D., M.P.H., medical researcher with the
Geneva Cancer Registry, University of Geneva, Switzerland.Rapiti and colleagues evaluated
whether anti-estrogen therapy for breast cancer patients reduced their risk of
subsequently developing and/or dying from lung cancer. The study included 6,715 women
living in the Geneva canton of Switzerland who were diagnosed with breast cancer, between
1980 and 2003. Forty-six percent of the women received anti-estrogen therapy, primarily
tamoxifen. By the end of the study period, 40 cases of lung cancer developed. There was no
difference in the incidence of lung cancer among women with or without anti-estrogens
compared with the general population. However, the risk of dying from lung cancer was
significantly lower among women who received anti-estrogen therapy.
Antibody-guided drug shows
encouraging activity in metastatic breast cancer
A new antibody-drug compound shrank or halted the growth of metastatic breast tumors in
almost half of a group of patients whose HER2-positive cancer had become resistant to
standard therapies, according to early data from a multicenter Phase 2 clinical trial led
by a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher. The findings will be presented at the 32nd
annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on Saturday, Dec. 12 (Abstract 710,
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B, 7-9 a.m. CT). Ian Krop, MD, PhD,
principal investigator of the study, will report that the hybrid agent, called T-DM1,
shrank tumors by 30 percent or more in 40 percent of women with confirmed HER2-positive
cancers. Another 13 percent had stable disease for at least six months, for a total
clinical benefit rate of approximately 53 percent. The median time before the disease
progressed was 7.3 months, including both responders and non-responders. Patients received
T-DM1 as long as it was effective and well-tolerated. A total of 110 women were enrolled
in the study. T-DM1 is comprised of the cell-killing drug DM1 and is chemically linked to
the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab, which selectively binds to the HER2 growth signal
receptor, which is highly overexpressed in HER2-positive breast tumors. Approximately 20
percent of breast cancers are HER2-postive. Trastuzumab, developed by Genentech and sold
under the name Herceptin, has markedly improved the treatment of HER2-positive cancer, but
resistance to trastuzumab is a significant problem. "The antibody binds to the HER2
protein on tumor cells and delivers the drug (DM1) selectively to them - but not to normal
cells," Krop explained. "This allows us to deliver high doses of the
chemotherapy directly to tumor cells. And at the same time, the antibody continues to
block the HER2 growth signals."
Antibody-guided drug shows
encouraging activity in metastatic breast cancer
A new antibody-drug compound shrank or halted the growth of metastatic breast tumors in
almost half of a group of patients whose HER2-positive cancer had become resistant to
standard therapies, according to early data from a multicenter Phase 2 clinical trial led
by a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher.
Antidepressants may have risks
after menopause
Older women who take an antidepressant seem to have a small but noteworthy increased risk
of stroke and death compared to older women not on an antidepressant medication, a new
study shows.
Antidepressants May Increase Risk
of Stroke and Death
Postmenopausal women who take antidepressants face a small but statistically significant
increased risk for stroke and death compared with those who do not take the drugs. The new
findings are from the federally-funded, multi-institution, Women’s Health Initiative
Study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, and the results are published in the
December 14 online edition of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Antipsychotic drugs - poor kids 4
times more likely to be prescribed
Common antipsychotic drugs are being over prescribed to our nations low income kids.
Are Holiday and Weekend Eating
Patterns Affecting Obesity Rates?
The holidays can be challenging for even the most diligent dieters. But are weekends just
as detrimental? Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Quinnipiac University in
Hamden, Conn., found that weekend eating patterns change significantly. J. Jeffrey Inman,
a University of Pittsburgh professor of marketing and associate dean for research in the
Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, and his coauthor, Adwait Khare, Quinnipiac
University professor of marketing, studied two years' worth of data on consumers' eating
behavior and found that the quantity and quality of foods eaten during a meal and over the
course of the day differs considerably on weekends and holidays. Just as important as the
daily caloric increase on weekends and holidays is the nutritional value of the food
consumed, according to the research, which was published in the Fall 2009 issue of the
“Journal of Public Policy & Marketing.” Labor Day barbeques and Thanksgiving
Day feasts focus on family and friends bonding over tables laden with high-calorie foods.
Because the quantity and quality of food consumed changes during these times, Inman
suggests that the U.S. Department of Agriculture incorporate recommendations for holiday
and weekend eating into its food pyramid guidelines. Understanding eating patterns and
knowing that a weekend can be just as dangerous to the diet as a holiday dinner arms
consumers, doctors, and nutritionists with more knowledge to fight obesity, says Inman.
Aspartame study commissioned to
investigate possible side effects
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has decided to commission a study to assess whether
aspartame causes these alleged side effects. The national study will be carried out by
Professor Stephen Atkin at the University of Hull, in collaboration with colleagues at the
Hull York Medical School and Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Bacteria Provide New Insights into
Human Decision Making
Scientists studying how bacteria under stress collectively weigh and initiate different
survival strategies say they have gained new insights into how humans make strategic
decisions that affect their health, wealth and the fate of others in society. Their study,
published this week in the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, was accomplished when the scientists applied the mathematical
techniques used in physics to describe the complex interplay of genes and proteins that
colonies of bacteria rely upon to initiate different survival strategies during times of
environmental stress. Using the mathematical tools of theoretical physics and chemistry to
describe complex biological systems is becoming more commonplace in the emerging field of
theoretical biological physics.
Baylor Researchers Launch
Scientific Study of Prosocial Benefits of Scouting
According to the Scout Law, a Boy Scout is “Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly,
Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.” But does
he stay that way as he grows up? That’s a question never scientifically studied
— until now. Researchers with Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of
Religion have received a two-year, $992,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation for a
series of studies examining the impact of Scouting in fostering positive youth development
and healthy, virtuous behaviors — termed “prosocial behavior.” The grant
was awarded to the institute’s co-directors, Dr. Byron Johnson and Dr. Rodney Stark.
Being a boy is a risk factor
Among premature births - children born before the 37th week of pregnancy - newborn boys
have a poorer prognosis than newborn girls. In her dissertation at Lund University in
Sweden, the physician Emma Elsmén Steen has explored why male gender constitutes a risk
factor for greater morbidity in these infants. Preterm birth entails a risk of
complications like low blood pressure, brain hemorrhaging, lung immaturity, and in the
long term neurological and cognitive handicaps. The risk is greater the more preterm the
birth is: complications primarily affect the most premature children, born before the 28th
week. Emma Elsmén Steen has examined gender differences in this morbidity through journal
and registry studies and work in the clinic and the laboratory. "It's well known that
boys are more in the risk zone than girls. I wanted to delve deeper into this matter and
above all see what happens during the first critical days," she says.
Better protection for laboratory
animals
In the afternoon, the ministers received a status report from the negotiations with the
European Parliament on a draft directive aimed at strengthening the protection of animals
used in experiments and coordinating the legislation on the protection of animals used for
scientific purposes. For example, a requirement is introduced for a basic evaluation of
every individual experiment. Breeders and users of laboratory animals will establish a
special animal welfare body, which will work with animal protection at local level. In
addition, binding rules are introduced on how laboratory animals are kept and cared for,
and what methods of destruction may be used. After intensive work all autumn, the Council
and the European Parliament have now reached agreement on all the issues. However, certain
technical adaptations as a result of the new Lisbon Treaty remain.
Biologist Explores Bizarre
Give-and-take Between Species
The natural world is full of unusual relationships—vampire bats that regurgitate
blood for roosting buddies, reptiles that enforce chastity on their lovers, Capuchin
monkeys that use millipede secretions as mosquito repellent. Such negotiation between
life-forms striving to survive is evolution at its most diverse, entertaining and
awe-inspiring. In her new book, Sexy Orchids Make Lousy Lovers, Northern Arizona
University adjunct biology professor and tropical field biologist Marty Crump takes
readers on a voyage of discovery into the world of extraordinary interactions involving
animals, plants, fungi and bacteria.
Bisphosphonates and Beyond -
Managing Bone Density and Reducing Breast Cancer
Bisphosphonates are routinely given to women with postmenopausal breast cancer, but new
data suggest that these agents may play a role in reducing recurrent breast cancer as
well. Zoledronic acid is both safe and effective in preventing bone loss in postmenopausal
women with breast cancer who are treated with aromatase inhibitors, according to data
presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. "Women who take
aromatase inhibitors need some sort of bone protection, and this five-year data show that
zoledronic acid is a viable option," said Adam Brufsky, M.D., Ph.D., associate
professor of medicine, associate chief of hematolgy-oncology, and associate director for
clinical investigation, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.
BMJ criticisms of Tamiflu
questioned
Last July, BMJ reports, a Japanese doctor complained to Cochrane that eight of the Kaiser
studies were based on data held by Roche or published only as abstracts. Of the two that
had been fully published, one found that Tamiflu reduced the risk of complications (PDF)
while the other concluded it had no effect.
Body clock link to heart disease
Scientists have raised the possibility that cardiovascular disease is linked to
disturbances in the body's 24-hour clock.
Brain Plaques Linked to Increased
Alzheimer's Risk
Scientists have long assumed that amyloid brain plaques found in autopsies of Alzheimer's
patients are harmful and cause Alzheimer's disease. But autopsies of people with no signs
of mental impairment have also revealed brain plaques, challenging this theory. Now, for
the first time, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have shown that brain
plaques in apparently healthy individuals are associated with increased risk of diagnosis
with Alzheimer's disease years later. In two studies published this month in Archives of
Neurology, scientists report that volunteers with brain plaques were more likely to have
declining scores on annual cognitive tests, to show signs of shrinkage in a key brain area
affected by Alzheimer's and to eventually be diagnosed with the disease.
Brainstorming Works Best in
Cross-Functional, Less Specialized Efforts, Says Management Insights Study
Applying brainstorming techniques to new product development works best when the
collaboration employs participants from varied specialties gathering to develop a less
complex product, according to the Management Insights feature in the current issue of
Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the
Management Sciences (INFORMS®). When new products will be highly technical, a better way
to develop them is for specialists to do their work in private and collaborate through
‘nominal’ groups, the study says. “The Effects of Problem Structure and
Team Diversity on Brainstorming Effectiveness” is by Stylianos Kavadias of the
Georgia Institute of Technology and Svenja C. Sommer of HEC Paris.
Brazil Moves To Cut Amazon
Destruction By Ranchers
Brazil took a step forward in protecting the Amazon rainforest on Wednesday, starting
satellite surveillance of the cattle ranches that are among the chief culprits in the
forest's destruction.
Breast Cancer Researchers Focus on
Stem Cells
Cancer drugs and radiation target and kill fast-growing cancer cells. But a small number
of noncancer cells in the tumor often survive. These, researchers believe, are
"mother" cells -- stem cells that shrug off treatment and survive to manufacture
more cancer cells.
Breast cancer studies target
`mother' cells
Cancer drugs and radiation target and kill fast-growing cancer cells. But a small number
of noncancer cells in the tumor often survive. These, researchers believe, are
"mother" cells - stem cells that eventually manufacture more cancer cells.
Burn pits caused illnesses
Open burning has since been banned but many may face long-term effects.
Can an Abnormality in Your Neck
Cause MS?
He found that scientists who had studied the brains of MS patients had noticed higher
levels of iron in their brain, not accounted for by age. The iron deposits had a unique
pattern, often forming in the core of the brain, clustered around the veins that normally
drain blood from the head.
Can China Turn Cotton Green?
Producing 'natural' cotton clothing is a huge and filthy global business that,
Chinese-commissioned research shows, will be extremely difficult to clean up.
Cancer risk to town unclear in
report on asbestos effects
A report shows that for the people of Thetford Mines, Que., living near an asbestos mine
can be hazardous to health, but the jury is still out as to how much of a cancer risk the
deadly mineral may be to residents.
Cannabis spray found to help
relieve cancer pain
Cancer patients who used a cannabis mouthspray had their level of pain reduced by 30%, a
study has shown.
Catheter Device Restrores Blood
Flow to Brain by Suctioning Blood Clots
Bobbie Laird was suffering a life-threatening stroke triggered by a blood clot in her
brain that was nearly half an inch long. But Dr. John Whapham of Loyola University Health
System was able to stop the stroke in its tracks by using a cathether device that busted
up the clot and suctioned the debris. Most strokes are caused by blood clots in brain
vessels. Brain cells die when deprived of blood and oxygen. But if a patient gets to the
hospital in time, fast treatment often can restore blood flow and minimize damage. When
Laird arrived by ambulance at Loyola's emergency room, she was paralyzed on the left side
of her body. She was disoriented and losing consciousness. A clot had traveled from her
heart and lodged in her right middle cerebral artery, which supplies blood to most of the
right side of her brain. As blood backed up behind the clot and congealed, the clot grew
to 10 to 12 millimeters long. Fortunately, Laird arrived by ambulance within a three-hour
time window when treatment is most effective. She was seen by Dr. Rima Dafer, a vascular
neurologist (stroke specialist). Laird was treated with tPA, an intravenous clot-busting
drug. The Food and Drug Administration has approved tPA for the treatment of stroke if
given within three hours of the onset of symptoms.
Catmint against Kidney Cancer -
Chemists at TU Dortmund Synthesize Promising Anti-Tumor Compound
Englerin A, a natural product recently discovered in an African plant, possesses high
toxicity for kidney cancer cells but low toxicity for other cells. Therefore this compound
is potentially qualified for further evaluation toward an application in cancer therapy.
“We have noticed that one ingredient of catmint has a structure similar to that of
englerin A”, explains Mathias Christmann, professor of organic chemistry at TU
Dortmund. As a result, he and his colleagues Dr. Matthieu Willot and graduate student Lea
Radtke initiated a program to convert nepetalactone, the active substance of catmint
(Nepeta cataria), into englerin A. For that reason, the molecular structure of the
starting material (nepetalactone) is altered in the laboratory step-by-step, eventually
culminating in the target molecule (englerin A). The first successful total synthesis,
meaning the synthetic production of englerin A on the basis of catmint oil, was completed
in summer 2009. The international specialized press celebrated this achievement as a
“scientific highlight”.
Chemical BPA may harm developing
fetus, Quebec study suggests
A common chemical used in the plastic lining of frozen-food dinners and many other
products is endangering the development of fetuses in pregnant women, a new study
suggests.
Child diabetes blamed on food
sweetener
Scientists have proved for the first time that a cheap form of sugar used in thousands of
food products and soft drinks can damage human metabolism and is fuelling the obesity
crisis.
Choose non-toxic decor for a
non-polluting apartment
A couple paints their apartment. Doctors recommend airing a newly decorated apartment for
at least two to three months before moving in.
Christmas cholesterol epiphany
Laboratory experiments suggest that the resin of certain trees of the Middle East, known
commonly as the "myrrh" of the Christmas story, may have cholesterol-lowering
properties. Research published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and
Public Health discusses the hypocholesterolemic effects of myrrh and other plant products.
Myrrh is a rust-coloured resin obtained from several species of Commiphora and
Balsamodendron tree, native to the Middle East and Ethiopia. It is perhaps best known as
one of the gifts of the Magi offered to the infant Jesus, along with gold and
frankincense. At the time, myrrh was revered as an embalming ointment and is also an
ingredient in incense.
Climate change in Arctic could
bring Pacific mollusks, other species to Atlantic
Mollusks from the Pacific could march into the Atlantic Ocean within decades because of
the melting of Arctic sea ice, researchers in California say.
Climate change played key role in
B.C. sockeye stocks collapse, say scientists
Food-poor, predator-rich ocean waters caused by climate change likely played a significant
role in decimating millions of sockeye salmon in British Columbia's Fraser River ahead of
what was supposed to be a bumper year, says a scientific think tank.
Climate Change Poses Threat To
Colombian Coast
The Tumaco area, in Colombia's Narino province, has become a prime example of how
environmental and security pressures work in tandem to undermine previously stable
communities.
Climate negotiators eye the
'forgotten 50%' of greenhouse gas pollutants
While the U.S. has focused on CO2 emissions, some nations are pushing for measures to curb
black carbon, HFCs and methane, which they say will be easier to achieve and will show
quick results.
Climate Projections Underestimate
CO2 Impact
The climate may be 30-50 percent more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide in the long
term than previously thought, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience
yesterday. Projections over the next hundreds of years of climate conditions, including
global temperatures, may need to be adjusted to reflect this higher sensitivity.
"Climate change is affecting water supplies for cities and farms; leading to more
severe droughts, hurricanes, and floods; contributing to more intense forest fires; and
putting coastal communities at risk," said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, who
is on his way to the global climate change conference convening this week in Copenhagen.
"This study and the ongoing work of our USGS scientists will help us continue to
build more precise long-term projections and to prepare for the impacts of climate change
on our world." A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol and including
the U.S. Geological Survey, studied global temperatures 3.3 to 3 million years ago,
finding that the averages were significantly higher than expected from the atmospheric
carbon dioxide levels at the time. These underestimates occurred because the long-term
sensitivity of the Earth system was not accurately taken into account. In these earlier
periods, Earth had more time to adjust to some of the slower impacts of climate change.
For example, as the climate warms and ice sheets melt, Earth will absorb more sunlight and
continue to warm in the future since less ice is present to reflect the sun. The U.S.
Geological Survey provided the reconstruction of environmental conditions during this
timeframe, known as the mid-Pliocene warm period. These data allowed the authors to test
the Earth system's sensitivity to atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Climate-change skeptics gain from
Ottawa funding
The federal government has been funding an asbestos lobby group that promotes the work of
prominent climate-change skeptics.
Clinical trial advances new
approach to re-sensitizing breast cancer
A new drug cocktail might be the right mix to fight breast cancer after it becomes
resistant to standard therapy. Details of a new study supporting this approach suggest
it's possible to re-sensitize tumors thus allowing treatments to work again. The findings
were presented today at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The study
involves post-menopausal women whose advanced breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, often
called estrogen-receptor or progesterone-receptor positive cancers. The standard treatment
is anti-hormonal medicines, such as aromatase inhibitors (AIs), which lower the amount of
estrogen in the body. Over time, however, the cancer figures out a way to thrive without
the estrogen. The treatment strategy under investigation to fight this resistance combines
an aromatase inhibitor with sorafenib, an oral medication FDA-approved to treat liver and
kidney cancers. "We believe the sorafenib might disrupt the machinery created by the
tumor to grow without the estrogen," says Claudine Isaacs, MD, clinical director of
breast cancer program at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and presenting
author of the study. "After the machinery is destroyed, the aromotase inhibitor can
do its work again. We're already seeing some encouraging responses to this approach."
Constant use of antibiotics weakens
immune system
The constant use of antibiotics is a leading factor in growing inability to eradicate
disease, French scientist Professor Dr Srinivas V Kaveri said on Friday.
Controversial HPV vaccinations
explored by medical school
The symposium, entitled “Prophylactic HPV Vaccines: The Future is Now,” will
review topics critical to the current understanding of genital HPV infection in Canada.
Core Cancer Drug Scrutinized
New findings suggest that the risks associated with a class of chemotherapy drugs widely
used to treat breast cancer outweighed their benefits in some patients.
Correlational Study Shows Link
Between Psychotropic Medication and Cardiac Events
Women with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) who report taking antidepressant and
anti-anxiety medications have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart
attacks and strokes, and death compared to women not taking these medications, according
to researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). Their
paper, "Psychotropic medication use and risk of adverse cardiovascular events in
women with suspected coronary artery disease,” reports recent findings from the
Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study. The WISE study, sponsored by the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, involves
investigators at multiple study sites around the U.S., and was designed to develop methods
for improved assessment and understanding of coronary artery disease in women.
Couples who do the dishes together
stay happier
A new study published by the University of Western Ontario reveals that couples who share
the responsibility for paid and unpaid work report higher average measures of happiness
and life satisfaction than those in other family models.
Decades-old dioxins pollute river,
divide US community
The Tittabawassee may be clean enough to freeze now, but it remains one of the most
contaminated waterways in the United States and a key example of the nation's struggle to
deal with its industrial past.
Delaying the aging process protects
against Alzheimer's disease
Aging is the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In their latest study,
researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that simply slowing the
aging process in mice prone to develop Alzheimer's disease prevented their brains from
turning into a neuronal wasteland. "Our study opens up a whole new avenue of looking
at the disease," says the study's leader, Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Andrew
Dillin, Ph.D., a professor in the Salk Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory. "Going
forward, looking at the way we age may actually have more impact on the treatment and
prevention of Alzheimer's disease than studying the basic biology of the disease
itself." Their finding, published in the Dec. 11, 2009 issue of the journal Cell, is
the latest clue in the Salk scientists' ongoing quest to shed light on the question of
whether Alzheimer's disease onset late in life is a disastrous consequence of the aging
process itself or whether the beta amyloid aggregates that cause the disease simply take a
long time to form. Age is the major risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's
disease. Beyond age 65, the number of people with the disease doubles every five years.
Centenarians, however, seem to escape most common age-related diseases, including the
ravages of Alzheimer's disease. "In this study, we went directly to the root cause of
Alzheimer's disease and asked whether we could influence the onset of the disease by
modulating the aging process," says first author Ehud Cohen, Ph.D., formerly a
postdoctoral researcher in Dillin's lab and now an assistant professor at the Hebrew
University–Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem, Israel.
Diet high in methionine could
increase risk of Alzheimer's
Temple study suggests that a diet rich in methionine, an amino acid typically found in red
meats, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds, can possibly increase
the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
Discovery of new planets raises
hopes of other life in universe
Astronomers have discovered four new planets orbiting two stars similar to Earth's sun,
raising hopes that other life may exist in the universe.
Doctors Must Be on Lookout for
'Choking Game' Warning Signs
Many Pediatricians May Not Be Aware of Telltale Signs of Deadly Activity.
Drug data mining ban unlikely in
Senate bill
A Democratic proposal to ban the collection of doctors' prescription records for marketing
purposes is unlikely to be included as part of the Senate's overall health reform bill, a
Senate staff member said on Monday.
Drug kills cells through novel
mechanism
MIT and Boston University researchers have discovered that the drug hydroxyurea kills
bacteria by inducing them to produce molecules toxic to themselves — a conclusion
that raises the possibility of finding new antibiotics that use similar mechanisms.
Hydroxyurea inhibits the enzyme critical for making the building blocks for DNA, so for
decades it has been used to study the consequences of inhibiting DNA replication in E.
coli, yeast and mammalian cells. It is also sometimes used in chemotherapy to halt the
growth of cancer cells.
Earth's polar ice sheets vulnerable
to even moderate global warming
A new analysis of the geological record of the Earth's sea level, carried out by
scientists at Princeton and Harvard universities and published in the Dec. 16 issue of
Nature, employs a novel statistical approach that reveals the planet's polar ice sheets
are vulnerable to large-scale melting even under moderate global warming scenarios. Such
melting would lead to a large and relatively rapid rise in global sea level.
Egyptian mummies show signs of
heart disease
A study finds evidence of hardened arteries in nine out of 16 ancient mummies, suggesting
that modern diets and lifestyle aren't exclusively to blame for the disease.
Elusive 'hot' electrons captured in
ultra-thin solar cells
Boston College researchers have observed the "hot electron" effect in a solar
cell for the first time and successfully harvested the elusive charges using ultra-thin
solar cells, opening a potential avenue to improved solar power efficiency, the authors
report in the current online edition of Applied Physics Letters. When light is captured in
solar cells, it generates free electrons in a range of energy states. But in order to
snare these charges, the electrons must reach the bottom of the conduction band. The
problem has been that these highly energized "hot" electrons lose much of their
energy to heat along the way. Hot electrons have been observed in other devices, such as
semiconductors. But their high kinetic energy can cause these electrons, also known as
"hot carriers," to degrade a device. Researchers have long theorized about the
benefits of harnessing hot electrons for solar power through so-called "3rd
generation" devices. By using ultrathin solar cells - a film fewer than 30 nanometers
thick - the team developed a mechanism able to extract hot electrons in the moments before
they cool - effectively opening a new "escape hatch" through which they
typically don't travel, said co-author Michael J. Naughton, the Evelyn J. and Robert A.
Ferris Professor of Physics at Boston College. The team's success centered on minimizing
the environment within which the electrons are able to escape, said Professor of Physics
Krzysztof Kempa, lead author of the paper.
Environmental Destruction, Chaos
Bleeding Across Haitian Border
October, three Haitian men were shot dead and a fourth was wounded just across the
Dominican Republic border from this dusty and impoverished town.
Environmentalists want TVA
prosecuted in ash spill
Environmental groups said Monday they want the Tennessee Valley Authority to be prosecuted
for its huge coal ash spill in Tennessee and not shielded from penalties for polluting.
EU enters a nutrition science dark
age
As the clock strikes 12:01AM on January 1, 2010, Europe will enter a nutrition science
Dark Age. The stultifying effects of that backward movement will hit food and dietary
supplement companies hard all around the world.
Even at sublethal levels,
pesticides may slow the recovery of wild salmon populations
Biologists determined that short-term, seasonal exposure to pesticides in rivers and
basins may limit the growth and size of wild salmon populations. In addition to the
widespread deterioration of salmon habitats, these findings suggest that exposure to
commonly used pesticides may further inhibit the recovery of threatened or endangered
populations.
Experimental drug kills breast
cancer stem cells
An experimental drug was effective at killing breast cancer stem cells -- a kind of master
cancer cell that resists chemotherapy, U.S. researchers said on Friday.
Expert warns against ingesting
bisphenol A
Children, infants and pregnant women should avoid ingesting bisphenol A, says a U.S.
official leading a study of the chemical used in some plastics.
Extended youthfulness as a
prevention for Alzheimer's disease
Therapies that can keep us younger longer might also push back the clock on Alzheimer's
disease, suggests a new study of mice in the December 11th issue of the journal Cell, a
Cell Press publication. "There's something about being youthful that protects us from
Alzheimer's disease," said Andrew Dillin of The Salk Institute for Biological
Studies. "People say that if you live long enough, you get Alzheimer's. But if that
were true, mice that live longer should get the disease at the same rate. That's not what
we found." The researchers show that mice carrying human genes that cause them to
develop Alzheimer's can be protected from that disease by turning down a pathway that is
well known for its effects on aging. Surprisingly, the brains of the mice who were spared
the cognitive, inflammatory and neural effects of Alzheimer's by reducing the so-called
insulin/IGF signaling pathway were still riddled with amyloid plaques. However, those
plaques were more tightly packed into larger clusters than they would otherwise have been.
"We expected to see less plaque in the protected mice," Dillin said.
"Instead we saw the same number of plaques, but there was a qualitative difference in
how they looked. They were condensed so that they took up less area in the brain."
Those larger structures are apparently also less toxic. The new findings confirm an
earlier report by the Salk team in worms engineered to produce the human beta amyloid
protein in their body wall muscles.
Fear pesticides led to
double-headed fish
The head of the US agency tasked with protecting people and the environment from toxic
chemicals has condemned its legal powers as outdated and inadequate for ensuring the
safety of thousands of industrial chemicals in widespread use. Her testimony before the US
Senate earlier this month has direct implications for Australia's regulator.
Federal Judge Rejects
GlaxoSmithKline's Claims of Privilege
In a decision of importance to the case at hand and all cases involving claims of
attorney-client or work product privilege, the Honorable Cynthia M. Rufe of the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in a decision of December
7, 2009, has ruled that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the manufacturer of the prescription
diabetes medication Avandia, must produce dozens of documents that it withheld on claims
of privilege.
Finding the Achilles' Heel of
Cancer
A never-approved drug developed to prevent the death of nerve cells after a stroke can
efficiently kill cancer cells while keeping normal cells healthy and intact, an
international team led by a Tel Aviv University researcher is reporting in the journal
Breast Cancer Research. Prof. Malka Cohen-Armon of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine found
that the stroke drug — a member of a family of phenanthridine derivatives developed
by an American drug company — worked to kill cancer in mice which had been implanted
with human breast cancer cells. "Not only did the drug kill the cancer, but when we
investigated normal cells, we discovered that they'd reacted as though they hadn't come in
contact with the drug," says Prof. Cohen-Armon. "This is the result we were
hoping for. If human trials go well, we could have an entirely new class of drugs in our
hands for the fight against cancer."
First Immunological Clue to Why
Some H1N1 Patients Get Very Ill Or Die
An international team of Canadian and Spanish scientists have found the first potential
immunological clue of why some people develop severe pneumonia when infected by the
pandemic H1N1 virus. The study analyzed different levels of regulating molecules for 20
hospitalized patients, 15 outpatients and 15 control subjects in 10 Spanish hospitals
during the first pandemic wave in July and August 2009. Researchers from the Hospital
Clinico Universitario de Valladolid in Spain and the University Health Network found high
levels of a molecule called interleukin 17 in the blood of severe H1N1 patients, and low
levels in patients with the mild form of the disease.Interleukin 17 is produced by the
body and is important in the normal regulation of white blood cells which fight infection
and disease. In certain circumstances, the molecule becomes “out of control”,
leading to inflammation and autoimmune diseases. The research paper titled, “Th1 and
Th17 hypercytokinemia as early host response signature in severe pandemic influenza”
is published in the December issue of the Journal of Critical Care.
Fishing for facts
Good for your health, or toxic to you and the environment: It’s hard to know what
fish to eat
Fluoride Causes Premature Births,
Brain Degradation, Bone Loss, Cancer and Hormone Disruption
A recent study conducted by researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY) found
that fluoride ingestion may be responsible for causing premature births. Presented to the
American Public Health Association at its annual meeting, these findings ratchet up yet
another detrimental consequence of ingesting this toxic poison that is added to most
American municipal water supplies.
Fructose may promote metabolic
syndrome
A research team from the University of Washington (UW) recently published a study in
Physiology & Behavior revealing that moderate consumption of fructose- and high
fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverages leads to significant alterations of lipid
metabolization in the liver. Conducted on rats, the study also noted marked increases in
both cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rats that fed on fructose-sweetened beverages.
Gardasil linked to MS symptoms
THE cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil has triggered multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in
some girls after being inoculated.
Gas improves blood flow and organ
status during minimally invasive surgery
As good as laparoscopy is in preventing some of the stresses of open surgery on the body,
it does have drawbacks, including reduced blood flow and organ dysfunction. By adding
another gas to the carbon dioxide used to inflate the surgical area during laparoscopy,
researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found they can preserve more normal
blood flow during noninvasive surgery. Laparoscopy is a type of surgery in the abdomen
done through small incisions.
Gene identified as cause of some
forms of intellectual disability
A gene involved in some forms of intellectual disability has been identified by scientists
at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, as published this month in the American
Journal of Human Genetics. The gene is called TRAPPC9. "Now that we have identified
TRAPPC9 as a gene that may be associated with hundreds of thousands of cases of
intellectual disability world-wide, we can build on that knowledge with research to help
individuals and their families," says Dr. Vincent.
Germ exposure in pregnancy may
benefit kids, study indicates
The hygiene hypothesis is the idea that exposure to germs early in life builds a stronger
immune system and lowers a child's risk of developing allergies and asthma.
Global warming - 72 percent of
Americans say it's real, poll finds
Amid all the controversy about the hacked e-mails of climate scientists comes an
ABC-Washington Post poll that says a majority of Americans believe that global warming is
happening.
Google unveils breakthrough
technology to monitor deforestation
The software can processes satellite images to extract scientific and tracking information
about how much forests have changed
Growth factor may govern metastasis
A British study suggests the spread, or metastasis, of breast cancer cells into the
bloodstream of mice is governed by a growth factor.
H1N1 less lethal than feared
The strain of swine flu virus currently circulating around the world is less deadly than
previously thought, say British scientists who compared its effect to that of other
pandemic viruses.
Heart drugs show promise for
fighting colon cancer
Scientists in Sweden are reporting for the first time that a group of drugs used to treat
heart failure shows promise for fighting colon cancer. The study is in ACS' Journal of
Natural Products, a monthly publication. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in
the United States, with more than 150,000 cases diagnosed in the US each year.
Hebrew University, American
researchers show 'trigger' to stem cell differentiation
A gene which is essential for stem cells' capabilities to become any cell type has been
identified by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of
California, San Francisco.The discovery represents a further step in the ever-expanding
field of understanding the ways in which stem cells develop into specific cells, a
necessary prelude towards the use of stem cell therapy as a means to reverse the
consequences of disease and disability. The identification of the gene, known as Chd1, was
made by Dr. Eran Meshorer of the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences at the
Hebrew University and Dr. Miguel Ramalho-Santos (UCSF), together with their graduate
students Adi Alajem (the Hebrew University) and Alexandre Gaspar-Maia (UCSF). Embryonic
stem (ES) cells, which are primary cells derived from the early developing embryo, are
capable of giving rise, according to their environment and conditions, to any cell type --
a trait known as pluripotency. It was assumed that the ES cells have a relatively high
degree of open chromatin, which is thought to enable their pluripotency, a theory which
awaited proof. Chromatin, which is found in all cells, is composed of DNA and its
surrounding proteins and can be found in one of two conformations: closed chromatin
(heterochromatin) – when the genetic material is packed in a way that prevents the
expression of the genes -- and open chromatin (euchromatin) – when chromatin is
accessible to the gene expression machinery. Different cells display varying degrees of
open and closed chromatin as a function of the genes required for their function.
Higher blood lead boosts
depression, panic risk
Lead exposure well within levels generally considered safe may harm mental health, new
research suggests. Men and women in their 20s and 30s with the highest levels of lead in
their blood were more than twice as likely to suffer from major depression as their peers
with the lowest blood lead levels, while their risk of panic disorder was nearly five
times greater, researchers found.
Hindering HIV-1-fighting immune
cells
Immune proteins called HLA molecules help to activate killer T cell responses against
pathogens. But according to a study that will be published online on Dec. 14 in the
Journal of Experimental Medicine, one particular group of HLA molecules cripples this
activation, perhaps explaining why HIV-infected individuals who express these HLAs
progress to AIDS more rapidly than others.
Hispanic Farmworkers Seek Tighter
Controls on Pesticide Use
Hispanic farmworkers in California poisoned by pesticides are demanding that the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency exercise greater control over toxic substances used in
agriculture.
Household toxins
As it has long been suspected, toxins and carcinogenic chemicals lurk around the house
and, particularly, in the kitchen where food for the family is stored and prepared. Manila
Bulletin, Philippines.
How Dangerous is Outdoor
Second-Hand Smoke?
ndoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a
new study suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.
How You Can Normalize Your Blood
Pressure Without Drugs
If you are not already one in three U.S. adults with high blood pressure, the odds are
that without intervention, you will be, at some point in your life.
Immune Cell Activity Linked to
Worsening COPD
A new study links chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, with increased activity
of cells that act as sentinels to activate the body’s immune system.
Indoor allergies a dog danger
I have a 2-year old mixed breed terrier that is constantly itching. His name is Fred and
he is in the house all the time except for very brief outside potty trips. He will scoot
his face along the floor or couch until he rubs his face and nose raw. We have tried
medicated baths and an anti-itch spray, but nothing has seemed to help for more than a day
or two. Do you have any suggestions?
Innovative implants benefit both
patients and caregivers
Researchers at Mid Sweden University, together with Professor Jan Hirsch and Consultant
Per Dérand, oral & maxillofacial surgeons at Uppsala University Hospital and
Mälarsjukhuset Hospital, respectively, have developed an entirely new method for
individually adapted implants. The method provides better patient safety and lower costs.
It involves planning, design, and production. At the end of October the first implants
were operated in at University Hospital in Uppsala. "With individually adapted
implants, you minimize the time needed for adjustment and adaptation of the implant during
the operation itself. Work that was previously done during the operation is now done in
advance, on a computer. This means that the operation time can be reduced. But the hypoxia
time, that is, the time the transplant has no supply of oxygen, is reduced for the
transplant in that it is finished before the blood circulation is cut off. With this type
of digital planning and production method we also see a potential for making entirely new
types of implants and prostheses that don't exist today," says Lars-Erik Rännar, who
does research in sports technology at Mid Sweden University.
Intensive Therapy for Narrowed
Arteries Linked to Fewer Heart Events
Intensive medical therapy, including aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol
levels, for patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup in their carotid arteries (which
supply blood to the brain) appears to be associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular
events and reduced risk of microemboli (microscopic-sized blood clots) in the brain
arteries, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the February 2010
print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Irregular arm swing may point to
Parkinson's disease
Irregular arm swings while walking could be an early sign of Parkinson's disease,
according to neurologists who believe early detection may help physicians apply treatments
to slow further brain cell damage until strategies to slow disease progression are
available. Parkinson's disease is an age-related disorder involving loss of certain types
of brain cells and marked by impaired movement and slow speech. "The disease is
currently diagnosed by tremors at rest and stiffness in the body and limbs," said
Xuemei Huang, associate professor of neurology, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine.
"But by the time we diagnose the disease, about 50 to 80 percent of the critical
cells called dopamine neurons are already dead." Huang and her colleagues are
studying gait, or the manner in which people walk, to understand the physical signs that
might be a very early marker for the onset of Parkinson's. They have confirmed Huang's
clinical impression that in people with Parkinson's, the arm swing is asymmetrical. In
other words, one arm swings much less than the other as a person walks. "We know that
Parkinson's patients lose their arm swing even very early in the disease but nobody had
looked using a scientifically measured approach to see if the loss was asymmetrical or
when this asymmetry first showed up," said Huang. Her team's findings appear in the
current issue of Gait and Posture. "Our hypothesis is that because Parkinson's is an
asymmetrical disease, the arm swing on one arm will be lost first compared to the
other." The researchers compared the arm swing of 12 people diagnosed three years
earlier with Parkinson's, to eight people in a control group. The Parkinson's patients
were asked to stop all medication the night before to avoid influencing the test results.
Is Dirty Electricity Making You
Sick?
Too many electromagnetic fields surrounding us--from cell phones, wifi, and commonplace
modern technology--may be seriously harming our health.
It's best to avoid BPA, federal
official says
The head of the primary federal agency studying the safety of bisphenol A said Friday that
people should avoid ingesting the chemical - especially pregnant women, infants and
children. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin.
Jefferson neurosurgeon helps draft
new treatment guidelines for brain metastases
New treatment guidelines for patients with brain metastases are now available from the
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons (CNS). David Andrews, M.D., F.A.C.S., professor and vice-chair of Clinical
Services in the Department of Neurological Surgery at Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience,
served as a member of the task force chosen to draft this new, significant tool to improve
the quality of care for patients who suffer from brain tumors. The nation's neurosurgeons
took the lead in drafting the first national evidence-based, multidisciplinary guidelines
for these types of patients, which account for nearly 500,000 new cancers in the United
States. Brain metastases are tumors which travel to the brain from other areas of the
body, usually the breast or lung, and outnumber all other brain tumors combined by more
than four to one. The guidelines were developed over the last year by a 20-member panel in
various specialties in conjunction with the McMaster Evidence-based Practice Center, which
is world-renowned for its seminal work in evidence-based medicine (EBM). The formal EBM
process involved reviewing the literature and reaching a multidisciplinary consensus for
different treatments. Unlike previous formal expert consensus efforts, recommendations are
directly linked to levels of evidence in a transparent and reproducible methodology.
Members of the panel analyzed 25,000 studies and then utilized 400 of them to make their
final guideline decisions. "A decade ago, a brain metastasis diagnosis was a death
sentence. But advancements in technology and treatment like surgical resection,
stereotactic radiosurgery, whole brain radiation therapy, partial brain radiation and
chemotherapy, now allow for better patient outcomes," said Dr. Andrews. "Until
now, there has been no formally adopted way to treat these patients. Physicians also
lacked a critical central resource of treatment regimens offering the best results. These
new evidence-based guidelines offer us the opportunity to discuss with our patients the
best available treatment option for them."
Kids' Swine Flu Shots Recalled; Not
Strong Enough
Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children have been recalled because tests
indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday.
Learning styles debunked
Are you a verbal learner or a visual learner? Chances are, you've pegged yourself or your
children as either one or the other and rely on study techniques that suit your individual
learning needs. However, a new report finds no evidence for the learning styles
hypothesis.
Low cholesterol transfer protein
activity associated with heart disease risk
Although seen as a potential heart disease therapy, raising high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol levels by inhibiting activity of a transfer protein may not be effective, a
new study suggests. Scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on
Aging at Tufts University and Boston University School of Medicine found an association
between low plasma cholesterol ester transfer protein activity and increased risk of heart
disease in the Framingham Heart Study population.
Lung cancer and melanoma laid bare
Researchers have generated the first comprehensive analyses a malignant melanoma and a
lung cancer genome. The results, which reveal essentially all the mutations in the
genomes, will provide powerful insights into the biology of cancer and lay the foundation
for understanding causation and improving prevention, detection and treatment. The
ultimate aim will be to generate catalogs for thousands of individual cancer genomes, so
that treatments can be directed in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
M. D. Anderson study questions true
favorability of rare breast cancer type
In a large review of breast cancer patients with mucinous carcinoma, researchers at The
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have identified an association between
this rare type of breast cancer long-associated with a favorable prognosis and multiple
tumors undetected by mammography or ultrasound. The study, presented today at the
CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, is the first to observe this negative
association and should caution those caring for mucinous breast cancer patients that more,
not less, therapy, as well as additional screening may be needed for a select group of
these patients, said George Perkins, M.D., associate professor in M. D. Anderson
Department of Radiation Oncology and the study's first author. Mucinous breast cancer,
also known as colloid carcinoma, is a rare type of invasive breast cancer formed by
mucus-producing cancer cells. Perkins estimated that the disease accounts for
approximately two percent of all breast cancers diagnosed. The prognosis for mucinous
carcinoma is thought to be better than for the more common types of invasive breast
cancers. "While mucinous breast cancer is thought to be a disease with a favorable
prognosis, our study is the first to identify it as one associated with significant
multifocal presentation - a potentially unfavorable aspect with a subtype long thought to
be extremely favorable," said Perkins. "Our findings must caution those caring
for these women that they may not only need more radiographic evaluation, such as MRI, but
also intraoperative collaboration with radiology and pathology. These patients also may
need standard radiation treatment, rather than the minimal effective therapy, which could
include no post-surgery treatment at all." Researchers reviewed charts of 264
patients with mucinous carcinoma treated at M. D. Anderson between 1965 and 2005. The
median age and follow-up was 57 years and 168 months respectively. Of the patients, 86
percent were stage T2 or less, and 80 percent had no lymph node involvement, 15 percent
had 1-3 positive nodes and 5 percent had 4 or more.
Marketing a 'spoonful of sugar'
Research by Dr. Danit Ein-Gar of Tel Aviv University proves that providing consumers with
a very small or even trivial immediate benefit encourages people to use products that may
have more significant long-term health advantages. Her research may offer the key to
getting kids to wear their seat belts and encourage adults to use sunscreen.
MCG scientists decode
memory-forming brain cell conversations
The conversations neurons have as they form and recall memories have been decoded by
Medical College of Georgia scientists. The breakthrough in recognizing in real time the
formation and recollection of a memory opens the door to objective, thorough memory
studies and eventually better therapies, said Dr. Joe Tsien, neuroscientist and
co-director of MCG's Brain & Behavior Discovery Institute. He is corresponding author
on the study published Dec. 16 in PLoS ONE (see
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0008256)."It's a beginning, a first glimpse
of a memory," Dr. Tsien said. "For the first time it gives us the ability to
look at the brain dynamic and tell what kind of memory is formed, what are the components
of the memory and how the memory is retrieved at the network level." The finding
could help pinpoint at what stage memory formation is flawed and whether drugs are
improving it.
Menopause increases bad cholesterol
levels
Menopause-induced changes in serum lipid levels are responsible for the increased risk of
cardiovascular diseases in women, a new study finds.
Menopause, as Brought to You by Big
Pharma
Mr. Loder also notes that Pfizer plans to appeal every product-liability case on
menopausal drugs it loses, including Ms. Barton’s.
Mercury Present In Most Americans,
CDC
Mercury is present in the bodies of most Americans, suggest the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
Milk thistle may limit liver damage
from chemo
An herb used since ancient times to treat liver ailments may help reduce the liver damage
caused by some cancer drugs, a study published Monday suggests.
Miss whiplash with locking headrest
Whiplash neck injuries among drivers and their passengers who have been shunted from
behind are a major cause of long-term health problems and, in extreme cases, death. A
report in International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing describes a new
type of vehicle headrest that can both improve safety and comfort. The new headrest being
developed by Italian engineers can be easily positioned so that it is always at the
optimum passenger head distance to avoid whiplash injuries during a rear vehicle
collision. However, the headrest almost instantaneously locks in position during a crash
and provides the best protection for driver and passengers. Federico Giorgetta,
Massimiliano Gobbi, and Giampiero Mastinu of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, at
the Technical University in Milan worked with Renato Ravicino of Italian headrest
manufacturer Gestind MB S.p.A., based in Bruzolo, to develop the new system. Gobbi and
colleagues explain their motivation: "Whiplash injuries constitute a growing health
problem and economic burden in westernised and motorised nations," and suggest that,
"Without significant efforts in crash prevention and improvements in vehicle safety
design, especially with more effective seat back and head restraint systems, the ever
increasing traffic density will show a rise in this negative trend."
Moderate weight loss in obese
people improves heart function
Obese patients who lost a moderate amount of weight by eating less and exercising more
improved their cardiovascular health, says a study at Washington University School of
Medicine in St. Louis. The results of this two-year study, published in the Dec. 15, 2009,
issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that weight loss led to
improvement in four key measures of heart and vascular health. The improvements seen in
the study participants included decreased thickness of heart muscle, improved pumping and
relaxation functions of the heart and decreased thickness of the carotid artery walls.
Heart muscle thickening and impaired pumping and relaxation functions are predictors of
heart failure, and increased carotid wall thickness is a predictor of plaque formation.
The researchers studied 60 moderately obese individuals at regular intervals, and 46
people (78 percent) completed the entire two-year follow-up period. The participants
ranged in age from 22 to 64 and had BMIs (body mass indexes) of between 30 and 44. During
the study, the subjects were instructed to eat low-calorie diets (1,200 to 1,500 calories
for women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories for men) and to exercise for about three and a half
hours per week, principally walking. On average, they lost weight for about six months,
reaching a maximum loss of nine percent body weight or 22 pounds. Maximum cardiovascular
benefit lagged behind weight loss, with the greatest improvement coming six to 12 months
after the study began. Starting at about six months, most participants slowly regained
some of their lost weight. At the end of two years, the participants averaged about nine
pounds below their initial weight. Even though they regained some weight, after two years
they still retained some of the heart and blood vessel benefit they had received.
Modern life causes brain overload,
study finds
The wealth of media in modern life means the average person is bombarded with enough
information every day to overload a laptop computer, a study has found.
Monsanto Seed Biz Role Revealed
Confidential contracts detailing Monsanto Co.'s business practices reveal how the world's
biggest seed developer is squeezing competitors, controlling smaller seed companies and
protecting its dominance over the multibillion-dollar market for genetically altered
crops, an Associated Press investigation has found.
More blood vessels in
hormone-resistant prostate tumors
Patients with advanced prostate cancer are often treated with hormones, but when the
tumours start growing again they have more and different blood vessels, reveals a thesis
from the Sahlgrenska Academy, at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. This discovery
paves the way for new treatments for hormone-resistant prostate cancer.
More evidence coffee, tea could
prevent diabetes
Coffee, tea, or decaf-no matter what your choice, drinking any of these beverages may
reduce your risk of diabetes, according to a new analysis of 18 studies including hundreds
of thousands of people.
MP3 players face noise limits
recommended by EU
The European Commission is calling for a suggested maximum volume to be set on MP3
players, to protect users' hearing.
MRI detects breast cancer at
earlier stage
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) coupled with mammography detects almost all cancers at an
early stage, thereby reducing the incidence of advanced stage breast cancer in high-risk
women. "Earlier stage breast cancers are more likely to be curable," said lead
researcher Ellen Warner, M.D., M.Sc., medical oncologist in the Department of Medicine,
Division of Medical Oncology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, in Toronto, Canada.
"We can be fairly confident that if screening with MRI finds cancers at a much
earlier stage, it probably also saves lives," added Warner, who presented details of
these results at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 9-13. The
researchers separated 1,275 women at high risk for breast cancer into two groups: One
group was screened with MRI plus mammography, and the second, a control group, received
conventional screening by mammography. Participants had the defective BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene
mutation, which suggests a very high lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. Warner and
colleagues followed the women over several years to determine which screening method
detected cancer at a significantly earlier stage.
Nerve-Cell Transplants Help
Brain-Damaged Rats Fully Recover Lost Ability to Learn
Nerve cells transplanted into brain-damaged rats helped them to fully recover their
ability to learn and remember, probably by promoting nurturing, protective growth factors,
according to a new study. Building on previous investigation of transplants in the nervous
system, this critical study confirms that cell transplants can help the brain to heal
itself. Ultimately, it may lead to new therapies to help dementia patients. More
generally, scientists can now develop and test new ways to help repair an injured nervous
system -- whether through new drugs, genetically modified cells, transplanted neural
(nerve) and non-neural brain cells, or other means.The discovery was announced in the
December issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, published by the American Psychological
Association. The findings, according to the authors, confirm the potential of cell grafts
to stimulate the release of growth factors for neurons, regenerate or reorganize a part of
the brain, and restore cognitive function, in a process called neural plasticity.
New Biological Route for Swine Flu
to Human Infections
A new biological pathway by which the H1N1 flu virus can make the jump from swine to
humans has been discovered by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California,
Berkeley. Early test results indicate that a heretofore unknown mutation in one of the
H1N1 genes may have played an important role in transmitting the virus into humans.
“Transmission of influenza viruses into the human population requires surmounting
biological barriers to cross-species infection,” says biochemist Jennifer Doudna, the
principal investigator for this research. “We have identified an adaptive mutation in
the swine origin H1N1 influenza A virus - a pair of amino acid variants termed the
‘SR polymorphism’ - that enhance replication, and potentially pathogenesis of
the virus in humans.”
New biosensors reveal workings of
anti-psychotic drugs in the living brain
Scientists have resolved a question about how a popular class of drugs used to treat
schizophrenia works using biosensors that reveal previously hidden components of chemical
communication in the brain.
New Discoveries Could Improve
Climate Projections
New discoveries about the deep ocean's temperature variability and circulation system
could help improve projections of future climate conditions. The deep ocean is affected
more by surface warming than previously thought, and this understanding allows for more
accurate predictions of factors such as sea level rise and ice volume changes.High ocean
surface temperatures have also been found to result in a more vigorous deep ocean
circulation system. This increase results in a faster transport of large quantities of
warm water, with possible impacts including reduction of sea ice extent and overall
warming of the Arctic. "The deep ocean is relatively unexplored, and we need a true
understanding of its many complex processes," said U.S. Geological Survey Director
Marcia McNutt. "An understanding of climate change and its impacts based on sound,
objective data is a keystone to the type of long-term strategies and solutions that are
being discussed now at the United Nations conference in Copenhagen." USGS scientists
created the first ever 3-D reconstruction of an ocean during a past warm period, focusing
on the mid-Pliocene warm period 3.3 to 3 million years ago.
New inherited eye disease
discovered
University of Iowa researchers have found the existence of a new, rare inherited retinal
disease. Now the search is on to find the genetic cause, which investigators hope will
increase understanding of more common retinal diseases. The findings appeared in the Nov.
9 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology. The macula, located within the retina, is an
area of high-resolution central vision that is needed to read or drive, for example. This
area is damaged in more common retinal conditions such as macular degeneration and can be
damaged by diabetes. "It is rare to find a new inherited eye disease that affects the
macula. We thought we had seen them all," said the study's lead author Vinit Mahajan,
M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of
Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. "This newly found retinal
disease causes abnormal blood vessels in the macula, and these vessels are prone to
bleeding. This causes swelling or scars that 'black out' or blur parts of the field of
vision," said Mahajan, who also is a retinal specialist with University of Iowa
Hospitals and Clinics. The finding came about when one person in a family in the United
States sought care for eye problems. "If a doctor saw just one family member, they
would probably call this macular degeneration. We knew there was something different, and
we had to examine the rest of the family," Mahajan said.
New Legislation to Ban BPA in
Children’s Products
Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced new legislation to ban
Bisphenol-A (BPA) from common products used by children and pregnant women on Sunday, Dec.
13.
New procedure provides relief to
longtime allergy sufferers
It's a simple, quick office procedure called "Turbinate Coblation" that shrinks
the area along the nasal wall.
New questions are being raised in
stem-cell debate
The University of Alberta's Timothy Caulfield is questioning some of the ethical and legal
barriers facing a new stem cell procedure. It was two years ago when a groundbreaking
discovery turned ordinary skin cells back into an embryonic or "pluripotent"
state. This was recognized as the solution to the controversial ethical question that has
plagued stem-cell science for the past decade. But is it the solution? Or have iPS cells
(induced pluripotent stem cells) added a new dimension to the legal, social and ethical
debates that are an important and necessary part of stem-cell advances?
New research backs FDA ban on
flavored cigarettes
New research showing that thrill-seeking teenagers are especially susceptible to
fruit-flavored cigarettes is in line with the recent ban on the sale of flavored
cigarettes by the US Food and Drug Administration in September 2009. According to the FDA,
the ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part
of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking, which is the leading preventable cause
of death in America.
New research identifies modifiable
risk factors for heart disease
Emerging research on cardiovascular risk factors and treatment effects are helping
clinicians gain a better understanding of which patients are most likely to benefit from
close monitoring, lifestyle changes and/or additional therapeutic interventions. New
findings published in the December 15/22, 2009, Prevention and Outcomes Focus Issue of the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology aim to disentangle the influence of
menopause versus chronological aging in upping women's post-menopausal risk for heart
disease, evaluate the role of smoking status, physical activity and diet-induced weight
loss in certain patient populations, and more fully describe the effects of intensive
lipid-lowering therapy on subsequent cardiovascular events.
New Science Estimates Carbon
Storage Potential of U.S. Lands
The first phase of a groundbreaking national assessment estimates that U.S. forests and
soils could remove additional quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere as a
means to mitigate climate change. The lower 48 states in the U.S. hypothetically have the
potential to store an additional 3-7 billion metric tons of carbon in forests, if
agricultural lands were to be used for planting forests. This potential is equivalent to 2
to 4 years of America's current CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels. "Carbon
pollution is putting our world-and our way of life-in peril," said Secretary of the
Interior Ken Salazar in a keynote speech at the global conference on climate change in
Copenhagen, Denmark. "By restoring ecosystems and protecting certain areas from
development, the U.S. can store more carbon in ways that enhance our stewardship of land
and natural resources while reducing our contribution to global warming." U.S.
Geological Survey scientists also found that the conterminous U.S. presently stores 73
billion metric tons of carbon in soils and 17 billion metric tons in forests. This is
equivalent to more than 50 years of America's current CO2 emissions from burning fossil
fuels. This shows the need to protect existing carbon stores to prevent additional warming
and future harm to ecosystems. America's forests and soils are currently insufficient in
soaking up the nation's accelerating pace of emissions. They currently absorb about 30
percent (0.5 billion metric tons of carbon) of the nation's fossil fuel emissions per year
(1.6 billion metric tons of carbon). Enhancing the carbon storage capacity of America's
and the world's ecosystems is an important tool to reduce carbon emissions and help
ecosystems adapt to changing climate conditions.
New Study Indicates Bilberries
Boost Heart Health
According to a new study from France, bilberry extract may prevent the build up of plaque
in the arteries. This would prevent the hardening of the blood vessels and increase the
overall health of the heart, according to the French researchers.
New study levels new criticisms at
food industry
A new report authored by UA communication Professor Dale Kunkel faults food and beverage
producers for continuing to saturate television with ads for high-calorie, low-nutrient
products. The study was commissioned by the California-based public interest group
Children Now.
New study links DHA type of omega-3
to better nervous-system function
The omega-3 essential fatty acids commonly found in fatty fish and algae help animals
avoid sensory overload, according to research published by the American Psychological
Association. The finding connects low omega-3s to the information-processing problems
found in people with schizophrenia; bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorders; Huntington's disease; and other afflictions of the nervous
system.
New technique detects proteins that
make us age
Chemists and biologists from the University of Bath have developed a new technique that
could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions like
Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and cancer. In these diseases, proteins in the body
react with sugars in a process called glycation. This modifies the protein’s function
and can trigger complications such as inflammation and premature aging. The team at Bath,
led by Dr Jean van den Elsen and Dr Tony James, has developed a technique that can detect
glycated proteins and could in the future be used for diagnosing a whole range of diseases
in patients. They used a technique called gel electrophoresis, where samples are put into
a thin gel layer and an electric current is applied. The gel acts like a molecular sieve,
sorting proteins from the samples according to their size and shape, allowing scientists
to identify whether specific proteins are present in the blood.
Newly discovered mechanism by which
blood clots form
Polyphosphate from blood platelets plays a key role in inflammation and the formation of
blood clots, scientists from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have
shown. The study, which is presented in the prestigious scientific journal Cell, describes
how this mechanism can be used in treatment. Blood clots are a common cause of myocardial
infarction and stroke, and they arise when blood coagulates and clogs a blood vessel.
Scientists have shown that the formation of a blood clot involves the aggregation of blood
platelets and the formation of structures known as "fibrin threads", in
combination with inflammation in the blood vessel. The molecular processes behind this,
however, are only partially known. A research group at Karolinska Institutet, in
collaboration with American and European scientists, has discovered that an inorganic
polymer, polyphosphate, plays a key role in both inflammation and the formation of blood
clots. Experiments on mice and with patient plasma have shown that polyphosphate is
released by blood platelets and activates Factor XII, a protein that scientists have
previously shown to contribute to coagulation. Polyphosphate also activates inflammatory
substances that contribute to leakage from the blood vessel, which is a characteristic
feature of inflammation. The scientists show also that certain enzymes, phosphatases, that
break down polyphosphate can prevent both inflammation and the formation of blood clots in
the blood vessels of mice. Thus the scientists believe that phosphatases can become the
focus for a new type of treatment for blood clots and inflammation.
Nickelodeon food ads promote junk
food to children
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) determined that "nearly 80
percent of food ads on the popular children's network Nickelodeon are for foods of poor
nutritional quality." This modest improvement from 90 percent in 2005 was considered
insufficient, and the industry's self regulatory group was chastised for such a small
improvement over a four year span.
NIH-funded study unveils potential
genetic links to lung disease risk
A new study involving data from more than 20,000 individuals has uncovered several DNA
sequences linked to impaired pulmonary function. The research, an analysis that combined
the results of several smaller studies, provides insight into the mechanisms involved in
reaching full lung capacity. The findings may ultimately lead to better understanding of
lung function and diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the
fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
Novel Detection Method Unmasks
Circulating Breast Cancer Cells
Circulating metastatic breast cancer cells can lose their epithelial receptors, a process
that enables them to travel through the bloodstream undetected, according to research from
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The findings were presented today at
the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Levels of these circulating tumor cells
(CTCs) - which are shed from a primary tumor or its metastases - have been used to monitor
and tailor cancer therapy and to predict a patient's prognosis. CTCs that have undergone
epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), however, evade current detection methods and lose
their traditional prognostic and therapeutic value. Those cancer cells also become more
resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Finding a reliable method to detect these
stealth breast cancer cells may reveal additional therapeutic targets that could help
eradicate micrometastatic disease in patients with breast cancer or other epithelial
tumors.
NSAIDs - Take 'em early and often
when competing? Think again
Athletes' superstitions and rituals can help them get psyched up for contests, but when
these rituals involve NSAIDs, which many athletes gobble down before and during events,
they could be causing more harm than good. Such misuse can cause problems such as
interfering with healing and inhibiting the body's ability to adapt to challenging
workouts, to the development of stomach ulcers and possibly an increased risk for
cardiovascular problems, says sports medicine expert Stuart Warden.
Obesity Linked With Poorer Breast
Cancer Outcomes
Breast cancer patients with a high body mass index (BMI) have a poorer cancer prognosis
later in life. Specifically, their treatment effect does not last as long and their risk
of death increases. "Overall, women should make an effort to keep their BMI less than
25," said Marianne Ewertz, M.D., professor in the Department of Oncology at Odense
University Hospital, Denmark. "Those who have a high BMI should be encouraged to
participate in mammography screening programs for prevention efforts." Ewertz and
colleagues examined the influence of obesity on the risk of breast cancer recurrence and
mortality in relation to adjuvant treatment. She presented study results at the CTRC-AACR
San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 9-13. Using the Danish Breast Cancer
Cooperative Group database, they evaluated health information - such as status at
diagnosis, tumor size, malignancy grade, number of lymph nodes removed, estrogen receptor
status, treatment regimen, etc. - from almost 54,000 women. Ewertz and colleagues were
able to calculate BMI for 35 percent of the women whose information about height and
weight was available. A healthy, normal BMI score is between 20 and 25; a score below the
normal range indicates underweight and a score above indicates overweight.
Ovaries must suppress their inner
male
For an ovary to remain an ovary, the female organ has to continuously suppress its inner
capacity to become male. That's the conclusion of a study in the December 11th issue of
the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, revealing that the ovaries of mice can be
reprogrammed into testes (minus the sperm) by silencing a single gene. The findings may
have implications for understanding certain sex disorders in children and premature
menopause in women, the researchers say. No one would have previously suspected or
believed that an adult organ could be "transdifferentiated" to such an extent by
changing a single gene, said Mathias Treier of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory
and the University of Cologne in Germany. "No one would have betted on this," he
said. "That's why the finding is so spectacular." Until a few years ago,
conventional wisdom held that terminally differentiated organs in adult mammals couldn't
be reprogrammed. The new findings add to a growing list of exceptions to that rule. They
also revise scientists' understanding of sex determination, which held that ovaries are
the default identity for the gonads. In almost all mammals, males are XY and females XX. A
transcription factor known as SRY, which is found on the Y chromosome, is normally
responsible for triggering the indifferent gonads to develop as testes rather than
ovaries. SRY induces the activity of another gene, known as Sox9, which takes over from
there. Now the researchers show that the transcription factor, FOXL2, is required to keep
Sox9 turned off in the adult ovary. Without it, Sox9 comes on and the identity of ovarian
cells "flip-flops," turning them into testicular cells.
Overlooked 150 Year Old Household
Cleaner a Remedy for Swine Flu?
“In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the ‘Flu’ with the U. S. Public Health
Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly
alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract
it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks.”
Painkiller undermines aspirin's
anti-clotting action
Millions of Americans take Celebrex for arthritis or other pain. Many, if they are
middle-aged or older, also take a low-dose aspirin tablet daily to reduce the risk of
heart attack and stroke. Yet they may be getting little protection, because Celebrex keeps
the aspirin from doing its job effectively, a new study suggests.
Painkiller Undermines
Aspirin’s Anti-Clotting Action
Millions of Americans take Celebrex for arthritis or other pain. Many, if they are
middle-aged or older, also take a low-dose aspirin tablet daily to reduce the risk of
heart attack and stroke. Yet they may be getting little protection, because Celebrex keeps
the aspirin from doing its job effectively, a new study suggests. In laboratory studies,
University of Michigan researchers found that several coxibs, the drug class to which
Celebrex belongs, interfere with aspirin’s ability to discourage blood clots, if the
aspirin is taken in low doses. Celebrex, also known as celecoxib, is the only coxib
currently on the market. The results appear online in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.
Parents face ban on smoking in
front of children
A ban on parents smoking in front of their children is being considered by the Government.
Penn Study Describes Novel Model of
Skin Cancer, Providing Insights into the Second-Most Common Type of Cancer
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have developed a new model
of skin cancer based on the knowledge that a common cancer-related molecule called Src
kinase is activated in human skin-cancer samples. “Our previous work demonstrated
that Src kinases are activated in human squamous cell carcinomas of the skin. We modeled
these observations by increasing the expression of the gene Fyn, a member of Src family of
proteins, in mouse skin,” explains senior author John T. Seykora MD, PhD, assistant
professor of Dermatology. In addition, prior work by the Seykora lab on a related protein
called Srcasm, discovered by him in 2002, suggested that Srcasm may function as an
anti-oncogene, a molecule that keeps others in check in order to control cell growth. In
this proof-of-principle study, published this month in Cancer Research, the authors found
that genetically engineered mice expressing a K14-Fyn transgene develop precancerous
lesions and invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) spontaneously in 5 to 8 weeks. Skin
SCCs are the second most common form of cancer, with greater than 250,000 cases annually
in the US, leading to approximately 2,500 deaths.
People who look young for their age
'live longer'
People blessed with youthful faces are more likely to live to a ripe old age than those
who look more than their years, work shows.
Plasticizer may be tied to boys'
breast enlargement
A report out today points to yet another possible harmful effect of exposure to phthalates
-- a controversial plastics chemical used widely in the manufacture of consumer products.
Plastics Bisphenol A (BPA)
component affects intestine
A CHEMICAL used in plastic containers and drink cans has been shown to affect the
functioning of the intestines, according to a landmark French study.
Pollution alters isolated
thunderstorms
New climate research reveals how wind shear -- the same atmospheric conditions that cause
bumpy airplane rides -- affects how pollution contributes to isolated thunderstorm clouds.
Under strong wind shear conditions, pollution hampers thunderhead formation. But with weak
wind shear, pollution does the opposite and makes storms stronger. The work improves
climate scientists' understanding of how aerosols -- tiny unseen particles that make up
pollution -- contribute to isolated thunderstorms and the climate cycle. How aerosols and
clouds interact is one of the least understood aspects of climate, and this work allows
researchers to better model clouds and precipitation.
Pollution takes toll on youngsters'
skin
The increasing air pollution in the city is leading to a considerable number of skin
pre-ageing problems in youngsters, said experts.
Pomegranates - the latest weapon in
the fight against MRSA
Pomegranates have already been hailed as a super-food but a team of scientists from
Kingston University in South West London has found a new use for the deep red fruit. The
team, led by Professor Declan Naughton, has discovered that the rind can be turned into an
ointment for treating MRSA and other common hospital infections. In a series of tests
conducted over three years, Professor Naughton and researchers from the School of Life
Sciences learnt that the infection-fighting properties of pomegranate were greatly
enhanced by combining the rind of the fruit with two other natural products – metal
salts and Vitamin C. “We have developed a topical ointment that can successfully
attack a range of drug resistant microbes,” Professor Naughton said. “It’s
a significant breakthrough and a striking example of the effectiveness of adding more
components to create a more active product.” The tests were conducted using microbes
such as MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) taken from hospital patients.
MRSA is an important pathogen - an agent of a disease - that can cause infections in
humans and is difficult to combat because it has developed a resistance to some
antibiotics. “The increase in drug-resistant infections found in hospitals has made
our research topical and pressing,” Professor Naughton said. “The idea of using
a foodstuff is unusual and means that the body should be able to cope more easily with its
application; patients are less likely to experience any major side-effects.”
Potential new heart attack
biomarker uncovered
Though they remain a leading killer, heart attacks can be effectively treated provided
they can be rapidly diagnosed following initial onset of symptoms. In a study appearing in
this month's Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, researchers have identified cardiac
myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) as a potential new diagnostic biomarker for heart
attacks, one that may be particularly valuable for mild attacks in which traditional
diagnostic proteins may not be abundant enough. Currently, one of the gold-standards for
diagnosis of heart attacks, or acute myocardial infarctions, is scanning for the presence
of the proteins troponin I and troponin T, as they are produced specifically in the heart
and are almost completely absent in the blood in healthy individuals. However, even
troponins are not ideal markers, since they are released somewhat slowly following a heart
attack (peaking around 18 hours post-infarction) and remain in the blood for up to 10 days
afterwards, hindering the diagnosis of any secondary heart attacks. In the quest for
better biomarkers, a group of researchers at King's College London performed a proteomic
analysis of all the proteins released by mouse hearts following induced heart attacks.
They identified 320 proteins not released by normal hearts, including all the currently
employed biomarkers. Only a handful of these proteins were specific to the heart, but
among those, one very promising lead was cMyBP-C; within 5 minutes following a heart
attack it became nearly 20 fold more abundant than before, one of the highest increases of
all 320 identified proteins. In fact, cMyBP-C was abundant following even minor heart
attacks, suggesting it could be very useful in such instances. The researchers are now
continuing their investigation and examining the time course of cMyBP-C release following
heart attacks and its persistence in the blood of mice, to further determine this
protein's potential value.
Princeton scientists find way to
catalog all that goes wrong in a cancer cell
A team of Princeton University scientists has produced a systematic listing of the ways a
particular cancerous cell has "gone wrong," giving researchers a powerful tool
that eventually could make possible new, more targeted therapies for patients. "For a
very long time, cancer therapies have been developed by trial and error to essentially
kill a broad variety of rapidly dividing cells, good and bad -- that's why they have
massive side effects," said Saeed Tavazoie, a professor in the Department of
Molecular Biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, who led the
research. "The goal of cancer biology is to come up with therapies that are much more
rational in terms of attacking the pathways that have been co-opted by cancer cells. The
big challenge is to discover these pathways so that we can restore them to their normal
state." Writing in the Dec. 11 issue of Molecular Cell, Tavazoie, along with his
colleagues Hani Goodarzi, a graduate student in molecular biology, and Olivier Elemento, a
former postdoctoral researcher in the department, found they were able to systematically
categorize and pinpoint the alterations in cancer pathways and to reveal the underlying
regulatory code in DNA. Elemento is now on the faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College in
New York.
Psychotherapy offers obesity
prevention for 'at risk' teenage girls
A team of scientists have piloted psychotherapy treatment to prevent excessive weight gain
in teenager girls deemed "at risk" of obesity, reports the International Journal
of Eating Disorders
Radiation from CT scans may raise
cancer risks
Radiation from CT scans done in 2007 will cause 29,000 cancers and kill nearly 15,000
Americans, researchers said on Monday.
Research opens door to new
thrombosis treatments
The latest findings on how blood clots form could open the door to the development of new
and better-targeted drugs for patients at risk of strokes or heart attacks. Many of these
patients currently take anticoagulant drugs such as Warfarin, which lower the risk of
heart attacks or strokes by reducing the blood's ability to clot. Although these drugs
reduce the risk of dangerous blood clot formation within blood vessels (thrombosis), they
also affect normal wound healing, leaving patients at risk of lethal bleeding if they
injure themselves in any way. Now, a team of scientists from the UK, Sweden, Germany,
Holland and the USA have discovered that the molecule polyphosphate can affect blood clot
formation within veins and arteries without changing our ability to heal. The findings,
published this week in the journal Cell, are the first to show that polyphosphate
activates a blood clotting agent called factor XII which is involved in the formation of
harmful clots within blood vessels. But factor XII is not involved in surface wound
healing and therefore reducing its levels in the body would not increase the risk of
excessive bleeding. The discovery opens up opportunities for drug development, according
to Dr Nicola Mutch from the University of Leeds who carried out the UK branch of the
research. "The challenge in designing treatments to reduce thrombosis is getting the
balance right. We need to find an appropriate drug level or target which causes enough
anticoagulation to prevent risk of heart attack or stroke but with minimal bleeding side
effects," she explains.
Researchers discover new 'golden
ratios' for female facial beauty
Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder but also in the relationship of the eyes and
mouth of the beholden. The distance between a woman's eyes and the distance between her
eyes and her mouth are key factors in determining how attractive she is to others,
according to new psychology research from the University of California, San Diego and the
University of Toronto.
Researchers find cells move in
mysterious ways
Scientists at Brown University and the California Institute of Technology have for the
first time tracked how cells move in three dimensions by measuring the force exerted by
them on their surroundings. The scientists' experiments revealed that cells move in a
push-pull fashion, such as probing at depth, redistributing weight at various points and
coiling and elongating. Results appear online in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences.
Researchers learn why invasive
plants are spreading rapidly in forests
Invasive plants are advancing into Eastern forests at an alarming rate, and the rapid
spread has been linked by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences to
forest road maintenance and the type of dirt and stone used on roads. Perhaps predictably,
according to David Mortensen, a professor of weed ecology who has been studying the spread
of invasive plants for nearly two decades, humans are unwittingly accelerating the
relentless march of invasives into even isolated forests. The findings are especially
significant in the face of massive forest road-building efforts expected to support
greatly expanded natural-gas drilling operations into the Marcellus shale formation.
Hundreds or even thousands of gas wells could be established in Eastern forests in the
next few years, depending on the market price of gas. In a paper titled "Forest Roads
Facilitate the Spread of Invasive Plants," published in the August 2009 issue of
Invasive Plant Science and Management, Mortensen detailed some eye-opening revelations
about the process by which invasive plants advance so quickly.
Researchers work on vaccine to
improve immune system in newborns
As soon as babies are born, they are susceptible to diseases and infections, such as
jaundice and e-coli. For up to a month, their immune systems aren't adequately developed
to fight diseases. Although these infections are often minor, they can lead to serious
problems if left untreated. To help strengthen newborns' immune systems, University of
Missouri researchers have pinpointed a group of depleted white blood cells, which might
lead to an immune-strengthening vaccine.
Retired optician 'cures own
blindness with marigolds
A retired optician believes he is the first person in Britain to recover from a
degenerative eye condition - after taking a food supplement containing marigolds.
Roche’s Tamiflu Not Proven to
Cut Flu Complications, Study Says
Roche Holding AG’s antiviral drug Tamiflu may not prevent complications from
influenza in healthy adults, according to a review by an independent research group.
Roe of marine animals is best
natural source of omega-3
The roe of hake, lumpsucker and salmon is the best dietary source of Omega 3, according to
a study carried out by researchers at the University of Almer¡a (UAL). The scientists
analysed the eggs, or roe, of 15 marine animals, and found all of these contained high
levels of these fatty acids, which are essential to the human body. Until now there had
been no precise understanding of the nutritional potential of the roe of marine animals,
but a team of researchers from the UAL has now shown that this is one of the best natural
sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential for ensuring the correct development
of a wide variety of metabolic functions in the human body. "We have classified these
eggs as unequivocal sources of Omega 3, and have proven that this appears at high
concentrations in all the species studies", Jos‚ Luis Guil Guerrero, director of
this study and a researcher in the Food Technology Department of the UAL, tells SINC. The
results, published in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, show that
Omega 3 fatty acids are present in all fish roe, but especially in the eggs of Atlantic
bonito (Sarda sarda), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), squid (Loligo vulgaris), cuttlefish
(Sepia sp.), lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus), hake (Merluccius merluccius) and salmon
(Salmo salar).
Russia may ban US pork due to high
antibiotic content
Russia is considering imposing a total ban on exports of US pork due to its high
antibiotic content.
Sacramento protest targets farm
chemical
The fight over a potent farm chemical is heating up as state regulators near a decision on
approving its use in California.
Scientific Tests Show Monsanto's GE
Corn is a Health Hazard
Mice fed GM insecticide-producing maize over four generations showed a buildup of abnormal
structural changes in various organs (liver, spleen, pancreas), major changes in the
pattern of gene function in the gut, reflecting disturbances in the chemistry of this
organ system (e.g. in cholesterol production, protein production and breakdown), and, most
significantly, reduced fertility.
Scientists identify natural
anti-cancer defenses
Canadian researchers have discovered a novel molecular mechanism that prevents cancer. In
the December 11 edition of the prestigious journal Molecular Cell, scientists from the
Universit‚ de Montr‚al and the Universit‚ de Sherbrooke explain how they
found that the SOCS1 molecule prevents the cancer-causing activity of cytokines, hormones
that are culprits in cancer-prone chronic inflammation diseases such as Crohns, in smokers
and people exposed to asbestos. "Excessive cytokine activity promotes cancer,"
says Dr. Gerardo Ferbeyre, senior author and a Universit‚ de Montr‚al
biochemistry professor. "Discovery of these mechanisms will enable scientists to
design a cancer-prevention strategy for people with chronic inflammatory diseases and lead
to better understanding of the human body's natural defenses against cancer." The
research team didn't anticipate that SOCS1 would turn out to be linked to p53, the master
regulator of natural anticancer defenses. "We were surprised to realize that SOCS1
was directly linked to p53," says first author and Universit‚ de Montr‚al
student, Viviane Calabrese. "Our team showed that SOCS1 is a direct regulator of the
p53 gene and that in its absence the p53 pathway is significantly disabled," says Dr.
Ferbeyre, noting the p53 gene is frequently lost in human cancer patients as it is SOCS1.
Scientists isolate new antifreeze
molecule in Alaska beetle
Scientists have identified a novel antifreeze molecule in a freeze-tolerant Alaska beetle
able to survive temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike all previously
described biological antifreezes that contain protein, this new molecule, called
xylomannan, has little or no protein. It is composed of a sugar and a fatty acid and may
exist in new places within the cells of organisms. 0
Scientists Uncover Protective
Mechanism Against Liver Cancer
A team of scientists from the UC San Diego School of Medicine and Osaka University in
Japan have identified a protein switch that helps prevent liver damage, including
inflammation, fibrosis and cancer. The findings suggest that a better understanding of how
the protein, TAK1, works could lead to new insights into the development of liver disease
and cancer. “TAK1 appears to be a master regulator of liver function,” said
David A. Brenner, MD, professor of medicine and Dean of the UC San Diego School of
Medicine. He and Ekihiro Seki, MD, PhD, assistant research scientist in the Department of
Medicine, led the work. “Understanding its role in liver disease and cancer may
eventually enable us to devise new therapeutic strategies.” Their study appears on
line the week of December 14 in advance of publication in the journal Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. TAK1 is a kinase, a type of signaling protein involved in
regulating various cell activities, including cell growth. Researchers have known that
TAK1 activates two specific proteins, NF-kappaB and JNK, which are both involved in
immunity, inflammation, programmed cell death and cancer. But NF-kappaB helps protect
liver cells from dying and protects against cancer development. In contrast, JNK promotes
cell death and cancer.
Scientists use cell phone records
to predict spread of malaria
University of Florida researchers at work on a malaria elimination study in Africa have
become the first to predict the spread of the disease using cell phone records.
Scientists use DNA sequencing to
attack lung cancer
Aided by next-generation DNA sequencing technology, an international team of researchers
has gained insights into how more than 60 carcinogens associated with cigarette smoke bind
to and chemically modify human DNA, ultimately leading to cancer-causing genetic
mutations.
Sea Level Is Rising Along U.S.
Atlantic Coast
An international team of environmental scientists led by the University of Pennsylvania
has shown that sea-level rise along the Atlantic Coast of the United States was 2
millimeters faster in the 20th century than at any time in the past 4,000 years. Sea-level
rise prior to the 20th century is attributed to coastal subsidence. Put simply, land is
being lost to subsidence as the earth continues to rise in response to the removal of the
huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period. Using sediment cores from the
U.S. Atlantic coast, researchers found significant spatial variations in land movement,
with the mid-Atlantic coastlines of New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland subsiding twice as
much as areas to the north and south. Coastal subsidence enhances sea-level rise, which
leads to shoreline erosion and loss of wetlands and threatens coastal populations.
Researchers corrected relative sea-level data from tide gauges using the
coastal-subsidence values. Results clearly show that the 20th-century rate of sea-level
rise is 2 millimeters higher than the background rate of the past 4,000 years.
Furthermore, the magnitude of the sea-level rise increases in a southerly direction from
Maine to South Carolina. This is the first demonstrated evidence of this phenomenon from
observational data alone. Researchers believe this may be related to the melting of the
Greenland Ice Sheet and ocean thermal expansion.
Sepsis kills more than heart
attacks
A new report focuses on efforts by Canadian hospitals to reduce more than 9,300 deaths
each year from sepsis, a serious body-wide response to infection that patients often
acquire while being treated in hospital.
Septic shock - Nitric oxide
beneficial after all
Scientists at VIB and Ghent University in Flanders, Belgium, have found an unexpected ally
for the treatment of septic shock, the major cause of death in intensive care units. By
inducing the release of nitric oxide gas in mice with septic shock, researchers Anje
Cauwels and Peter Brouckaert discovered that the animal's organs showed much less damage,
while their chances of survival increased significantly. That's contrary to all
expectations.
Simple test 'could warn people they
are at risk of developing bowel cancer'
A simple test which could warn people that they are at risk of suffering bowel cancer is
being developed by scientists.
Stem cells 'allow breast cancer
sufferers to grow ‘natural implants’'
A technique which allows breast cancer patients to grow 'natural implants' from their own
cells is effective and could soon become standard treatment, a study has found.
Study Could Point the Way to Drugs
for Deadly Childhood Leukemia
A new study could point the way to the development of better drugs to fight a deadly form
of childhood leukemia called mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL). The study will help researchers
in their search for what could be the first highly effective drug for MLL. Such a drug
would work by disabling a protein that turns normal blood cells into cancer
cells.Researchers from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and the
University of Virginia reported results online Dec. 13 in the journal Nature Structural
& Molecular Biology. "This hopefully will lead to an effective therapeutic
approach for patients who generally do not do well with current treatments," said
second senior author Nancy Zeleznik-Le, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Medicine
at Loyola Stritch.
Study finds over 90 percent of
people with gum disease are at risk for diabetes
An overwhelming majority of people who have periodontal disease are also at high risk for
diabetes and should be screened for diabetes, a New York University nursing-dental
research team has found. The researchers also determined that half of those at risk had
seen a dentist in the previous year, concluded that dentists should consider offering
diabetes screenings in their offices, and described practical approaches to conducting
diabetes screenings in dental offices.
Study finds significantly worse
outcomes in cancer patients with cognitive impairment
A new study has found that cancer patients with dementia have a dramatically lower
survival rate than patients with cancer alone, even after controlling for factors such as
age, tumor type and tumor stage. But the study, published in the early online edition of
the journal Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, also argues that a diagnosis of
dementia shouldn't discourage the use of cancer screenings and appropriate cancer
treatments
Study highlights lack of patient
knowledge regarding hospital medications
In a new study to asses patient awareness of medications prescribed during a hospital
visit, 44 percent of patients believed they were receiving a medication they were not, and
96 percent were unable to recall the name of at least one medication that they had been
prescribed during hospitalization. These findings are published today in the Journal of
Hospital Medicine.
Study points way to development of
drugs for deadly childhood leukemia
A new study could point the way to the development of better drugs to fight a deadly form
of childhood leukemia called mixed-lineage leukemia.
Study reveals H1N1 unexpected
weakness
The H1N1 influenza virus has been keeping a secret that may be the key to defeating it and
other flu viruses as well. Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine
(BCM) have found what they believe is a weakness in H1N1's method for evading detection by
the immune system. Comparing its genetic sequences going all the way back to the virus's
first known appearance in the deadly "Spanish flu" outbreak of 1918, they
discovered a previously unrealized role of receptor-binding residues in host evasion,
which effectively becomes a bottleneck that keeps the virus in check. Rice's Jianpeng Ma
and graduate student Jun Shen and BCM's Qinghua Wang compared the sequences of more than
300 strains of H1N1 to track its evolution; they reported their results in a recent online
edition of the scientific journal PLoS ONE. The researchers were looking in particular at
hemagglutinin (HA), the protein "hook" that allows the virus to attach itself to
and infect host cells. It's long been known that five regions of H1N1's HA serve as
antigenic sites, the protein fragments that trigger the body's immune system. These
antigenic sites, first mapped in 1981, shuffle their amino-acid sequences in the endless
cat-and-mouse game that viruses play to survive. The researchers discovered several key
residues involved in both antigenic sites and the receptor-binding site, the part of the
protein that attaches to a cell and allows the virus to invade.
Study shows how gene action may
lead to diabetes prevention, cure
A gene commonly studied by cancer researchers has been linked to the metabolic
inflammation that leads to diabetes. Understanding how the gene works means scientists may
be closer to finding ways to prevent or cure diabetes, according to a study by Texas
AgriLife Research appearing in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. "Because we
understand the mechanism, or how the gene works, we believe a focus on nutrition will find
the way to both prevent and reverse diabetes," said Dr. Chaodong Wu, AgriLife
Research nutrition and food scientist who authored the paper with the University of
Minnesota's Dr. Yuqing Hou. Wu said the research team will collaborate with nutritionists
to identify what changes or supplements in a diet will activate the gene to prevent or
stop the progression of diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar (glucose)
levels are higher than normal and the body has a hard time converting food to glucose
which is then turned into energy, according to the National Institutes of Health. When the
body cannot metabolize food, the amount of glucose builds in the blood while the cells
lack energy. Complications can include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness,
nerve problems and gum infections. Some of the complications can lead to amputation. The
gene with the possible answers to ways of fighting the disease is known in the science
world as PFKFB3. Wu and the team of researchers identified it as a regulator for
metabolism, which plays a vital role in the development of diabetes.
Study Unveils Potential Genetic
Links to Lung Disease Risk
A new study involving data from more than 20,000 individuals has uncovered several DNA
sequences linked to impaired pulmonary function. The research, an analysis that combined
the results of several smaller studies, provides insight into the mechanisms involved in
reaching full lung capacity. The findings may ultimately lead to better understanding of
lung function and diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
Successful stem cell therapy for
treatment of eye disease
Newly published research, by investigators, at the North East England Stem Cell Institute
(NESCI) in the journal Stem Cells reported the first successful treatment of eight
patients with "Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency" (LSCD) using the patients' own stem
cells without the need of suppressing their immunity. LSCD is a painful, blinding disease
that requires long-term, costly treatment with frequent clinic visits and intensive
hospital admissions. The vision loss due to LSCD makes this disease not only costly, but
often requires social support due to the enormous impact on patient's quality of life.
This is further magnified by the fact that LSCD mostly affects young patients. Dr
Francisco Figueiredo, a member of the NESCI team, said, "Corneal cloudiness has been
estimated to cause blindness in 8 million people (10% of total blindness) worldwide each
year. A large number of ocular surface diseases, both acquired and congenital, share
features of partial or complete LSCD. " Chemical burns to the eye are the most common
cause of LSCD.
Sun exposure linked to allergies
In recent years the number of children with food allergies has skyrocketed and now
researchers say there could be a link between allergies and where you live.
Sweden treats foreign researchers
unfairly
Sweden isn’t doing enough to ensure equal working conditions for foreign researchers
pursuing doctoral studies at Swedish universities, students and teachers rights groups
claim.
Tamiflu anti-viral drug revealed as
complete hoax; Roche studies based on scientific fraud
But Tamiflu is no herb. It’s a potentially fatal concentration of isolated chemical
components that have essentially been bio-pirated from Chinese medicine. And when you
isolate and concentrate specific chemicals in these herbs, you lose the value (and safety)
of full-spectrum herbal medicine.
Targeting Brain Cancer Cell
Metabolism May Provide New Treatment Option
Inhibiting fatty acid synthesis in brain cancer cells may offer a new option to treat
about 50 percent of deadly glioblastomas that are driven by amplified signaling of the
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), according to a first-of-its-kind study by
researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Targeting brain cancer cell
metabolism may provide new treatment
Inhibiting fatty acid synthesis in brain cancer cells may offer a new option to treat
about 50 percent of deadly glioblastomas that are driven by amplified signaling of the
epidermal growth factor receptor, according to a first-of-its-kind study by researchers at
UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Teen drinkers corrupting `brain
software'
THE seven years immediately after a child reaches puberty mark a developmental crunch
time, when the brain is both extremely susceptible to damage from drugs and alcohol and
six times more likely than an adult's to develop an addiction.
Texas A&M researcher plays key
role in NASA's greenhouse gas project
Researchers studying climate now have a new tool at their disposal: daily global
measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor in a key part of Earth's atmosphere. The
data are courtesy of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecraft
and confirm the mainstream scientific view that large changes in the climate are likely
over the next century.
The Need for Cardio-Oncology and
Cardio-Oncological Prevention
Due to the aging of the populations of developed countries and a common occurrence of risk
factors, it is increasingly probable that a patient may have both cancer and
cardiovascular disease. In addition, cytotoxic agents and targeted therapies used to treat
cancer, including classic chemotherapeutic agents, monoclonal antibodies that target
tyrosine kinase receptors, small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and even
antiangiogenic drugs and chemoprevention agents such as cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, all
affect the cardiovascular system. One of the reasons is that many agents reach targets in
the microenvironment and do not affect only the tumor. Combination therapy often amplifies
cardiotoxicity, and radiotherapy can also cause heart problems, particularly when combined
with chemotherapy. In the past, cardiotoxic risk was less evident, but it is increasingly
an issue, particularly with combination therapy and adjuvant therapy. Today’s
oncologists must be fully aware of cardiovascular risks to avoid or prevent adverse
cardiovascular effects, and cardiologists must now be ready to assist oncologists by
performing evaluations relevant to the choice of therapy. There is a need for cooperation
between these two areas and for the development of a novel discipline, which could be
termed cardio-oncology or onco-cardiology. Here, we summarize the potential cardiovascular
toxicities for a range of cancer chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive agents and emphasize
the importance of evaluating cardiovascular risk when patients enter into trials and the
need to develop guidelines that include collateral effects on the cardiovascular system.
We also discuss mechanistic pathways and describe several potential protective agents that
could be administered to patients with occult or overt risk for cardiovascular
complications.
The New GMO Debate - Genetically
Engineered Organic Crops
So it all comes back to the same argument, organic or not, farmers are essentially giving
up the wheel to corporate entities that research, develop, and mass produce seeds.
Tiny molecule slows progression of
Lou Gehrig's disease in mice
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that a molecule produced
naturally by muscles in response to nerve damage can reduce symptoms and prolong life in a
mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "We believe we can apply this
research toward drug development," said Dr. Eric Olson, chairman of molecular biology
at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study, which appears in the Dec. 11 issue of
Science. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, damages motor nerve cells that control
muscles, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis and death. There is no treatment that can
slow it, and no cure.As ALS kills nerves, the muscles they control begin to wither. The
damaged muscles, however, can "re-innervate" themselves by prompting healthy
nerves to send new branches their way, like limbs in a damaged hedge filling in a gap.
Tobacco kills 5 million people each
year
Officials with the World Health Organization (WHO) say some 5 million individuals die
because of tobacco every year, stressing that stronger measures should be adopted to
combat smoking.
Tracking new cancer-killing
particles with MRI
Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have created a single
nanoparticle that can be tracked in real time with MRI as it homes in on cancer cells,
tags them with a fluorescent dye and kills them with heat. The all-in-one particle is one
of the first examples from a growing field called "theranostics" that develops
technologies physicians can use to diagnose and treat diseases in a single procedure.
Trouble seeing? You're not alone
Nearsightedness, also called myopia, is when the eyes focus incorrectly to make distant
objects appear blurred. This common problem can be treated by corrective eyeglasses or
contact lenses or refractive surgery.
U-M researchers discover a way to
strengthen proteins
Proteins, which perform such vital roles in our bodies as building and maintaining tissues
and regulating cellular processes, are a finicky lot. In order to work properly, they must
be folded just so, yet many proteins readily collapse into useless tangles when exposed to
temperatures just a few degrees above normal body temperature. This precarious stability
leaves proteins and the living beings that depend upon them on the edge of a precipice,
where a single destabilizing change in a key protein can lead to disease or death. It also
greatly complicates the manufacture and use of proteins in research and medicine. Finding
a way to stabilize proteins could help prevent such dire consequences, reduce the very
high cost of protein drugs and perhaps also help scientists understand why proteins are
often so unstable in the first place. In a paper published in the Dec. 11 issue of the
journal Molecular Cell, researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of
Leeds describe a new strategy for stabilizing specific proteins by directly linking their
stability to the antibiotic resistance of bacteria. "The method we developed should
provide an easy way to strengthen many proteins and by doing so increase their practical
utility," said James Bardwell, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and
professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at U-M.
U.S. Business Interests Suspected
in 'Fabricated' Climate Scandal
The emails that have right-wingers frothing aren't scandalous. The issue is who hacked the
scientists' computers, and what they had to gain from undermining their research.
U.S. panel sees higher skin risk
with some MRI drugs
U.S. advisers felt MRI imaging drugs from GE Healthcare and Covidien appear to carry a
higher risk of a serious skin disease in some patients than similar products.
UA-led Study Grapples With Health
Effects of Low-intensity Warfare
A study by UA anthropologist Ivy Pike and her colleagues sets up a framework for measuring
nutrition and health in a part of Africa long prone to violence.
UCLA researchers engineer bacteria
to turn carbon dioxide into liquid fuel
Global climate change has prompted efforts to drastically reduce emissions of carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels. In a new approach, researchers
from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have genetically
modified a cyanobacterium to consume carbon dioxide and produce the liquid fuel
isobutanol, which holds great potential as a gasoline alternative. The reaction is powered
directly by energy from sunlight, through photosynthesis. The research appears in the Dec.
9 print edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology and is available online. This new
method has two advantages for the long-term, global-scale goal of achieving a cleaner and
greener energy economy, the researchers say. First, it recycles carbon dioxide, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. Second, it uses solar
energy to convert the carbon dioxide into a liquid fuel that can be used in the existing
energy infrastructure, including in most automobiles. While other alternatives to gasoline
include deriving biofuels from plants or from algae, both of these processes require
several intermediate steps before refinement into usable fuels. "This new approach
avoids the need for biomass deconstruction, either in the case of cellulosic biomass or
algal biomass, which is a major economic barrier for biofuel production," said team
leader James C. Liao, Chancellor's Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at
UCLA and associate director of the UCLA–Department of Energy Institute for Genomics
and Proteomics. "Therefore, this is potentially much more efficient and less
expensive than the current approach."
UN left hundreds of Kosovo kids to
die of lead poisoning
Sara Jahirovic is dying a slow, painful death. Sara is just one of hundreds of forgotten
children abandoned to suffer brain damage and await death in an international scandal
exposed today by The Sun.
UNC Scientists Coordinate Study to
Determine Link Between Insulin Use and Cancer in People with Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes and obesity are linked to an increased risk of certain cancers. Recently
published studies suggested that insulin glargine (a synthetic insulin preparation
marketed under the trade name Lantus), may be associated with a higher risk of certain
cancers than other insulins or oral glucose lowering medications. However, these studies
were unable to control for important factors such as obesity that may have driven the
association. On the other hand, a large randomized trial designed to examine another
aspect of diabetes care, which used insulin glargine in one arm, showed no increase in the
frequency of cancer with glargine.
UW study leads to IQ improvements
in autistic children
A study released by the UW Autism Center sets a new stage for early autism recognition,
which can lead to higher IQs and increased social skills in autistic children.
Vitamin D may have an effect on
prostate cancer
A new study published in the Dec 4, 2009 issue of BMC Medical Genetics suggests that
vitamin D may be involved in the development of prostate cancer.
Warning system to protect against
flash flooding
Climate change is creating business opportunities in the water sector, where Finland has
many skills to offer the world. One example under development is a warning system to
protect against flash flooding. The Tekes Water Programme is helping to create
international offerings like these. Climate change has serious consequences throughout
society but it also creates business opportunities. Finland has great competence in the
water sector. Its innovative, advanced technology can be utilised internationally. The
water programme, underway at Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and
Innovation, will reform and internationalise the water sector. Some projects are also
developing solutions to help the world adapt to climate change. “We need to be able
to offer solutions to problems that span various sectors. The barriers between sectors in
Finland are low so we are well placed to be able to develop multidisciplinary
skills”, says Piia Moilanen, the Water Programme Manager.
We Will Live Longer in 2050, Study
Predicts
Experts Say the Government Has Got it Wrong on Future Life Expectancies
We're All Data Fatties, Study Finds
An average American digests a whopping 34 gigabytes of information outside of work every
day, according to a new study from the University of California, San Diego.
We've all had burnt mouth syndrome
too
A woman who revealed how she developed burning mouth syndrome after major dental work is
far from alone.
Why An Acid Diet Could Be Killing
You?
PH imbalance may be a common cause of many of today's diseases
Why Are We Drugging Our Kids?
Psychiatric drugs are overprescribed and can even make mental symptoms worse in kids.
They're also a goldmine for drug companies.
Why Red Meat’s Risks May
Outweigh its Benefits
Women who eat a lot of red meat may unknowingly increase their odds of getting breast
cancer. Even eating a little less than two servings per day can raise the chances of
developing this cancer. Pancreatic cancer risk is also increased for both genders if red
meat is consumed often.
Witnesses to bullying may face more
mental health risks than bullies and victims
Students who watch as their peers endure the verbal or physical abuses of another student
could become as psychologically distressed, if not more so, by the events than the victims
themselves, new research suggests.
Young adults remain strongly
attached to their parents
'll never be like my parents." Many youngsters must have said this at least once in
their lives. The truth emerges as soon as you have your own children: you increasingly
become more like your own parents. Dutch researcher Freek Bucx analysed data from more
than a thousand young adults, their parents and partners. Children make you more like your
own parents, but a partner who doesn't get on well with his or her ‘in-laws' can
really sour the relationship between you and your parents. Freek Bucx investigated the
link between parents and children in the ‘middle phase' of the parent/child
relationship. The children were between 18 and 35 years of age and the parents were in the
50 to 75 years age bracket. Bucx discovered that one of the most disruptive factors
affecting the relationship between parents and children is the relationship between
partners and in-laws. If your partner does not get on well with your parents, there's a
significant chance of contact with your parents being weakened. Fortunately, this is quite
easy to resolve - all you need to do is have your own child.
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