Landmark Discovery Paves The Way For More Targeted Cancer Treatment Offers Hope For Cancer Prevention
Scientists at A*STAR's Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) have made a landmark discovery in the battle against the rapid spread of aggressive cancers associated with PRL-3 oncoprotein[1]. Contrary to the current accepted theory that antibodies can only bind to cancer proteins found on the cancer cell surface, the IMCB team led by Dr Zeng Qi is the first to discover that antibodies can in fact directly target intracellular oncoproteins like PRL-3 that reside within the cancer cells to suppress cancer growth successfully. This breakthrough finding will pave the way for more targeted solutions for cancer treatment and also offers hope for cancer prevention.
World Trade Center-Exposed NYC Firefighters Face Increased Cancer Risk
In the largest cancer study of firefighters ever conducted, research published in this week's 9/11 Special Issue of The Lancet found that New York City firefighters exposed to the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster site were at least 19 percent more likely to develop cancer in the seven years following the disaster as their non-exposed colleagues and up to 10 percent more likely to develop cancer than a similar sample from the general population. The study evaluated the health of 9, 853 WTC-exposed and non-exposed firefighters over the seven years following 9/11. The senior author was David Prezant, M.D., professor of (http://www.einstein.yu.edu/medicine/medicine.
Degrading Proteins To Divide Cells
Researchers at IRB Barcelona discover a crucial mechanism controlling the segregation of genetic material from parent to daughter cells. A finely tuned process of degradation tightly regulates CenH3 protein levels to ensure the correct function of the cell division machinery in Drosophila. From bacteria to humans, all forms of life are based on the capacity of one cell to divide into two or more identical daughter cells. In doing so, cells have to produce a copy of their genetic material (DNA) and separate it into two identical sets, one for each daughter cell. Immediately after duplication and before its segregation, DNA is packed in chromosomes that consist of two identical strands joined at a point along their length, called centromeres.
Saffron Shows Promise In Preventing Liver Cancer
The full study of a new research indicating that Saffron has a significant chemopreventive effect against liver cancer in animals is published in the September issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The study reveals, that when rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver cancer were given saffron, it inhibited cell proliferation and stimulated apoptosis. As the fifth most common cancer, Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer worldwide. The major risk factor for contracting HCC, according to medical evidence, is chronic infection with hepatitis B and C.
Whole Ginger Extract Has Promising Anti-Prostate Cancer Potential
In a first of its kind study, assessing anti-cancer properties of ginger as a whole instead of the plant's individual components, scientists at Georgia State University have discovered, that whole ginger extract has promising cancer-preventing activity in prostate cancer. According to an online article in FirstView published in the British Journal of Nutrition, Associate professor of Biology, Ritu Aneja discovered in her lab, that ginger extract had significant effects in stopping the growth of cancer cells, as well as in inducing cell death in a spectrum of prostate cancer cells. In addition, animal studies revealed that the extract did not show significant toxicity to normal tissues, such as bone marrow.
News From The Annals Of Internal Medicine: Aug. 16, 2011
1. Chinese Herb Works as Well as Oseltamivir for Shortening Flu Duration The antiviral, oseltamivir has been used to reduce severity of and mortality from H1N1 influenza. In rural China, where there is limited access to medications such as oseltamivir, traditional Chinese medicine has been used to treat seasonal flu. To compare the efficacy and safety of oseltamivir and maxingshigan-yinqiaosan (a Chinese herbal remedy) for treating uncomplicated H1N1 influenza, researchers assigned 410 young adult patients in 11 Chinese hospitals to receive either oseltamivir alone, oseltamivir plus maxinghigan-yingiaosan, maxinghigan-yingiaosan alone, or no treatment for five days.
Researchers Identify A Signaling Pathway As Possible Target For Cancer Treatment
In a new study published in the August 16th issue of Developmental Cell, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center identified a molecular mechanism that guarantees that new blood vessels form in the right place and with the proper abundance. "We have known for a long time that blood vessels branch to give rise to new ones and that in some places of our bodies this branching occurs with a reproducible pattern. However, the mechanisms that ensure that new vessels sprout at specific locations had not been uncovered until now, " said JesГ s Torres-VГ zquez, PhD, assistant professor of Developmental Genetics at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at NYU School of Medicine.
Improved Radical Surgery Techniques Provide Positive Outcomes For Bladder Cancer Patients
Bladder cancer patients who have radical surgery at university hospitals can benefit from excellent local control of the disease, acceptable clinical outcomes and low death rates, according to research in the August issue of the urology journal BJUI. Researchers studied 2, 287 patients who had radical cystectomy surgery, where the bladder is removed, together with nearby tissue and organs as required. The surgery was performed at eight Canadian academic centres between 1998 and 2008. The study found that there were three independent factors, apart from pathological stage at surgery, that influenced survival rates. Patients who smoked had lower survival rates, while patients who had pelvic lymphadenectomy lymph nodes removed from the pelvic area - had higher survival rates, as did patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, which aims to destroy microscopic cancer cells left after surgery.
Elderly In The US Find Medication Costs A Barrier To Effective Treatment
As many as one in ten elderly people in the US, registered with Medicare, do not stick to their prescribed medication because it is too expensive, according to Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov and colleagues from Harvard Medical School. Their work, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute, shows that cost-related medication non-adherence - skipping pills to make the medicine last longer, and not filling in a prescription because it is too expensive - is common among this group, whether or not they suffer from cancer. This suggests that elderly cancer survivors do not face a greater financial burden related to medical costs than those without cancer.
Introducing Maspin Protein Into Tumor Nucleus Can Halt Growth And Spread
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, one in four Canadians will die of cancer. This year alone, the disease will kill an estimated 75, 000 people. With incidence rates on the rise, more cancer patients are facing grave prognoses. Fortunately, Lawson Health Research Institute's Dr. John Lewis, Dr. Ann Chambers, and colleagues have found new hope for survival. Their new study released in Laboratory Investigation shows that maspin, a cellular protein, can reduce the growth and spread of cancer cells - but only when it is in the nucleus. Maspin is believed to inhibit the formation, development, and spread of tumors in several aggressive cancers, including breast, ovarian, and head and neck cancers.
