Titel: Getting To Know "Friendly Bacteria"
http://nccam.nih.gov/news/newsletter/2006_summer/bacteria.htm
Some conventional foods containing
probiotics are yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, and some juices and
soy beverages. In those foods, and in probiotic supplements, the bacteria may have been
present originally or added during preparation. Most often, they come from two groups of
bacteria, Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. Within each group, there are different species
(for example, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus), and within each
species, different strains (or varieties).
Titel: Targeting Cancer Stem Cells to Stop Brain Tumors
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1278
Steven Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., professor in
the Department of Neurology and chief of its Division of Cell and Gene Therapy, is one of
six recipients around the nation to receive a research award from the foundation’s
21st Century Science Initiative in Brain Cancer Research. The award, one of the most
prestigious in the realm of brain cancer research, funds for the next four years
Goldman’s efforts to look for new ways to understand and treat brain tumors, which
affect about 17,000 people in the United States each year. The award is part of
approximately $1 million in private foundation support that Goldman has received recently
to continue his stem cell research; those funds are in addition to several ongoing
projects funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Goldman’s brain tumor research focuses
on the raw power that stem cells wield in the human body, for good and for bad. The cells
can be very rare in the brain, sometimes literally just one in 10 million cells. But they
are critical to the brain’s ability to recover from brain injury, acting as master
cells, providing a source of new cells, and retaining the ability to become nearly any
type of brain cell. But when a stem cell goes bad, scientists like Goldman are discovering
that the result can be a brain tumor. Stem cells gone awry are hundreds of thousands of
times more plentiful in a typical tumor than stem cells should be, helping to make brain
tumors especially resistant to chemotherapy.
Goldman, a neurologist who frequently
treats patients with brain tumors, is using his expertise with stem cells to explore new
ways to fight the disease.
Titel: Volcanic bug yields cancer clue
http://calvin.st-andrews.ac.uk/external_relations/news_article.cfm?reference=1004
Scientists at the University of St Andrews
studying a microbe that grows in hot sulphuric acid have made a startling discovery
relevant to human diseases and cancer. The team, led by Professor Malcolm White at the
University’s Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, made the discovery while investigating
proteins called helicases that separate strands of the genetic material DNA. Helicases are
vital for the replication and repair of DNA, and defects in these proteins can lead to
increased rates of cancer in humans.
Titel: Order of Chemotherapy, Radiation Has No Effect on Breast Cancer Survival
http://www.hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1384
For women who have had surgery for early
breast cancer, it may not matter whether they receive follow-up chemotherapy before, after
or during radiation therapy, according to a new review of studies. A woman’s chances
of survival or seeing the cancer return are similar in all three cases, if radiation
therapy and chemotherapy begin within seven months after surgery, the review concludes.
However, the studies suggest that certain toxic side effects in the blood and esophagus
— common in chemotherapy and radiation patients — may be up to 44 percent more
likely when the two therapies are delivered at the same time, said Dr. Brigid Hickey and
colleagues at the Southern Zone Radiation Oncology Service in Brisbane, Australia.
Titel: Genome Code Cracked for Breast and Colon Cancers
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/news/index.cfm?documentid=816&
newstype=News%20Releases&action=showthisitem
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
scientists have completed the first draft of the genetic code for breast and colon
cancers. Their report, published online in the September 7 issue of Science Express,
identifies close to 200 mutated genes, now linked to these cancers, most of which were not
previously recognized as associated with tumor initiation, growth, spread or control.
“Just as sequencing the human genome laid the groundwork for subsequent research in
genetics, these data lay the foundation for decades of research on colon and breast
cancers,” says Victor Velculescu, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of oncology at the
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
Titel: Key To Lung Cancer Chemo Resistance Revealed
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/news/index.cfm?
documentid=827&newstype=News%20Releases&action=showthisitem
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered
how taking the brakes off a “detox” gene causes chemotherapy resistance in a
common form of lung cancer. Products made by a gene called NRF2 normally protect cells
from environmental pollutants like cigarette smoke and diesel exhaust by absorbing the
materials and pumping them out of the cell. Another gene called KEAP1 encodes products
that stop this cleansing process. But lung cancer cells sabotage the expression of these
same genes to block assault from chemotherapy drugs.
Titel: Doubts on soy's cancer prevention properties
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/news/archive_details.cfm?documentid=771
Johns Hopkins and Georgetown University
researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 18 epidemiologic studies revealing that women who
eat soy products may have a slightly lower risk of developing breast cancer. But the
researchers quickly add that inconsistencies and limitations among the studies raise doubt
about the potential benefit, and warn women that high-dose supplements could do more harm
than good.
Titel: New compound protects against liver cancer
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/news/archive_details.cfm?documentid=751
Scientists have identified a new compound
called CDDO-Im that protects against the development of liver cancer in laboratory
animals. Experiments, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health, show CDDO-Im to be effective at doses 100 times lower than other compounds known
to prevent cancer in people. Because of its makeup, the researchers believe CDDO-Im could
be particularly effective in preventing cancers with a strong link to inflammation, such
as liver, colon, prostate and gastric cancers. It could also play a role in preventing
diseases such as neurodegeneration, asthma and emphysema.
Titel: Pleasure and pain: Study shows brain’s “pleasure
chemical” is involved in response to pain, too
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2006/dopamine.htm
For years, the brain chemical dopamine has
been thought of as the brain’s “pleasure chemical,” sending signals between
brain cells in a way that rewards a person or animal for one activity or another. More
recently, research has shown that certain drugs like cocaine and heroin amplify this
effect – an action that may lie at the heart of drug addiction. Now, a new study from
the University of Michigan adds a new twist to dopamine’s fun-loving reputation -
pain.
Titel: Red meat and colon cancer
http://dissertations.ub.rug.nl/FILES/faculties/medicine/2000/a.l.a.sesink/thesis.pdf
One of the earlier indications that the
international variation in colon cancer incidence might be
attributed to differences in dietary habits, especially meat and fat consumption was given
in the
cross-sectional studies of Drasar and of Armstrong. At the population level, colon
cancer incidence was highly correlated to daily meat consumption. Later, a possible
association between meat consumption and colon cancer was assessed in analytical
epidemiological studies, which have the advantage that exposure to dietary variables and
responses can be individually related. In recent reviews of the case-control studies
concerning
meat and colorectal cancer, it was reported that in the majority of these studies a
positive
association between meat consumption and colon cancer risk was found.
Titel: Korean Team Discovers Cancer Breakthrough
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200610/kt2006103017321410230.htm
A Korean research team, led by Yonsei
University professor Yook Jong-in, made a breakthrough in discovering the mechanism by
which cancer cells metastasize. This breakthrough is expected to help scientists better
understand the changing nature of cancerous cells, taking a step closer to the discovery
of cures.
Titel: Early diagnosis of Alzheimer is visible now
http://www.digitaldivide.net/articles/view.php?ArticleID=721
A new computerized technique can help in
the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. With the help of this technique early
signs of damaged cells caused by Alzheimer’s disease can be detected. This computer
aided analysis is able to analyze the extent of damage areas of grey matter. The
researchers say it could be treated most effectively in its initial stages. The University
of California (Irvine) study appears in the journal, Radiology. Researcher Dr Min-Ying Su
said “our methods may aid in earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, allowing
earlier intervention to slow down disease progression”.
Titel: Stem cells in regeneration of breast tissue in Cancer patients
http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=15495
The American scientists have devised a
technique that could put an end to reconstructive surgery for women recovering from breast
cancer. It is expected that the stem cells derived the patient’s own fat would help
in regeneration of breast tissue.
Titel: Chemo drugs cause cognitive decline in breast cancer patients
http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=15466
Chemobrain is a condition of cognitive
decline experienced by several cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. This was confirmed
by a recent study conducted on the effect of chemotherapy on cognitive functions in mice.
Titel: Overloading on vitamins can pose health risks
http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20061026205202159
The problem is we also get vitamins and
nutrients from the foods we eat, including an increasing number of vitamin-enriched and
fortified foods. When megadoses of supplements are added to the mix, this can result in
some vitamin and mineral overloads. So, although we're trying to improve our health, we
may actually be damaging it.
Titel: Broken Mirrors - A Theory of Autism
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleId=000B7F38-893D-152E-88E283414B7F0000
Ever since autism was identified,
researchers have struggled to determine what causes it. Scientists know that
susceptibility to autism is inherited, although environmental risk factors also seem to
play a role [see "The Early Origins of Autism," by Patricia M. Rodier;
Scientific American, February 2000]. Starting in the late 1990s, investigators in our
laboratory at the University of California, San Diego, set out to explore whether there
was a connection between autism and a newly discovered class of nerve cells in the brain
called mirror neurons. Because these neurons appeared to be involved in abilities such as
empathy and the perception of another individual's intentions, it seemed logical to
hypothesize that a dysfunction of the mirror neuron system could result in some of the
symptoms of autism. Over the past decade, several studies have provided evidence for this
theory.
Titel: Orange juice is better than lemonade at keeping kidney stones away
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/314568.html
A daily glass of orange juice can help
prevent the recurrence of kidney stones better than other citrus fruit juices such as
lemonade, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered. The findings
indicate that although many people assume that all citrus fruit juices help prevent the
formation of kidney stones, not all have the same effect. The study is available online
and is scheduled to be published in the Oct. 26 issue of the Clinical Journal of the
American Society of Nephrology. Medically managing recurrent kidney stones requires
dietary and lifestyle changes as well as treatment such as the addition of potassium
citrate, which has been shown to lower the rate of new stone formation in patients with
kidney stones.
Titel: Researchers identify antibiotic protein that defends the intestine
against microbial invaders
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/312186.html
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical
Center have identified a protein that is made in the intestinal lining and targets
microbial invaders, offering novel insights into how the intestine fends off pathogens and
maintains friendly relations with symbiotic microbes. The study, published today in the
journal Science, might lead to new medications aimed at helping patients with inflammatory
bowel disease. The findings might also aid in understanding the effectiveness of
probiotics — mixtures of beneficial bacteria that are added to food products —
in boosting the immune system, said Dr. Lora Hooper, assistant professor of immunology and
the paper's senior author.
Titel: New findings help pinpoint autism's genetic roots
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/289145.html
By deleting a gene in certain parts of the
brain, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created mice that show deficits
in social interaction that are reminiscent of humans with autism spectrum disorders. The
investigators also found physical abnormalities in the brains that mimic some cases of
autism, showing that the research animals can be useful in studying the mysterious
condition.
Titel: Type 2 diabetics' acidity heightens risk for kidney stones
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/283627.html
People with type 2 diabetes have highly
acidic urine, a metabolic feature that explains their greater risk for developing
uric-acid kidney stones, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
The study - the first to compare the urinary biochemical characteristics of type 2
diabetics with those of normal volunteers - is available online and will be published in
the May issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Individuals with type
2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) are at increased risk for developing
kidney stones in general, and have a particular risk for uric-acid stones. The mechanisms
for this greater risk were previously not entirely understood. This new study demonstrates
that the propensity for type 2 diabetics to develop uric-acid stones is elevated because
their urine is highly acidic.
Titel: Overproducing leptin receptors in fat cells may be key to halting weight
gain
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/261037.html
A new study by researchers at UT
Southwestern Medical Center suggests that when fat cells increase in size - as they do
during the development of obesity - the cells progressively lose receptors for the hormone
leptin, a powerful stimulus for fat burning. Leptin, a hormone produced by the body's fat
cells and involved in the regulation of body weight, was first discovered in 1994. It was
thought leptin itself would be a key to curing obesity in humans, but the hypothesis did
not readily translate into weight loss in obese people. Using mouse models, UT
Southwestern researchers have now shown that if enough receptors are present on the fat
cells, it is impossible for the cells to store fat and obesity would be blocked.
Titel: High-Tech Ventilation Fails to Control Secondhand Smoke
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524623/
In a new study, Repace and Johnson found
that these high-tech systems were no match for secondhand smoke and may, in fact, perform
worse than standard “dilution” ventilation. The study looked at air quality
before and after a smoking ban in a restaurant/bar in Toronto, Canada, and compared the
level of smoking-related cancer-causing chemicals and toxic particles in the air of
non-smoking and smoking sections of two dining/drinking establishments in Mesa, Arizona.
Titel: Spontaneous Regression of Advanced Cancer in Mice
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/cancer/research/mice/part3.htm
The discoverers of the unique mouse line
that is resistant to cancer have begun to pin down how the process works and found that
white blood cells in these mice overwhelm normal defenses of cancer cells.
Titel: Study Offers New Perspective on Nitric Oxide Signaling in Rheumatoid
Arthritis
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2006/arthritis.htm
Scientists at the University of Michigan
Medical School have found evidence that challenges current thinking about the cause of
rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease that damages joints, causes
pain, loss of movement, and bone deformities in 2.1 million Americans.
Titel: Some Evidence Shows Chinese Herbal Medicine Helps Angina Patients
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524703/
An herbal medicine used to treat
cardiovascular diseases in China may improve symptoms of chest pain when used in
conjunction with traditional treatments, according to a new systematic review.
Titel: Soy Formula Not Proven to Prevent Allergies in Infants, Review Concludes
http://www.hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1374
Although soy infant formulas were created
to reduce the chances of babies developing allergies or food intolerances, there is no
clear proof that soy or other specialized formulas lower those risks, a new review has
found. “There is no evidence that using any type of formula is better than exclusive
breastfeeding for prevention of allergy,” said authors David Osborn, M.D., of Royal
Prince Alfred Hospital and John Sinn, M.D., of Westmead Hospital, in Australia.
“Specialized formulas should be restricted to situations where infants cannot
exclusively breastfeed or when an infant develops a specific food allergy or
hypersensitivity.”
Food allergies can include wheat, peanuts, cow’s milk and soy protein. Cow’s
milk allergy is the most prevalent in children and has been documented in 1.8 percent of
children along with 0.5 percent of children who have allergies to soy protein, the
reviewers say.
Titel: Hypnosis and Acupuncture Show Promise for Labor Pain
http://www.hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1372
A review of non-drug pain relief therapies
suggests that hypnosis and acupuncture may ease labor pain. “There is too little
research to assess how effective many complementary therapies will be with pain management
in labor,” said lead study author Caroline Smith. Further research is needed, she
said, but “the results concerning acupuncture and hypnosis are encouraging.”
In addition to hypnosis and acupuncture, the review examined the effects of
massage, relaxation, aromatherapy, acupressure and white noise on pain relief. But the
review did not turn up enough evidence to determine if any of the other therapies bring
women significant comfort. The meta-analysis compiles data from 14 studies that included
more than 1,400 women. Five studies examined hypnosis, while three studies gauged
acupuncture’s effect on pain relief. “More robust research and more research
trials have been undertaken for these two therapies versus the other treatments,”
said Smith, a research fellow at the University of Adelaide in Australia. The review
appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane
Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates research in all aspects of
health care. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice
after considering both the content and quality of existing trials on a topic.
Titel: Another Breastfeeding Benefit - Pain Reliever for Newborns
http://www.hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1300
In the first 24 hours after birth, nearly
every newborn in the United States is subjected to a painful, but routine heel prick or
needle stick to screen the blood for disease or rare genetic disorders. In most cases that
needle stick is administered without pain relief. But a new review of evidence suggests
that breastfeeding can ease the pain of such routine newborn procedures. “The babies
who were breastfed experienced less pain, compared to not giving anything, or just
swaddling them or a placebo of sterile water,” said lead reviewer Prakeshkumar Shah,
a neonatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Shah’s team gathered data from
eleven studies of more than 1,000 newborns. The trials tested the effectiveness
breastfeeding and breast milk compared to sugar water or pacifier — to counter the
discomfort of the babies’ first blood draw.
Titel: Studies Show Only Modest Benefits of Flu Shots Among Older Adults
http://www.hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1304
Although national and international health
organizations urge anyone over age 65 to get yearly flu shots, the vaccinations are only
modestly effective in preventing flu and its complications among older adults, according
to a new review of recent studies. Similarly, there is a little evidence that vaccinating
healthcare workers protects their elderly patients from flu complications, another study
found. The reviews appear in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of
The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.
Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after
considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic. In their
review of 71 studies, Dr. Daniela Rivetti of the public health department of Asti, Italy
,and colleagues found that flu shots prevented 45 percent of flu-like illnesses, hospital
admissions and flu-related deaths among nursing home and long-term care patients. Flu
vaccinations prevented only 25 percent of these outcomes in older adults still living in
the community.
Titel: Herbals Effective for Low-Back Pain in the Short Term, Studies Find
http://www.hbns.org/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1249
The herbal preparations devil's claw, white
willow bark and cayenne plasters may be as effective as pain medication for short-term low
back pain and are better than placebo, a new systematic review of studies has found. The
review comprised 10 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 1,600 adults who had
acute, sub-acute or chronic low back pain. Led by Dr. Joel J. Gagnier of the Provincial
Medical Centre in Windsor, Canada, the review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane
Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that
evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about
medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials
on a topic. The authors looked at randomized controlled trials of the three herbals that
involved nearly 1,600 adults with acute, sub-acute or chronic low back pain. The studies
pitted devil's claw (Harpago procumbens), white willow bark (Salix alba) and cayenne
(Capsicum frutescens) against sham pills and against Vioxx, the painkiller since removed
from the market amid concerns over its long-term safety.
Titel: Photoswitches could restore sight to blind retinas
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2006/10/31_photoswitch.shtml
A research center newly created by the
University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) aims
to put light-sensitive switches in the body's cells that can be flipped on and off as
easily as a remote control operates a TV. Optical switches like these could trigger a
chemical reaction, initiate a muscle contraction, activate a drug or stimulate a nerve
cell - all at the flash of a light.
Titel: Herbal medicine silymarin may help sugar-control in people with type II
diabetes
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-10/jws-hms102706.php
Diabetes is a growing health problem.
Giving antioxidants is recognised as one way of helping people with diabetes to control
their blood sugar levels. The herbal medicine extracted from seeds of the Milk Thistle,
Silybum marianum (silymarin) is known to have antioxidant properties and research
published this week in Phytotherapy Research shows that this extract can help people
significantly lower the amount of sugar bound to haemoglobin in blood, as well as reducing
fasting blood sugar levels. Silymarin contains a number of active constituents called
flavolignans which are also used to help protect the liver from poisoning.
Titel: Will DEA Findings Wash?
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/114-11/toc.html
A common soap and shampoo ingredient
restricted in Europe for its suspected link to cancer is raising new concerns as study
results suggest it can thwart brain development in mice. Researchers at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill reported in the August 2006 FASEB Journal that
diethanolamine (DEA) irreversibly damaged the memory capacity of animals exposed before
birth. Author Steven Zeisel believes DEA could induce fetal neural abnormalities in
humans, too. "It's hard to estimate human exposure, but we believe the mice had
exposures about ten times higher," he says, assuming that people bathe and shampoo
daily with DEA-containing products, and use DEA-containing sunscreen. "There's no
reason to believe we wouldn't see similar effects in humans." The authors note,
however, that dermal absorption of DEA is less efficient in humans than in rats. Further,
most DEA used in personal care products is conjugated with fatty acids, which may not have
the same effects as just DEA.
Titel: Occupational Phthalate Exposure Reduces Testosterone
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/114-11/ss.htmlheal
The team concluded that high levels of DEHP
and DBP exposure seemed to suppress testosterone production in the PVC plant workers, but
it is not clear from this study what effect, if any, that might have on their fertility.
Titel: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - Is Serotonin the Key Factor?
http://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?ID=814
Dr. Debra E. Weese-Mayer, professor of
pediatrics and director of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine at Rush University Medical
Center, examines the findings of the preliminary research that suggests that brainstem
abnormalities involving certain serotonin pathways in the brain may play a more important
role in SIDS than previously thought, according to an article in the November 1 issue of
JAMA.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the
leading cause of postneonatal infant death in the United States. Despite intensive
research, the causes of SIDS remain unknown, according to background information in the
article. Previous research has suggested that abnormalities in the receptor (a structure
on the surface or inside a cell) binding of the serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT])
neurons in the medulla (the section of the brainstem that regulates breathing) may play a
role in SIDS.
Titel: Study holds promise for new way to fight aids
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1280
For years researchers have been trying to
understand how a few HIV-infected patients naturally defeat a virus that otherwise
overwhelms the immune system. Last year, a research team at the University of Rochester
Medical Center confirmed that such patients, called long-term non-progressors, maintain
higher than normal levels of the enzyme called APOBEC-3G (A3G) in their white blood cells,
which function to stave off infections. Now, the same group has teamed up with a
structural biologist to provide the first look at the A3G structure. Such information
represents an early step toward the design of a new class of drugs that could afford to
all the same natural protection enjoyed by few, according to a study published today in
The Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Titel: Diabetes, Sugar-Coated Crisis
http://www.davidsperorn.com
Type 2 Diabetes is a social disease, caused
by environments high in stress and sugar, low in opportunities to move or to feel good
about ourselves. But people’s genes or behavior are blamed for causing diabetes, and
we are expected to deal with it as individuals. This isn’t fair and doesn’t
work. People who have enough power – money, education, self-confidence, self-esteem
and social support – can sometimes resist the unhealthy environment and stay well.
But people with less power have more stress and harder lives, which lead to more sickness,
especially Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
We need social approaches – bringing
people together to increase Personal Power (self-confidence, support, sense of hope,
positive goals, self-esteem) and Social Power (working together to change behavior,
environments and lives.) This isn’t just about diabetes. It’s about individuals,
families, and communities bringing wellness into their lives and helping to heal sick
societies.
Titel: Virus-Related Muscle Damage Tied to Chronic Fatigue
http://paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?158624
Chronic fatigue syndrome seems to occur
sometimes after a virus infection. Now, researchers have shown that some patients with the
syndrome have evidence of virus in their muscles, and this in turn is linked to abnormal
muscle function.
Titel: Little Evidence that Statins or Fibrates Protect Against Melanoma
http://patient.cancerconsultants.com/news.aspx?id=38454
According to a combined analysis of several
studies, use of statins or fibrates (two types of cholesterol-lowering drugs) does not
decrease the risk of melanoma. These results were published in the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute.
Titel: Dr claims Vitamin B12 'cure'
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006500035,00.html
A DOCTOR in the North East claims to have
found a ‘miracle’ cure for a number of illnesses – and says the molecule in
question is the third most important to the body after oxygen and water. Dr Joseph Chandy,
a GP in the East Durham village of Horden, has spent 40 years investigating the importance
of vitamin B12 and believes it is under-used in modern medicine.
Titel: Treatment of bipolar disorder
http://psychtruth.googlepages.com/NoChemicalTestformentaldisorders.pdf
Bipolaire verstoring is een biologisch
ziekte maar ondanks dit zijn er geen testen waarmee dit kan worden aangetoond. Men baseert
deze diagnose op basis van een groep van symptomen.
Titel: Soja versnelt groei kankercellen in darm
http://www.wur.nl/NL/nieuwsagenda/archief/nieuws/2001/Sojaversneltgroeikankercellenindarm.htm
Voedselgoeroes bezingen soja in alle
toonaarden. Stoffen in de sojaboon zouden de kans op allerlei soorten kanker verminderen
en het menselijk hormoonsysteem verjongen. Onderzoekers van het Rikilt ontdekten echter
dat een stof in soja de groei van kankercellen juist versnelt.Hoewel mensen die veel soja
eten - zoals vegetarirs en Aziaten - minder vaak kanker krijgen, zijn wetenschappers al
vaker op ziekmakende eigenschappen van soja gestuit. Welke stof de effecten veroorzaakte,
was onduidelijk. In de jaren tachtig ontdekte het Nizo bijvoorbeeld dat proefdieren die
veel soja-eiwit binnenkregen vaker kanker ontwikkelden. Ander onderzoek wees echter naar
een andere verdachte, een stof die vastzit aan het soja-eiwit: de isoflavonode genistene.
Bij vrouwen die de overgang achter de rug hebben, imiteert deze stof de werking van het
vrouwelijke hormoon estradiol. Bij jonge mannen blokkeren stoffen als genistene estradiol
juist. Sporters gebruiken ze om sneller vet te verliezen.
Titel: Common Antacids Could Help Keep Gingivitis at Bay
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1282
Chemicals commonly used to treat heartburn
also display fighting power against the oral bacteria linked with gum disease, according
to researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Göteborg University in
Sweden. A study published in November’s Archives of Oral Biology explores how the
active ingredients in popular antacids could help fend off gingivitis. If the work holds
up in subsequent studies in people, the compounds could one day find themselves widely
available in oral care products like toothpaste and mouthwashes.
Titel: Dopamine Used to Prompt Nerve Tissue to Regrow
http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=1177
When Yadong Wang, a chemist by training,
first ventured into nerve regeneration two years ago, he didn’t know that his peers
would have considered him crazy. His idea was simple; Because neural circuits use
electrical signals often conducted by neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) to
communicate between the brain and the rest of the body, he could build neurotransmitters
into the material used to repair a broken circuit. The neurotransmitters could coax the
neurons in the damaged nerves to regrow and reconnect with their target organ.
Titel: Researchers Closer to Cure for Multiple Sclerosis and Other
Myelin-related Diseases
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/524855/
A breakthrough finding on the mechanism of
myelin formation by Jonah Chan, assistant professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck
School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, could have a major impact on
the treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis and demyelination as a result of
spinal cord injuries.
Titel: Mayo Clinic Researchers Use Magnetic Attraction to Improve Stents,
Reduce Blood Clot Risk
http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2006-rst/3740.html
Mayo Clinic heart researchers have devised
a new strategy to improve the effectiveness and safety of heart stents, which are used to
open narrowed blood vessels and have been the recent subject of clotting concerns. Their
novel approach is based on magnetizing healing cells from the patient's blood so the cells
are quickly drawn to magnetically coated stents.
Titel: Breakthrough in eye cancer treatment
http://www.stjude.org/media/0,2561,453_4187_21865,00.html
Researchers use new, localized treatment to
shrink retinoblastoma tumors, avoid chemo; treatment could be effective against some
breast, lung, prostate, colon cancers. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
have demonstrated in a mouse model a new, locally applied treatment for the eye cancer
retinoblastoma that not only greatly reduces the size of the tumor, but does so without
causing the side effects common with standard chemotherapy. The treatment also appears to
be suitable for certain forms of breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer, and is simple
enough for widespread use even in countries with limited resources.
Titel: ASU researchers test antibacterial effects of healing clays
http://clas.asu.edu/newsevents/newsreleases/2006/WilliamsHaydelResearch_11012006.htm
Clay is most commonly associated with the
sublime experience of the European spa where visitors have been masked, soaked and basted
with this touted curative since the Romans ruled. If ASU geochemist Lynda Williams and
microbiologist Shelley Haydel’s research on the antibacterial properties of clays
realizes its full potential, smectite clay could one day rise above cosmetic use to take
its place comfortably with antibacterial behemoths like penicillin. “We use maggots
and leeches in hospitals, so why not clay?” Haydel poses. “I had a professor in
graduate school say, ‘Maybe perhaps once in your life, in your scientific career,
you’ll come across something that can change the world.’ Sometimes I think; Is
this it? Will this help some people?”
Titel: New Evidence On Why Alcohol Consumption Is A Risk Factor For Cancer
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/crtoec/2006/19/i10/abs/tx060113h.html
Now researchers in Japan have discovered
direct molecular evidence supporting that link between acetaldehyde and alcohol-related
cancers. In a report published in the current (October) issue of the monthly ACS journal
Chemical Research in Toxicology, Tomonari Matsuda and colleagues studied DNA from the
blood of 44 patients being treated for alcoholism.
Titel: Signal protein shows promise for blocking tumor promoters in skin cells
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/uops-sps110306.php
A protein with the ironic name
"Srcasm" can counteract the effects of tumor-promoting molecules in skin cells,
according to new research by investigators at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine. Using animal models, the researchers discovered that Srcasm acts like a brake in
epithelial cells, preventing uncontrolled cell growth caused by a family of proteins
called Src kinases. This finding, published online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry,
suggests a target for future gene therapy to treat skin, head, neck, colon, and breast
cancers.
Investigators have known for decades that
Src kinase proteins can promote tumor formation. Src kinase activity is elevated in most
skin cancers and in common carcinomas, including those of the breast and colon. At the
same time, levels of the signaling molecule Srcasm are typically low in tumor cells, notes
senior author John Seykora, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology. The current
findings show that Srcasm can reduce the amount of Src kinases in cells; they have also
shown that increased activity of these kinases is associated with cancerous skin lesions.
Src kinase proteins act like messengers,
sending signals that control cellular growth. Found just inside the cell membrane, they
conduct signals from cell surface receptors to the proteins that promote growth. Src
kinases can be activated during cell division or through mutation. If these proteins are
too active, they promote rapid cell growth that can spin out of control. In skin cells,
Src kinases and Srcasm are involved in signaling pathways that control cell growth and
differentiation.
Titel: Report calls for using heated chemotherapy after colon cancer surgery to
optimize patient survival
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/wcmc-rcf110206.php
There is new hope for some of the most
seriously ill colon cancer patients today, following the release of a consensus statement
by 72 leading oncology surgeons from 14 countries, including the United States. The
Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Group (PSMG), including doctors from the University of
Pittsburgh Medical Center, Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas; H. Lee Moffitt
Cancer Center in Tampa; Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington; and St. Agnes
Hospital in Baltimore, has concluded that surgery, followed by heated chemotherapy
delivered through the lower abdomen of the patient before leaving the operating room, may
significantly increase the life expectancy for patients with Stage IV colorectal cancer.
Titel: Why The Flu Makes Some People Sicker Than Others
http://www.the-aps.org/press/conference/ftlauderdale/6.htm
Two studies to be presented at The American
Physiological Society conference “Physiological Genomics and Proteomics of Lung
Disease” have found that a strain of mice that is more likely to die of influenza
infection mounts a dramatically enhanced immune response in the lungs compared to a strain
of mice that generally develops milder disease.
The long-term goal of these studies is to
identify genes that control the individual variation in inflammation during influenza
infection. This information could ultimately help identify those most at risk to develop
severe disease and die from the flu, and help doctors direct vaccines, anti-viral and
anti-inflammatory medications to those who need them most.
The researchers will present the study
“Inflammatory responses in inbred mice with different susceptibility phenotypes to
Influenza A virus infection,” on Nov. 3. The study was carried out by Rita Trammell
and Linda Toth of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Ill.
Titel: Newly Discovered Proteins Associated With Cystic Fibrosis
http://www.the-aps.org/press/conference/ftlauderdale/4.htm
Researchers have found a highly unusual
distribution of two proteins in the lungs and airways of people with cystic fibrosis, a
discovery that could be a step in determining how the disease progresses. The proteins,
first uncovered as a result of the human genome project, are thought to play a role in the
body’s immune system. The discovery is preliminary, but intriguing: Finding out more
about the proteins could help sort out the immune system’s role in cystic fibrosis, a
genetic disease that attacks the lungs and other organs and dramatically shortens life
expectancy.
Titel: Low folate diets found to increase risk of colorectal cancer
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/mu-lfd110206.php
A new study by scientists at the MUHC has
revealed that a diet low in folate may increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Published in the scientific journal Cancer Research today, the study not only illustrates
a way to prevent the disease but also provides further insight into the mechanisms of the
disease, which could lead to novel therapies. Using animal models, the MUHC study is the
first to demonstrate directly that diets low in folate cause colorectal cancer, and
follows on the heels of earlier research by the same team that revealed how high folate
diets can protect against heart disease."This research, which is consistent with
previous epidemiological studies in humans, demonstrates a clear link between low dietary
folate and the initiation of colorectal cancer in animal models," says Dr. Rima
Rozen, Scientific Director of the Montreal Children's Hospital, Deputy Scientific Director
of the MUHC, and lead investigator in the study. "None of the mice fed a control diet
developed tumours whereas 1 in 4 mice on the folate-deficient diet developed at least one
tumour."
Titel: New Evidence Finds an Association Between Periodontal Disease and Stroke
http://www.perio.org/consumer/stroke-connection.htm
People missing some or all of their teeth
or who have significant loss of bone and tissue surrounding their teeth may be at an
increased risk for having a stroke, according to a new study that appeared in the October
issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP). Researchers from Boston University
investigated the relationship between periodontal disease and history of stroke in
patients 60 years of age and older by examining the data of the Third National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). “We found that patients 60 years and older
who were edentulous, partially edentulous and/or had significant clinical attachment loss
were more likely to have a history of stroke compared to dentate adults without
significant clinical attachment loss,” said Dr. Martha E. Nunn, Goldman School of
Dental Medicine, Boston University. “However, based on the results of this study, it
is unclear whether periodontal disease is an independent risk factor for stroke or simply
a risk marker that reflects negative effects of risk factors common to both periodontal
disease and stroke.”
Titel: Melatonin May Decrease Periodontal Disease Severity According to New
Study Findings
http://www.perio.org/consumer/melatonin.htm
Salivary melatonin may play an important
role in maintaining periodontal health, according to a new study published in the Journal
of Periodontology. This is one of the first attempts to examine the influence of salivary
melatonin upon periodontal disease, an inflammation that destroys the tissues and bone
that support the teeth. Researchers found that melatonin, a hormone created by the pineal
gland, may be able to protect the oral cavity against free radicals produced by
inflammatory diseases. Melatonin has strong antioxidant effects that can protect cells
against inflammatory processes and oxidative damage. Melatonin supplements are commonly
promoted to ease jet lag and hasten sleep. “Patients with higher salivary and
melatonin ratios had lower community periodontal index (CPI). CPI is the score used to
assess periodontal status,” said Pablo Galindo, DDS, Department of Oral Surgery,
School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Spain. “This finding suggests that the
melatonin may fight against infection and inflammation possibly due to its antioxidant,
anti-aging and immunoenhancing ability.”
Titel: People with diabetes can benefit from ACE inhibitors
http://www.healthandage.com/public/news-home/9581/People-with-diabetes-can-benefit-from-ACE-inhibitors.html
New study reveals that ACE inhibitors
reduce kidney disease risk in people with diabetes. Angiotension converting enzyme (ACE)
inhibitors are used to treat high blood pressure. Now a report from researchers in
Bergamo, Italy, shows that ACE inhibitors reduce the risk of kidney disease in people with
diabetes, independent of their effect in lowering blood pressure.
Titel: The Role of Copper in Mental Decline with Age
http://www.healthandage.com/public/article-home/3146/The-Role-of-Copper-in-Mental-Decline-with-Age.html
A high intake of dietary copper in someone
already eating too many saturated and trans fats will accelerate the normal age-related
decline in mental function considerably.
Titel: Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Real?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/03/health/webmd/main2152869.shtml
Buoyed by a spate of recent scientific
findings tying the disorder to possible genetic and physiological
causes, Center for Disease Control officials said they want chronic fatigue syndrome to
join the ranks of "real" diseases.
Titel: Study Shows Psychological And Behavioral Therapies Can Help Ease
Insomnia
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/01/health/webmd/main2143282.shtml
If insomnia keeps you up at night,
psychological and behavioral therapies may help you sleep.
