Titel: Early screening for
breast cancer may do more harm than good
Url: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/12530.html
Description: A new study reveals that
screening women for breast cancer under the age of 50 might actually do more harm than
good, since of every 10,000 women screened, a small percentage is actually diagnosed and
of these, eventually only 4 are completely cured. In the bargain thousands of women face
high levels of radiation which increase cancer risk, as well as suffer great emotional
anxiety and add to government costs.
Titel: Smoking causes more pain and damage in arthritic men
Url: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/12512.html
Description: A Mayo Clinic study shows that
men who suffer from osteoarthritis and smoke are more likely to accelerate their disease
and experience greater pain than those who don't smoke. The research which spanned 30
months analyzed the arthritic condition of 159 men. Of which 19 were smokers, smoking
around 20 cigarettes daily for average 40 years. The researchers used special imaging
methods like the MRI to observe the progress of cartilage tissue during the start, middle
and end of the period.
Titel: Epstein Barr Virus Might Kick-Start Multiple Sclerosis
Url: http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-58647.html
Description: Researchers have found that
patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) carry a population of immune cells that overreact to
Epstein-Barr virus. The virus, which causes mononucleosis and may contribute to some
cancers, has long been suspected to play a role in MS. However, the mechanism linking the
virus to the disease was poorly understood.
Titel: Targeting a Single Gene Could Inhibit Bone Decay and Stimulate Bone Growth
Url: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/dec06/bone-formation-decay-gene.htm
Description: Researchers at the University
of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found by targeting the function of a single gene
that it is possible to inhibit bone decay while simultaneously stimulating bone formation.
This concept may lead to drug treatments for osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Senior
author Yongwon Choi, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University
of Pennsylvania and colleagues report their findings in the December issue of Nature
Medicine.
Osteoporosis is a major quality of life
issue for the millions of senior citizens in the United States and will only become a
bigger problem as the population continues to age.
Titel: Penn Study Suggests a New Type of Pain Reliever That May Benefit the Heart
Url: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/sep06/newNSAIDs.htm
Description: Building on previous work,
researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that deleting
an inflammation enzyme in a mouse model of heart disease slowed the development of
atherosclerosis. What's more, the composition of the animals’ blood vessels showed
that the disease process had not only slowed, but also stabilized. This study points to
the possibility of a new class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that steer
clear of heart-disease risk and work to reduce it. Senior author Garret FitzGerald,
MD, Director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at Penn, and
colleagues report their findings this week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences. NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Naprosyn)
relieve pain and inflammation by blocking the cyclooxygenases, or COX enzymes (COX-1 and
COX-2). These enzymes help make fats called prostaglandins. COX-2 is the most important
source of the two prostaglandins - PGE2 and prostacyclin - that mediate pain and
inflammation. However, COX-2-derived PGE2 and prostacyclin may also protect the heart, and
loss of this function - particularly suppression of prostacyclin - explains the risk of
heart attacks from NSAIDs that inhibit COX-2, such as rofecoxib (Vioxx), valdecoxib
(Bextra), and celecoxib (Celebrex). The problems with COX-2 inhibitors have prompted the
search for alternative drug targets that suppress pain and inflammation yet are safe for
the cardiovascular system. One possibility is an enzyme called mPGES-1, which converts
PGH2 (a chemical product of COX-2) into PGE2. Previous studies at other institutions in
mice lacking mPGES-1 suggest that inhibitors of this enzyme might retain much of the
effectiveness of NSAIDs in combating pain and inflammation. However, unlike COX-2
inhibition or deletion, the Penn researchers had found that mPGES-1 deletion did not
elevate blood pressure or predispose the mice to thrombosis. This work began to raise the
possibility that mPGES-1 inhibitors might even benefit the heart.
Titel: Penn Researchers Find Link Between Autism and Abnormal Blood-Vessel Function and
Oxidative Stress
Url: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/aug06/autbldvsl.htm
Description: Researchers at the University
of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that children with autism showed signs of
abnormal blood-vessel function and damaging levels of oxidative stress compared to healthy
children. The children with autism possessed levels of biochemicals that indicate the
presence of constricted blood vessels via the endothelium (the cells that line vessels)
with a higher tendency to form clots (through cells called platelets). By exploring the
relationship between oxidative stress and blood-vessel function in autistic patients,
investigators hope to find new therapeutic options for this syndrome. The researchers, led
by Domenico Pratico, MD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, published their findings in
the August issue of the Archives of Neurology.
Titel: Do low-fat foods make us fat?
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/cfb-dlf120806.php
Description: Recent Cornell studies in
movie theatres, holiday receptions, and homes showed people eat an average of 28% more
total calories when they eat low-fat snacks than regular ones. "Obese people can eat
up to 45% more," reports lead researcher Brian Wansink (Ph.D.), in the book, Mindless
Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think."People don’t realize that low-fat foods
are not always low-calorie foods," says Wansink. Fat is often replaced with sugar.
Low-fat snacks are an average of 11% lower in calories, but people wrongly believe they
are around 40% lower. In one study, two groups of people attending a holiday open-house
were given identical regular chocolates that were labeled as either "Regular" or
as "Low-fat." People served themselves an average of a third more of the
candies, which would have translated into 28% more calories if they had actually been
low-fat. A second study showed this is because "people believe they will feel less
guilty eating the low-fat foods, so they tend to overindulge, says Pierre Chandon,
co-author and marketing professor at INSEAD in France. Fat is often replaced with sugar.
Titel: Pro-vitamin E shown to be active against breast cancer cells
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/ra-pe120706.php
Description: A precursor of vitamin E has
been shown to be effective against breast cancer cell lines which over-express human
epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2). About 30% of breast cancers exhibit high levels
of HER2 – a feature that appears to make the disease resistant to many common
treatments including chemotherapeutic agents.Now researchers in Griffith University’s
School of Medical Science have shown that pro-vitamin E or alpha-tocopheryl succinate can
reduce tumour volume in experimental animals with high levels of HER2.Chief investigator
Associate Professor Jiri Neuzil said alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS) had the
potential to be an inexpensive, safe and selective therapy for hard-to-treat breast
cancers.
Titel: Natural protein stops deadly human brain cancer in mice
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/jhmi-nps120706.php
Description: Scientists from Johns Hopkins
and from the University of Milan have effectively proven that they can inhibit lethal
human brain cancers in mice using a protein that selectively induces positive changes in
the activity of cells that behave like cancer stem cells. The report is published this
week in Nature.The most common type of brain cancer-glioblastoma-is marked by the presence
of these stem-cell-like brain cells, which, instead of triggering the replacement of
damaged cells, form cancer tissue. Stem cells, unlike all other cells in the body, are
capable of forming almost any kind of cell when the right "signals" trigger
their development.
For their treatment experiment, the researchers relied on a class of proteins, bone
morphogenic proteins, that cause neural stem-cell-like clusters to lose their stem cell
properties, which in turn stops their ability to divide.
First they pretreated human glioblastoma cells with bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4),
then injected these treated cells into mouse brains. In mice injected with cells that were
not pretreated, large, invasive cancers grew. In the mice with BMP4-treated cells, no
cancers grew at all. Three to four months after injection, all mice that got untreated
cells died, and nearly all mice with BMP4-treated cells were alive.
Titel: Smoking Worsens Knee Osteoarthritis
Url: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2006-rst/3814.html
Description: New findings from a study led
by a Mayo Clinic rheumatologist indicate that men with knee osteoarthritis who smoke
experience greater cartilage loss and more severe pain than men who do not smoke. Results
will be published online this week in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Knee
osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of disability in elders. "This is a novel
finding," says Shreyasee Amin, M.D., Mayo Clinic rheumatologist and lead study
researcher. "Previous studies showed no association between cigarette smoking and
knee osteoarthritis or even a protective effect of smoking." The finding that
cigarette smoking plays a role in the worsening of knee osteoarthritis is important, says
Dr. Amin, as it is a potentially modifiable risk factor.
Titel: Mayo Clinic Develops Medical Device That Reduces the Need for Invasive Surgical
Biopsy Procedures
Url: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2006-rst/3812.html
Description: Mayo Clinic announced last
week that it has developed a new medical device that will help patients control their
breathing (respiratory motion) when undergoing computed tomographic (CT)
fluoroscopy-guided biopsies. The Interactive Breath-hold Control will be the first medical
device of its kind in the world. The device will allow physicians to more rapidly and
accurately diagnose patients reducing the need for a more invasive surgical biopsy.
Clinical trials of the Interactive Breath-hold Control were conducted at Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn., and in Munich, Germany. Mayo Clinic and a hospital in Munich are
currently using the device.
Titel: Smokers risk more painful and progressive osteoarthritis
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/bsj-srm120606.php
Description: Smokers risk more painful and
progressive osteoarthritis than non-smokers, suggests research published ahead of print in
the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition,
which commonly affects the knees and fingers. Knee osteoarthritis is one of the leading
causes of disability among elderly people. The findings are based on 159 men who had
osteoarthritis of the knees, and who were monitored for up to 30 months. The affected
knees were scanned and the severity of pain scored. The men were monitored and again at 15
and 30 months.
Titel: Does Omega 3 protect against ADHD?
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/ra-do3120506.php
Description: A new study will provide
further understanding about the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the brain function of
children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The trial, being conducted
by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, will study the effects of these fatty acids
on the learning skills, attention span, memory, reaction time and behaviour of 150
children with ADHD over 12 weeks. The effects will also be explored in 100 children
without ADHD. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in seafood, particularly fish. There is
increasing evidence that a lack of these acids may be associated with developmental
problems like ADHD – a common mental health problem which affects around 12 per cent
of Australian children. The evidence for positive effects of omega-3 fatty acids in
children is mixed and the Murdoch Childrens’ study will be one of the first to
examine the issue in detail.
Titel: Dartmouth researchers find that low doses of arsenic have broad impact on
hormone activity
Url: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2006/12/04.html
Description: Dartmouth Medical School
investigators are learning more about how low doses of arsenic, such as the levels found
in drinking water in many areas of the United States, affect human physiology. In a paper
published online on Dec. 2 in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, the researchers
report that three different steroid hormones all show similar responses to arsenic,
suggesting a broader effect and a common mechanism of arsenic on how these hormones
function. "Since most of the health consequences of exposure to arsenic - various
cancers, diabetes, heart and vascular disease, reproductive and developmental effects,
etc. - involve these same steroid receptors, we think that disruption of their normal
function could explain, in large part, how arsenic can influence so many disease
risks," says Joshua Hamilton, one of the authors on this study and the director of
the Center for Environmental Health Sciences at Dartmouth and Dartmouth's Superfund Basic
Research Program on Toxic Metals.
Titel: Invention could solve “bottleneck” in developing pollution-free cars
Url: http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/articles/releases/hydrogen041206.html
Description: Hydrogen-powered cars that do
not pollute the environment are a step closer thanks to a new discovery which promises to
solve the main problem holding back the technology. Whilst hydrogen is thought to be an
ideal fuel for vehicles, producing only water on combustion, its widespread use has been
limited by the lack of a safe, efficient system for onboard storage. Scientists have
experimented with ways of storing hydrogen by locking the gas into metal lattices, but
metal hydrides only work at temperatures above 300°C and metal organic framework
materials only work at liquid nitrogen temperatures (-198°C). Now scientists at the
University of Bath have invented a material which stores and releases hydrogen at room
temperature, at the flick of a switch, and promises to help make hydrogen power a viable
clean technology for the future.
Titel: New research suggests oxytocin's potential for treatment of two core autism
symptom domains
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/g-nrs120106.php
Description: Preliminary new research
discussed today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's Annual Meeting finds
that oxytocin, when administered using intravenous fluid and nasal technology may have
significant positive effects on adult autism patients. The study, funded by the Seaver
Foundation, examined the effects of oxytocin on repetitive behaviors and aspects of social
cognition in adults with autism. Investigators Eric Hollander, MD and Jennifer Bartz, PhD
presented results of both intravenous and intranasal administration of oxytocin in
high-functioning adult autism patients and discussed the implications of this research for
the treatment of autism. Dr. Hollander is Chairman of Psychiatry and at the Mt. Sinai
School of Medicine in New York, NY and Director of the Seaver and New York Autism Center
of Excellence, one of eight NIH-funded (STAART) centers devoted to the study of autism.
Dr. Bartz is a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Seaver Center at the Mt., Sinai School of
Medicine. "Studies with animals have found that oxytocin plays a role in a variety of
behaviors, including parent-child and adult-to-adult pair bonding, social memory, social
cognition, anxiety reduction and repetitive behaviors," explained Dr. Bartz.
"However," adds Dr. Hollander, "we have only recently considered that
administration of oxytocin can have behavioral effects. Autism is a particularly ripe
neuropsychiatric disorder for studying this approach because it presents with the types of
symptoms that have been found to be associated with the oxytocin system."
Titel: Indiana University researchers discover unique marker to identify breast cancer
protein
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-12/iu-iur112906.php
Description: Researchers at Indiana
University School of Medicine have discovered a way to identify a key protein in breast
cancer cells, raising hopes that it will lead to a significantly better method for early
detection of the disease.The research, led by Linda H. Malkas, Ph.D., Vera Bradley
Professor of Oncology and professor of medicine, and Robert J. Hickey, Ph.D., associate
professor of medicine, involves a protein, PCNA, that plays a vital role in the processes
that control cell replication, repair and death. The research team identified an antibody
that can differentiate between the normal form of PCNA and the altered form found in
breast cancer cells, Dr. Malkas said.
Titel: Consuming cola may up osteoporosis
risk for older women
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-10/tu-ccm100306.php
Description: According to the National
Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 55 percent of Americans, mostly women, are at risk
of developing osteoporosis, a disease of porous and brittle bones that causes higher
susceptibility to bone fractures. Now, Katherine Tucker, PhD, director of the Epidemiology
and Dietary Assessment Program at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on
Aging at Tufts University, and colleagues have reported findings in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition that cola, a popular beverage for many Americans, may contribute to
lower bone mineral density in older women, a condition which increases risk for
osteoporosis.Tucker, also a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and
Policy at Tufts, and colleagues analyzed dietary questionnaires and bone mineral density
measurements at the spine and three different hip sites of more than 2,500 people in the
Framingham Osteoporosis Study whose average age was just below 60. In women, cola
consumption was associated with lower bone mineral density at all three hip sites,
regardless of factors such as age, menopausal status, total calcium and vitamin D intake,
or use of cigarettes or alcohol. However, cola consumption was not associated with lower
bone mineral density for men at the hip sites, or the spine for either men or women. The
results were similar for diet cola and, although weaker, for decaffeinated cola as well.
Titel: UC Davis study shows spirulina boosts immune system
Url: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2000-11/UoCD-UDss-3011100.php
Description: Adding spirulina to cultured
immune system cells significantly increases the production of infection fighting
cytokines, say immunologists at UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center. Their
finding is published in the Fall issue of the Journal of Medicinal Foods. Spirulina is a
blue-green algae that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Used as a food supplement for more than 20 years, spirulina grows naturally in lakes with
extremely high pH levels, but it is also harvested from large-scale commercial ponds,
where purity is monitored before being dried and distributed in tablet and powdered form.
A number of animal studies have shown spirulina to be an effective immunomodulator (an
agent that can effect the behavior of immune cells.) In rats spirulina inhibited allergic
reactions by suppressing the release of histamine in a dose-dependent fashion. In cats,
spirulina enhanced the ability of macrophages to engulf bacteria, and in chickens
spirulina increased antibody responses and the activity of natural killer cells, which
destroy infected and cancerous cells in the body.
While extensive human studies have not been
done, several reports also suggest spirulina has therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia and
obesity. In one study, spirulina decreased total serum cholesterol and low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol, while increasing high-density lipoprotein. A 1986 study of obese
patients showed a significant reduction of body weight after including spirulina in the
diet for four weeks. In the UC Davis study, researchers evaluated the secretion of the
cytokines interferon-g , interleukin-4 , and interleukin-1b in the lab to get a better
understanding of spirulina’s potential regulatory effect on the immune system.
"We found that nutrient-rich spirulina is a potent inducer of interferon-g (13.6-fold
increase) and a moderate stimulator of both interleukin-4 and interleukin-1b (3.3-fold
increase)," says Eric Gershwin, professor and chief of the Division of Rheumatology,
Allergy and Clinical Immunology at UC Davis.
"Together, increases in these
cytokines suggest that spirulina is a strong proponent for protecting against
intracellular pathogens and parasites and can potentially increase the expression of
agents that stimulate inflammation, which also helps to protect the body against
infectious and potentially harmful micro-organisms. Additional studies with individuals
consuming spirulina are needed to determine whether these dramatic effects extend beyond
the laboratory." In the body, the preferential increase in the production of
interferon-g over interferon-4 would shift the immune system towards mounting a
cell-mediated immune response instead of a humoral response. A cell-mediated response
includes the activation of T-cells and antibodies that work with macrophages, another type
of immune system cell, to engulf invading micro-organisms. Hence, spirulina’s
strength in protecting against intracellular pathogens and parasites. The moderate
increase in the secretion of interleukin-1b, a cytokine that acts on nearly every cell of
the body to promote inflammation, works to support the overall immune response.
To evaluate the effects of spirulina on the
immune system, the UC Davis immunologists collected blood samples from 12 healthy
volunteers, separating out the peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These cells, which
include macrophages, monocytes, and lymphocytes, including B and T cells, work as a team
to mount an immune response. The researchers incubated these cell cultures with dilutions
of spirulina made from 429 mg capsules of dried, powdered spirulina from Earthrise
Nutritionals, Inc. (http://www.earthrise.com ). They added phytohemoglutanin, a known
stimulator of lymphoid cells, to half of cell cultures to assess spirulina’s effect
on the immune system at rest and when stimulated to mount an allergic response. After 72
hours, they measured changes in cytokine levels in all samples using ELISA analysis.
(ELISA, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, is a sensitive technique for accurately
determining the amount of protein in a given sample.)
"People have used foods like yogurt and spirulina throughout history," says Judy
van de Water, associate professor of rheumatology, allergy and clinical immunology at UC
Davis. "Through research, we are learning exactly how these foods improve immune
system function and how they are a beneficial addition to our diet."
Titel: Breast Cancer Regimen Linked to Cognitive Decline
Url: http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=10368
Description: As a treatment for high-risk
breast cancer patients, high-dose cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, and carboplatin (CTC) is
associated with a drop in cognitive performance over time, new research shows.
Previous reports have shown a drop in cognitive performance among breast cancer survivors
treated with cytotoxic therapy, the researchers note in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute.
Titel: Benefit of Aerobic Exercise During Radiation Therapy
Url: http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=10365
Description: Moderate-intensity exercise,
such as a brisk 20-minute walk three or more times a week, maintains or even increases
erythrocyte levels during radiation therapy for breast cancer, researchers report in the
November 15th issue of Cancer.
Titel: Lower Prostate Cancer Risk Seen with Metabolic Syndrome
Url: http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=10369
Description: Men with the metabolic
syndrome appear to have a reduced risk of prostate cancer, according to a report in the
December 1st issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Titel: New biomarker predicts effectiveness of breast cancer drugs
Url: http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=A6F68E91
Description: University of Cincinnati
researchers have identified a new way to predict when anti-estrogen drug therapies are
inappropriate for patients with hormone- dependent breast cancer.
Researchers suggested the findings could help physicians more accurately predict which
tumors will respond to anti-estrogen therapy and improve long-term survival for breast
cancer patients.
Titel: Antidepressants linked with suicidal thoughts in under 25
Url: http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=973D01C1
Description: Antidepressants may raise the
risk of suicidal behavior in those under the age of 25, according to a report from the
Food and Drug Administration. Although the risk is already acknowledged among children and
teenagers, the FDA has been studying the risk in adults. The analysis, published ahead of
an advisory panel meeting next week, reported the effect in patients up to the age of 25.
Titel: Study says chemotherapy kills healthy brain cells
Url: http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=FC697238
Description: New research by the University of Rochester Medical Center has found that
chemotherapy drugs may be harmful to healthy brain cells. The results, which also indicate
that chemotherapy may cause long-term brain damage, represent the closest that scientists
have come to pinpointing the underlying cause of "chemo brain," a common side
effect of cancer treatment.
Titel: Beating diabetes with red wine
Url: http://www.skynews.com.au/health/story.asp?id=143177
Description: Dr Christoph Westphal from
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals is now conducting clinical trials using high doses of resveretrol
to see if it can combat diabetes. But he says a beneficial effect won't come from just
drinking red wine, in fact you would need to drink one thousand bottles to get one
therapeutic dose.
