Tag Archives: commonly

Researchers discover new driver of breast cancer

The multidisciplinary team discovered that a cholesterol metabolite called 27-hydroxycholesterol, or 27HC, promotes tumor growth in estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, which are the most common type of breast cancer. Estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer was previously believed to be stimulated primarily by the female sex hormone estrogen and it is commonly treated using endocrine-based medications that starve tumors of estrogen. The discovery of 27HC as another driver of breast cancer may explain why endocrine-based therapy is often unsuccessful, providing a new target for therapy, the researchers say. "This information can be used to develop new therapies that inhibit 27HC action or production, or increase its metabolism, in effect cutting the cancer off from a key growth stimulator," said senior author Dr…

Metformin for breast cancer less effective at higher glucose concentrations

Metformin, the most common first-line drug in the treatment of type-2 diabetes, has been shown in previous studies to reduce breast cancer risk, improve survival, and increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Numerous Phase III clinical trials are currently evaluating the benefits and best uses of metformin in breast cancer patients. "We show that metformin works differently in high- compared to low-glucose conditions. Not only does it require a higher concentration of metformin to be active in high-glucose conditions, but we report that the drug regulates different genes within cancer cells at high as compared to normal glucose levels," says Ann Thor, MD, CU Cancer Center investigator, Todd Professor of Pathology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the study’s principal investigator. …

Sex supplements often contain Viagra ingredients

Herbal supplements aimed at improving men’s sexual abilities often contain the active ingredients in erectile dysfunction pills such as Viagra, according to a new study. Additionally, researchers found that some of these over-the-counter herbal remedies contained more of the ingredient than is allowed in prescription-only pharmaceuticals. “It’s pretty scary stuff,” said Neil Campbell, the lead author of the study and a researcher at Pfizer, which sells Viagra…