Tag Archives: disease

Scientists decipher how the immune system induces liver damage during hepatitis

A study published today in the online edition of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, and carried out by Erwin Wagner’s team, Director of the BBVA Foundation-CNIO Cancer Cell Biology Programme and holder of an ERC Advanced Grant, shows how the immune system ‘attacks’ liver cells during hepatitis by using the AP-1 gene JunB. Latifa Bakiri, one of the study’s authors and a researcher in Wagner’s laboratory details: "The activation of the JunB/AP-1 gene in a subset of immune cells, called NK cells, increases the production of interferon-gamma that attacks liver cells while the organ is suffering from hepatitis." With this discovery, the study’s authors propose a new mechanism by which AP-1 acts as a double-edged sword in the liver: it’s a first line of defence against viruses that cause the disease, but also encourages liver damage depending on the diet or genetics of the patient. …

Small RNA molecule in blood could help diagnose pancreatic cancer

In research published recently in the journal Oncogene, Murray Korc, M.D., the Myles Brand Professor of Cancer Research at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, showed that an RNA molecule — microRNA-10b, or miR-10b — is present at high levels in the blood of most pancreatic cancer patients. Consequently, miR-10b could serve as a diagnostic marker as well as help physicians determine the disease’s aggressiveness…

One dose of HPV vaccine may be enough to prevent cervical cancer

"The latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccination coverage indicates that in 2012, only 53.8 percent of girls between 13 and 17 years old initiated HPV vaccination, and only 33.4 percent of them received all three doses," said Mahboobeh Safaeian, Ph.D., an investigator in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Md. "We wanted to evaluate whether two doses, or even one dose, of the HPV 16/18 L1 VLP vaccine [Cervarix] could induce a robust and sustainable response by the immune system," she added. "We found that both HPV 16 and HPV 18 antibody levels in women who received one dose remained stable four years after vaccination…

Largest-ever study of male breast cancer treatment shows more mastectomy, less radiation than in females

"We know very little about male breast cancer since it comprises only 0.6 percent of all breast cancer, and nearly all therapy is based on female breast cancer studies. This study demonstrates that just as in women, men with early stage breast cancer have the same outcome with a mastectomy or a lumpectomy followed by radiation. In women, breast-conserving surgery is the standard and preferred treatment for the majority of women…

Fracture prevention in cancer-associated bone disease

A new paper published by an International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Committee of Scientific Advisors Working Group reviews the epidemiology and pathophysiology of cancer-associated bone disease and provides information about fracture prevention in cancer patients. The review summarizes the pertinent recommendations of leading societies, providing guidance for clinical decision making and information on evidence-based pathways to prevent skeletal-related events and bone loss. Cancer patients are at greater risk of bone disease and fractures Cancer-induced bone disease can result from the primary disease itself, either due to circulating bone resorbing substances, or from metastasis to bone such as commonly occurs with breast, lung and prostate cancer. As well, cancer therapy itself can cause bone loss and fractures — especially in the case of glucocorticoid or estrogen deprivation therapy, chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure, and androgen deprivation therapy. …

Study finds new genetic error in some lung cancers

The finding suggests that the fusion of NTRK1 to other genes fuels the growth of some lung adenocarcinomas (a form of non-small cell lung cancer), and that drugs that target NTRK1’s protein product could be effective in patients whose lung tumors harbor such fusions. "Treatment with targeted therapies is now superior to standard chemotherapy for many patients with lung cancers that harbor genetic changes including those with fusions involving the gene ALK," says Pasi A. Jänne, MD, PhD, of Dana-Farber, the senior co-author of the paper with Robert C. …

Researchers develop label-free automatic cancer diagnostics

Diagnosis: colon cancer Today pathologists slice tissue obtained from biopsies into thin sections, stain them chemically, and eventually identify colon cancer by visual inspection under the microscope. This is usually done at an advanced stage of the disease, and the method provides no information about the molecular causes of the tumour. …

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. …