Tag Archives: journal

Synthetic molecule makes cancer self-destruct

These synthetic ion transporters, described this week in the journal Nature Chemistry, confirm a two-decades-old hypothesis that could point the way to new anticancer drugs while also benefitting patients with cystic fibrosis. Synthetic ion transporters have been created before, but this is the first time researchers have shown them working in a real biological system where transported ions demonstrably cause cells to self-destruct. Cells in the human body work hard to maintain a stable concentration of ions inside their cell membranes. Disruption of this delicate balance can trigger cells to go through apoptosis, known as programmed cell death, a mechanism the body uses to rid itself of damaged or dangerous cells…

Less radical procedures offer similar cancer control compared to surgery for kidney cancer patients

Dr. Thompson says radical nephrectomy — surgical removal of the entire kidney — has historically been the standard of care for management of kidney cancer; however, partial nephrectomy — surgical removal of tumors from a kidney while sparing healthy tissue -has become increasingly more common because of its nephron-sparing benefits and similar cancer control…

Down syndrome: Behind the scenes of genetics, leukemia

A group of geneticists working in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) focused for many years on the genetic characteristics of Down syndrome. They have sequenced the exome, a specific part of our genome, in a cohort of patients affected both by Down Syndrome and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (DS-ALL), a type of cancer relative to the cells of the immune system in the bone marrow. They were able to sketch an outline of the “genetic identity card” of this disease. They found that RAS, an important oncogene in many cancers, is involved in the tumorigenesis of one third of DS-ALL cases…

Gene increases risk of breast cancer to one in three by age 70 — ScienceDaily

In a study run through the international PALB2 Interest Group a team of researchers from 17 centres in eight countries led by the University of Cambridge analysed data from 154 families without BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, which included 362 family members with PALB2 gene mutations. The effort was funded by the European Research Council, Cancer Research UK and multiple other international sources. Women who carried rare mutations in PALB2 were found to have on average a 35% chance of developing breast cancer by the age of seventy. However, the risks were highly dependent on family history of breast cancer where carriers with more relatives affected by breast cancer, were at higher risk. …

Brain tumors fly under body’s radar like stealth jets, new research suggests

Like a stealth fighter jet, the coating means the cells evade detection by the early-warning immune system that should detect and kill them. The stealth approach lets the tumors hide until it’s too late for the body to defeat them. The findings, made in mice and rats, show the key role of a protein called galectin-1 in some of the most dangerous brain tumors, called high grade malignant gliomas…

PET/CT using leucocytes may detect infection in acute pancreatitis patients

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. It can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment. While mildcases of AP are often successfully treated with conservative measures, such as nil per os (NPO) and aggressive intravenous fluid rehydration, severe cases may require admission to the intensive care unit or even surgery to deal with complications of the disease process. Early detection of infection in AP affects the choice of treatment and clinical outcome…

No apparent link between sleep apnea and cancer: Large study

Studies have postulated that obstructive sleep apnea may be linked to cancer because of low levels of oxygen in the blood. “There is a need for a sufficiently large cohort study with a long enough follow-up to allow for the potential development of cancer that adjusts for important potential confounders, examines common cancer subtypes and has a rigorous assessment of both obstructive sleep apnea and cancer,” writes Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Women’s College Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont., with coauthors. To understand whether obstructive sleep apnea is associated with cancer development, researchers undertook a study of 10 149 patients with the disorder who underwent a sleep study between 1994 and 2010. …

Shingles vaccine remains effective after chemotherapy

Researchers examined the electronic health records of more than 21,000 Kaiser Permanente patients in Southern California who were 60 years of age and older and received chemotherapy between January 2007 and December 2012. Researchers found that those patients who were previously vaccinated with zoster vaccine were 42 percent less likely to develop shingles following chemotherapy. In addition, no vaccinated patients underwent hospitalization for shingles, while six unvaccinated patients were hospitalized with the disease, according to the study…