Curing Death by Curing Aging - December 2008 Archives

Study links molecule to muscle maturation, muscle cancer (12/31/2008)

Ohio State University cancer researchers have discovered that a molecule implicated in leukemia is also important in muscle repair and rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer caused proliferating immature muscle cells. The study shows that immature muscle cells require the molecule miR-29 to mature, and that the molecule is nearly missing in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. The findings should give a better understanding of muscle repair and development, and of rhabdomyosarcoma, and could lead to new treatments for muscle diseases. ...> Full Article

Safe new therapy for genetic heart disease (12/31/2008)

A new clinical trial suggests that long-term use of candesartan, a drug currently used to treat hypertension, may significantly reduce the symptoms of genetic heart disease. The related report by Penicka et al, "The effects of candesartan on left ventricular hypertrophy and function in non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a pilot, randomized study," appears in the January issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. ...> Full Article

Viruses, start your engines! (12/31/2008)

Peering at structures only atoms across, researchers have identified the clockwork that drives a powerful virus nanomotor. Because of the motor's strength -- to scale, twice that of an automobile -- the new findings could inspire engineers designing sophisticated nanomachines. In addition, because a number of virus types may possess a similar motor, including the virus that causes herpes, the results may also assist pharmaceutical companies developing methods to sabotage virus machinery. ...> Full Article

Young blood fights cancer (12/31/2008)

Replacing old blood with new increases the odds for survival, Tel Aviv University researchers find. ...> Full Article

Researchers find link to severe Staph infections (12/31/2008)

Researchers at the University of Texas School of Public Health recently described studies that support the link between the severity of community-acquired antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections and the Panton Valentine leukocidin. ...> Full Article

Researchers find molecule that targets brain tumors (12/30/2008)

UC Davis Cancer Center researchers report today the discovery of a molecule that targets glioblastoma, a highly deadly form of cancer. ...> Full Article

Common food additive found to increase risk and speed spread of lung cancer (12/30/2008)

New research in an animal model suggests that a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a variety of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages and bakery products, might speed growth of lung cancer tumors and may even contribute to the development of those tumors in individuals predisposed to the disease. ...> Full Article

Minimizing obesity's impact on ovarian cancer survival (12/30/2008)

A new study showed that when actual body weight was used in chemo dosing for epithelial ovarian cancer, the overall survival is 40 months for non-obese patients and 47 months for obese patients, not a significant difference. Similar outcomes are seen in obese and non-obese cancer survivors being monitored for recurrence of their ovarian cancer, the study authors said. Earlier studies found obesity as a negative indicator. ...> Full Article

E. coli engineered to produce important class of antibiotic, anti-cancer drugs (12/29/2008)

UCLA researchers engineer Escherichia coli bacteria to synthesize an important group of antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs. ...> Full Article

Newly found enzymes may play early role in cancer (12/26/2008)

Researchers at the University of Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute have discovered two enzymes that, when combined, could be involved in the earliest stages of cancer. Manipulating these enzymes genetically might lead to targeted therapies aimed at slowing or preventing the onset of tumors. ...> Full Article

Discovery offers hope for treating kidney cancer (12/26/2008)

Kidney cancer is typically without symptoms until it has spread to other organs, when it is also the most difficult to treat. ...> Full Article

Mutations common to cancer and developmental disorder examined in a novel disease model (12/26/2008)

A new zebrafish model of Costello syndrome is used to investigate this developmental illness and the control of a cancer-causing gene. ...> Full Article

Scientists show how certain vegetables combat cancer (12/25/2008)

Women should go for the broccoli when the relish tray comes around during holiday celebrations this season. ...> Full Article

African thicket rat malaria linked to virulent human form (12/25/2008)

Amplifying entire mitochondrial genomes yields new insight into evolution of malaria ...> Full Article

A new light on tumor immunotherapy for gastric cancer (12/25/2008)

A research group from China investigated whether bone marrow-derived denritic cells pulsed with tumor lysates induce immunity against gastric cancer ex vivo. They found that bone marrow-derived denritic cells pulsed with tumor lysates can induce anti-tumor immunity specific to gastric cancer ex vivo. ...> Full Article

Newly identified gene powerful predictor of colon cancer metastasis (12/23/2008)

Cancer Researchers in Germany have identified a gene which enables them to predict for the first time with high probability if colon cancer is going to metastasize. They were able to demonstrate that the gene MACC1 not only promotes tumor growth but also the development of metastasis. When MACC1 gene activity is low, the life expectancy of patients with colon cancer is longer in comparison to patients with high MACC1 levels. ...> Full Article

New study shows that a cough medicine ingredient could effectively treat prostate cancer (12/22/2008)

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Salmonella bacteria's molecular tactics to cause illness (12/22/2008)

Hundreds of trillions of bacteria make their home in the vertebrate gut. Though many of these microbes perform helpful duties for their host, others -- the pathogens -- are unwelcome visitors, causing disease.By cooperating with the Dr. Roy Curtiss' lab in the Biodesign Institute, Yixin Shi's research unveils a key survival circuit, which activates a signaling cascade, switching on or off a suite of genes necessary to circumvent the body's multiple defense mechanisms and cause illness. ...> Full Article

Blocking the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria (12/21/2008)

It's as simple as A, T, G, C. Northwestern University scientists have exploited the Watson-Crick base pairing of DNA to provide a defensive tool that could be used to fight the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. They discovered that a special DNA sequence found in certain bacteria can impede the spread of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic staphylococci. It blocks DNA molecules that move from one cell to another, spreading antibiotic resistance genes. ...> Full Article

Molecular marker identifies normal stem cells as intestinal tumor source (12/20/2008)

St. Jude scientists show for the first time that normal stem cells can act as the source of tumors in mature solid tissues ...> Full Article

Weakened RNA interference reduces survival in ovarian cancer (12/20/2008)

Levels of Dicer, Drosha affect mean survival time; effect also seen in lung, breast cancer ...> Full Article

Stem cells and leukemia battle for marrow microenvironment (12/20/2008)

Learning how leukemia takes over privileged 'niches' within the bone marrow is helping researchers develop treatment strategies that could protect healthy blood-forming stem cells and improve the outcomes of bone marrow transplantation for leukemia and other types of cancer. ...> Full Article

Scientists study how asbestos fibers trigger cancer in human cells (12/20/2008)

Ohio State University scientists believe they are the first in the world to study the molecular underpinnings of cancer by probing individual bonds between an asbestos fiber and human cells. Though any clinical application is years away, the researchers hope their findings could aid in drug development efforts targeting illnesses caused by excessive exposure to asbestos, including the deadly cancer called mesothelioma. ...> Full Article

New anti-cancer components of extra-virgin olive oil revealed (12/19/2008)

Good quality extra-virgin olive oil contains health-relevant chemicals, 'phytochemicals,' that can trigger cancer cell death. New research published in the open access journal BMC Cancer sheds more light on the suspected association between olive oil-rich Mediterranean diets and reductions in breast cancer risk. ...> Full Article

Researchers advance knowledge of little 'nano-machines' in our body (12/19/2008)

University of Montreal and the University of Chicago researchersA discovery by Canada-US biophysicists will improve the understanding of ion channels, akin to little "nano-machines" or "nano-valves" in our body, which when they malfunction can cause genetic illnesses that attack muscles, the central nervous system and the heart. publish results in PNAS ...> Full Article

Modified gene targets cancer cells a thousand times more often than healthy cells (12/19/2008)

Researchers at the University of Rochester have designed a gene that produces a thousand times more protein in cancer cells than in healthy cells.The findings may help address the prime challenge in anticancer therapy, improving treatments' ability to specifically and effectively target cancer cells. Using this new approach, scientists should be able to insert "self-destruct" codes into the modified gene, forcing cancer cells to kill themselves while healthy cells remain largely unaffected. ...> Full Article

Researcher refining synthetic molecules to prevent HIV resistance (12/18/2008)

Broad-spectrum aptamers will prevent HIV virus from reproducing within the body ...> Full Article

Both theories about human cellular aging supported by new research (12/18/2008)

Research will be presented at America Society for Cell Biology conference ...> Full Article

Smoking associated with increased risk for colorectal cancer and death (12/18/2008)

An analysis of previous studies indicates that smoking is significantly associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer and death, according to an article in the Dec. 17 issue of JAMA. ...> Full Article

Researchers identify new anti-tumor gene (12/17/2008)

Findings may one day lead to an effective and efficient gene therapy for cancer ...> Full Article

Researchers map new path to colon cancer therapy (12/17/2008)

Researchers have identified a promising new target in the battle against colorectal cancer -- a biochemical pathway critical to the spread of tumors to new locations in the body. ...> Full Article

Gene subnetworks predict cancer spread (12/17/2008)

Research will be presented at American Society for Cell Biology conference ...> Full Article

Scientists find link between inflamed gums and heart disease (12/16/2008)

New article in the FASEB Journal shows that proper dental care can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart disease ...> Full Article

Reducing the damage of a heart attack (12/16/2008)

Mechanism behind cardiac scarring discovered ...> Full Article

Breast cancer genome shows evolution, instability of cancer (12/16/2008)

A newly published genome sequence of a breast cancer cell line reveals a heavily rearranged genetic blueprint involving breaks and fusions of genes and a broken DNA repair machinery, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears online in the journal Genome Research. ...> Full Article

Team refines cancer treatments to reduce potential nerve damage (12/16/2008)

While radiation treatments deliver precise doses of high-energy X-rays to stop cancer cells from spreading or to shrink tumors, oncologists have become increasingly concerned about inadvertent exposures during head and neck cancer treatments to nerves responsible for upper body mobility. ...> Full Article

Stopping ovarian cancer by blocking proteins coded by notorious gene (12/16/2008)

Research will be presented at American Society for Cell Biology conference ...> Full Article

Exciting discovery could 'stop cancer from killing people' (12/16/2008)

Researchers at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry have shed light on a key mechanism behind the development of metastasis -- the main cause of death associated with cancer. The findings, published in Cancer Research, today could have potential in treating the spread of metastasis, and so reduce cancer deaths. ...> Full Article

Does a younger dad mean a healthier child? (12/16/2008)

A father's age is associated with decreased social abilities in boys, Tel Aviv University researchers say. ...> Full Article

A fading sense of smell may signal onset of Parkinson's disease (12/15/2008)

Northwestern Memorial physicians participate in study to detect early indicators and identify those at increased risk ...> Full Article

Researcher finds most triple-negative breast cancers express muc-1 target (12/15/2008)

Research out of the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals Case Medical Center has found that the vast majority of triple negative breast cancers express the MUC-1 target. This first-of-its-kind finding, presented today at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, has paved the way for an upcoming vaccine trial for patients with early stage triple negative breast cancer that could potentially prevent recurrence of this aggressive type of breast cancer. ...> Full Article

An enzyme that mutates antibodies also targets a cancer-causing oncogene (12/15/2008)

The human immune system runs a risky business. It mutates its own DNA to diversify defenses against foreign invaders it has never before encountered. Unfortunately, these mutations sometimes miss the mark, and the result can be lethal cancer. Now Rockefeller University scientists have found that the same enzyme that enables an effective immune response is also responsible for the DNA breaks that cause lymphomas. ...> Full Article

Immunity stronger at night than during day (12/15/2008)

Research will be presented at American Society for Cell Biology conference ...> Full Article

Data presented demonstrate prolonged overall survival for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (12/15/2008)

Approximately one-third of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes will progress to acute myeloid leukemia ...> Full Article

Researchers identify key mechanism that occurs at the inception point of many human lymphomas (12/14/2008)

Study provides new insight into a DNA mutation frequently found in blood cancers ...> Full Article

New therapy prevents dangerous side effect for lymphoma patients (12/13/2008)

Combination works well and doesn't cause long-term bone marrow suppression ...> Full Article

Scans show immune cells intercepting parasites (12/13/2008)

Researchers may have identified one of the body's earliest responses to a group of parasites that causes illness in developing nations and are now infecting US soldiers on patrol in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...> Full Article

UBC researchers discover gene mutation that causes eye cancer (12/13/2008)

A University of British Columbia geneticist has discovered a gene mutation that can cause the most common eye cancer -- uveal melanoma.Catherine Van Raamsdonk, an assistant professor of medical genetics in the UBC Faculty of Medicine and a team of researchers, have discovered a genetic mutation in a gene called GNAQ that could be responsible for 45 percent of the cases of uveal melanoma. ...> Full Article

Protein levels indicate risk of death in some colorectal cancer patients (12/12/2008)

Findings may explain link between health habits and outcome ...> Full Article

Selenium may prevent high risk-bladder cancer (12/12/2008)

A study published in the December issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that selenium, a trace mineral found in grains, nuts and meats, may aid in the prevention of high-risk bladder cancer. ...> Full Article

Genetic change extends mouse life, points to possible treatment for ALS (12/12/2008)

There are many ways to die, but amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease must be one of the worst. By the time a patient notices muscle weakness, the neurons that control the muscles have already begun dying, in an untreatable process that brings death within two to five years. ...> Full Article

Key to 'curing' obesity may lie in worms that destroy their own fat (12/11/2008)

Usual metabolic process goes awry in recently discovered mutation, burning lipids instead of storing them ...> Full Article

New technique enables faster genetic diagnosis for hereditary diseases (12/11/2008)

VIB researchers connected to the University of Antwerp have developed a new method that enables them to track down the cause of hereditary diseases more quickly and efficiently. By means of this technique, genetic tests that take a long time today -- such as screening for hereditary forms of breast cancer -- can be carried out much more rapidly. This finding creates new perspectives for tests that are currently expensive and difficult to perform. ...> Full Article

Well-armed immune cells help long-term nonprogressors contain HIV (12/10/2008)

Researchers are trying to better understand how the immune systems of a minority of HIV-infected people known as long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs) contain the virus naturally. CD8+ T cells, which kill cells infected with HIV, enable LTNPs to control HIV, but it has been unclear how CD8+ T cells mediate that control so effectively. A new report shows that the ability to stockpile two molecular weapons makes the HIV-specific CD8+ T cells of LTNPs superior cellular killers. ...> Full Article

Researchers exploring gene therapy to fight AIDS (12/10/2008)

Case of American cured of AIDS in Germany generates enthusiasm in stem cell approaches ...> Full Article

Researchers identify best treatments for long-term survival in brain tumor patients (12/10/2008)

Patients who had aggressive surgeries were free of tumor recurrence an average of 15 years after diagnosis ...> Full Article

Stanford blood scanner detects even faint indicators of cancer (12/9/2008)

A team led by Stanford researchers has developed a prototype blood scanner that can find cancer markers in the bloodstream in early stages of the disease, potentially allowing for earlier treatment and dramatically improved chances of survival.The system based on MagArray biodetection chips can find cancer-associated proteins in a blood serum sample in less than an hour, and with much greater sensitivity than existing commercial devices. ...> Full Article

An Achilles heel in cancer cells (12/9/2008)

A protein that shields tumor cells from cell death and exerts resistance to chemotherapy has an Achilles heel, a vulnerability that can be exploited to target and kill the very tumor cells it usually protects, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago show in a new study published in the Dec. 9 issue of Cancer Cell. ...> Full Article

Broccoli compound targets key enzyme in late-stage cancer (12/9/2008)

Discovery of target enzyme will aid design of better anti-cancer drugs ...> Full Article

A little wine boosts omega-3 in the body: Researchers find a novel mechanism for a healthier heart (12/8/2008)

Results from the European study IMMIDIET show that moderate wine intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids considered as protective against coronary heart disease ...> Full Article

Gene packaging tells story of cancer development (12/8/2008)

To decipher how cancer develops, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators say researchers must take a closer look at the packaging. ...> Full Article

Gene which protects against lung cancer identified (12/7/2008)

A study led by researchers at the University of Nottingham has identified a gene that protects the body from lung cancer. ...> Full Article

Escape cancer, but age sooner? The dark side of the tumor suppressing process (12/6/2008)

Cells shut down and stop dividing when their DNA is damaged so as to prevent damaged DNA from leading to unregulated cell division and therefore cancer. However, a new study, published in this week's issue of PLoS Biology, has found that when these cells shut down they also spew proteins into their surrounding environment. This causes inflammation and sets up conditions that support the development of age-related diseases including, ironically, cancer. ...> Full Article

Scientists find key to keeping killer T cells in prime shape for fighting infection, cancer (12/5/2008)

Researchers have found multiple receptors on the outside of the body's killer immune system cells which they believe can be selectively targeted to keep the cells in superb infection and disease-fighting condition. ...> Full Article

Study unmasks how ovarian tumors evade immune system (12/5/2008)

Potential exists for drugs to halt shedding of fatty molecules, stop tumor growth and kill cancer ...> Full Article

Scientists film inner workings of the immune system (12/4/2008)

Forget what's number one at the box office this week. The most exciting new film features the intricate workings of the body, filmed by scientists using ground-breaking technology. ...> Full Article

Prostate cancer drug reduces testosterone levels in as little as 3 days (12/4/2008)

Degarelix avoids initial hormone surge seen in other drugs ...> Full Article

Scientists probe limits of 'cancer stem-cell model' (12/4/2008)

One of the most promising new ideas about the causes of cancer, known as the cancer stem-cell model, must be reassessed because it is based largely on evidence from a laboratory test that is surprisingly flawed when applied to some cancers, University of Michigan researchers have concluded. ...> Full Article

Researchers discover new enzyme in cancer growth (12/4/2008)

Protein may explain why cancer grows, spreads ...> Full Article

Cellular senescence a double-edged sword (12/4/2008)

New cell study holds implications for aging, cancer and evolution ...> Full Article

Prostate cancer spurs new nerves (12/4/2008)

Prostate cancer -- and perhaps other cancers -- promotes the growth of new nerves and the branching axons that carry their messages, a finding associated with more aggressive tumors ...> Full Article

Researchers learn that some 'good cholesterol' isn't good enough (12/4/2008)

Researchers show that good cholesterol (HDL) has varying degrees of quality and that poor quality HDL is actually bad for you. ...> Full Article

New study indicates smallpox vaccination effective for decades (12/4/2008)

Implications for vaccine distribution in event of bioterrorist attack ...> Full Article

Selenium may slow march of AIDS (12/3/2008)

Increasing the production of naturally occurring proteins that contain selenium in human blood cells slows down multiplication of the AIDS virus, according to biochemists. ...> Full Article

Where does the gene activity of youth go? New findings may hold the key (12/3/2008)

New evidence may explain why it is that we lose not only our youthful looks, but also our youthful pattern of gene activity with age. A report in the Nov. 26 issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, reveals that a protein perhaps best known for its role in the life-extending benefits of a low-calorie diet also maintains the stability of the mammalian genome -- the complete set of genetic instructions "written" in DNA. ...> Full Article

Researchers identify genomic causes of a certain type of leukemia relapse (12/2/2008)

New study finds the majority of acute lymphoblastic leukemia relapse cases arise from a cell already present at the time of diagnosis ...> Full Article

Master gene plays key role in blood sugar levels (12/2/2008)

When mice that lack steroid receptor-2, a master regulator gene called a coactivator, fast for a day, their blood sugar levels plummet. If they go another day without food, they will die. The severity of the hypoglycemia was unexpected, said Dr. Bert W. O'Malley, chair of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor College of Medicine and senior author of the report on the study that appears in the current issue of the journal Science. ...> Full Article

Researchers recreate SARS virus, open door for potential defenses against future strains (12/2/2008)

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have synthetically reconstructed the bat variant of the SARS coronavirus that caused the SARS epidemic of 2003. ...> Full Article

Scientists discover 21st century plague (12/2/2008)

Bacteria that can cause serious heart disease in humans are being spread by rat fleas, sparking concern that the infections could become a bigger problem in humans. Research published in the December issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology suggests that brown rats, the biggest and most common rats in Europe, may now be carrying the bacteria. ...> Full Article

Radiation before surgery improves pancreatic cancer outcomes (12/1/2008)

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell study shows a near doubling of survival compared with no radiation; gives new hope to patients ...> Full Article

Researchers identify potential new drug target for chronic leukemia (12/1/2008)

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center have discovered what could be a novel drug target for an often difficult-to-treat form of leukemia. The investigators have identified a unique "signature" or pattern of a specific family of enzymes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of adult leukemia. ...> Full Article