Curing Death by Curing Aging - March 2009 Archives

New link in liver cancer (3/31/2009)

Liver damage can be triggered by various insults, including hepatitis infection or alcohol-induced cirrhosis. In severe cases, this damage can lead to cancer. A new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Osaka University reveals how one protein helps decide the fate of damaged livers in mice. The study will be published online on March 30 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. ...> Full Article

Scientists find structure of a protein that makes cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy (3/30/2009)

A research team at the Scripps Research Institute has obtained the first glimpse of a protein that keeps certain substances, including many drugs, out of cells. The protein, called P-glycoprotein or P-gp for short, is one of the main reasons cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Understanding its structure may help scientists design more effective drugs. ...> Full Article

Skin cancer study uncovers new tumor suppressor gene (3/30/2009)

Genetic analysis of key group of enzymes may pave the way for more individualized treatments ...> Full Article

Scientists reveal mechanism that regulates cancer-causing gene (3/29/2009)

Two URI scientists have revealed how a cancer causing protein is regulated by reactive oxygen species -- a type of stress signal. Their findings provide new insight into how this protein normally behaves in human cells and may help in the design of drugs targeting specific cancers. ...> Full Article

Data suggesting that omacetaxine can eradicate leukemic stem cells may offer a breakthrough for CML (3/29/2009)

Drug showed 90 percent kill of leukemic stem cells and prolonged survival in mice with resistant CML ...> Full Article

Scientists fine-tune attack on cancer (3/29/2009)

Researchers build computer simulations of laser-nanoparticle treatments ...> Full Article

The egg makes sure that sperm don't get too old (3/28/2009)

In contrast to women, men are fertile throughout life, but research at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has now shown that a fertilizing sperm can get help from the egg to rejuvenate. The result is an important step towards future stem cell therapy. ...> Full Article

Human papillomavirus genotype distribution in New Mexico cervical cancers (3/28/2009)

DNA from human papilloma virus type 16 and HPV type 18 were found in the majority of invasive cervical cancers in New Mexico in the 1980s and 1990s, according to a population-based study published in the March 24 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. ...> Full Article

Imaging technique may trace development of Parkinson's disease (3/28/2009)

While finding a biomarker for Parkinson's disease that would let physicians screen for or track progression of the disease remains an elusive goal, a team led by a University of Illinois at Chicago neuroscientist has shown that a noninvasive brain scanning technique offers promise. ...> Full Article

TB vaccine developed in Canada (3/28/2009)

Researchers are about to launch Canada's first tuberculosis vaccine clinical trial ...> Full Article

2-day results predict ultimate response to therapy in chronic hepatitis C (3/28/2009)

A new study suggests that previously noted low rates of successful hepatitis C virus therapy in African-Americans are in large part due to very early differences in the antiviral activity induced by interferon. The study is published in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. ...> Full Article

Discovery of tuberculosis bacterium enzyme paves way for new TB drugs (3/28/2009)

A team of University of Maryland scientists has paved the way for the development of new drug therapies to combat active and asymptomatic (latent) tuberculosis infections by characterizing the unique structure and mechanism of an enzyme in M. tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes the disease. ...> Full Article

New test may predict spread of breast cancer (3/27/2009)

Could help to reduce over- and under-treatment of the disease ...> Full Article

Genetic changes outside nuclear DNA suspected to trigger more than half of all cancers (3/27/2009)

A buildup of chemical bonds on certain cancer-promoting genes, a process known as hypermethylation, is widely known to render cells cancerous by disrupting biological brakes on runaway growth. Now, Johns Hopkins scientists say the reverse process -- demethylation -- which wipes off those chemical bonds may also trigger more than half of all cancers. ...> Full Article

Starve a yeast, sweeten its lifespan (3/26/2009)

Johns Hopkins scientists find molecular mechanisms linking sugar production and longevity ...> Full Article

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce risk of advanced prostate cancer (3/26/2009)

Omega-3 fatty acids appear protective against advanced prostate cancer, and this effect may be modified by a genetic variant in the COX-2 gene, according to a report in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. ...> Full Article

Eating soy early in life may reduce breast cancer among Asian women (3/26/2009)

Asian-American women who ate higher amounts of soy during childhood had a 58 percent reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. ...> Full Article

Ovarian cancers detected early may be less aggressive, questioning effectiveness of screening (3/26/2009)

The biology of ovarian cancers discovered at an early stage may render them slower growing and less likely to spread than more aggressive cancers, which typically are discovered in an advanced stage, according to a study led by investigators in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. This finding has implications for the question of whether screening for ovarian cancer could save lives. ...> Full Article

Inhaling a heart attack: How air pollution can cause heart disease (3/25/2009)

Accumulating evidence indicates that an increase in particulate air pollution is associated with an increase in heart attacks and deaths. The relatively new field of environmental cardiology examines the relationship between air pollution and heart disease. A symposium in the Environmental Factors in Heart Disease will take place April 21 at the Experimental Biology conference in New Orleans. ...> Full Article

New study finds daily drinking is biggest risk factor in serious liver disease (3/25/2009)

Long-term daily drinking, rather than weekly binge drinking, is by far the biggest risk factor in serious liver disease, according to a new report from the University of Southampton, published in Addiction ...> Full Article

Ten genes identified in connection with sudden cardiac death (3/25/2009)

You're sitting at your desk and suddenly your heart is beating in overdrive or worse, lurching along like a car on fumes. It is a shocking, uncomfortable and frightening sensation. ...> Full Article

Licorice compound offers new cancer prevention strategy (3/25/2009)

A chemical component of licorice may offer a new approach to preventing colorectal cancer without the adverse side effects of other preventive therapies, Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers report. ...> Full Article

New method of assessing women's eggs could enhance IVF success, study shows (3/24/2009)

Barry Behr, PhD, HCLD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Stanford University School of Medicine and director of Stanford's IVF laboratory, recently published findings on a way to "profile" the eggs to determine which are more likely to result in pregnancies. ...> Full Article

Vaccine to prevent colon cancer being tested in patients (3/24/2009)

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have begun testing a vaccine that might be able to prevent colon cancer in people at high risk for developing the disease. If shown to be effective, it might spare patients the risk and inconvenience of repeated invasive surveillance tests, such as colonoscopy, that are now necessary to spot and remove precancerous polyps. ...> Full Article

A paradigm shift in immune response regulation (3/24/2009)

The discovery of a new signaling pathway may provide a target for structure-based drug design ...> Full Article

Malnutrition risk underappreciated in laryngeal cancer patients (3/24/2009)

Almost half of all patients with cancer of the voice box (larynx) who receive radiotherapy treatment will experience malnutrition, according to new data presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology's Symposium on Cancer and Nutrition. ...> Full Article

Proteins from garden pea may help fight high blood pressure, kidney disease (3/24/2009)

Researchers in Canada are reporting that proteins found in a common garden pea show promise as a natural food additive or new dietary supplement for fighting high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. Those potentially life-threatening conditions affect millions of people worldwide. Their study is scheduled for presentation in March at the 237th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. ...> Full Article

Study finds biological clue in brain tumor development (3/24/2009)

Scientists at the University of Nottingham have uncovered a vital new biological clue that could lead to more effective treatments for a children's brain tumor that currently kills more than 60 percent of young sufferers. ...> Full Article

Liver cell adenoma or hepatocellular carcinoma? (3/23/2009)

Liver cell adenoma (LCA) is a benign tumor of the liver parenchyma that is associated with the use of oral contraceptives or with glycogen-storage disease. A group in Japan reported a case of LCA found in a 40-year-old woman without a history of oral contraceptive use in which the sequential alteration of the radiological findings suggested well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. ...> Full Article

Researchers create quick, simple fluorescent detector for TB (3/23/2009)

Tiny viruses are engineered to inject TB bacteria with green-glowing protein for a fast, on-site diagnosis ...> Full Article

Researchers to develop coatings that kill superbugs (3/22/2009)

Researchers at the University of Bath are to be part of a €3 ($4.1) million Europe-wide research collaboration to pioneer research into safer, more effective anti-bacterial plastics and coatings that can be used in items such as food packaging, medical devices to wound dressings and nappies. ...> Full Article

Researchers identify genetic markers for aggressive head and neck cancer (3/22/2009)

Specific microRNA levels may predict poor prognosis ...> Full Article

Study identifies human genes required for hepatitis C viral replication (3/21/2009)

Targeting factors in patients, rather than the virus, could avoid development of resistance ...> Full Article

Researchers identify new protein important in breast cancer gene's role in DNA repair (3/21/2009)

A new study has identified genes associated with the BRCA1 protein and their involvement in the DNA repair pathway, helping to clear the way for researchers to better understand what goes wrong when the BRCA1 gene is mutated and the repair pathway goes haywire. Identifying patients with mutations in these BRCA1-associated genes may help better fight breast cancer. ...> Full Article

Waking up dormant HIV (3/20/2009)

A chemical called suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, recently approved by the FDA as a leukemia drug, has now been shown to "turn on" latent HIV, making it an attractive candidate to weed out the dormant viruses that HAART treatment misses. ...> Full Article

UV light cuts spread of TB (3/20/2009)

Ultraviolet lights could reduce the spread of tuberculosis in hospital wards and waiting rooms by 70 percent, according to a new study, published in PLoS Medicine today. The study, which explored the transmission of tuberculosis from infected patients to guinea pigs, suggests that installing simple ultraviolet C lights in hospitals could help reduce the transmission of TB, including drug-resistant strains. ...> Full Article

A natural approach for HIV vaccine (3/20/2009)

Research suggests scientists should follow the body's lead to prevent HIV from taking root ...> Full Article

Regulatory molecule for tumor formation or suppression identified (3/20/2009)

One of the small regulatory molecules, named microRNA-125b, is a novel regulator of p53, an important protein that safeguards cells against cancers, Singapore and U.S. scientists report in the March 17, 2009, issue of the journal Genes & Development. ...> Full Article

New technology opens gateway to studying HIV-specific neutralizing antibodies (3/20/2009)

A new research endeavor has assembled a group of state-of-the-art techniques for the first time to study the phenomenon of natural antibody-mediated HIV neutralization. The project demonstrates how this system can isolate dozens of HIV-specific antibodies from a single HIV-infected individual, something never accomplished before. ...> Full Article

Stem cells crucial to diabetes cure in mice (3/19/2009)

More than five years ago, Dr. Lawrence C.B. Chan and colleagues in his Baylor College of Medicine laboratory cured mice with type 1 diabetes by using a gene to induce liver cells to make insulin."Now we know how it works," said Chan, director of the federally designed Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center at BCM and chief of the division of endocrinology in BCM's department of medicine. "The answer is adult stem cells." ...> Full Article

A sticky business -- how cancer cells become more 'gloopy' as they die (3/19/2009)

The viscosity, or "gloopiness," of different parts of cancer cells increases dramatically when they are blasted with light-activated cancer drugs, according to new images that provide fundamental insights into how cancer cells die, published in Nature Chemistry today, March 15. ...> Full Article

Master molecular switch may prevent the spread of cancer cells to distant sites in the body (3/18/2009)

Researchers identified a switch that might prevent cancer cells from metastasizing from a primary tumor to other organs. The switch is a protein that, when in the "on" position, maintains the normal character of cells that line the surface of organs and body cavities. These epithelial cells are the type of cell from which most solid tumors arise. When the switch is turned "off" or absent, the cells can move away from the primary tumor. ...> Full Article

Early results favorable for 5-day radiation treatment of early stage prostate cancer (3/18/2009)

Preliminary results show that a shortened course of radiation therapy for prostate cancer called stereotactic body radiation therapy provides good PSA response for early stage prostate cancer and has the same side effects as other treatments, according to a March 15 study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, the official journal of ASTRO. Study authors caution that further follow-up will be necessary to establish that SBRT is as effective in the long term as other proven treatments. ...> Full Article

Researchers develop novel antibiotics that don't trigger resistance (3/18/2009)

Compounds effective against microbes that cause cholera and E. coli infection ...> Full Article

Obese women play cancer roulette (3/18/2009)

Study examines why overweight women are less likely to undergo breast cancer screening ...> Full Article

Long-term ozone exposure linked to higher risk of death, finds nationwide study (3/17/2009)

A study analyzing two decades of data for 450,000 people across the nation found that long-term exposure to ground-level ozone, a major component of smog, raises the risk of death from respiratory ailments. It is the first major study connecting chronic exposure to ozone to elevated mortality rates, and could be used in future evaluations of federal standards for acceptable ozone levels. ...> Full Article

New project to develop blood tests for heart disease (3/17/2009)

The landmark Framingham Heart Study is launching a major initiative to discover risk factors and markers that could lead to new blood tests to identify individuals at high risk of heart disease and stroke. A public-private partnership with BG Medicine has been established to enable researchers to apply cutting-edge technology to stored blood samples from thousands of FHS participants. ...> Full Article

New investigational treatment for bladder cancer, identified with research model (3/17/2009)

A new investigational therapy for the treatment of bladder cancer has been identified. The discovery was made using a new research model, using mice, which replicates many aspects of human bladder cancer. The model also enabled the researchers to demonstrate that two major tumor suppressor genes, p53 and PTEN, are inactivated in invasive bladder cancer. The findings and this new model are described in a paper in the March 15, 2009, issue of Genes & Development. ...> Full Article

Malaria immunity trigger found for multiple mosquito species (3/17/2009)

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have for the first time identified a molecular pathway that triggers an immune response in multiple mosquito species capable of stopping the development of Plasmodium falciparum-the parasite that causes malaria in humans. ...> Full Article

The sweet spot? UF doctors test targets for Parkinson surgery (3/17/2009)

In a National Institutes of Health-funded study called the COMPARE Trial, University of Florida doctors compared the two current target areas of deep brain stimulation surgery, or DBS. Investigators found that DBS in either brain target effectively treated motor symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and slowness. However, DBS also produced unique effects depending on the target location, especially in patients' moods and mental sharpness. ...> Full Article

First-in-class compound proves safe, tolerable in preventing blood clots (3/16/2009)

A new drug derived from magnolia trees appears to be able to uncouple two important functions of thrombin in blood clot formation and may offer a way to better control the potentially dangerous complications of bleeding and clot formation during procedures to open blocked coronary arteries, say researchers at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. ...> Full Article

A new measure for the malignancy of melanoma (3/16/2009)

A growth factor which promotes the formation of new blood vessels in a tumor indicates disease progression in malignant melanoma. Besides its effect on vascular wall cells, the growth factor also increases the malignant properties of the cancer cells themselves. These findings have now been published by scientists of the German Cancer Research Center and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University. ...> Full Article

Stem cell infusion and hyperbaric oxygen treatment improve islet function in diabetes (3/16/2009)

A study examining if patients with type 2 diabetes could benefit from patient self-donated stem cell infusion combined with before and after hyperbaric (above normal pressure) oxygen treatment has found significant patient benefits in terms of improved glycemic control and reduced insulin requirements. The treatment could reduce morbidity and mortality, researchers suggested, as the treatments might induce the growth of blood vessels in the pancreas and provide an anti-inflammatory effect. ...> Full Article

Study finds folic acid supplements linked to higher risk of prostate cancer (3/15/2009)

Men who took daily folic acid supplements had greater than two-fold increased risk of cancer ...> Full Article

'Short-sleepers' may develop blood sugar abnormality that can lead to diabetes (3/15/2009)

People who slept less than six hours a night during the work week were nearly five times more likely to develop abnormal fasting blood sugar levels over a six-year period. Impaired fasting blood glucose observed in these "short sleepers" is a possible precursor to type 2 diabetes. Researchers do not believe there is a genetic basis for their findings and hope their study leads to more research on sleep duration and its relationship to disease. ...> Full Article

Genetic differences help protect against cervical cancer (3/15/2009)

Women with certain gene variations appear to be protected against cervical cancer, according to a study led by scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and reported in Clinical Cancer Research. ...> Full Article

Iron induces death in tumor cells (3/15/2009)

Tumor cells and healthy cells differ considerably in metabolism intensity. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center have taken advantage of this difference; by releasing cellular iron, they were able to induce death selectively in tumor cells. ...> Full Article

Cell pathway on overdrive prevents cancer response to dietary restriction (3/15/2009)

Whitehead Institute researchers have pinpointed a cellular pathway that determines whether cancerous tumors are susceptible to dietary restriction during their development. When this pathway, known as PI3K is permanently turned "on" via mutation, tumors grow and proliferate independent of the amount of food consumed. However, when the PI3K pathway operates normally, tumors respond to dietary restriction -- defined as food consumption limited to 60 percent of normal -- and become smaller in size. ...> Full Article

Tiny samples could yield big predictive markers for pancreatic cancer (3/14/2009)

Researchers believe new biomarkers could help clinicians determine whether a pancreatic cyst is potentially dangerous or not ...> Full Article

Fishing for microdeletions that predispose an embryo to develop cancer syndromes in later life (3/14/2009)

Researchers have used a common laboratory technique for the first time to detect genetic changes in embryos that could predispose the resulting children to develop certain cancer syndromes. Current preimplantation genetic diagnosis techniques can detect mutations in very small bits of genes or DNA, but, until now, it wasn't easy to detect deletions involving whole genes or long sections of DNA in embryos. The research is published in Human Reproduction journal on Wednesday. ...> Full Article

Small molecules block cancer gene (3/13/2009)

Finding molecules that block the activity of the oncogene Stat 3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription) required screening literally millions of compounds, using computers that compared the structure of the cancer-causing gene to those of the small molecules, said a Baylor College of Medicine researcher in a report that appears in the current online issue of the journal PLoS ONE. ...> Full Article

Researchers identify new way the malaria parasite and red blood cells interact (3/13/2009)

Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences researchers have discovered a new mechanism the malaria parasite uses to enter human red blood cells, which could lead to the development of a vaccine cocktail to fight the mosquito-borne disease. ...> Full Article

Study shows that maintenance rituximab is useful for advanced indolent lymphoma (3/13/2009)

A new study has found for the first time that maintenance therapy with the novel antibody, rituximab following cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone therapy improves progression-free survival in patients with stage III-IV indolent lymphoma, according to Howard S. Hochster, M.D. of NYU Langone Medical Center, lead author of a recent study published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. ...> Full Article

Research team identifies key molecules that inhibit viral production (3/12/2009)

Discovery may aid in the development of anti-hepatitis C virus drugs ...> Full Article

Simple test helps predict heart attack risk (3/12/2009)

Ankle brachial index identifies peripheral arterial disease patients at high cardiovascular risk who were missed by Framingham Risk Score in 6,200-person NHANES study ...> Full Article

Study shows microRNA-based diagnostic identifies squamous lung cancer with 96 percent sensitivity (3/12/2009)

A new study shows for the first time that a microRNA-based diagnostic test can objectively identify squamous lung cancer with 96 percent sensitivity, according to Harvey Pass, M.D., of the NYU Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center, one of the authors of the study published online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. ...> Full Article

DNA differences may influence risk of Hodgkin disease (3/11/2009)

A new analysis has found that certain variations in genes that repair DNA can affect a person's risk of developing Hodgkin disease. ...> Full Article

Metastatic bone disease patients can walk in Lazarus' footsteps (3/11/2009)

Osteoplasty -- a highly effective minimally invasive procedure to treat the painful effects of metastatic bone disease by injecting bone cement to support weakened bones -- provides immediate and substantial pain relief, often presenting individuals who are suffering terribly with the miraculous so-called "Lazarus effect," according to researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 34th Annual Scientific Meeting. Interventional radiologists often couple osteoplasty with heat or cold treatments to kill tumor nerves, if needed. ...> Full Article

Gene therapy shows early promise for treating obesity (3/11/2009)

With obesity reaching epidemic levels, researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center are studying a potentially long-term treatment that involves injecting a gene directly into one of the critical feeding and weight control centers of the brain. ...> Full Article

New staging technique might save bladders in some bladder cancer patients (3/11/2009)

Pathologists reported encouraging results from a new tumor staging technique that could reduce the need to remove bladders from some patients. ...> Full Article

Researchers discover gene mutations that cause childhood brain cancer (3/10/2009)

Researchers funded by the Canadian Cancer Society have discovered eight similar genes that, when mutated, appear to be responsible for medulloblastoma -- the most common of childhood brain cancers. ...> Full Article

How mosquitoes could teach us a trick in the fight against malaria (3/10/2009)

The means by which most deadly malaria parasites are detected and killed by the mosquitoes that carry them is revealed for the first time in research published today in Science Express. The discovery could help researchers find a way to block transmission of the disease from mosquitoes to humans. ...> Full Article

'Personalized' genome sequencing reveals coding error in gene for inherited pancreatic cancer (3/9/2009)

Scientists at the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have used "personalized genome" sequencing on an individual with a hereditary form of pancreatic cancer to locate a mutation in a gene called PALB2 that is responsible for initiating the disease. The discovery marks their first use of a genome scanning system to uncover suspect mutations in normal inherited genes. ...> Full Article

Brain tumor treatment may increase number of cancer stem-like cells (3/9/2009)

A new study suggests that the standard treatment for a common brain tumor increases the aggressiveness of surviving cancer cells, possibly leaving patients more vulnerable to tumor recurrence. The research, published by Cell Press in the March 6 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, provides valuable insight into the molecular mechanisms that enable cancer stem-like cells to escape cytotoxic treatment and repopulate the tumor. ...> Full Article

Saving heart attack patients in the middle of the night (3/9/2009)

Having interventional cardiologists on site at a hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week can save lives of heart attack patients. The 24/7 staffing reduces the time it takes to perform emergency balloon angioplasties. ...> Full Article

Number of cardiovascular risk factors could determine safety of intravenous gammaglobulin treatment (3/9/2009)

New research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine identifies the presence of cardiovascular risk factors as an indicator of how likely it is that elderly, hospitalized patients who receive intravenous immunoglobulin treatment will have a stroke or heart attack. ...> Full Article

Breakthrough produces Parkinson's patient-specific stem cells free of harmful reprogramming genes (3/9/2009)

Deploying a method that removes potentially cancer-causing genes, Whitehead Institute researchers have "reprogrammed" human skin cells from Parkinson's disease patients into an embryonic-stem-cell-like state. Whitehead scientists then used these so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to create dopamine-producing neurons, the cell type that degenerates in Parkinson's disease patients. This marks first time researchers have generated human iPS cells, successfully removed the potentially problematic reprogramming genes, and seen the cells maintain their embryonic stem-cell-like state. ...> Full Article

Optical techniques show continued promise in detecting pancreatic cancer (3/8/2009)

Optical technology developed by Northwestern University researchers has been shown to be effective in detecting the presence of pancreatic cancer through analysis of neighboring tissue in the duodenum. The promising new technology uses novel light-scattering techniques to analyze extremely subtle changes in the duodenum's cells. Cells that appear normal using traditional microscopy techniques do show signs of abnormality when examined using the Northwestern technique, which provides cell analysis on the much smaller nanoscale. ...> Full Article

Kidney disease increases the risk of stroke in patients (3/8/2009)

With the most common type of heart arrhythmia, according to Kaiser Permanente study ...> Full Article

Is one diet as good as another? Study says no and tells you why (3/8/2009)

Any diet will do? Not if you want to lose fat instead of muscle. Not if you want to lower your triglyceride levels so you'll be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease. Not if you want to avoid cravings that tempt you to cheat on your diet. And not if you want to keep the weight off long-term. ...> Full Article

TB breakthrough could lead to stronger vaccine (3/7/2009)

A breakthrough strategy to improve the effectiveness of the only tuberculosis vaccine approved for humans provided superior protection against the deadly disease in a pre-clinical test, report scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in Nature Medicine's Advance Online Publication March 1. Their findings resulted from more than 6 years of research funded by the National Institutes of Health. ...> Full Article

Student develops new innovations to selectively kill cancer cells (3/7/2009)

When it comes to solving complex problems, Geoffrey von Maltzahn, MIT graduate student and biomedical engineer, looks to nature for solutions. Finding inspiration in systems that evolution has produced, von Maltzahn is currently helping to tackle one of society's biggest challenges: improving tumor detection and therapeutic delivery in order to boost the survival rate of cancer patients. ...> Full Article

Scientists detect molecular obesity link to insulin resistance, type II diabetes (3/7/2009)

A molecular switch found in the fat tissue of obese mice is a critical factor in the development of insulin resistance, report scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Previously found to increase glucose production by the liver during fasting, the culprit -- a protein known as CREB -- is also activated in fat tissue of obese mice where it promotes insulin resistance. ...> Full Article

Research scientists engineer new type of vaccination that provides instant immunity (3/6/2009)

A team of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute has found a way to use specially programmed chemicals to elicit an immediate immune response in laboratory animals against two types of cancer. ...> Full Article

New origin found for a critical immune response (3/6/2009)

An immune system response that is critical to the first stages of fighting off viruses and harmful bacteria comes from an entirely different direction than most scientists had thought, according to a finding by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center. This finding will have important implications in vaccine science and autoimmune disease therapy development. ...> Full Article

Drinking wine lowers risk of Barrett's esophagus, precursor to nation's fastest growing cancer (3/6/2009)

Kaiser Permanente study is first & largest to examine connection between alcohol & Barrett's esophagus ...> Full Article

Vegetable-based drug could inhibit melanoma (3/6/2009)

Compounds extracted from green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage could be a potent drug against melanoma, according to cancer researchers. Tests on mice suggest that these compounds, when combined with selenium, target tumors more safely and effectively than conventional therapy. ...> Full Article

Missing link between fructose, insulin resistance found (3/6/2009)

A new study in mice sheds light on the insulin resistance that can come from diets loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener found in most sodas and many other processed foods. The report in the March issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, also suggests a way to prevent those ill effects. ...> Full Article

Newly discovered gene plays vital role in cancer (3/5/2009)

Gene p53 protects against cancer and is usually described as the most important gene in cancer research. However, scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now shown that a previously unknown gene, Wrap53, controls the activity of p53. As the regulation mechanism is relatively unexplored, the study opens up new routes to solving the mystery of cancer. ...> Full Article

Liver tumors associated with metabolic syndrome differ from other tumors (3/5/2009)

Liver cancer patients whose only risk factor is metabolic syndrome has distinct forms compared to other liver tumors ...> Full Article

Proepithelin encourages cell growth and migration in prostate cancer (3/5/2009)

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University have identified a protein that appears to play a significant role in the growth and migration of prostate cancer cells, especially androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. ...> Full Article

HIV adapts to 'escape' immune response (3/5/2009)

Nature study explores evolving DNA variations that boost virus' survival ...> Full Article

Researchers block immune cell rush behind deadly sepsis (3/4/2009)

Work suggests how to eliminate bleeding risk from treatment ...> Full Article

Naturally produced estrogen may protect women from Parkinson's disease (3/4/2009)

Hormone therapy does not offer protection against the disease ...> Full Article

New findings measure precise impact of fat on cancer spread (3/4/2009)

Researchers at Purdue University have precisely measured the impact of a high-fat diet on the spread of cancer, finding that excessive dietary fat caused a 300 percent increase in metastasizing tumor cells in laboratory animals. ...> Full Article

Daytime sleepiness provides red flag for cardiovascular disease (3/4/2009)

Clinicians should be alert to patients reporting "excessive" day time sleepiness, says the European Society of Cardiology, after a French study found healthy elderly people who regularly report feeling sleepy during the day have a significantly higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. ...> Full Article

Research team tests bedside monitoring of brain blood flow and metabolism in stroke victims (3/3/2009)

A University of Pennsylvania team has completed the first successful demonstration of a noninvasive optical device to monitor cerebral blood flow in patients with acute stroke, a leading cause of disability and death. ...> Full Article

Researchers ID gene involved in pancreatic cancer (3/3/2009)

Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a gene that is overexpressed in 90 percent of pancreatic cancers, the most deadly type of cancer. ...> Full Article

Muscling in on type 2 diabetes (3/3/2009)

Newly-published research from the University of Calgary suggests that muscle in obese people and Type 2 diabetes may be conspiring against them ...> Full Article

What makes C-Diff superbug deadly? (3/3/2009)

Loyola researchers identify what Clostridium difficile toxin causes disease in humans. ...> Full Article

New discovery gives tuberculosis vaccine a shot in the arm (3/2/2009)

New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests interferon may boost the effectiveness of tuberculosis vaccine ...> Full Article

Compounds that trigger beta cell replication identified (3/2/2009)

Researchers at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation have identified a set of compounds that can trigger the proliferation of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, using sophisticated high-throughput screening techniques. ...> Full Article

Technique tricks bacteria into generating their own vaccine (3/2/2009)

Scientists have developed a way to manipulate bacteria so they will grow mutant sugar molecules on their cell surfaces that could be used against them as the key component in potent vaccines. Any resulting vaccines, if proven safe, could be developed more quickly, easily and cheaply than many currently available vaccines used to prevent bacterial illnesses. ...> Full Article

Study examining role of genetics and environment in type 1 diabetes (3/1/2009)

Another 200 newborns in Georgia and Florida with high-risk genes for type 1 diabetes will be enrolled over the next year in a long-term study to determine how genetics and environment cause the disease. ...> Full Article

Predicting risk of stroke from one's genetic blueprint (3/1/2009)

Statistical model using Bayesian networks shows promise as a clinical tool ...> Full Article

Determining risk for pancreatic cancer (3/1/2009)

Experimental technique safely differentiates patients with pancreatic cancer, precursor lesions and benign tumors ...> Full Article