Curing Death by Curing Aging - November 2009 Archives

Implant-based cancer vaccine is first to eliminate tumors in mice (11/30/2009)

A cancer vaccine carried into the body on a carefully engineered, fingernail-sized implant is the first to successfully eliminate tumors in mammals. The new approach, pioneered by bioengineers and immunologists at Harvard University, uses plastic disks impregnated with tumor-specific antigens and implanted under the skin to reprogram the mammalian immune system to attack tumors. ...> Full Article

Hormone ghrelin can boost resistance to Parkinson's disease (11/29/2009)

Ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach, may be used to boost resistance to, or slow, the development of Parkinson's disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. ...> Full Article

New device enables early detection of cancerous skin tumors (11/28/2009)

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are developing a new device that detects cancerous skin tumors, including melanomas that aren't visible to the naked eye. The OSPI instrument (Optical Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging) revealed new textures of lesions that have never been seen before. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons typically diagnose skin tumors by their appearance with the naked eye and only rarely using a dermatoscope -- a magnifying tool that allows tumors to be examined in detail. ...> Full Article

A sticky solution for identifying effective probiotics (11/27/2009)

Scientists have crystallized a protein that may help gut bacteria bind to the gastrointestinal tract. The protein could be used by probiotic producers to identify strains that are likely to be of real benefit to people. ...> Full Article

Possible link studied between childhood abuse and early cellular aging (11/26/2009)

Researchers from Brown University and Butler Hospital have determined that children who suffer physical or emotional abuse may be faced with accelerated cellular aging as adults. The findings are published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry. A print version of the article is also expected. ...> Full Article

Diabetics show alarming increase in morbid obesity (11/25/2009)

One out of five type 2 diabetics is morbidly obese -- approximately 100 pounds or more overweight -- a Loyola University Health System study has found. ...> Full Article

Researchers create 'fly paper' to capture circulating cancer cells (11/24/2009)

Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. These cells, known as circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, can provide critical information for examining and diagnosing cancer metastasis, determining patient prognosis, and monitoring the effectiveness of therapies. ...> Full Article

Rare pancreatic cancer patients may live longer when treated with radiation therapy (11/23/2009)

Radiation therapy is effective in achieving local control and palliation in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, despite such tumors being commonly considered resistant to radiation therapy, according to a largest of its kind study in the Nov. 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. ...> Full Article

Cancers' sweet tooth may be weakness (11/23/2009)

Cancer cells tend to take up more glucose than healthy cells and metabolize it in a process called glycolysis. An enzyme called PKM2 that governs cancer cells' preference for glucose may be a valuable anti-cancer drug target. ...> Full Article

Genetic analysis helps dissect molecular basis of cardiovascular disease (11/22/2009)

Using highly precise measurements of plasma lipoprotein concentrations determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, researchers performed genetic association analysis across the whole genome among 17,296 women of European ancestry. This large scale analysis of the effects of common genetic variation on plasma lipoprotein profile, a critical component of cardiovascular risk, identified 43 genetic loci contributing to lipoprotein metabolism. The findings are published on Nov. 20 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. ...> Full Article

A second skin (11/21/2009)

Tel Aviv University's Prof. Meital Zilberman has developed a new wound dressing, based on innovative fibers that can be loaded with antibiotics, then dissolve when the healing process is completed. ...> Full Article

The benefits of exercise (11/20/2009)

Physical exercise is one of the most effective methods of preventing disease. The current issue of Deutsches Arzteblatt International is devoted to this important topic. ...> Full Article

Saliva proteins change as women age (11/19/2009)

In a step toward using human saliva to tell whether those stiff joints, memory lapses, and other telltale signs of aging are normal or red flags for disease, scientists are describing how the protein content of women's saliva change with advancing age. The discovery could lead to a simple, noninvasive test for better diagnosing and treating certain age-related diseases in women, they suggest in a report in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research, a monthly publication. ...> Full Article

Scientists find molecular trigger that helps prevent aging and disease (11/19/2009)

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to address a question that has been challenging scientists for years: How do dietary restriction -- and the reverse, overconsumption -- produce protective effects against aging and disease? ...> Full Article

Transcendental Meditation helped heart disease patients lower cardiac disease risks by 50 percent (11/18/2009)

Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates of heart attack, stroke and death compared to nonmeditating controls, according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., on Nov.16, 2009. ...> Full Article

New mechanism explains how the body prevents formation of blood vessels (11/17/2009)

Researchers at Uppsala University, in collaboration with colleagues in Sweden and abroad, have identified an entirely new mechanism by which a specific protein in the body inhibits formation of new blood vessels. Inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels is an important aspect of, for example, cancer treatment. The study is published in the November issue of the journal Molecular Cancer Research. ...> Full Article

Surgeon 'gluing' the breastbone together after open-heart surgery (11/17/2009)

An innovative method is being used to repair the breastbone after it is intentionally broken to provide access to the heart during open-heart surgery. The technique uses a state-of-the-art adhesive that rapidly bonds to bone and accelerates the recovery process. This procedure has been performed on over 20 patients as part of a pilot study. He aims to apply the technique in over 500 patients across the globe over the next 12-24 months. ...> Full Article

Coffee break: Compound brewing new research in colon, breast cancer (11/16/2009)

A compound in coffee has been found to be estrogenic in studies by Texas AgriLife Research scientists. Though the studies have not been conducted to determine recommended consumption amounts, scientists say the compound, called trigonelline or "trig," may be a factor in estrogen-dependent breast cancer but beneficial against colon cancer development. ...> Full Article

Genetic changes shown to be important indicators for disease progression in cervical cancer patients (11/16/2009)

Cervical cancer patients with specific changes in the cancer genome have a three- or fourfold increased risk of relapse after standard treatment compared to patients without these changes, according to a study by Norwegian researchers published Nov. 13 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. The research suggests that specific genetic changes are crucial steps in the progression of the disease towards an aggressive and treatment-resistant state. ...> Full Article

No-entry zones for AIDS virus (11/15/2009)

The AIDS virus inserts its genetic material into the genome of the infected cell. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center have now shown for the first time that the virus almost entirely spares particular sites in the human genetic material in this process. This finding may be useful for developing new, specific AIDS drugs. ...> Full Article

Scientists uncover new key to the puzzle of hormone therapy and breast cancer (11/14/2009)

The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer. ...> Full Article

Longevity tied to genes that preserve tips of chromosomes (11/13/2009)

A team led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres -- the tip ends of chromosomes. The findings appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...> Full Article

FDA-approved drugs eliminate, prevent cervical cancer in mice (11/13/2009)

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health have eliminated cervical cancer in mice with two FDA-approved drugs currently used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis. ...> Full Article

For young boys with cancer, testicular tissue banking may be option to preserve fertility (11/12/2009)

Boys diagnosed with cancer before reaching puberty have a unique option for possibly preserving future fertility, which is often endangered by cancer therapies. In an experimental procedure, the boys can have a tiny portion of their testis removed and frozen for their potential future use. Parents of prepubertal boys are willing to agree to the procedure and are grateful for the opportunity, even though there is currently no guarantee of clinical success. ...> Full Article

Study shows that some malignant tumors can be shut down after all (11/11/2009)

More than half of all human cancers have mutations that disable a protein called p53. When cells lose p53, tumors grow aggressively and often cannot be treated. But a new study by Alea Mills and colleagues from CSHL may offer a way to counteract the problem. The scientists have succeeded in shutting off the growth of p53-deficient tumors by turning up the production of TAp63 proteins, a class of proteins produced by the p63 gene. ...> Full Article

First use of antibody and stem cell transplantation to successfully treat advanced leukemia (11/10/2009)

For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have reported the use of a radiolabeled antibody to deliver targeted doses of radiation, followed by a stem cell transplant, to successfully treat a group of leukemia and pre-leukemia patients for whom there previously had been no other curative treatment options. ...> Full Article

Does green tea prevent cancer? Evidence continues to brew, but questions remain (11/9/2009)

Although scientists are reluctant to officially endorse green tea as a cancer prevention method, evidence continues to grow about its protective effects, including results of a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which suggests some reduction in oral cancer. ...> Full Article

Researchers to figure out tricky viruses, adapt for gene therapy (11/9/2009)

Montana State University has a new grant to tap into the talent that viruses have for invading cells and seizing control. ...> Full Article

New research suggests how low doses of radiation can cause heart disease and stroke (11/8/2009)

A mathematical model constructed by researchers at Imperial College London predicts the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, stroke) associated with low background levels of radiation. The model shows that the risk would vary almost in proportion with dose. Results, published Oct. 23 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, are consistent with risk levels reported in previous studies involving nuclear workers. ...> Full Article

Children who often drink full-fat milk weigh less (11/8/2009)

Eight-year-old children who drink full-fat milk every day have a lower BMI than those who seldom drink milk. This is not the case for children who often drink medium-fat or low-fat milk. This is one conclusion of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. ...> Full Article

Cholesterol and cancer: Answers and some new questions (11/7/2009)

A pair of studies in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention lay to rest the decades-long concern that lower total cholesterol may lead to cancer, and in fact lower cholesterol may reduce the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. ...> Full Article

Study shows neural stem cells in mice affected by gene associated with longevity (11/6/2009)

A gene associated with longevity in roundworms and humans has been shown to affect the function of stem cells that generate new neurons in the adult brain, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study in mice suggests that the gene may play an important role in maintaining cognitive function during aging. ...> Full Article

A 'spoonful of sugar' makes the worms' life span go down (11/6/2009)

If worms are any indication, all the sugar in your diet could spell much more than obesity and type 2 diabetes. Researchers reporting in the November issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, say it might also be taking years off your life. ...> Full Article

Experimental agent reduces breast cancer metastasis to bone (11/5/2009)

New research finds that a protein called ROCK is over-expressed in metastatic breast cancer and that inhibiting ROCK significantly reduces metastasis to bone. The in vitro and in vivo study suggests that ROCK may be a drug therapy target for breast cancer metastasis. ...> Full Article

Researchers' findings bring hope for possible Parkinson's disease cure (11/5/2009)

Researchers at Iowa State University have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease and are looking for others.Anumantha Kanthasamy has been working to understand the complex mechanisms of the disease for more than a decade and thinks he has found hope for the cure. ...> Full Article

Scientists discover influenza's Achilles heel: Antioxidants (11/4/2009)

As the nation copes with a shortage of vaccines for H1N1 influenza, a team of Alabama researchers have raised hopes that they have found an Achilles' heel for all strains of the flu -- antioxidants. In an article appearing in the November 2009 print issue of the FASEB Journal they show that antioxidants -- the same substances found in plant-based foods -- might hold the key in preventing the flu virus from wreaking havoc on our lungs. ...> Full Article

Scientists report major advance in human antibody therapy against deadly Nipah virus (11/4/2009)

A collaborative research team from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Australian Animal Health Laboratory and National Cancer Institute, a component of the National Institutes of Health, reports a major step forward in the development of an effective therapy against two deadly viruses, Nipah virus and the related Hendra virus. ...> Full Article

Whooping cough immunity lasts longer than previously thought (11/4/2009)

Immunity to whooping cough lasts at least 30 years on average, much longer than previously thought, according to a new study by researchers based at the University of Michigan and the University of New Mexico. Details are published Oct. 30 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens. ...> Full Article

Researchers show efficacy of gene therapy in mouse models of Huntington's disease (11/3/2009)

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's disease in a variety of mouse models. "Gene therapy in these models successfully attenuated the symptoms of Huntington's disease and increased life span," notes Paul Patterson, the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences. ...> Full Article

HIV tamed by designer 'leash' (11/3/2009)

Researchers have shown how an antiviral protein produced by the immune system, dubbed tetherin, tames HIV and other viruses by literally putting them on a leash, to prevent their escape from infected cells. The insights reported in the October 30th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, allowed the research team to design a completely artificial protein -- one that did not resemble native tetherin in its sequence at all -- that could nonetheless put a similar stop to the virus. ...> Full Article

2-pronged protein attack could be source of SARS virulence (11/3/2009)

Researchers have uncovered what they believe could be the major factor contributing to the SARS virus' virulence: the pathogen's use of a single viral protein to weaken host cell defenses by launching a "two-pronged" attack on cellular protein-synthesis machinery. ...> Full Article

Breakthrough in fight against Hendra virus (11/2/2009)

There has been a breakthrough in the fight against the deadly Hendra virus following the development of a treatment which shows great potential to save the lives of people who become infected with the virus. ...> Full Article

Study uncovers key to how 'triggering event' in cancer occurs (11/2/2009)

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered what leads to two genes fusing together, a phenomenon that has been shown to cause prostate cancer to develop. ...> Full Article

Scientists use world's fastest supercomputer to create the largest HIV evolutionary tree (11/1/2009)

In this study the evolutionary history of more than 10,000 sequences from more than 400 HIV-infected individuals was compared. The idea is to identify common features of the transmitted virus, and attempt to create a vaccine that enables recognition the original transmitted virus before the body's immune response causes the virus to react and mutate. ...> Full Article