Curing Death by Curing Aging - September 2008 Archives

Immune System Can Hurt As Well As Help Fight Cancer (9/30/2008)

Discovery could lead to new cancer treatments with fewer side effects ...> Full Article

TB Bacterium Uses Its Sugar Coat To Sweeten Its Chances Of Living In Lungs (9/30/2008)

Common strains of tuberculosis-causing bacteria have hijacked the human body's immune response to play tricks on cells in the lungs ...> Full Article

Researchers study how pistachios may improve heart health (9/29/2008)

Going green may be heart healthy if the green you choose is pistachio nuts ...> Full Article

Scientists unmask key HIV protein, open door for new AIDS drugs (9/28/2008)

New U-M discoveries on how HIV evades immune system could one day eliminate the need to take antiviral drugs for a lifetime ...> Full Article

New way to make malaria medicine also first step in finding new antibiotics (9/28/2008)

Researchers have developed a way to mass-produce an antimalarial compound, potentially making the treatment of malaria less expensive. ...> Full Article

Researchers note differences between people and animals on calorie restriction (9/27/2008)

Calorie restriction, a diet that is low in calories and high in nutrition, may not be as effective at extending life in people as it is in rodents ...> Full Article

New approach to gene therapy may shrink brain tumors, prevent their spread (9/27/2008)

Animal study supports creating zone of resistance in surrounding normal tissue ...> Full Article

Methylation levels key to glioblastoma survival (9/26/2008)

A new study analyzing gene expression among patients with glioblastomas has found that not all of the common, deadly brain tumors appear the same upon closer examination. ...> Full Article

The dietary supplement genistein can undermine breast cancer treatment (9/26/2008)

Women taking aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer or prevent its recurrence should think twice before also taking a soy-based dietary supplement, researchers report. ...> Full Article

Inhibiting Cholesterol-Associated Protein Reduces High-Risk Blockages in Arteries (9/26/2008)

Studies in animal model point way toward new class of heart-disease medication ...> Full Article

Proton therapy lowers chance of later cancers (9/25/2008)

Patients who are treated with proton therapy decreases the risk of patients developing a secondary cancer by two-fold, compared to being treated with standard photon radiation treatment ...> Full Article

Dark chocolate: Half a bar per week to keep at bay the risk of heart attack (9/25/2008)

Beneficial effects of chocolate in the prevention of cardiovascular disease ...> Full Article

Epstein-Barr virus predicts outcome in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (9/25/2008)

Researchers report that testing patient blood for DNA from Epstein-Barr virus during treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma effectively predicts clinical outcome. ...> Full Article

Radiation before surgery reduces quality of life and risk of recurrence for rectal cancer patients (9/24/2008)

he use of a short one week course of radiation before surgery for rectal cancer leads to a reduced risk of recurrence but with some impairment in quality of life for sexual and bowel function ...> Full Article

Scientists deliver toxic genes to effectively kill pancreatic cancer cells (9/24/2008)

New 'suicide gene' delivery approach offers potential for novel therapy ...> Full Article

Vascular marker of ovarian cancer identified (9/24/2008)

Researchers have identified TEM1 as a specific genetic marker for the vascular cells associated with tumor growth, a finding that could aid in diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. ...> Full Article

Breast cancer treatment resistance linked to signaling pathway (9/24/2008)

Activation of the Src signaling pathway may cause resistance to standard medical treatment in some patients with breast cancer, and inhibition of this pathway holds the potential to overcome that resistance ...> Full Article

Indian spice reduces size of hemorrhagic stroke (9/23/2008)

Turmeric, not only lowers your chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke ...> Full Article

Family history of brain tumors linked to increased risk of brain cancer (9/23/2008)

People with a family history of cancerous brain tumors appear to be at higher risk of developing the same kind of tumors compared to people with no such family history ...> Full Article

Radiation added to hormone therapy increases survival for men with prostate cancer (9/23/2008)

For men with locally advanced prostate cancer the addition of radiation treatment to anti-androgen hormone therapy reduces the risk of dying of prostate cancer by 50 percent compared to those who have anti-androgen hormone treatment alone ...> Full Article

People With Type 2 Diabetes Can Put Fatty Livers On A Diet With Moderate Exercise (9/22/2008)

Weekly bouts of moderate aerobic exercise on a bike or treadmill, or a brisk walk, combined with some weightlifting, may cut down levels of fat in the liver by up to 40 percent in people with type 2 diabetes ...> Full Article

High blood pressure takes big toll on small filtering units of the kidney (9/22/2008)

Hypertension takes a serious toll on the kidneys and damaged kidneys worsen hypertension ...> Full Article

Study Suggests Why Heart Attack Victims Do Better With Social Support (9/22/2008)

Researchers have identified specific damages to the brain that may occur when heart attack victims are socially isolated from others. ...> Full Article

Scientists turn human skin cells into insulin-producing cells (9/21/2008)

Researchers have transformed cells from human skin into cells that produce insulin, the hormone used to treat diabetes. ...> Full Article

New class of hormone from healthy fat cells benefits metabolism researchers find in mice (9/21/2008)

Discovery of 'lipokine' signaling could eventually lead to new treatments for obesity-related conditions ...> Full Article

Why chemo works for some people and not others (9/21/2008)

cell findings could predict individuals' responses ...> Full Article

New results help predict treatment response in colorectal cancer (9/20/2008)

Genetic testing can identify a group of patients with advanced colorectal cancer who are likely to survive on average twice as long if treated with the drug cetuximab, late breaking results show. ...> Full Article

New technique sees into tissue at greater depth, resolution (9/20/2008)

By coupling a kicked-up version of microscopy with miniscule particles of gold, scientists are now able to peer so deep into living tissue that they can see molecules interacting. ...> Full Article

Novel Anti-Cancer Mechanism Found in Long-Lived Rodents (9/20/2008)

Biologists have found that small-bodied rodents with long lifespans have evolved a previously unknown anti-cancer mechanism that appears to be different from any anticancer mechanisms employed by humans or other large mammals. ...> Full Article

Researchers Suppress 'Hunger Hormone' (9/20/2008)

New Minimally Invasive Method Tested in Pigs Yields Result as Good as Bariatric Surgery ...> Full Article

Why some primates, but not humans, can live with immunodeficiency viruses and not progress to AIDS (9/19/2008)

Key differences in immune system signaling and the production of specific immune regulatory molecules may explain why some primates are able to live with an immunodeficiency virus infection without progressing to AIDS-like illness, unlike other primate species, including rhesus macaques and humans, that succumb to disease. ...> Full Article

Researchers Invigorate 'Exhausted' Immune Cells: Findings support new therapies for HIV, hepatitis, cancer (9/19/2008)

In battles against chronic infections, the body's key immune cells often become exhausted and ineffective. Researchers have found a way to restore vigor to these killer T cells by blocking a key receptor on their surface, findings that may advance the development of new therapies for diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and cancer. ...> Full Article

Ablating tumors with alkali metals (9/19/2008)

Researchers create new thermal ablation therapy using alkali metals as heat generation seeds. ...> Full Article

Viral 'magic bullet' targets cancer cells with help of new compound (9/18/2008)

Canadian researchers discover way to make cancer vulnerable to 'good' viruses ...> Full Article

Prostate Cancer Genes Behave Like Those In Embryo (9/18/2008)

Testosterone Activates Similar Genes in Prostate Development and Prostate Cancer ...> Full Article

Researchers identify cancer-causing gene in many colon cancers (9/18/2008)

Demonstrating that despite the large number of cancer-causing genes already identified, many more remain to be found, scientists have linked a previously unsuspected gene, CDK8, to colon cancer. ...> Full Article

Unusual case of a woman who suffered stroke during sex (9/18/2008)

Minutes after having sexual intercourse with her boyfriend, a 35-year-old woman suddenly felt her left arm go weak. Her speech became slurred and she lost feeling on the left side of her face. ...> Full Article

Nanomedical approach targets multiple cancer genes, shrinks tumors more effectively (9/17/2008)

Nanoparticles filled with a drug that targets two genes that trigger melanoma could offer a potential cure for this deadly disease, according to cancer researchers. The treatment, administered through an ultrasound device, demonstrates a safer and more effective way of targeting cancer-causing genes in cancer cells without harming normal tissue. ...> Full Article

Stem cells may solve mystery of early pregnancy breast cancer protection (9/17/2008)

The answer to why an early pregnancy seems to protect against breast cancer could rest with a decrease in stem cells found after animals have given birth ...> Full Article

2 beta blockers found to also protect heart tissue (9/17/2008)

A newly discovered chemical pathway that helps protect heart tissue can be stimulated by two of 20 common beta-blockers, drugs that are prescribed to millions of patients who have experienced heart failure. ...> Full Article

Investigational drug shows promise in ovarian cancer (9/17/2008)

An investigational drug that combats ovarian cancer by inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels has shown promise in a phase II trial ...> Full Article

New Synthetic Form of Protein Holds Promise to Stop Cancer Spread (9/16/2008)

Researchers have a pending patent on a new synthetic form of a protein involved in certain types of cancers and immune system diseases. ...> Full Article

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin beneficial in metastatic breast cancer (9/16/2008)

Researchers have been studying the effects of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in a group of 155 women who had already been treated with chemotherapy ...> Full Article

Study reveals how viruses collectively decide the fate of a bacterial cell (9/16/2008)

A new study suggests that bacteria-infecting viruses - called phages - can make collective decisions about whether to kill host cells immediately after infection or enter a latent state to remain within the host cell. ...> Full Article

Risk of breast cancer mutations underestimated for Asian women (9/15/2008)

Existing models appear to be inaccurate ...> Full Article

Scientists Identify New Cancer Stem Cell Marker: Developing Drug to Stop Cancer Recurrence (9/15/2008)

Researchers isolate cancer stem cells in tumors so they can target the cells and kill them, keeping cancer from returning. ...> Full Article

Novel tuberculosis vaccine in Germany in clinical phase (9/15/2008)

For the first time in more than 80 years a promising live vaccine against tuberculosis has passed into the clinical phase in Germany ...> Full Article

Bleeding gums and heart disease (9/15/2008)

Bad teeth, bleeding gums and poor dental hygiene can cause heart disease ...> Full Article

As Head and Neck Cancer Risks Evolve, More Treatment Options Emerge (9/14/2008)

Advances in understanding head and neck cancer over the last decade have led to more treatment options and improved quality of life for patients ...> Full Article

Key enzyme for regulating heart attack damage found (9/14/2008)

Scientists may have found ways to combat tissue damage after discovering an important cog in the body's molecular detoxification machinery ...> Full Article

Help from herpes? Coinfection induces acyclovir to inhibit HIV (9/13/2008)

A surprising interaction may enable development of new HIV treatment strategies by exploiting infection with multiple pathogens ...> Full Article

Bacteria's sticky glue is clue to vaccine says scientist (9/12/2008)

Sticky glue secreted by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus could be the clue scientists have been searching for to make an effective vaccine against MRSA ...> Full Article

Researchers Identify Natural Tumor Suppressor (9/12/2008)

Better Understanding of Early-Stage Cancer Crucial to Finding New Therapies ...> Full Article

Cholesterol and Malaria May Use Same Doorway to Liver Cells (9/12/2008)

Researchers report that they may be able to fight malaria by targeting human liver cells instead of parasites. ...> Full Article

Type-1 diabetes patients benefit from regular use of new glucose monitors (9/12/2008)

Night-and-day glucose tracking helps type-1 diabetes patients stay healthy and safe, according to the first large clinical trial to test a new class of glucose meter-a pager-sized device that measures sugar levels continuously through a small, fine wire worn under the skin. ...> Full Article

Early stage colon cancer characterized by inactivation of gatekeeper gene (9/11/2008)

The absence or inactivation of the RUNX3 gatekeeper gene paves the way for the growth and development of colon cancer ...> Full Article

Gap junction protein vital to successful pregnancy, researchers find (9/11/2008)

Researchers studying a critical stage of pregnancy - implantation of the embryo in the uterus - have found a protein that is vital to the growth of new blood vessels that sustain the embryo. Without this protein, which is produced in higher quantities in the presence of estrogen, the embryo is unlikely to survive. ...> Full Article

Protein 'switch' suppresses skin cancer development (9/10/2008)

When IKKα fails to keep cell replacement cycle in balance, cancer follows ...> Full Article

Common painkillers lower levels of prostate cancer biomarker (9/10/2008)

But impact on a man's risk for getting prostate cancer is unclear, physicians say ...> Full Article

Many colorectal cancer survivors do not receive recommended follow-up care (9/10/2008)

A new analysis reveals that fewer than half of older patients successfully treated for colorectal cancer receive the recommended screening schedule to detect any recurrence of cancer. ...> Full Article

Apples and oranges: Tumor blood vessel cells are remarkably atypical (9/9/2008)

Contrary to a long-standing assumption that blood vessel cells in healthy tissues and those associated with tumors are similar, a new study unequivocally demonstrates that tumor blood vessel cells are far from normal. ...> Full Article

Anti-angiogenic drugs impede chemotherapy-stimulated tumor recovery (9/9/2008)

Scientists have gained new insight into a mechanism whereby chemotherapy may actually assist the rapid regrowth of tumors after treatment. ...> Full Article

Rattlesnake-type poisons used by superbug bacteria to beat our defenses (9/9/2008)

Colonies of hospital superbugs can make poisons similar to those found in rattlesnake venom to attack our bodies' natural defences ...> Full Article

Discovery challenges fundamental tenet of cancer biology (9/8/2008)

Researchers have identified an unusual molecular process in normal tissues that causes RNA molecules produced from separate genes to be clipped and stitched together ...> Full Article

International team reveals first prognosticator of survival in aggressive cancer (9/8/2008)

The tumor suppressor gene pRb2/p130 may provide the first independent prognostic biomarker in cases of soft tissue sarcoma ...> Full Article

You can be replaced: Immune cells compensate for defective DNA repair factor (9/8/2008)

A new mouse model has provided some surprising insight into XLF, a molecule that helps to repair lethal DNA damage. ...> Full Article

Heavy snoring linked to stroke (9/8/2008)

Researchers have found that heavy snorers have a higher risk of cholesterol plaque in the neck arteries, leading to an increased risk of stroke. ...> Full Article

Creating Lung Cancer Risk Models For Specific Populations Refines Prediction (9/8/2008)

Team develops first-ever for African-Americans, expands previous model ...> Full Article

Blood 'fingerprints' for cancer (9/7/2008)

Serum microRNAs (miRNAs) can serve as biomarkers for the detection of diseases including cancer and diabetes ...> Full Article

Monitoring immune responses in disease (9/7/2008)

Research describes a new method enabling the detection of multiple parameters of single human cells ...> Full Article

Delaying evolution of drug resistance in malaria parasite possible (9/7/2008)

A new study offers strong support for a method that effectively delays the evolution of drug resistance in malaria parasites ...> Full Article

Researchers decode viral process that prepares cells for HIV infection (9/7/2008)

Research reveals the covert methods that the virus uses to break a barrier present in human CD4 T-cells, the primary immune cells targeted by the virus ...> Full Article

Gaining a Better Understanding of Kidney Diseases (9/7/2008)

By introducing a genetic switch in mice it is possible to increase or decrease the production of specific protein molecules in their kidneys ...> Full Article

Study Finds Racial Disparities Exist in Radiation Therapy Rates For Early Stage Breast Cancer (9/6/2008)

Largest study of its kind reveals blacks less likely than whites to receive standard of care ...> Full Article

New study reveals higher protein breakfast may help dieters stay on track (9/6/2008)

Research findings reveal eating more protein in the morning helps dieters retain fullness throughout the day ...> Full Article

Study Reveals Link between Apobec3 Gene and Neutralizing Antibody Response to Retrovirus (9/6/2008)

Scientists have uncovered new evidence that strengthens the link between a host-cell gene called Apobec3 and the production of neutralizing antibodies to retroviruses. The finding adds a new dimension to the set of possible explanations for why most people who are infected with HIV do not make neutralizing antibodies that effectively fight the virus. ...> Full Article

Oxidative Stress: Mechanism of Cell Death Clarified (9/6/2008)

Research has decrypted the molecular mechanism through which the death of cells is caused by oxidative stress. ...> Full Article

Height linked to risk of prostate cancer (9/6/2008)

A man’s height is a modest marker for risk of prostate cancer development, but is more strongly linked to progression of the cancer, say Bristol researchers who conducted their own study on the connection and also reviewed 58 published studies. ...> Full Article

Gene is likely cause of stroke-inducing vascular malformations (9/5/2008)

Scientists have discovered that a gene controlling whether blood vessels differentiate into arteries or veins during embryonic development is linked to a vascular disorder in the brain that causes stroke. ...> Full Article

Battling Diabetes with Beta Cells (9/5/2008)

Team replicates insulin-producing cells, providing new hope for diabetics ...> Full Article

Study reveals genetic links to common form of leukemia (9/5/2008)

Scientists are working on a collaborative study have proved that there is a genetic susceptibility to developing chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of leukemia in the Western world. ...> Full Article

Oncologists Use Lung Cancer Vaccine to Personalize Care (9/5/2008)

Largest international cancer vaccine clinical trials to date aimed at reducing recurrence and improving life expectancy among early-stage lung cancer survivors ...> Full Article

Scientists Find Second Site for Prostate Cancer Gene (9/4/2008)

Scientists who are studying a prostate cancer gene called HNF1B have found a second independent site within the HNF1B gene on chromosome 17 (17q12) â€" increasing the number of genetic variants that may contribute to risk of developing the disease. ...> Full Article

Higher rates of cervical cancer amongst immigrants (9/4/2008)

Immigrant women have a higher risk of developing the disease than Swedish-born women ...> Full Article

Researchers zoom in on malaria-infected cells (9/4/2008)

Work could aid in diagnostics, drug testing ...> Full Article

A new approach for early cancer diagnosis (9/4/2008)

Fast identification of cancer markers and the early warning and diagnosis ...> Full Article

Risk of repeat attacks in heart patients causes concern for doctors (9/3/2008)

The risk of heart attack patients having repeat attacks after they are discharged from hospital is being underestimated ...> Full Article

How to spot a heart attack soon after it occurs (9/3/2008)

The sooner an individual who has had a heart attack is treated, the better their chance of survival and the less permanent damage is done to their heart. ...> Full Article

Sex hormones link to heart risk (9/3/2008)

New research shows men are more prone to heart disease because of sex hormones ...> Full Article

Breakthrough could help combat superbugs (9/3/2008)

Scientists have worked out a key mechanism that protects bacteria against stress in a major discovery that could lead to new ways of killing superbugs like C. difficile and MRSA. ...> Full Article

Landmark study opens door to new cancer, aging treatments (9/2/2008)

Researchers decipher telomerase structure ...> Full Article

Barrow researchers identify a new approach to detect the early progression of brain tumors (9/2/2008)

Study suggests a certain type of MRI scanning can detect when a patient is failing brain tumor treatment before symptoms appear. ...> Full Article

Researchers Discover Atomic Bomb Effect Results in Adult-onset Thyroid Cancer (9/2/2008)

Radiation from the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, likely rearranged chromosomes in some survivors who later developed papillary thyroid cancer as adults ...> Full Article

Global study shows telmisartan reduces outcome of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke (9/2/2008)

Study has found that telmisartan, a medication used to lower blood pressure, reduced the outcome of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke in people who are unable to tolerate a widely available and effective standard treatment. ...> Full Article

Researchers discover new approach to treating endometrial cancer (9/2/2008)

Inhibitor turns 'off' receptors; stops the growth of endometrial tumors and kills cancer cells ...> Full Article

Team Studies Link Between Parkinson's and Depression (9/1/2008)

Researchers studying a stress-induced model of depression and Parkinson's in rodents ...> Full Article

Growth factor predicts poor outcome in breast cancer (9/1/2008)

The response to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in breast cancer cells predicts an aggressive tumor that is less likely to respond to treatment ...> Full Article

New approach, old drug show promise against hepatitis C (9/1/2008)

The fight against the liver disease hepatitis C has been at something of an impasse for years, with more than 150 million people currently infected, and traditional antiviral treatments causing nasty side effects and often falling short of a cure. Using a novel technique, medical and engineering researchers at Stanford University have discovered a vulnerable step in the virus' reproduction process that in lab testing could be effectively targeted with an obsolete antihistamine. ...> Full Article

Treadmill exercise retrains brain and body of stroke victims (9/1/2008)

Research shows improvement even years post-stroke ...> Full Article