Therapy

Heart :: Aging heart changes shape, shrinks and loses pumping function too

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have evidence to explain why the supposedly natural act of aging is by itself a very potent risk factor for life-threatening heart failure.

Antioxidant :: Antioxidants could provide all-purpose radiation protection

Two common dietary molecules found in legumes and bran could protect DNA from the harmful effects of radiation, researchers from the University of Maryland report. Inositol and inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) protected both human skin cells and a skin cancer-prone mouse from exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the damaging radiation found in sunlight, the team reported today at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine.

Colorectal Cancer :: Curry-derived molecules might be too spicy for colorectal cancers

Curcumin, the yellowish component of turmeric that gives curry its flavor, has long been noted for its potential anti-cancer properties. Researchers from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, report on an apparent improvement upon nature: two molecular analogues of curcumin that demonstrate even greater tumor suppressive properties.

Lung Cancer :: Study identifies novel gene alterations in lung cancer

An international team of scientists, supported in part by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced that its systematic effort to map the genomic changes underlying lung cancer has uncovered a critical gene alteration not previously linked to any form of cancer. The research, published in the advance online issue of the journal Nature, also revealed more than 50 genomic regions that are frequently gained or lost in lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer in the United States.

Muscular Atrophy :: Molecular medical research points to treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

SMA is the second most prevalent genetic cause of infant death in the UK, after cystic fibrosis. Studies show that between 1:50 and 1:34 of the population are carriers of the disease, and that it affects in the region of 1:10,000 children born in the UK. In the USA, 1:40 are carriers and 1:6,000 children are affected by the disease.

Colorectal Cancer :: Does neural cell adhesion molecule-180 predict survival in colorectal cancer?

When a person learns they are suffering from cancer, the first question in their mind is always: “How much time do I have?” Unfortunately, this is a question to which the researchers have long been seeking an absolute answer. Tumor progression to local invasion and metastasis are the most relevant processes for prognosis, and predictive factors for survival are sometimes the only hope for cancer patients. Tumor suppressors and adhesion molecules represent one of the primary challenges in cancer therapy.

Hepatitis C :: 24-week course of interferon-alpha therapy prolongs survival in patients hepatitis C virus

Patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have a risk of frequent recurrence and deterioration of liver function, even after curative treatment for the primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This unfavorable prognosis is associated with a sustained HCV infection. Thus, both the prevention of HCC recurrence and the preservation of liver function are high priorities when trying to improve the prognosis of patients with HCV-related HCC. Antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C (HCV) after treatment for primary HCC is the essential factor required for an improved prognosis.

Prostate Cancer :: Men, don’t skip your prostate cancer treatment appointments!

Men with “low risk” prostate cancer who miss more than two radiation treatments in an eight week treatment face an increased chance of their cancer recurring. That is the conclusion of a new study examining more than 15 years of data and nearly 1,800 patients treated at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. The results were presented today at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

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HIV :: HIV-TB spreads in Africa, undermines control of world’s 2 deadliest infectious diseases

The largely unnoticed collision of the global epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) has exploded to create a deadly co-epidemic that is rapidly spreading in sub-Saharan Africa. However, health systems cannot adequately diagnose, treat, or contain the co-epidemic due to unanswered scientific and medical questions, according to a report issued today by The Forum for Collaborative HIV Research and amplified by experts from leading global health organizations.