Patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumor cells contain extra copies of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene may be more likely to respond to the drug gefitinib (Iressa), and this high gene copy number may be an effective predictor of gefitinib efficacy, according to a new study in the May 4 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
NSCLC is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In patients with advanced disease, chemoth
More than one-half of adults surveyed nationwide had seen or heard celebrity endorsements of cancer screening tests, and more than one-fourth of those who had seen or heard an endorsement reported that it made them more likely to undergo the promoted screening test, according to a new study in the May 4 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Celebrity endorsements of cancer screening are becoming increasingly common. High-profile people, such as former New York City Mayor R
Estrogen and progesterone hormones in birth control do not influence the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which is used to treat HIV infection, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions. The study is published in the May 1, 2005, issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
“Since the introduction of HAART in 1996, many studies have proven the effectiveness of these regimens in reducing
Pregnant women present during the September 11 World Trade Center collapse have passed on markers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to their unborn babies through transgenerational transmission. The findings strengthen the evidence for in utero or early life risk factors for the later development of adult mental or physical disorders. The study will be published online today in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, one of the four journals produced by The Endocrine Society.
Oregon State University researchers have made significant new advances in determining the structure of all possible DNA sequences – a discovery that in one sense takes up where Watson and Crick left off, after outlining in 1953 the double-helical structure of this biological blueprint for life.
One of the fundamental problems in biochemistry is to predict the structure of a molecule from its sequence – this has been referred to as the “Holy Grail” of protein chemistry.
Milk thistle, a widely used alternative medicine, is not proven effective in lowering mortality in alcoholic or hepatitis B or C liver disease, according to a systematic review of current evidence.
While some studies found that liver-related mortality may be significantly reduced in patients treated with milk thistle, these findings were not duplicated in the higher quality clinical trials.
However, milk thistle was found safe to us with no serious side effects and with
One key goal of treating pancreatic cancer, which is often fatal within a year, is making sure patients have a good quality of life with as few complications as possible. This is especially important if they are candidates for surgical removal of the cancer.
Now, doctors at the University of Virginia Health System report that placing self-expanding metal tubes or stents (covered with a synthetic material) to drain the common bile duct is a safe and effective treatment for a major
ATM and ATR are key effectors of the cellular response to DNA damage, instructing a damaged cell to halt cell cycle progression and either initiate DNA repair processes or programmed cell death. While much research has focused on the identification of moleculaes that help transduce these signals throughout the cell, in their current paper, Dr. Lawrence Donehower and colleagues address the issue of how a cell returns to normal after DNA damage is successfully repaired.
Dr. Donehower and c
ESA’s comet chaser mission Rosetta took these infrared and visible images of Earth and the Moon, during the Earth fly-by of 4/5 March 2005 while on its way to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
These images, now processed, are part of the first scientific data obtained by Rosetta. “The Earth fly-by represented the first real chance to calibrate and validate the performance of the Rosetta’s instruments on a real space object, to make sure everything works fine at the final targe
With its doughy, carbohydrate-dense crust and high fat content, pizza can wreak havoc in people with diabetes. A Penn State Diabetes Center study suggests a slow and steady insulin-dosing pattern may best combat the glucose-raising effects of that common favorite food.
“Keeping glucose levels from jumping too high or dipping too low may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, which has been connected to erratic glucose levels in those with diabetes,” said Robert Ga
Substantial risks to native fish stocks argue for evaluation of dangers
The substantial risk to salmon stocks posed by salmon that escape from net-pen farms argues for risk assessments of all types of marine fish farming, according to an article published in BioScience. Rosamond Naylor of Stanford University and nine coauthors conclude in their article that without a firm policy mandate for risk assessment of escaping farm fish, aquaculture will “almost certainly lead to extensiv
RNA-guided RNA pseudouridylation in archaea
Pseudouridylation is one of the most abundant forms of post-transcriptional RNA modification in eukaryotes and archaea, and plays a key role in the generation and correct functioning of cellular RNAs. The modifications are made by a complex of proteins directed to target sites by integral non-coding guide RNAs.
Drs. Michael and Rebecca Terns and colleagues have effectively reconstituted the archaeal modification guide ribonucleop
Duke University engineers have led the most detailed analyses of links between some lightning events and mysterious gamma ray emissions that emanate from earth’s own atmosphere. Their study suggests that this gamma radiation fountains upward from starting points surprisingly low in thunderclouds. Counter-intuitively, these strong gamma outbursts also seem to precede associated lightning discharges by a split second.
“All of this comes as a huge surprise,” said Steven Cummer, an as
Simple blood test in the near future possible
For the first time, physicians at University Health Network and University of Toronto have identified a small subset of genes that can predict whether a patient with chronic Hepatitis C will be able to respond to current treatments. These genes could also become the basis of a simple new test in the future to predict which patients will respond to therapy.
The study, published in the May issue of the American Gastroenterolog
A new study finds that E. coli bacteremia — a potentially life-threatening bloodstream infection caused by a common bacteria also associated with less dangerous urinary tract infections — poses a significant public health threat in the United States, especially among seniors.
The study, published by Group Health researchers in the May issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, finds E. coli bacteremia may affect as many as 53,000 non-institutionalized people, aged 65 and ol
An international team of astronomers reports April 29 the confirmation of the discovery of a giant planet, approximately five times the mass of Jupiter, that is gravitationally bound to a young brown dwarf. This discovery puts an end to a yearlong discussion on the nature of this object, which started with the detection of a red object close to the brown dwarf.
In February and March of this year, the astronomers took new images of the young brown dwarf and its giant planet companion
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