Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Cancer Cell Unit, Cambridge have gained an important new insight into the role of the breast cancer gene known as BRCA2. It appears to have a key function in cell division which needs to happen accurately for normal cell reproduction and repair, otherwise disease occurs. The findings are published today (29 Friday October 2004) in the journal Science.
Around 30 to 50 per cent of breast cancers that run in families are thought to
Findings may lead to treatments for hemochromatosis and anemia of chronic disease
A new UCLA and University of Utah study found how a hormone called hepcidin regulates the iron uptake from the diet and its distribution in the body. The study may help develop future treatments for chronic anemia and for diseases of iron overload, such as hemochromatosis. Published online in the journal Science this week, researchers discovered that the hormone hepcidin controls ferroportin, an
Smoking cessation efforts could be improved by studying nicotine interactions with acetaldehyde, according to UCI tobacco use researchers
Acetaldehyde, one of the main chemical components of tobacco smoke, appears to increase the addictive properties of nicotine, according to animal studies conducted by the UC Irvine Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC). In addition, the researchers found that adolescents are most vulnerable to the rewarding effects of the nic
Europe should take all possible measures to enhance the existing collaboration between paediatric oncologists, both in the treatment and research of childhood cancers. Paediatric oncologists are concerned that current and proposed EU legislations could jeopardise this collaboration and, as a consequence, could impact on the provision of optimal treatment for children with cancer. This was the warning given at a Lunch Debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France (on Wednesday 27th Octo
Research published today (Thursday 28 October) in Europe’s leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction[1] , has found evidence that women with endometriosis[2] are at higher risk of having migraine.
A team from the University of Genoa in Italy studied 133 women with endometriosis and a control group of 166 women, and found that the prevalence of migraine was significantly higher among the women with endometriosis. Double the number of women in the endometriosis
A test that generally is used to measure the amount of vitamin B12 in the body is not sensitive enough to detect a deficiency of the vitamin, which has been linked to several neurological conditions, according to Saint Louis University research. The findings were presented this month at a meeting of the American Neurological Association.
“B12 deficiency is associated with dementia, peripheral neuropathy and spinal cord disease,” says Florian Thomas, M.D., Ph.D., associate profess
Treating patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer more aggressively by giving them higher doses of radiation helps keep the disease from spreading and allows some patients to live longer, according to a new study published in the November 1, 2004, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.
An estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people were diagnosed with loc
Breakthrough data suggests cognitive behavioral therapy alone is effective when provided by expert therapists
According to current epidemiological data, approximately 1 in 200 young people suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD patients ’obsess’ about thoughts of bad things that can happen (obsessions) and perform repetitive, destructive actions (compulsions) as a means of dealing with those thoughts. OCD can cripple their lives, disrupt their learning, and
New research shows that phonics-based instruction can actually change brain activity in adults with dyslexia, resulting in significant improvements in reading. The findings from a collaborative study by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Georgetown University Medical Center were reported today in the journal Neuron. “With about 112 hours of phonic-based instruction, adults with dyslexia had significant improvements in reading and changes in brain activity while reading,” said L
Linking continuous monitoring of ‘health behaviour’ through non-invasive wearable sensors with decision support HEARTS offers support to healthy, ill, and high-risk people alike.
“The value added of the HEARTS system, which offers continuous monitoring, is its decision support capabilities. This innovative, patient-centric approach involves improved automatic diagnosis features based on disease knowledge. This is gathered by monitoring the ‘health behaviour’ of the wearer,” expl
Red wine may protect against the development of lung cancer in men, suggests research in Thorax, with each daily glass conferring additional benefit. No other type of alcohol seemed to have the same effect, the study found.
The researchers assessed the lifestyles of 132 patients with lung cancer and 187 patients requiring minor surgery at the same hospital in north west Spain between 1999 and 2000.
Everyone was asked about their diet, smoking habits, occupation, and the t
Natural product inhibited anti-inflammatory mediator release from human airway epithelial cells
Homing in on mechanisms for the reported effectiveness of resveratrol, which is found in red wine, researchers at Imperial College London, England, confirmed its broad anti-inflammatory action, and found potential for applications in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and possibly even arthritis. Clinical preparation and delivery remain issues, though an aerosol ve
Family therapy and other psychological treatments may help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress among teenaged survivors of childhood cancer–as well as among their parents.
In studying a group of 150 families, researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that participants had significantly fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress after a one-day treatment program, compared to a control group who did not receive the treatment. Each family included an
Alzheimer’s, immunization, plaques
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have had preliminary success with a method of immunization intended to dissolve the plaques in brain tissue that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. When injected directly into the brain of mice, antibodies against a plaque protein retarded growth of the plaques by up to two months. No adverse side effects were found. “By injecting the antibodies directly into the brain, we were able to c
Research is racing to help healthcare professionals further understand how periodontal diseases are linked to cardiovascular disease. A study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Periodontology explains another reason why people with periodontal diseases are at a significant risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD).
The study looked at 108 patients with CAD with a mean age of 59.2 +/- 10.9 years and a group of 62 people without CAD with a similar mean age (57.7 +/- 8.7 years).
Novel methods for transplanting cells into areas damaged by spinal cord injury and experimental drug treatments show promise for aiding those suffering from injury to their spinal cord.
“New animal research brings increasing hope for sufferers of spinal cord injury,” says Oswald Steward, PhD, of the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. “Studies are beginning to invalidate one of the longest held ’truths’ in medicine
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