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duminică, 5 august 2012

Potential Weapon In The Fight Against Cancer

By identifying a key protein that tells certain breast cancer cells when and how to move, researchers at Michigan State University hope to better understand the process by which breast cancer spreads, or metastasizes.

When breast cancer metastasizes, cancer cells break away from a primary tumor and move to other organs in the body, including the lungs, liver and brain. In work published recently in the journal Cancer Research, MSU researchers Kathy Gallo and Jian Chen show a protein called MLK3 (mixed lineage kinase 3) is a critical driver of breast cancer cell migration and invasion.

More importantly, Chen and Gallo showed that in triple-negative breast tumor cells, which are more aggressive and for which targeted therapies are needed, it is possible to thwart that cell migration and invasion.

"While the classical approach to cancer drugs has been to find drugs that kill tumor cells, there recently also is an interest in finding drugs that interrupt metastasis," said Gallo, a professor in MSU's Department of Physiology. "The hope is that such drugs in combination with conventional therapies may lead to better outcomes in patients."

As part of their study, Gallo and Chen, a biochemistry graduate student, also found that eliminating MLK3 prevented tumors in animals from metastasizing to the lungs, providing the foundation for future research on targeting MLK3 pathways as an approach to preventing the spread of cancer.

The researchers identified how key cellular proteins were instructed by the MLK3 protein - through the addition of molecular tags called phosphates - to interact with one another, leading cancer cells to move. Specifically, MLK3 promotes the addition of phosphates to another protein called paxillin, which is known to control how cells move.

Gallo and Chen then stopped cell movement in breast cancer models by eliminating MLK3 altogether or using a drug called CEP-1347 to block MLK3's ability to add phosphates to other proteins. The experimental results indicate that when certain cancer cells lose MLK3, the ability to add phosphates is impaired, eventually crippling the cell migration machinery and diminishing cell movement.

"Our research suggests that the intracellular pathways involving MLK3 that control cell movement could provide new targets for the treatment of patients with metastatic cancer," Chen said. "Drugs developed for combating the MLK3 activity may be useful in reducing the spread of breast cancer."

Gallo added that MLK3 is a protein kinase, and these types of proteins have proven to be good drug targets in cancers and other diseases.

"While drugs such as chemotherapy kill all cells, research has shown drugs that inhibit kinases often can be effective with fewer side effects," she said.

The next step for the researchers is to test whether an MLK3 inhibitor can prevent cancer from metastasizing in animal models.

"Cancer is a very complex collection of diseases, but we believe that certain types of cancers may be sensitive to MLK inhibitors," Gallo said, "and targeting MLK3 may provide a very useful weapon in the fight against cancer."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our breast cancer section for the latest news on this subject. The team’s research was supported by grants from the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program and the Elsa U. Pardee Foundation. The MLK inhibitor, CEP-1347, was provided by Cephalon Inc., a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd.
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marți, 13 decembrie 2011

Dana-Farber Offers Healthy Holiday Recipes And Food Tips To Fight Cancer With Your Fork This Holiday Season

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 13 Dec 2011 - 1:00 PST

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The holidays are in full swing and festive food is everywhere. Some are naughty, some are nice, and some may even help fight cancer.

"While these so-called holiday foods are delicious to eat, they can also have the added bonus of containing cancer-preventing nutrients," says Stephanie Meyers, MS, RD/LDN, a nutritionist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Meyers and her colleagues have put together a list of foods and recipes that definitely belong on the "good" list this holiday season.

Go nuts

Dust off that family nutcracker. Recent research finds that walnuts may help to prevent kidney and colon cancers. In addition, the study suggests that walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants that may help protect cells from oxidative damage. Walnuts contain essential fatty acids, or the so-called "good fats," which are known to help reduce blood pressure and boost the immune system. So go nuts with this simple pesto recipe.

It's not just for pie

Pumpkin is a holiday staple for many families. It is also one of the tastiest ways to enhance the body's own natural cancer-fighting ability, notes Meyers. Pumpkins are packed with nutrients called carotenoids, which have been linked to the prevention of colon, prostate, breast, and lung cancer.

Although many people only eat pumpkin when it is made into a pie, it can also be enjoyed in a variety of other ways, including roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup and these high-fiber pumpkin muffins.

It's the bright color that gives pumpkins their rich nutrients, so look for other orange vegetables, like sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut and acorn squash. All are also high in carotenoids.

"It is more beneficial to consume carotenoids from whole foods rather than from supplements, because carotenoids in pill form do not appear to have the same protective properties," explains Meyers. In fact, that is true of many of the nutrients in foods. Eating whole foods typically provides greater health benefits than taking a dietary supplement.

An apple a day

Apples are another food packed with cancer-preventing properties, thanks to the nutrient quercitin, which protects DNA in the body's cells from damage that could lead to the development of cancer. Recent research suggests the carbohydrates in apples may help prevent colorectal cancer development as well. To get the most protection against cancer from apples,eat them with the skin on and not combined with sugar and fats, like in a pie.

Not just for the holidays

Meyers reminds her patients at Dana-Farber that cranberries aren't just for the holidays and encourages them to eat the berries year-round. Cranberries contain benzoic acid, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of lung cancer, colon cancer, and some forms of leukemia.

She recommends buying bags of fresh cranberries now, while they are in season and at their nutritional peak, and popping them in the freezer for later use. This will help ensure that the berries will provide the highest level of cancer protection whenever they're used.

Positively pomegranate

Pomegranates are everywhere, from drinks to desserts, and there is good reason why. Recent research suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may be a delicious way to help prevent prostate cancer, as well as prevent the metastasis and spread of prostate cancer cells.

Try combining pomegranates and apples for a delicious, good-for-you dessert that is layered with flavonoids, vitamin C, and other antioxidants that can help lower the risk of cancer.

Color your world

The overall key to finding cancer-fighting foods is to look for a lot of color. In the winter, root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and beets can add a burst of color and taste. The brighter and richer the pigment, the higher the level of nutrients. "You want to load up your plate with as much colorful plant-based foods as you can," explains Meyers. "Eating a plant-based diet is the best way to help lower your risk of cancer all year long."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Source: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
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luni, 12 decembrie 2011

Missed Opportunity To Transform Global HIV/AIDS Fight Reported By Tropical Disease Experts

Main Category: Tropical Diseases
Also Included In: HIV / AIDS; Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses; Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 12 Dec 2011 - 1:00 PST

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Global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts are missing a major opportunity to significantly improve health conditions in poor countries by simply adding low-cost care for the many other chronic and disabling diseases routinely afflicting and often killing these same patients, according to a panel of disease experts who spoke at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH).

"People want better health; they do not understand why we silo diseases," said Judd Walson, a global health and infectious disease expert at the University of Washington. "If you die from malaria, you don't care that your HIV was treated. Communities want us to leverage the resources we have to treat and prevent disease as effectively as possible."

Walson and his colleagues on the panel noted that many victims of HIV/AIDS also typically suffer from one or more of about 17 neglected, but burdensome, tropical diseases often called "diseases of poverty" because they prey on the "bottom billion" - the world's poorest people. They include ailments such as trachoma, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and onchocerciasis, all of which are either insect-borne disease, bacterial infections, or caused by parasitic worms.

Despite the illness and deaths attributable to these diseases, proposed US funding for fighting them was only about $155 million in 2011, or about 3 percent of the $5.6 billion invested in HIV/AIDS efforts. Moreover, the programs often exist in isolation from one another with, for example, many programs restricting support only to antiretroviral drugs to treat AIDS.

Yet tropical disease experts note that in places like sub-Saharan Africa, where neglected diseases affect 1.4 billion people, co-infections with HIV are common. And they see mounting evidence that dealing with multiple diseases at the same time and in the same place is more cost-effective and clinically beneficial.

Walson pointed to a program in Western Kenya that focused on a community suspected of having high levels of HIV but whose remote location made it hard to reach to conduct testing. The program promised access to free bed nets and water filters to those residents who came in for a test. In just six days, some 10,000 residents turned out for the free nets and filters. The result: 1181 people were found to be HIV positive and referred to care while thousands of people gained new tools for preventing malaria and water-borne diseases.

In another example of the potential benefits of targeting multiple problems in a single intervention, a study initially focusing on treatment for onchocerciasis, a parasitic disease also known as river blindness, was broadened to offer insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), malaria drugs and vitamin A. The study, which covered an area with 2.35 million people, increased bed net coverage by nine-fold.

Sten Vermund, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, noted the need to address any co-infections that might increase HIV viral load. He pointed to studies linking higher viral load with a higher likelihood of transmitting HIV, and a low load with reduced disease progression and HIV transmission risk. He said a review of a wide number of studies revealed that treating a variety of co-infections, including TB, malaria, schistosomiasis, filariasis, herpes, gonorrhea and syphilis decreased viral load to varying degrees.

"If de-worming efforts for neglected diseases reduces the viral load even just a little, then you could expect some benefit for preventing or slowing HIV transmission," said Vermund. "But it's also helpful to keep in mind that a majority of people don't know they have HIV. An effective mass de-worming campaign could have huge effects without even knowing the community's HIV status."

Peter Hotez, ASTMH President and founding dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and Alan Fenwick, Professor of Tropical Parasitology and Director of Schistosomiasis Control Initiative at the Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology at Imperial College of London, offered a presentation focused on improved treatment for schistosomiasis. Schistosomiasis is a preventable, chronic, inflammatory condition caused by a parasite infection that is found in approximately 220 million people, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. The parasite swims in water and burrows into human skin on contact. It is linked to an estimated 280,000 deaths each year. In women, the disease often affects the cervix and vagina where it can cause infertility, painful intercourse, and post-coital bleeding. One type of schistosomiasis known as female urogenital schistosomiasis affects girls and young women and is associated with HIV infection.

"These women are at highest risk of HIV infection and should be the focus of public health interventions," said Fenwick.

The high prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis appears to be associated with higher rates of HIV and the genital lesions seen with this type of schistosomiasis may contribute to the acquisition of HIV in women. The researchers believe schistosomiasis interventions can be seen as a type of HIV/AIDS control, with mass treatment in girls aimed at preventing the onset of genital lesions.

In his President's address to the ASTMH meeting, Hotez challenged his colleagues to move beyond a focus on individual conditions to embrace a concerted campaign against the totality of tropical diseases. Referencing Bill Gates' call for adopting an "audacious goal" of eradicating malaria, Hotez called for expanding the "audacious goal" to ridding the world of all its neglected tropical diseases.

He portrayed neglected diseases as everyday manifestations of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in that they cause pestilence, death, underlie famine and worsen the conditions of war. Hotez noted the importance of fighting disease to the success of international anti-poverty initiatives. "These diseases don't just occur in a setting of poverty; these diseases are a stealth cause of poverty in low and middle income countries," he said.

He quoted John Gardner, the Secretary of Health under President Lyndon Johnson, who said: "There are no better grounds on which we can meet other nations and demonstrate our own concern for peace and the betterment of mankind than in a common battle against disease.

In a separate presentation at ASTMH, Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health, also underscored the importance of attaching the fight against neglected diseases to a broader agenda.

"We need to understand the impact we can have when we link our understanding of improvements in people's lives to policy endeavors that can changes the lives of millions," he said. "Often this does not happen. The question is how can we build consensus in the scientific community and among our allies; how can we build coalitions to pull those policy levers more effectively? All of the diseases that affect the poor are neglected."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our tropical diseases section for the latest news on this subject. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. "Missed Opportunity To Transform Global HIV/AIDS Fight Reported By Tropical Disease Experts." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Dec. 2011. Web.
12 Dec. 2011. APA

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View the original article here