Body

Counting the number of tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer can accurately predict how well they are responding to treatment, new results show.

At the ESMO Conference Lugano (ECLU) organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology, researchers showed that changes in the number of circulating tumor cells predicted the outcome after chemotherapy in this hard to treat cancer.

The emotional well-being of families where children lack a genetic or gestational link to one or both of their parents – where the children have been conceived through surrogacy, egg donation or donor insemination – has long been a subject of debate. Now, in the first worldwide study of this issue, British scientists have shown that relationships within such families appear to be functioning well, and that there are few differences between them and families in whom children were conceived naturally.

Toronto, ON, Canada – Dental researchers at the University of Washington have reported a significant reduction of toothdecay in toddlers who were treated with the topical syrup xylitol, a naturally occurring non-cavity-causing sweetener. Theirresults were presented today during the 86th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research.

Toronto, ON, Canada – Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading toenamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay. Today, during the 86th General Session of theInternational Association for Dental Research, investigators from the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg and Victoria) presentthe results of a study they conducted to determine the vitamin D status of pregnant women, the incidence of enameldefects and early-childhood tooth decay among their infants, and the relationship with pre-natal vitamin D levels.

Toronto, ON, Canada – Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by altered glucose tolerance and impairedlipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and is associated with a number of complications directly resulting from hyperglycemiainducedinflammation. Vascular changes in diabetes lead to increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke due to atherosclerosis,retinopathy, end-stage renal disease, debilitating neuropathies, poor wound healing, enhanced risk of infection, andperiodontal disease.

Toronto, ON, Canada – Dental caries, or tooth decay, continues to be the most prevalent infectious disease in the world,presenting significant public health challenges and socio-economic consequences. It leads to the loss of the hard tissues ofthe tooth, followed by inflammation and necrosis of the subjacent dental pulp. In the U.S. alone, over 20 million dental restorationsare placed each year, with failure rates of up to 60%. Hence, there exists a critical need for better biologic therapeuticsto restore the damaged dentin-pulp complex to its original form and function.

Toronto, ON, Canada - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a global epidemic threatening the lives of millionsof people. Because there is no known cure, prevention of the transmission of the virus that causes AIDS, the HumanImmunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is critical for controlling the disease. The transmitting routes of HIV include breastfeeding, whichpasses the virus from mothers to infants. This is a major problem in many areas of Africa, where HIV-positive mothers have noalternative to breastfeeding.

Toronto, ON, Canada – Titanium implants were successfully introduced by P.-I. Brånemark and co-workers in 1969 for therehabilitation of edentulous jaws. After 40 years of research and development, titanium is currently the most frequently usedbiomaterial in oral implantology, and titanium-based materials are often used to replace lost tissue in several parts of thebody.

WASHINGTON— In an article published today in the journal Science, a group of former senior federal officials call for the establishment of an independent Earth Systems Science Agency (ESSA) to meet the unprecedented environmental and economic challenges facing the nation. They propose forming the new agency by merging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Diversity among the ancestors of such marine creatures as clams, sand dollars and lobsters showed only a modest rise beginning 144 million years ago with no clear trend afterwards, according to an international team of researchers. This contradicts previous work showing dramatic increases beginning 248 million years ago and may shed light on future diversity.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 3, 2008 -- Sirtris, a GlaxoSmithKline company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging such as Type 2 Diabetes, is included among a research team that reported in today's online edition of Cell Metabolism that mice treated at middle-age to the end-of-life with resveratrol showed an overall health improvement, including improved bone health, a reduction in cataracts and cardiovascular dysfunction, and improved balance and motor coordination.

With the availability of the Internet, citizens are increasingly expected to search themselves for information on security risks in their living environment. Until now, however, too little was known about the willingness of citizens to do this and the factors that promote this information-seeking behaviour. The work of Dutch researcher Ellen ter Huurne suggests there are many factors which communication professionals should pay greater attention to.

Dutch Rubicon laureate Chris Smit has concluded that small mammals, such as rabbits and mice, play a major role in the development of natural diversity. Smit researched how scrub becomes established in natural grassland. It seems that prickly shrubs are important in protecting plants and preventing animal species from grazing. Smit has also demonstrated that natural disturbances such as flooding and animal diseases are very important for the diversity of natural areas.

International organisations frequently have high expectations about their interventions. Dutch researcher Mathijs van Leeuwen's work on peacebuilding reveals the need to exhibit modestly and to link into local agendas. Instead of wanting to realise ambitious programmes and to take the lead in social change, international organisations must instead try to be partners in peace.

AUSTIN, Texas—A dynamic way to alter the shape and size of microscopic three-dimensional structures built out of proteins has been developed by biological chemist Jason Shear and his former graduate student Bryan Kaehr at The University of Texas at Austin.

Shear and Kaehr fabricated a variety of detailed three-dimensional microstructures, known as hydrogels, and have shown that they can expand and bend the hydrogels by altering the chemistry of the environment in which they were built.