Body

New research demonstrates that the cellular metabolism of certain immune cells is closely linked to their function, which includes protecting against viral infections and the development of tumors. Results recently published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine reveal the relationship between glucose metabolism in Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and their ability to acquire the tools necessary to migrate and kill virally infected cells or tumor cells.

For nearly a decade, breast cancer researchers studying tamoxifen hormone therapy have been divided as to whether genetic differences in a liver enzyme affect the drug’s effectiveness and the likelihood breast cancer will recur. A new study by researchers from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center provides evidence that genetic differences in the enzyme CYP2D6 play a key role in how well tamoxifen works.

In the period just before they went extinct, the American lions and saber-toothed cats that roamed North America in the late Pleistocene were living well off the fat of the land.

That is the conclusion of the latest study of the microscopic wear patterns on the teeth of these great cats recovered from the La Brea tar pits in southern California. Contrary to previous studies, the analysis did not find any indications that the giant carnivores were having increased trouble finding prey in the period before they went extinct 12,000 years ago.

A national drug shortage has been linked to a higher rate of relapse among children, teenagers and young adults with Hodgkin lymphoma enrolled in a national clinical trial, according to research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

PHILADELPHIA - When trying to determine the root cause of a person's dementia, using an MRI can effectively and non-invasively screen patients for Alzheimer's disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Using an MRI-based algorithm effectively differentiated cases 75 percent of the time, according to the study, published in the December 26th, 2012, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

In addition to mutations, environmental conditions created by the tissues surrounding tumors (stroma) play a major role in cancer progression. Researchers led by Gregg Semenza at Johns Hopkins University examined the interactions between breast cancer cells and the stroma to identify underlying pro-metastatic molecular mechanisms.

They found that both breast cancer cells and the stroma secrete proteins that influence the behavior of each cell type.

The immune system responds to infections in the lungs by recruiting neutrophils, a group of immune cells that are responsible for recognizing and eliminating pathogens, to the site of infection.

In addition to killing infectious pathogens, neutrophils also drive inflammation, which can lead to poor lung function and sometimes fatal complications.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly cancers. It has a five year survival rate below 30% and a high rate of recurrence.

It is a variable disease, with many different biological underpinnings that make it difficult to treat.

Researchers led by Roel Verhaak at MD Anderson Cancer Center examined gene expression patterns in ovarian cancer tumor samples to identify gene expression signatures that correlated with patient prognosis.

Cyclin D1b is a protein that is induced during cancer progression; however, it's exact function in cancer is poorly understood.

Researchers led by Karen Knudsen at Thomas Jefferson University's Kimmel Cancer Center examined the role of cyclin D1b in prostate cancer.

Using a mouse model of the disease, they found that cyclin D1b promoted the expression of genes that allow the cancer to grow and metastasize. Additionally, Knudsen and colleagues demonstrated that cyclin D1b's effects were dependent on androgen receptor signaling.

Thyroid hormone has profound effects on cardiovascular function and metabolism, regulating heart rate, blood pressure, food intake, and metabolic rate.

Originally, thyroid hormone was thought to act directly on the target tissues; however, several recent studies have suggested that thyroid hormones effects are mediated by the central nervous system (CNS).

Atherosclerosis is characterized by a chronic inflammatory immune response that increases the formation atherosclerotic plaques and lesions that could trigger atherothrombosis.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a type of immune cell that have been shown to play a complex role in atherosclerosis. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Ira Tabas and Manikandan Subramanian at Columbia University used atherosclerosis-prone mice to elucidate the role of DCs in atherosclerosis.

Obesity is a direct consequence of prolonged positive energy balance that occurs when energy intake (ie. calories) exceeds energy expenditure. In mammals, brown fat plays a critical role in energy metabolism due to its ability to burn energy by dissipating heat, a process known as thermogenesis. Therapeutics that target brown fat could possibly increase metabolism and correct the imbalance that leads to obesity. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Matthias Tschöp identified a protein in mice, p62, that is required for brown fat thermogenesis.

H. pylori frequently causes gastric ulcers and is also one of the greatest risk factors for gastric cancer. H. pylori infection is also associated with another gastric cancer risk factor, iron deficiency. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Richard Peek at Vanderbilt University investigated the influence of iron on H. pylori-induced gastric cancer. Peek and colleagues found that low iron accelerated the development of H. pylori-associated cancerous lesions in gerbils. Further, H.

WASHINGTON, DC – December 26, 2012 -- Scientists have sequenced the genome of the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii, an advancement that could help identify new targets for drugs to treat and prevent Pneumocystis pneumonia, a common and often deadly infection in immunocompromised patients. The study will be published on December 26, 2012 in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The organism cannot yet be isolated and grown for study in the laboratory, so details about Pneumocystis pneumonia, the biology of P.

"Obesity and extreme obesity in childhood, which are more prevalent among minority and low-income families, have been associated with other cardiovascular risk factors, increased health care costs, and premature death. Obesity and extreme obesity during early childhood are likely to continue into adulthood. Understanding trends in extreme obesity is important because the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors increases with severity of childhood obesity," writes Liping Pan, M.D., M.P.H., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues.