Body

Transcriptional silencing of tumor suppressor genes by hypermethylation of CpG islands located in the promoter region is very common in human colorectal cancer. Dietary folate/vitamin B12 intake and MTHFR C677T genotype was suggested to protect against colorectal cancer. However, only a few studies have addressed the joint effects of circulating levels of folate/vitamin B12 and the MTHFR C677T genotype on the risk of epigenetic inactivation of specific tumor suppressor genes in CRC patients.

Ellagic acid was previousely shown to have anticarcinogenic, antioxidant and antifibrosis properties. The anticarcinogenic effect of ellagic acid was shown in several types of cancers including skin, esophageal, and colon cancers. However the mechanisms mediating anti-cancer effect of ellagic acid, in general, remain unknown.

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth to sixth leading cause of cancer death in Europe and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the USA. The lethality of this malignancy is demonstrated by the fact that the annual incidence is approximately equal to the annual deaths. Unfortunately, carcinoma of the pancreas is increasing in incidence, and its exact risk factors are poorly understood.

Ineffective oesophageal motility (IOM) is a common swallowing abnormality characterised by low-amplitude contractile sequences in the lower oesophagus. These ineffective sequences include low amplitude but progressive, low-amplitude simultaneous, and non-transmitted contractile patterns. It is not known whether specific symptoms experienced by IOM patients, such as heartburn, dysphagia (sensation of swallowing difficulty) and chest pain, are associated with one of these three contractile patterns.

Austin, TX September 24, 2008 — University of Texas professor Hao Ling and Ph.D. candidate, Shobha Ram, are one step closer to making x-ray vision a reality. They are perfecting radar systems that can detect human activities through barriers and convert the signals to virtual renderings similar to that of a video game.

A study of the first approximately 100 patients who have received partial breast irradiation with a small, whisk-like, expandable device inserted inside the breast has shown that after one year, the device is effective at sparing nearby healthy tissue from the effects of radiation. The device, called SAVI™, is aimed at providing customized radiation therapy while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue around the breast after a woman has received a lumpectomy for early stage cancer.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.— Mostly hidden from the scrutiny of the naked eye, microbes have been said to run the world. The challenge is how best to characterize them given that less than one percent of the estimated hundreds of millions of microbial species can be cultured in the laboratory. The answer is metagenomics—an increasingly popular approach for extracting the genomes of uncultured microorganisms and discerning their specific metabolic capabilities directly from environmental samples.

Chicago, IL – The number of cases of surgical innovation published in otolaryngic medical journals has fallen drastically since the late 1980s, leading researchers to question the impact of government oversight over surgery, according to research presented during the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.

Many gastrointestinal tumors, including pancreatic cancer, have been shown to overexpress the EGFR. The overexpression of EGFR correlates with rapidly progressive disease and poor prognosis. Targeting EGFR pathway as a potential therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer has been developed. Erlotinib is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that efficiently blocks EGFR. Preliminary results of phase III trial in pancreatic cancer revealed an improvement in survival with the addition of erlotinib.

Body of text: Anaerobic microorganisms are important constituents of both human and animal intestinal microbiota. Infections caused by anaerobic bacteria are increasingly being recognized as major problem in clinical medicine. The commensal anaerobic bacterial flora of the colon may undergo changes during diarrhea, owing to colonization of the intestine by pathogens and to rapid intestinal transit. The major role of endogenous cationic antimicrobial peptides in preventing the onset of infection has been emphasized recently. Such peptides have been found platelets and are designated PMP.

Body of text: I/R injury of the small intestine is consequently a critical problem that is important. DHP-PMX therapy can remove circulating endotoxins and reduce various cytokines, even in patients with high levels of plasma cytokines. DHP-PMX therapy has also been attempted for severe sepsis secondary to intra-abdominal infection, acute lung injury, and acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by sepsis, and its effectiveness has been reported.

Dr. Hong-Yang Wang and his colleagues confirmed that reduced or absent expressions of E-cadherin and P120 were shown to be associated with the tumor histological grade. And their expression significantly associated with tumor pTNM stage, intrahepatic metastasis and patients' survival. Therefore, both of them could serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers of ICCs.

HBV infection remains a major health problem in the world. Several data have revealed that lamivudine can efficiently promote the treatment of hepatitis B. However, a long-term treatment of lamivudine leads to the emergence of lamivudine-resistant mutants (YMDD mutants), which hampers the anti-HBV therapy. Therefore, researches related to HBV lamivudine-resistant mechanism has been of great significance. Up to date, many researches using eukaryotic plasmids containing either one type of HBV YMDD mutant or wild-type strains, without specification of HBV genotype, were reported.

BOSTON, September 21, 2008 – New data show that CAPHOSOL® (www.caphosol.com), an advanced electrolyte solution, significantly limits the occurrence and severity of oral mucositis (OM) in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

The American Heart Association today unveiled six principles on healthcare reform as the presidential candidates begin a series of debates, the first scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26, at the University of Mississippi. With a vision of a stronger healthcare system, the association's 2008 Statement of Principles on Health Care Reform outlines critical issues that must be addressed to ensure high-quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans.