Body

PORTLAND, Ore. A new study jointly conducted by Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute may one day help not only our canine friends with cancer, but also people with the human form of the disease.

Forging this unique relationship is OSU veterinary oncologist and researcher Stuart Helfand, D.V.M., and Brian Druker, M.D., director of the OHSU Cancer Institute.

Cleveland, Ohio – September 23, 2008 - A recent study shows that a loss of antioxidants in the endothelial cells that line blood vessels in the lungs contributes to the loss of vasodilator effects and, ultimately, to the development of pulmonary hypertension. The findings appear in Clinical and Translational Science.

PHILADELPHIA -- Researchers in Hong Kong report that testing patient blood for DNA from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) during treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma effectively predicts clinical outcome. A biomarker test like this, when perfected, could identify patients whose treatment could be intensified after a month or so of standard therapy as well as those who might benefit from lighter treatment.

PHILADELPHIA – Researchers have identified TEM1 as a specific genetic marker for the vascular cells associated with tumor growth, a finding that could aid in diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

"The laboratory of Dr. George Coukos is developing novel treatments for ovarian cancer which target the vasculature surrounding the tumor, thereby disrupting the blood supply needed for the tumor to grow," said Chunsheng Li, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Ovarian Cancer Research Center.

BOSTON -- Using one of the largest databases of prostate cancer outcomes in the United States, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have developed a prediction tool that uses a patient's clinical information to estimate the benefit of adding androgen deprivation therapy of various durations to radiation therapy.

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 23 – Newly diagnosed cancer patients who are enrolled in Medicare's Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans may be unlikely to participate in clinical trials because of prohibitive costs, according to a study by the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). Under these HMO plans, covering people age 65 and older, patients are required to pay both a deductible and 20 percent of the treatment cost. As a result, access to state-of-the-art care is limited for some of society's most vulnerable members.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Women taking aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer or prevent its recurrence should think twice before also taking a soy-based dietary supplement, researchers report.

Genistein, a soy isoflavone that mimics the effects of estrogen in the body, can negate the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors, which are designed to reduce the levels of estrogens that can promote tumor growth in some types of breast cancer.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The number of hearing impaired infants and toddlers who are successfully aided by technological devices, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, continues to grow, but there are still unknowns about these children's speaking abilities, according to a Purdue University expert.

A new assessment tool, a game-like activity to monitor early auditory-guided speech development in infants and toddlers, is available for speech-language pathologists, said David Ertmer, the tool's co-creator and an associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences.

Chicago, IL – A small, portable device used for the home diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea has been deemed very reliable, according to new research presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.

Syntactic persistence is the tendency for speakers to produce sentences using similar grammatical patterns and rules of language as those they have used before. Although the way this occurs is not well understood, previous research has indicated that this effect may involve a specific aspect of memory function. Memory is made up of two components: declarative and procedural. Declarative memory is used in remembering events and facts. Procedural memory helps us to remember how to perform tasks, such as playing the piano or riding a bike.

BOSTON -- A new Fox Chase Cancer Center study suggests men with early stage prostate cancer treated with radiation therapy should begin hormone therapy immediately if their PSA level rises quickly and doubles within six months at any time after treatment. The study also supports foregoing hormones if the PSA doesn't rise as quickly. Both findings suggest a change in the practice of prescribing hormones is warranted.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a new class of disposable, microplate-based optical biosensors capable of detecting protein-DNA interactions. Based on the properties of photonic crystals, the biosensors are suitable for the rapid identification of inhibitors of protein-nucleic acid and protein-protein interactions.

Advances in sensing technology will help to reduce the wastage from 'farm to fork' that's contributing to the UK's £10 billion food wastage bill, according to the UK's Sensors & Instrumentation Knowledge Transfer Network. Sensors can detect early indicators of food spoilage before visual signs are apparent, identify toxins and monitor water and nutrient concentration within the soil to improve irrigation efficiency.

Chicago, IL - Even as John McCain and Barack Obama face the wear and tear of the campaign trail, the men who preceded them in the White House might warn of the various ear, nose, and throat ailments that plagued their terms in office. Presidential otolaryngologic health will be the topic of discussion during a roundtable mini-seminar during the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.

PHILADELPHIA – A research team, led by investigators at the Department of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, has achieved a substantial "kill" of pancreatic cancer cells by using nanoparticles to successfully deliver a deadly diphtheria toxin gene.