Body

The invasion or metastasis of pancreatic cancer has been known to be a complex process involving many molecular mechanisms, of which proteolytic degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) exerted by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was considered to be an essential step. Some data suggest that MMP-2 is involved in pancreatic cancer invasion and metastasis, and a high level of MMP-2 has been found to correlate with poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Western countries. The role of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs in colorectal carcinoma cell growth has not been well studied. It is known that PGE2, generated from AA, is an important factor in the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer. However, previous in vitro observations have led to uncertainty regarding a differential role of n-3 and n-6 PUFA for growth of tumor cells, as some findings are contradictory, and most studies have not addressed the effect of a changed n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio on cell proliferation.

Helicobacter pylori is of growing concern today because of its crucial role in the pathogenesis of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer diseases and in the multi-step carcinogenic process of gastric cancer. However, it is still an enigma why few strains are associated with ulcer formation with relevant clinical symptoms while others are not associated with any disease manifestation.

MAYWOOD, Ill. -- Pathologists today (March 9, 2009) reported encouraging results from a new technique to increase the accuracy of staging bladder cancer tumors that could reduce the need to remove bladders from some patients.

The technique is performed by pathologists before surgery. It can confirm that in certain cases, tumors are at an early enough stage so that the cancer can be treated without removing the bladder.

SEATTLE – The largest study of its kind to evaluate the effect of red versus white wine on breast-cancer risk concludes that both are equal offenders when it comes to increasing breast-cancer risk. The results of the study, led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, were published in the March issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

A new analysis has found that certain variations in genes that repair DNA can affect a person's risk of developing Hodgkin disease. Published in the April 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that differences in these genes should be further investigated to better understand individuals' susceptibility to this type of cancer.

Women whose cells harbor harmful mutations in the BRCA genes are likely to view preventive mastectomy as the best way to reduce their risk and fears of developing breast cancer, despite other, less drastic options available. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the April 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's findings could help physicians and other clinicians as they discuss test results with women who undergo BRCA gene testing.

Philadelphia, PA, March 9, 2009 – Good eating habits can result when families eat together. In the March/April 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers from the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota report on one of the first studies to examine the long-term benefits of regular family meals for diet quality during the transition from early to middle adolescence.

HOUSTON ― Women at increased risk for breast cancer because of the genetic BRCA mutations are more likely to think a prophylactic mastectomy is the best way to reduce their risk for the disease, compared to other women who are at high risk, according to researchers at The University of TexasM. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The study, published in the most recent issue of Cancer, also finds that the emotional worry was a strong factor leading women – both BRCA mutation carriers and others at high risk for the disease – to opt for the surgery.

Comparing 500,000 snippets of human DNA put scientists from the University of Bonn on the right track. A genetic variant on chromosome 8 occurs with significantly higher frequency in people with cleft lip and palate than in the control group. The results are to be published in the forthcoming issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a key protein that is required for immune cells called B lymphocytes to divide and replicate themselves. The rapid generation of large numbers of these immune cells is critical to the body's antibody defense mechanism. However, when B cells grow unchecked, it can lead to immune cell cancers such as multiple myeloma or, when they grow to attack the wrong targets, to autoimmune disease. By discovering the role of the CD98hc protein, scientists may find new therapy targets for such diseases.

This week's Nature Materials (09 March 2009) reveals how an international team of scientists led by researchers at the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) at UCL have discovered a novel one dimensional ice chain structure built from pentagons that may prove to be a step toward the development of new materials which can be used to seed clouds and cause rain.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Revered in India as "holy powder," the marigold-colored spice known as turmeric has been used for centuries to treat wounds, infections and other health problems. In recent years, research into the healing powers of turmeric's main ingredient, curcumin, has burgeoned, as its astonishing array of antioxidant, anti-cancer, antibiotic, antiviral and other properties has been revealed.

Yet little has been known about exactly how curcumin works inside the body.

In addition to providing a simple and much less expensive means of making artemisinin, the most powerful anti-malaria drug in use today, synthetic biology can also help to extend the effectiveness of this drug. Fermenting artemisinin via engineered microbes, such as yeast, can be done at far lower costs than extracting the drug from Artemsisia annua, the sweet wormwood tree, making microbial-based artemisinin a much cheaper but equally effective treatment.

A computer model called SIMONE, for Simulator for Interruptions and Message Overload in Network Environments described in the latest issue of the International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling, could help solve email overload in busy organizations and companies.