When cancer spreads from one part of the body to another, it becomes even more deadly. It moves with stealth and can go undetected for months or years. But a new technology that uses "nano-flares" has the potential to catch these lurking, mobilized tumor cells early on.
How localized bacterial infections can turn into dangerous sepsis
3/20/2014
We carry numerous bacteria on our skin, in our mouth, gut, and other tissues, and localized bacterial infections are common and mostly not harmful. Occasionally, however, a localized infection turns into dangerous systemic disease (sepsis), and scientists have new clues as to how that happens.
New type of cell communication regulates blood vessel formation and tumour growth
3/20/2014
When tumours grow, new blood vessels are formed that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the tumour cells. A research group at Uppsala University has discovered a new type of cell communication that results in suppressed blood vessel formation and delayed tumour growth.
Lung cancer patients in the UK are closer to gaining access to a new targeted treatment Giotrif® (afatinib), the first oncology treatment to be developed by Boehringer Ingelheim.
101 liver cancer drug candidates pave the way to personalized medicine
3/20/2014
The heart disease drug perhexiline is one of 101 compounds predicted to prevent cancer growth in most patients suffering from our most common liver cancer, HCC. This is an outcome from a novel simulation-based approach using personal sets of proteins of six HCC patients.
Inflammatory feedback loop promotes colorectal cancer metastasis
3/20/2014
Induction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells is associated with an increased capacity to invade into surrounding tissue and migrate to distant sites. The tumor-specific factors that drive EMT aren't completely understood; however, evidence implicates inflammation in this process.
Major breakthrough in developing new cancer drugs: Capturing leukemic stem cells
3/20/2014
The Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the Université de Montréal (UdeM), in collaboration with the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital's Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank, recently achieved a significant breakthrough thanks to the laboratory growth of leukemic stem cells, which will speed up the development of new cancer drugs.
Early detection of childhood eye cancer doesn't always improve survival, prevent eye loss
3/20/2014
For the most common form of childhood eye cancer, unilateral retinoblastoma, shortening the time from the first appearance of symptoms to diagnosis of disease has no bearing on survival or stage of the disease, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in partnership with the Hospital Infantil de Mexico.
Using big data to identify triple-negative breast, oropharyngeal, and lung cancers
3/20/2014
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and colleagues used "big data" analytics to predict if a patient is suffering from aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, slower-moving cancers or non-cancerous lesions with 95 percent accuracy.
Pathogenic interactions between platelets and neutrophils are mediated by AKT2
3/20/2014
Pathological interactions between blood cells promote thrombo-inflammatory disease and result in complications such as vaso-occlusion during atherothrombosis, inflammation, and ischemia. Activated platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells all contribute to the development of vaso-occlusion: though how interactions between these cell types are regulated is poorly understood.