Surprising role played by 'velcro protein' in cell migration
3/17/2014
Studying epithelial cells, the cell type that most commonly turns cancerous, Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a protein that causes cells to release from their neighbors and migrate away from healthy mammary, or breast, tissue in mice. They also found that deletion of a cellular "Velcro protein" does not cause the single-celled migration expected.
New ovarian cancer targets proposed
3/17/2014
Proteins called TAFs were once thought to be generic cogs in the machinery of gene expression, but in a new study Brown University scientists propose that they may be important suspects in the progression of ovarian cancer that should not continue to be overlooked.
Insulin-treated diabetes increases mortality four-fold in cancer patients
3/17/2014
People who have diabetes at the time they are diagnosed with cancer are more likely to die early than those without diabetes, concludes research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes). The research is by Kristina Ranc, University of Copenhagen and Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark, and colleagues.
Biologists get a new view of tumors' evolution
3/17/2014
Cancer cells undergo extensive genetic alterations as they grow and spread through the body. Some of these mutations, known as "drivers," help spur cells to grow out of control, while others ("passengers") are merely along for the ride.
Mouse model created to act as biosensor
3/17/2014
Scientists from the UK and Australia have created a mouse that expresses a fluorescing 'biosensor' in every cell of its body, allowing diseased cells and drugs to be tracked and evaluated in real time and in three dimensions.This biosensor mimics the action of a target molecule, in this case a protein known as 'Rac', which drives cell movement in many types of cancer.
Mood, sleep and quality of life improved by mindfulness-based meditation in teenagers with cancer
3/16/2014
Mindfulness-based meditation could lessen some symptoms associated with cancer in teens, according to the results of a clinical trial intervention led by researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital. Mindfulness-based meditation focuses on the present moment and the connection between the mind and body.
Combining nanodrug-based chemotherapy and cryoablation provides an effective strategy to eliminate cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) the root of cancer resistance and metastasis, which will help to improve the safety and efficacy of treating malignancies that are refractory to conventional therapies.
Cornerstone Pharma demonstrates ability to disrupt growth of cancer cells
3/14/2014
Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the growing field of cancer metabolism-based therapeutics, today announced that its first-in-class cancer metabolism targeted therapeutic, CPI-613, demonstrated the ability to inhibit tumor cell growth in the published studies.
Potential to halt cancer metastasis through protein that is key to cell motility
3/14/2014
"Cell movement is the basic recipe of life, and all cells have the capacity to move," says Roberto Dominguez, PhD, professor of Physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Motility - albeit on a cellular spatial scale - is necessary for wound healing, clotting, fetal development, nerve connections, and the immune response, among other functions.
BRCA 1 breast cancer gene plays a protective role against the development of metabolic disease
3/14/2014
The gene known to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility, BRCA 1, plays a critical role in the normal metabolic function of skeletal muscle, according to a new study led by University of Maryland School of Public Health researchers. Dr.