FDA approves Nexavar to treat type of thyroid cancer
11/26/2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the approved uses of Nexavar (sorafenib) to treat late-stage (metastatic) differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer is a cancerous growth of the thyroid gland, which is located in the neck. Differentiated thyroid cancer is the most common type of thyroid cancer.
The shift from serologic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing to allele-specific molecular testing was a necessary prerequisite to successful unrelated donor transplantation. However, although there is a correlation between allelic mismatch, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and mortality, post-transplant patient outcomes remain somewhat unpredictable.
Data presented in this week's issue of Blood shed new light on the interaction between lipoproteins and platelets that may lead to heart attack. In the manuscript, Chan and colleagues report that L5, the most highly electronegative fraction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), is markedly elevated in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Clinical and biological implications of driver mutations in myelodysplastic syndromes
11/26/2013
Myelodysplastic syndromes are a heterogeneous group of stem cell disorders that have been associated with a variety of mutations in genes involved in RNA splicing, chromatin modulation, and cell signaling pathways. In this week's issue of Blood, Papaemmanuil and colleagues provide new insights into the clonal evolution of these mutations and their role in the evolution of MDS.
Chronic kidney disease may be caused by epigenetic changes
11/26/2013
The research of physician-scientist Katalin Susztak, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine in the Renal Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, strives to understand the molecular roots and genetic predisposition of chronic kidney disease.
Combo of plant nutrients kills breast cancer cells
11/26/2013
A study led by Madhwa Raj, PhD, Research Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans and its Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, has found that a super cocktail of six natural compounds in vegetables, fruits, spices and plant roots killed 100% of sample breast cancer cells without toxic side effects on normal cells.
Link discovered between allergies and increased risk of blood cancers in women
11/26/2013
A team of scientists looking into the interplay of the immune system and cancer have found a link between a history of airborne allergies - in particular to plants, grass and trees - with risk of blood cancers in women.
Vaccine promises longer survival for brain tumor patients
11/26/2013
There is encouraging news from Cedars-Sinai Medical Group - 50% of patients participating in an experimental treatment for aggressive brain tumors have survived longer than 5 years since diagnosis.
Esophageal cancer surgery: 'poor outcomes' with certain symptoms
11/26/2013
A new study published in the journal Cancer reveals that patients suffering from esophageal cancer may experience different "clusters" of symptoms months after surgery, and that patients with certain clusters may be at increased risk of death from the disease.Esophageal cancer is defined as cancer of the esophagus, also known as the gullet or food pipe.
Notch signaling pathway keeps immature T cells on the right track
11/26/2013
The lab of Avinash Bhandoola, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has studied the origins of T cells for many years. One protein called Notch, which has well-known roles in the development of multiple tissues, plays an essential role in triggering T-cell development. T cells are immune cells that are made in the thymus, a small organ situated under the breastbone near the heart.