Non-Invasive Brain Tumor Blaster Gets FDA Panel Support

A new non-invasive device that uses alternating electrical fields to blast brain tumors and kill cancer cells before they can multiply has received the backing of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel, although two panel members abstained from voting because of concerns that while trials showed the device was safe, it did not appear to be effective. The main argument in support of the device appears to be that it offers patients a higher quality of life, and is not necessarily about longer survival, where its effect appears to be minimal. Brain Tumor Blaster Gets FDA Panel Support Patients who attended the panel hearing last week urged members to recommend FDA approval. The Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory...

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Progression of Cancerous Tumors

A new method of examining cancerous tumors suggests that tumors may not evolve gradually, but rather in a punctuated or staccato-like bursts. The finding has shed new light on the process of tumor growth and metastasis, and may help in the development of new methods to clinically evaluate tumors. Progression of Cancerous Tumors The new analytic method, devised by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor Michael Wigler and colleagues, features a process called single cell sequencing (SNS), which enables accurate quantification of genomic copy number within a single cell nucleus. Genomic copy number refers to the amount of DNA in the nucleus. In cancer, portions of the genome are amplified or deleted, giving rise to extra or...

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Kidney Transplantation Not Equally Available to All

Not all racial and ethnic groups have equal access to kidney transplantation, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that the reasons for these disparities are varied and that more focused efforts are needed to address them. Increasing patients on dialysis who need kidney transplants For most individuals who develop kidney failure or end-stage renal disease, kidney transplantation is the best treatment option. Unfortunately, certain racial and ethnic groups are less likely to receive kidney transplants than others. Despite the increasing diversity of patients on dialysis who need kidney transplants, no prior studies had comprehensively compared the...

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Patients With Hypertension Should Avoid Sugar-Sweetened Drinks

In the International Study of Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP), for every extra sugar-sweetened beverage drunk per day participants on average had significantly higher systolic blood pressure by 1.6 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure higher by 0.8 mm Hg. This remained statistically significant even after adjusting for differences in body mass, researchers said. Researchers found higher blood pressure levels in individuals who consumed more glucose and fructose, both sweeteners that are found in high-fructose corn syrup, the most common sugar sweetener used by the beverage industry.  Hypertension should avoid Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Higher blood pressure was more pronounced in people who...

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New Evidence of Fracture Risk From Bone Drugs

There is new evidence that long-term use of the most widely prescribed bone loss drugs may increase the risk for uncommon but serious femur (thigh bone) fractures. In an analysis involving more than 200,000 postmenopausal women, those who took oral bisphosphonates for more than five years were more than twice as likely to experience the fractures as women who took the drugs only briefly. But the fractures were still quite rare, occurring in about one in 1,000 women who took the drugs for five years or more, a study researcher tells WebMD. bone loss drugs may increase the risk "People with a high risk for osteoporosis-related fractures should not stop taking these drugs because, on average, the benefits will far outweigh the risks,"...

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Brain-Computer Interfaces Taken To The Next Phase

You may have heard of virtual keyboards controlled by thought, brain-powered wheelchairs, and neuro-prosthetic limbs. But powering these machines can be downright tiring, a fact that prevents the technology from being of much use to people with disabilities, among others. Professor Jose del R. Millan and his team at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have a solution: engineer the system so that it learns about its user, allows for periods of rest, and even multitasking. heard of virtual keyboards controlled by though In a typical brain-computer interface (BCI) set-up, users can send one of three commands - left, right, or no-command. No-command is the static state between left and right and is necessary...

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Mild asthma might not need to be treated daily

Mild asthma might not need to be treated every day, say US researchers. A "preventer" inhaler containing corticosteroid is part of many asthma sufferers' daily routine, but it can result in reduced growth and children often forget to take it. This study, published in The Lancet, shows that it is possible to manage the symptoms without a daily dose. Asthma UK said daily treatment was still the most effective, and concerned patients should speak to their doctor. The disease causes inflammation of the tubes which carry air to and from the lungs. If they become irritated, then the airways narrow, sticky mucus is produced and breathing becomes difficult.  Inhalers might not be needed in mild asthma More than 5 million people in the UK are...

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Starting Solid Foods Earlier Linked to Obesity Risk

Babies raised on formula who start eating solid foods before they are 4 months old may be more likely to become obese than those who start later, suggests a new study. The findings support U.S. guidelines that say parents should wait until babies are between 4 and 6 months old to start feeding them solid foods, said Dr. Susanna Huh, one of the study's lead authors from Children's Hospital Boston. "Adhering to those guidelines could reduce the risk of obesity in childhood," she told Reuters Health. Solid Foods Earlier Linked to Obesity Previous studies have shown conflicting results on whether the age at which babies start eating solid foods is related to their chance of being obese a few years down the line. Especially among babies who...

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Global obesity rates have doubled since 1980

Obesity rates worldwide have doubled in the last three decades even as blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped, new research says. People in Pacific Island nations like American Samoa are the heaviest, the study shows. Among developed countries, Americans are the fattest and the Japanese are the slimmest. "Being obese is no longer just a Western problem," said Majid Ezzati, a professor of public health at Imperial College London, one of the study authors. In 1980, about 5 percent of men and 8 percent of women worldwide were obese. By 2008, the rates were nearly 10 percent for men and 14 percent for women. That means 205 million men and 297 million women weighed in as obese. Another 1.5 billion adults were overweight, according...

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Easy Ways to Eat 5 Fruits and Veggies a Day

Over the past few years, we’ve been bombarded with warnings about rising obesity, cancer and diabetes rates. Nearly every report makes a strong argument for the link between disease and diet. Government guidelines are advising us to eat a minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables every day even more if we can manage, since the consensus is that you can’t eat too many vegetables. The trouble is, for many of us eating even five portions can seem like a serious challenge. When we work long hours, we naturally reach for convenience foods, almost all of which are carb-based. minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables every day even Cooking at home is a lost art, with the sound of something sizzling on the stove being replaced by the...

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New Hope in Antiviral Therapy

In the recent studies, researchers have identified two functional gene variants in the inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) gene that protect patients with hepatitis C virus (HCD) against anemia. This new finding ensures completion of antiviral therapy and successful elimination of the virus. Findings of these studies appear in the February issue of Hepatology. researchers have identified two functional gene variants in the inosine triphosphatas Chronic HCV affects up to 170 million individuals worldwide and is a leading cause of end-stage liver disease. While HCV is curable with treatment of pegylated interferon (pegIFN) and ribavirin (RBV), many patients have difficulty tolerating these antiviral drugs. Prior studies have shown that...

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Red Blood Cell Hormone Modulates The Immune System

New research reveals that a hormone best known for stimulating the production of red blood cells can modulate the immune response. The study, published by Cell Press in the January 27th issue of the journal Immunity, finds that erythropoietin (EPO) has contrasting influences on infectious and inflammatory diseases and may be useful in the design of new therapeutic strategies. EPO is a cytokine hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells by acting at EPO receptors (EPORs) on red blood cell precursors. Interestingly, other cell types also express EPORs. "It is clear that EPORs are present on immune cells, but the function of these receptors was completely unknown," says senior study author Dr. Guenter Weiss from Innsbruck...

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High Physical Activity Enable Osteoarthritis People Walk Faster

Increased physical activity enables people with knee osteoarthritis to walk faster, says a research conducted by Northwestern University. "The more active people are, the faster they can walk," said Dorothy Dunlop, associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and lead author of the study Enable Osteoarthritis People Walk Faster "This is strong evidence that even a small increase in activity is related to better walking function. The bar for improvement isn't that high. This should motivate people to get moving, even if they have pain or stiffness."  Federal guidelines recommend adults with arthritis should participate in at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate intensity, low-impact activity...

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Virus Might Fight If Armed With Bacterial Enzyme, Study Shows

New research shows that oncolytic viruses, which are engineered to destroy cancer cells, might be more effective in treating deadly brain tumors if equipped with an enzyme that helps them penetrate the tumor. The enzyme, called chondroitinase, helps the cancer-killing virus clear its way through the thickets of protein molecules that fill space between cells and impede the virus's movement through the tumor, say researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute who conducted the study. Brain Tumors Better Study Shows When tested in animals transplanted with a human glioblastoma, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer, the enzyme-armed...

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Prozac 'helps stroke patients recover from paralysis'

A new study has found that giving stroke patients antidepressant pill Prozac soon after the event, could help their recovery from paralysis. Researchers have shown more improvement in movement and greater independence after 3 months in patients taking the antidepressant (also known as fluoxetine), compared to a placebo, reports BBC News. Recovery from paralysis The study was based on research on 118 patients in France, who had moderate to severe motor disabilities following their stroke.Tests on stroke patients 90 days after being given the drug found that patients taking fluoxetine had gained significantly more function in their upper and lower limbs than patients who were not given the drug. Patients in the fluoxetine group were also...

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Posted in: Prozac 'helps stroke patients recover - paralysis'

Republicans Are Given a Price Tag for Health Law Repeal, but Reject It

WASHINGTON — The nonpartisan budget scorekeepers in Congress said on Thursday that the Republican plan to repeal President Obama’s health care law would add $230 billion to federal budget deficits over the next decade, intensifying the first legislative fight of the new session and highlighting the challenge Republicans face in pursuing their agenda.  Given a Price Tag for Health Law Repeal, but Reject It The new House speaker, John A. Boehner, flatly rejected the report, saying it was based largely on chicanery by Democrats. Mr. Boehner’s dismissal of the report by the Congressional Budget Office, at his first formal news conference as speaker, was the latest salvo in the battle over the health care law. White House officials...

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NI Swine flu rate increases

Swine flu continues to rise in Northern Ireland, according to the latest figures from the Public Health Agency.A total of 185 people had the H1NI virus in the last week of December.This indicates an increase of 49 cases on the previous week.   The rates are highest in the 15-44 age group. G.P consultation rates also shot up by 45% from 179.5 per 100,000 population.Receiving the seasonal flu vaccine is "the best way" to protect against the virus, according to Dr. Lorraine Doherty, PHA's Assistant Director.She recommends the injection for those in the 'at-risk' group which includes the over-65s and those with a lowered immune system.   NI Swine flu  Addressing concerns over the availability of the flu vaccine,...

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Study Finds Correlation Between Cancer Development and Infection

In a recent study conducted by The City College of New York has successfully drawn parallels between infection and the way in which blood cancer advances in the body. This study specifically was carried out in fruit flies. The immune system response in Drosophila to a wasp infection is highly restrained, resulting in a thin layer of blood cells encapsulating the egg. However, blood cancer occurs when there is an out-of-control response to a chronic inflammation, with a much thicker layer of red blood cells. "The response to wasp infection is similar to acute inflammation while the cancer is akin to chronic inflammation in mammals, where regulation of the response to an infection also goes out of control," said Dr. Shubha...

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Posted in: Study-Finds-Correlation-Between-Cancer-Development-and-Infection

Estrogen Makes Precancerous Cells Deadly in the Oral Cavity

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have found that estrogen may increase the movement of precancerous cells in the mouth and thus promote the spread of the disease within the oral cavity. Margie Clapper, co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center and colleagues had previously reported that estrogen metabolism changes following smoke exposure in the lungs and may contribute to lung cancer.     Estrogen Makes Precancerous Cells Deadly To find out if this female hormone influences development of head and neck cancer, Ekaterina Shatalova, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center and researcher on this study, examined the impact of estrogen on ...

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Posted in: Estrogen-Precancerous-Cells-Deadly--Oral-Cavity