Clinical Oncology Week articles from September 2008

Clinical Oncology Week archives from September 2008

NYU scientists identify critical protein complex in formation of cell cilia.(Report)
September 1, 2008... An international team led by NYU Cancer Institute have identified a protein complex that regulates the formation of cilia, which are found on virtually all mature human cells and are essential to normal cell function (see also NYU Langone...

Fish cancer gene linked to pigment pattern that attracts mates.
September 1, 2008... Though skin cancer is deadly to male fish, it also has one perk: The black melanoma splotches arise from attractive natural markings that lure female mates. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week...

Study findings on cancer vaccines are outlined in reports from Army.
September 1, 2008... " HER-2/neu is overexpressed in breast cancer and is the source of immunogenic peptides. CD4(+) T-helper peptides for HER-2/neu are being evaluated in vaccine trials," researchers in the United States report (see also Cancer Vaccines). ...

454 Sequencing System Opens New Avenue in Prostate Cancer Research.
September 1, 2008... Using the Genome Sequencer FLX system from 454 Life Sciences, a Roche company, investigators have identified a number of genetic variations potentially linked to prostate, breast, and colon cancers within a previously identified region of the...

Treatment with Plerixafor Shown to Improve Mobilization of Cells in Donors During Bone Marrow Stem Cell Collection Procedures.
September 1, 2008... In a study of 25 bone marrow donors, treatment with plerixafor, an antagonist able to disrupt a critical pathway associated with stem cell mobilization, was shown to mobilize cells faster than treatment with granular colony-stimulating factor...

Newly detected air pollutant mimics damaging effects of cigarette smoke.
September 1, 2008... A previously unrecognized group of air pollutants could have effects remarkably similar to harmful substances found in tobacco smoke, Louisiana scientists are reporting in a study scheduled for presentation today at the 236th National Meeting...

Researchers discover scent of skin cancer.(Report)
September 1, 2008... According to new research from the Monell Center, odors from skin can be used to identify basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. The findings, presented at the 236th meeting of the American Chemical Society, may open doors...

Scientists discover major genetic cause of colorectal cancer.
September 1, 2008... About one-third of colorectal cancers are inherited, but the genetic cause of most of these cancers is unknown. The genes linked to colorectal cancer account for less than 5 percent of all cases (see also Northwestern University). ...

Charities take note: Personal relationships increase donations.
September 8, 2008... People tend to be more sympathetic to people suffering from the same misfortune as a friend. But friendship with a victim does not make people generally more sympathetic, according to the authors of a new study in the Journal of Consumer...

Study results from Uppsala University provide new insights into osteosarcoma.
September 8, 2008... "We assessed T-cell responses in young osteosarcoma patients vaccinated with 105AD7, 1-6months after having received chemotherapy. 105AD7 is a human anti-idiotypic antibody mimicking CD55, a glycoprotein that protects from attack by complement...

Data from M. Saric and colleagues advance knowledge in polio vaccines.
September 8, 2008... "From the Croatian Cancer Registry (period 1991-1997) 194 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients were collected," scientists in Zagreb, Croatia report (see also Polio Vaccines). "According to participation in polio vaccination mass...

Researchers from Orekhovich Institute of Biomedical Chemistry describe findings in cancer gene therapy.
September 8, 2008... Researchers detail in 'Implication of alpha5beta1 integrin in invasion of drug-resistant MCF-7/ADR breast carcinoma cells: a role for MMP-2 collagenase,' new data in cancer gene therapy. "Expression of alpha5beta1 integrin in the drug-resistant...

Studies from National Cancer Institute provide new data on cancer gene therapy.
September 8, 2008... A new study, 'Mechanisms and consequences of chromosomal translocation,' is now available. "A 2006 National Cancer Institute workshop on chromosomal translocations brought together laboratory, clinical, and population scientists to...

Colon cancer linked to unequal gene activity.
September 8, 2008... Researchers here have discovered that a subtle difference in the activity of a pair of genes may be responsible for one of every 10 colon-cancer cases (see also Ohio State University). The work, led by researchers with the Human Cancer...

When charities ask for time, people give more money.(Report)
September 8, 2008... According to new research in the Journal of Consumer Research, simply asking people a question about whether they're willing to volunteer their time leads to increases in donations of both time and money (see also University of Chicago Press...

Survey: 'Tanorexia' common among university students.
September 15, 2008... A new study conducted at a large university finds more than 25 percent of those surveyed reported symptoms of tanning dependence, including symptoms similar to alcohol and drug-addicted individuals. Suggestively, the study also found those with...

Cell division study resolves 50-year-old-debate, may aid cancer research.
September 15, 2008... A new study at Oregon State University has finally resolved a controversy that cellular biologists have been arguing over for nearly 50 years, with findings that may aid research on everything from birth defects and genetic diseases to the most...

New bioengineering research reported from University of Texas, Department of Radiology.
September 15, 2008... Current study results from the report, 'A 19F-NMR approach using reporter molecule pairs to assess beta-galactosidase in human xenograft tumors in vivo,' have been published. According to a study from the United States, "Gene therapy has...

Researchers from University Medical Center report recent findings in cancer gene therapy.(Report)
September 15, 2008... New investigation results, 'Improved tumor targeting of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor Nanobodies through albumin binding: taking advantage of modular Nanobody technology,' are detailed in a study published in Molecular Cancer...

Researchers from University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report on findings in cancer gene therapy.
September 15, 2008... Researchers detail in 'Adenoviral endoplasmic reticulum-targeted mda-7/interleukin-24 vector enhances human cancer cell killing,' new data in cancer gene therapy. "We developed several adenoviral vectors designed to target MDA-7 expression to...

DNA editing tool flips its target.
September 15, 2008... Imagine having to copy an entire book by hand without missing a comma. Our cells face a similar task every time they divide. They must duplicate both their DNA and a subtle pattern of punctuation-like modifications on the DNA known as...

Structure of key epigenetics component identified.
September 15, 2008... Scientists from the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) have determined the 3D structure of a key protein component involved in enabling "epigenetic code" to be copied accurately from cell to cell (see also Wellcome Trust). Epigenetic...

African-Americans have unique lung cancer risks from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
September 22, 2008... Scientists at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a risk prediction assessment for lung cancer specifically for African Americans that suggests a greater risk from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a report...

Evaluation of quality measure for colon cancer care suggests considerable improvements needed.
September 22, 2008... Pathology examination of 12 or more lymph nodes is associated with improved staging and survival in colon cancer patients, yet just 38 percent of U.S. hospitals were compliant with this guideline in 2004-2005, according to a study published in...

You can be replaced: Immune cells compensate for defective DNA repair factor.
September 22, 2008... A new mouse model has provided some surprising insight into XLF, a molecule that helps to repair lethal DNA damage. The research, published by Cell Press in the September 5th issue of the journal Molecular Cell, suggests that although XLF...

How to differentiate benign from malignant bile duct strictures?
September 22, 2008... The main etiology of bile duct strictures closely related to the liver is a malignancy (cancer). However, the differentiation of benign and malignant strictures is notoriously difficult. The consequences for the patient are considerable because...

Studies from University of Kuopio reveal new findings on gene therapy.
September 22, 2008... According to recent research from Kuopio, Finland, "Targeting viral entry is one of the major goals in the development of vectors for gene therapy. Ideally, the coupling of each new targeting motif would not require changes in vector...

How often to screen for colon cancer? NEJM study finds 5-year risk extremely low.
September 29, 2008... How frequently should symptom-free individuals at average risk for colon cancer undergo screening with colonoscopy? In a study published in the Sept. 18, 2008, New England Journal of Medicine, researchers led by Thomas F. Imperiale, M.D., of...

Colorful spy tactics track live cells supporting cancerous tumors.
September 29, 2008... A new advance in cellular imaging is allowing scientists to better understand the movement of cells in the area around tumors, also known as the tumor microenvironment. In a recent article published in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM),...

UNC study: No need to repeat colonoscopy until 5 years after first screening.
September 29, 2008... Among people who have had an initial colonoscopy that found no polyps, a possible sign of cancer, the risk of developing colorectal cancer within five years is extremely low, a new study has found (see also University of North Carolina School...

More than skin deep: There's no such thing as a 'safe' suntan, researchers warn.
September 29, 2008... There may be no such thing as a 'safe' tan based on ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to a series of papers published in the October issue of Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research, the official journal of The International Federation of Pigment...

Heritable Mutations of ALK Main Cause of Familial Neuroblastoma.
September 29, 2008... Germline mutations in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene explain most hereditary neuroblastomas, providing the first example of a pediatric cancer arising because of mutations in an oncogene, as a recent published research study has...