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Researchers discover how mTOR protein leads to cancer metastasis

Uncovering the network of genes regulated by a crucial molecule involved in cancer called mTOR, which controls protein production inside cells, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered how a protein "master regulator" goes awry, leading to metastasis, the fatal step of cancer.

23 Feb 2012

Study examines abdomyosarcoma growth in mouse models of muscular dystrophy

Inflammation, cell division and cell differentiation that occur during skeletal muscle regeneration may provide an ideal environment for the highly malignant tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma to arise. These are the findings from a Nationwide Children's Hospital study that examined rhabdomyosarcoma growth in mouse models of muscular dystrophy.

23 Feb 2012

CT colonography effective in diagnosing colorectal cancer in adults over 65

Computed tomography (CT) colonography can be used as a primary screening tool for colorectal cancer in adults over the age of 65, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

23 Feb 2012

Insight into relationship between two types of suppressors in cancerous tumors

The University of Kentucky has announced that Dr. Daret St. Clair, the James Graham Brown Endowed Chair and professor of toxicology, has published the first comprehensive study that provides insight into the relationship between two types of suppressors in cancerous tumors. The results will enhance the understanding of transcriptional mechanisms in carcinogenesis.

23 Feb 2012

Targeting versican protein may help stop breast cancer metastasis

Oncologists have known that in order for cancer cells to spread, they must transform themselves so they can detach from a tumor and spread to a distant organ. Now, scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have revealed critical steps in what happens next -- how these cells reverse the process, morphing back into classical cancer that can now grow into a new tumor.

23 Feb 2012

New microfluidic device can rapidly isolate target cells

Separating complex mixtures of cells, such as those found in a blood sample, can offer valuable information for diagnosing and treating disease. However, it may be necessary to search through billions of other cells to collect rare cells such as tumor cells, stem cells or fetal cells. "You're basically looking for a needle in a haystack," says Sukant Mittal, a graduate student in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.

23 Feb 2012

Link between brain dominance and laterality of cell phone use

If you're a left brain thinker, chances are you use your right hand to hold your cell phone up to your right ear, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

22 Feb 2012

Mitochondria may be promising new target for cancer treatment

Mitochondria, tiny structures within each cell that regulate metabolism and energy use, may be a promising new target for cancer therapy, according to a new study. Manipulation of two biochemical signals that regulate the numbers of mitochondria in cells could shrink human lung cancers transplanted into mice, a team of Chicago researchers report in the journal FASEB.

22 Feb 2012

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to Arno's AR-42 for treatment of meningioma, schwannoma

Arno Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that its investigational compound, AR-42, has been granted orphan-drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of meningioma and schwannoma of the central nervous system.

21 Feb 2012

Tasmanian devil cancer genome mapped

Researchers, including those from Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge, have sequenced the genome of a facial cancer that is threatening the existence of the Tasmanian devil.

21 Feb 2012

Genomic instability allows malignant cells to acquire more deadly characteristics

Genomic instability caused by an erosion of the protective caps on chromosomes, followed by activation of an enzyme that reinforces those aps, allows malignant cells to evade destruction and acquire more deadly characteristics, researchers report in an Online Now article at the journal Cell.

21 Feb 2012

Telomerase reactivation in malignant cells after genomic instability causes cancer progression

Inhibiting telomerase, an enzyme that rescues malignant cells from destruction by extending the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, kills tumor cells but also triggers resistance pathways that allow cancer to survive and spread, scientists report in the Feb. 17 issue of Cell.

21 Feb 2012

Targeting patient's own dendritic cells may help restore the immune system

Aggressive ovarian tumors begin as malignant cells kept in check by the immune system until, suddenly and unpredictably, they explode into metastatic cancer. New findings from scientists at The Wistar Institute demonstrate that ovarian tumors don't necessarily break "free" of the immune system, rather dendritic cells of the immune system seem to actively support the tumor's escape.

20 Feb 2012

Charité launches new EU research project to personalize breast cancer treatment

Adjusting breast cancer therapy to individual patients to avoid ineffective treatment: Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and eleven partner institutions from six countries have set this as their goal. They have launched the EU research project RESPONSIFY.

20 Feb 2012

Study identifies USP15 as a critical protein in cancer

After years studying the molecular bases of glioblastoma - the most common brain tumor and one of the most aggressive of all cancers, the group led by Dr. Joan Seoane , Director of Translational Research at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) and ICREA Research Professor has today published a study in Nature Medicine identifying USP15 as a critical protein in cancer which, thanks to its molecular characteristics, shows enormous therapeutic promise.

20 Feb 2012

Penn oncologist to discuss role of autophagy in fighting cancer at AAAS annual meeting

Blocking autophagy -- the process of "self-eating" within cells -- is turning out to be a viable way to enhance the effectiveness of a wide variety of cancer treatments.

19 Feb 2012

FDA prioritizes review of Ra-223 and MDV3100 for treating CRPC

The arsenal of prostate cancer treatments for men with advanced prostate cancer may soon be strengthened as the FDA prioritizes the review of both Ra-223 and MDV3100 for treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Based on positive, independent research of each drug, better survival rates and improved bone health for patients with late-stage prostate cancer may be within reach.

18 Feb 2012