Why Anti-cancer Therapy Stops Working at a Specific Stage

by Bidita Debnath on? June 25, 2013 at 4:03 PM Research News At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in California, researchers have achieved a breakthrough in understanding how and why a promising anti-cancer therapy has failed to achieve hoped-for success in killing tumor cells.
Their work could lead to new insights into overcoming this impasse.

The problematic therapy investigated involves suppression of the protein mTOR (mammalian target Of Rapamycin). MTOR plays an important role in regulating how cells process molecular signals from their environment, and it is observed as strongly activated in many solid cancers.

Drug-induced suppression of mTOR has until now shown success in causing the death of cancer cells in the outer layers of cancerous tumors, but has been disappointing in clinical trials in dealing with the core of those tumors.

Reduced oxygen supply -- hypoxia -- is a near-universal feature of solid tumors that can alter how tumors respond to therapies. It was known that the behavior of mTOR signaling is influenced and altered by the condition of hypoxia, but the mechanism to explain this was unknown.

A research team, which included Prof. Emeritus Raphael D. Levine of the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and researchers from the California Institute of Technology and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, investigated whether the influence of hypoxia on mTOR signaling in model brain cancer systems could explain the poor performance of mTOR drugs. Their work appeared in a recent article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in the US.

For their investigation, they employed a new microchip technology that allowed them to measure the mTOR protein signaling network in individual cancer cells, and they interpreted the results using a new set of theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences. The combined approach permitted the simplification of an otherwise complex biological system.

They found that at a particular level of oxygen starvation (hypoxia) that is common in solid tumors, the mTOR signaling network switches between two sets of properties. At the switching point, the theoretical models predicted that mTOR would be intrinsically unresponsive to drugging.

Furthermore, the combined experiment and theory results indicated that the switch could be interpreted as a type of phase transition, which has not been previously observed in biological systems.

This phase transition is the point of the switch between the two signaling networks and happens very abruptly. The change in signaling means that the body of cells studied no longer responds in the way it did before. In the case of the tumor, the "drugging" of the mTOR ceases, meaning that the tumor is no longer inhibited.

These results have several implications. First, they may explain the poor clinical performance of mTOR inhibitors. Second, they indicate that certain complex biological behaviors, which often confound scientists who are seeking to find effective therapies for human diseases, may be understood by the effective application of experimental and theoretical tools derived from the physical sciences.

Source-Eurekalert

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Non-Surgical Breast Cancer Therapy Trial Underway in Japan

by Kathy Jones on? May 25, 2013 at 8:24 PM Cancer News The first clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a powerful, non-surgical, short-term radiation therapy for breast cancer has been started by a cancer specialist in Japan.
The National Institute of Radiological Sciences has begun the trial using "heavy ion radiotherapy" which emits a pinpoint beam that can be accurately directed at malignant cells, said Kumiko Karasawa, radiation oncologist and breast cancer specialist.

The study was launched amid renewed global interest in breast cancer and its treatment after Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie revealed she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy.

Heavy ion radiotherapy has proved effective in combating other forms of cancer that have not spread, Karasawa said.

"We are able to conduct this trial because we have greater understanding of what types of breast cancer can benefit from this pinpoint treatment," Karasawa told AFP.

Development of medical apparatus that keeps soft breast tissue immobile for this treatment has also helped, she added.

Japan is a leader in the technology used in the treatment, and is home to three of the world's six medical centres that have the gigantic 10-billion-yen ($97.2 million) facilities, Karasawa said.

The therapy has proved its worth on other forms of cancer, including prostate and lung, Kyodo News said, but has never before been used on breast cancer.

Conventional radiotherapy uses X-rays and gamma rays that are most potent at the surface of the body, but weaken as they travel deeper into the tissue.

Heavy ion particle beams maintain their strength to a much greater depth.

In the trial, Karasawa will treat a total of 20 patients aged at least 60 and with small tumours that have not spread.

The patients will go through an hour of therapy per day for four days, much shorter than conventional radiation therapy that may last for months, Karasawa said.

The trial will follow the patients for five years to assess the outcome, she said.

"Ultimately, this could provide an option for patients who do not want surgery and who cannot go through (common radiation therapy) requiring regular visits to clinics for months," she said.

Japan, which has a high-quality medical system, has a good track record with breast cancer, giving patients a 90 percent five-year survival rate.

Localised and less invasive medical treatments are increasingly important as ageing Japan tries to reduce the physical burden for patients, the national institute said in a statement.

Source-AFP

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Updated Guidelines on Hormone Replacement Therapy

The new guidelines appear in the society's flagship title, Menopause International, published by SAGE.

Over the last 11 years, HRT has changed from being branded the "elixir of youth" to being considered extremely risky and only to be used in certain circumstances. Since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial in 2002, and the Million Women study (MWS) in 2003, confusion and controversy has surrounded the use of HRT and the known benefits have often been forgotten.

A panel of experts have carefully considered, researched and reanalyzed the WHI and MWS studies alongside conducting further trials and studies, to offer practioners a detailed review of the evidence to help them optimize their clinical decisions, and provide women with more balanced and accurate advice on HRT treatment for menopause.

The new HRT recommendations are designed to complement the BMS Observations and Recommendations on menopause. The updated guidelines detail key recommendations targeting access to advice on how women can optimize their menopause transition and beyond, focusing in particular on lifestyle and diet and an opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of complementary therapies and HRT.

"Our aim is to provide helpful and pragmatic guidelines for health professionals involved in prescribing HRT and for women considering or currently using HRT" says Nick Panay, Chair of The British Menopause Society and lead author of the recommendations. "With these updated recommendations, it is hoped that HRT will once again be used appropriately and provide benefits for many women in their menopause."

Source-Eurekalert

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Therapy sessions to raise funds for Iona-may

Book a meeting for therapy of your choice, make a donation and took all the money will go to the Fund of Iona-may.

Choose a relaxing massage of Facial rejuvenation or foot Thai or you may be interested to try the Bowen therapy and see how it could help relieve your aches and pains.

More information can be found here http://www.thenaturaltherapy.co.uk/

Sessions are now available in East Preston, Sussex West until May 19.? Thanks for mentioning the Iona-may at the time of booking.

Contact me by:

Telephone: 01903 782958 / 07979 492851

E-mail: kim.billinghurst@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KimBillinghurstTNT

IONA-May is a pretty girl who is quadriplegic suffering from cerebral palsy and her family have raised money to build him a House on the ground floor, the bathroom and the sensory room. They are almost there and need a little more help to start the build.

Find out more about Iona-mai - here

http://www.Facebook.com/groups/helpionamay/

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Nutrition Therapy for ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) est un trouble neurocomportemental qui provoque des symptomes tels que l'inattention, l'hyperactivite et impulsivite.? Cas de l'enfance TDAH se multiplient a un rythme alarmant.? Selon les Centers for Disease Control, plus de 8 % des enfants d'age scolaire ont ete diagnostiques atteints de TDAH.? Deux fois plus de garcons que de filles sont etiquetes comme ADHD, probablement parce qu'ils presentent differents symptomes de la maladie.? Filles avec TDAH ont tendance a etre distrait (desorganise, facilement distrait, oublieux, etc.), tandis que l'hyperactivite est plus frequente chez les garcons atteints de TDAH. Un garcon qui est hyperactif est plus facilement identifie par les enseignants et les parents. Il n'est pas surprenant, TDAH se traduit par une variete de problemes d'apprentissage et de comportement.? Enfants atteints de TDAH sont souvent etiquetes comme apprentissage, bien qu'ils soient generalement intelligent et tres creatif.? De plus, beaucoup d'enfants atteints de TDAH continue a presenter des symptomes a l'age adulte.

Le traitement conventionnel pour le TDAH s'appuie sur les drogues stimulantes, qui ont des effets secondaires nefastes a long terme.? Mais de simples changements dans l'alimentation peuvent avoir un impact profond sur le comportement et le rendement scolaire et un effet positif sur la sante.? Par exemple, une etude scientifique de 2005 rend des arguments solides pour les acides gras omega-3 dans le traitement du TDAH.? Ces acides gras essentiels sont trouvent dans les graines de lin, les noix et les poissons gras d'eau froide.? (Les enfants atteints de TDAH sont generalement deficientes en acides gras omega-3). Mais surmonter le TDAH n'est pas a peu pres manger plus d'aliments sains ; Il s'agit d'eviter les declencheurs alimentaires potentielles.

Intolerances alimentaires sont frequentes chez les patients atteints de TDAH.?? Les coupables plus courantes sont les produits laitiers ; autres aliments provoquant comprennent des oeufs, sans gluten, mais, chocolat et oranges.?? Traiter le TDAH avec nutrition peut ameliorer considerablement les symptomes dans la plupart des cas.? En plus d'enlever les declencheurs alimentaires plus courantes mentionnees ci-dessus, il est egalement important d'eviter les aliments suivants ou les ingredients :

Hydrogenee oilsTrans fatsShorteningCottonseed oilFried foodFast foodRefined grainsRefined sugarSodaArtificial sweetenersSugarCaffeine

Les autres constituants alimentaires peuvent jouer un role dans le TDAH.? Conservateurs et colorants alimentaires artificiels sont des declencheurs potentiels pour le TDAH.? Eviter le colorant rouge #3 et un colorant jaune #5, qui peut aggraver le TDAH ; additifs de saveur comme MSG, vanilline, arome de fumee, de sodium et phosphate de potassium ; agents de conservation tels que le BHA, BHT, TBHQ, benzoate de sodium, propionate de calcium, nitrates, nitrites, sulfites et l'acide citrique ; the contenant de la cafeine, cafe, soda, boissons sucrees et toutes les boissons qui contiennent des phosphates.

En outre, des produits chimiques reconnus comme –found de salicylates en aliments naturels et emballes, medicaments et parfums – mai provoquent une reaction chez les personnes sensibles.? Aliments naturels contenant des salicylates comprennent les tomates, pommes, abricots, cerises, raisins, raisins secs, nectarines, oranges, peches, prunes, amandes et the des bois. La consommation de sucre aux salicylates peut declencher une reaction plus intense chez les enfants hyperactifs.?? Eviter les substances sensibilisantes autant que possible, y compris les allergenes courants inhalants et autres contaminants de l'environnement.

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