New treatment for ovarian cancer in sight

In the future, women with metastatic ovarian cancer could be treated with a radioactive substance that can seek and destroy tumour cells. An initial study in patients conducted jointly by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital has found that the treatment has no unwanted side-effects.

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Aspirin works for primary prevention in moderate and high risk diabetics

Barcelona, Spain, 31 August: The beneficial effects of aspirin in primary prevention of cardiovascular events i.e. stroke, MI and cardiac death are known and generally accepted. In a recent meta-analysis total cardiovascular event rate was shown to be reduced by 12% and the rate of myocardial infarctions by 18% (Lancet 2009; 373, 1860). This holds specifically true for individuals with a year risk for cardiac death above 5% or a total cardiovascular event risk above 15%. Several scientific bodies including the ESC do recommend aspirin for primary prevention in this population, including all diabetics.

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Molecular sensor could reveal zinc’s role in diseases

Scientists have developed a new molecular sensor that can reveal the amount of zinc in cells, which could tell us more about a number of diseases, including type 2 diabetes. The research, published today in Nature Methods, opens the door to the hidden world of zinc biology by giving scientists an accurate way of measuring the concentration of zinc and its location in cells for the first time.

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New hope for deadly childhood bone cancer Ewing’s sarcoma

Surprising discovery made by studying so-called ‘junk DNA’

Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah have shed new light on Ewing’s sarcoma, an often deadly bone cancer that typically afflicts children and young adults. Their research shows that patients with poor outcomes have tumors with high levels of a protein known as GSTM4, which may suppress the effects of chemotherapy. The research is published online today in the journal Oncogene.

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Researchers identify protein involved in causing gum disease, osteoporosis, arthritis

Investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery, collaborating with researchers from other institutions, have contributed to the discovery that a gene called interferon regulator factor-8 (IRF-8) is involved in the development of diseases such as periodontitis (gum disease), rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. The study, which will be published online August 30, ahead of print, in the journal Nature Medicine, could lead to new treatments in the future.

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Scientists discover nerve growth factor with therapeutic potential in Parkinson’s disease

Scientists in the Academy of Finland‘s Neuroscience Research Programme have reported promising new results with potential implications for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. They have been studying the impacts of nerve growth factors in the treatment of PD, and their latest results show that a certain growth factor can be used to halt the progress of damage brought on by a nerve poison and possibly even restore the function of damaged cells.

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‘Fatostatin’ is a turnoff for fat genes

A small molecule earlier found to have both anti-fat and anti-cancer abilities works as a literal turnoff for fat-making genes, according to a new report in the August 28th issue of the journal Chemistry and Biology, a Cell Press journal.

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Study Finds Tennis Elbow Can Be Treated Best With Cheap Rubber Bar

Scientists have come up with a new, more affordable, and much more effective way to treating tennis elbow. That method is, apparently, recycling.

The researchers at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma in New York City were looking for a way to treat tennis elbow that would be less expensive for patients and hospitals alike.

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Collagen-deficient mice show signs of osteoarthritis

Disc degeneration also noted in research study

Osteoarthritis (OA) and degenerative disc disease (DDD) are common, chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Both diseases cause joint pain, loss of function, and decreased quality of life for the more than 27 million OA and 59 million DDD suffers in the US. According to a 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, arthritis such as OA costs the U.S. economy nearly $128 billion per year in medical care and indirect expenses including lost wages and productivity.

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OHSU scientists develop gene therapy method to prevent some maternal inherited diseases

Breakthrough could help break the chain of several maternally-based diseases passed from generation to generation

PORTLAND, Ore – Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University’s Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) believe they have developed one of the first forms of genetic therapy – a therapy aimed at preventing serious diseases in unborn children. Specifically, the therapy would combat inherited diseases passed on from mothers to their children through mutated DNA in cell mitochondria. The research is published in the Aug. 26 advance online edition of the journal Nature and will appear in a print edition of the journal at a later date.

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