6/26/2005 Los Angeles, CA ABC Channel 7 News (abc7.com) Oral cancer is often associated with smoking, but an increasing number of young non-smokers are being diagnosed with the disease. It's a killer that could be hiding right under your nose. Oral cancer strikes 30,000 Americans a year. Of those, only half survive. Brian Hill, the Founder of the Oral Cancer Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, did not smoke, or fall into the "historical" stereotype of an oral cancer patient. But that stereotypical patient model is changing. He was diagnosed with stage four oral cancer, and in his case a viral association was likely the precursor trigger. Oral cancer it seems is not just for smokers. Brian tested positive for the HPV virus, as did his wife. Researchers believe HPV interferes with proteins that inhibit tumor growth. This is a very common virus that as many as 40% of all Americans have. However, only some forms of it may cause malignancy. Two versions of it - 16 and 18, are the same virus that causes approximately 98% of all cervical cancer, and now are documented to be involved in oral cancers as well. HPV is usually spread through sexual activity. It is possible to transmit the virus from one individual to another. Doctors say it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through casual contact. Brian endured 7 weeks of radiation followed by surgery to remove a portion of the floor of his mouth, and the right side of his [...]

6/25/2005 New York, NY Randy Dotinga Forbes Magazine (www.forbes.com) Besides raising the risk of oral cancer, smokeless tobacco -- also known as snuff, dip or chewing tobacco -- appears to boost the odds male users will die from heart disease, according to the largest study of its kind ever conducted. The findings contradict earlier research, finding instead that people who chew or "dip" tobacco are 20 percent more likely to be killed by a heart attack or stroke than nonusers. It isn't clear why smokeless tobacco might contribute to cardiovascular problems, and the study isn't the final word on the issue, said co-author Jane Henley, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society. Even so, the research, released this month in the journal Cancer Causes and Control, should give users another reason to kick their habit, she said. Some chew users are ex-smokers who turn to smokeless tobacco to "tide them over" as they try to kick the smoking habit. But "any form of tobacco is harmful to your health," Henley said. "We should be encouraging smokers who want to quit to use nicotine-replacement and other safe therapies." In their study, Henley and her colleagues examined two U.S. surveys of American adults, one spanning the years 1959-1972 and another from 1982-2000. Together, nearly 1 million men filled out questionnaires, including almost 10,000 smokeless tobacco users. The studies encompassed both chewing tobacco, found in pouches and kept between the cheek and gums, and "dip," also known as "snuff," which comes in small [...]

6/19/2005 Ann Arbor, MI press release University of MIchigan Health System (www.med.umich.edu) University of Michigan scientists have created the nanotechnology equivalent of a Trojan horse to smuggle a powerful chemotherapeutic drug inside tumor cells – increasing the drug's cancer-killing activity and reducing its toxic side effects. Previous studies in cell cultures have suggested that attaching anticancer drugs to nanoparticles for targeted delivery to tumor cells could increase the therapeutic response. Now, U-M scientists have shown that this nanotechnology-based treatment is effective in living animals. “This is the first study to demonstrate a nanoparticle-targeted drug actually leaving the bloodstream, being concentrated in cancer cells, and having a biological effect on the animal's tumor,” says James R. Baker Jr., M.D., the Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Biologic Nanotechnology at the University of Michigan, who directed the study. “We're very optimistic that nanotechnology can markedly improve cancer therapy,” says Baker, who directs the Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and the Biological Sciences. “Targeting drugs directly to cancer cells reduces the amount that gets to normal cells, increases the drug's anti-cancer effect and reduces its toxicity. By improving the therapeutic index of cancer drugs, we hope to turn cancer into a chronic, manageable disease.” Results of the study will be published in the June 15, 2005, issue of Cancer Research. The drug delivery vehicle used by U-M scientists is a manmade polymer molecule called a dendrimer. Less than five nanometers in diameter, these dendrimers are small enough to slip through tiny openings in cell [...]

6/17/2005 England Thea Jourdan The Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk) English strawberries are now in peak season - just in time for Wimbledon, where about three tonnes will be consumed. Overindulgence, however, could be a good thing: as well as being delicious, the world's most popular berry is said to do wonders for your health. Traditionally, strawberries, which contain more vitamin C than the equivalent weight of oranges, have been used to cleanse the digestive system. They also contain a range of phytonutrients, with many health-boosting effects. "Strawberries can legitimately claim to be heart protective, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory, all rolled into one," says dietician Nigel Denby. "They rank as one of the world's healthiest foods." Why are they good for you? Anti-cancer Strawberries are a rich source of phenols - including anthocyanins and ellagic acid - which are potent, cancer-busting antioxidants. Anthocyanins give the berries their distinctive red colour, and mop up free radicals in the blood, which can cause cancerous changes in cells. In laboratory studies, ellagic acid has been shown to halt the growth of tumours in the lungs, oesophagus, breast, cervix and tongue. Anti-inflammatory Some phenols found in strawberries reduce the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. In people with rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis and asthma, their overactivity contributes to inflammation. Drugs with a similar effect can cause intestinal bleeding. Anti-ageing Researchers have found that rats fed a strawberry-rich diet showed less of an age-related decline in brain function. Their learning capacity and motor skills were also improved. This could be because [...]

6/15/2005 Chicago, IL Medical News staff Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com) The emergence of acupuncture is allowing some patients to relieve or significantly reduce dry mouth's debilitating effects, according to a report in the May/June 2005 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal. Dry mouth (also known as xerostomia) is a painful condition caused by a decrease in the amount of saliva in the mouth when salivary glands do not work properly. Saliva is a natural defense for teeth and plays a major role in preventing tooth decay by rinsing away food particles and neutralizing harmful acids. A decrease in saliva puts patients at risk for cavities, gum disease and discomfort since foods that are consumed adhere to the teeth longer. Dry mouth can be caused by medications like antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants and diuretics and can often be treated by the dentist. The quality of life of patients suffering from dry mouth is often profoundly impaired. Symptoms include extensive dental decay, infections of the tissues of the mouth, difficulty in speaking, eating and swallowing, ulceration or soreness of the mouth, an altered sense of taste and difficulty in wearing dentures. However, "typical treatment options for dry mouth have been short-term at best," according to Warren M. Morganstein, DDS, MPH, and associate dean at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of Maryland Dental School. "Studies have found that acupuncture was a viable option to successfully treat dry mouth pain in patients and provide long-term relief." [...]

6/15/2005 New Milford, CT Jamboor K. Vishwanatha et al. Mol Cancer Ther. 2005;4:865-875 An early interventional effort in oral premalignancy requires novel molecular targets and diagnostic biomarkers to delay or reverse incidences of malignant progression. Microarray-based transcriptional profiling in disease states provides global insight into the causal biomolecular processes and novel pathways involved. In this study, we investigated transcript profiles in precancerous oral lesions to identify nearly 1,700 genes as significantly overexpressed or underexpressed and a primarily affected metabolic pathway that may be responsible for irreversible transition to progressive stages of oral cancer. For the first time, we show a convergence of several genes and pathways known for their oncogenic capabilities, in progression of premalignant oral epithelial tissues. This study consequently provides a molecular basis for persistent proinflammatory conditions in oral premalignant tissues. We found that lipocalin-type prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS), a key enzyme in the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway, as repressed in premalignant stages. We show the protective role of these enzyme-derived metabolites in inhibiting cell proliferation using an in vitro oral cancer progression model. We have also confirmed the overexpression of two invasion-related biomarkers, psoriasin (PSOR1) and versican (CSPG2), in oral premalignant and malignant archival tissues. Our results clearly indicate that pharmacologic intervention with anti-inflammatory prostaglandin D2–like analogues may help prevent or delay oral epithelial carcinogenesis because of metabolic restoration of a negative feedback regulatory loop through its several cognate receptors or target molecules. Further studies directed toward a multitude of possible protective mechanisms of this lipocalin-type enzyme [...]

6/14/2005 Los Angeles, CA press release U.S. Newswire (releases.usnewswire.com) Volunteer dentists from the USC School of Dentistry will offer free oral cancer screenings to the public on: From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18 At Wal-Mart located at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 4101 Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. Over 500 people are expected to attend. In the first of what the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) anticipates becoming a national outreach opportunity, Crest, Wal- Mart, and Henry Schein Inc. have teamed up with the foundation to raise awareness and the early detection of oral cancer across America. Bernard Parks, Councilmember of District 8, is scheduled to appear for an oral cancer screening. Brian Hill, Founder and Executive Director of OCF stated, "Oral cancer is not widely known to the majority of Americans, however the death rate from this cancer is higher than that of many we routinely hear about, such as cervical, prostate, or skin cancer. When we have the opportunity to get out into public venues, we are able to not only screen people for the disease, but to educate them on the risk factors and signs and symptoms of it. The end result is that people can learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease in its early stages, when it is most curable." Over 30,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with oral cancer annually. Of those, only half them will be alive in five years - that equates to a death rate of one [...]

6/14/2005 Bethesda, MD Karyn Hede Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 97, No. 12, 876-878, June 15, 2005 It is easy to take for granted that a few keystrokes from a laptop in Ohio can retrieve in seconds data stored in an anonymous computer thousands of miles away. Day-to-day operations of countless businesses rely on this type of infrastructure that makes it possible to share information and for others to locate it. If it's possible to do it for education and commerce, why not for cancer research? It was that simple question that launched a massive undertaking at the National Cancer Institute to create the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG), a $60 million project that its organizers like to call the "Internet of cancer." Proponents of caBIG started with a simple, but daunting, goal: Create a seamless network of resources that makes available data from the entire spectrum of cancer research from genomic and microarray data to clinical trials outcomes in a common language that any investigator can understand and use. NCI has high hopes for the program. According to NCI's literature on the project, "nearly every facet of NCI's strategic plan to eliminate suffering and death due to cancer is predicated on the revolutionizing potential of caBIG." The project, from its inception in July 2003, has been designed as an open-source network to enable investigators to readily share data and technology now formatted by many incompatible software programs and tools. In some sense, the initiative reflects the realization [...]

6/14/2005 England Tung-Kwang Lee et al. Mutagenesis, doi:10.1093/mutage/gei041 A majority of potential radioprotective synthetic compounds have demonstrated limited clinical application owing to their inherent toxicity, and thus, the seeking of naturally occurring herbal products, such as ginseng, for their radioprotective capability has become an attractive alternative. In general, ginseng refers to the roots of the species of the genus Panax. As a medicinal herb, ginseng has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for its wide spectrum of medicinal effects, such as tonic, immunomodulatory, antimutagenic, adaptogenic and antiaging activities. Many of its medicinal effects are attributed to the triterpene glycosides known as ginsenosides (saponins). This review addresses the issue of the radioprotective effects of ginseng on mammalian cells both in vitro and in vivo. Results indicate that the water-soluble extract of whole ginseng appears to give a better protection against radiation-induced DNA damage than does the isolated ginsenoside fractions. Since free radicals play an important role in radiation-induced damage, the underlying radioprotective mechanism of ginseng could be linked, either directly or indirectly, to its antioxidative capability by the scavenging free radicals responsible for DNA damage. In addition, ginseng's radioprotective potential may also be related to its immunomodulating capabilities. Ginseng is a natural product with worldwide distribution, and in addition to its antitumor properties, ginseng appears to be a promising radioprotector for therapeutic or preventive protocols capable of attenuating the deleterious effects of radiation on human normal tissue, especially for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Authors: Tung-Kwang Lee 1*, Roberta M. Johnke [...]