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 [...]

6/13/2005 England N. M. H. McLeod, N. R. Saeed and E. A. Ali British Dental Journal (2005); 198, 681-684. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.4812381 Oral cancer accounts for around 1% of all new cancers diagnosed in the United Kingdom every year. Mortality rates remain relatively high and prognosis is worst in cases of more advanced disease at time of diagnosis. Early identification of malignant lesions and speedy referral to a specialist for treatment are therefore important. The reasons and extent of the delays at the different stages between a patient first noticing an oral lesion and attending a health care professional and then being referred for specialist care have previously been studied and consistently found to be longer than desired. The National Oral Cancer Awareness Week (NOCAW), first run in 1995, aimed to increase the awareness of oral cancer amongst health care professionals and the public. It has since been repeated and is now an annual event. Alongside publications by the British Dental Association and guidelines circulated by the Department of Health on oral cancer diagnosis and referral, it is hoped this will lead to a decrease in the delay between the onset of oral cancer and patients receiving appropriate treatment. We looked at the previously published data on referral delay in oral cancer both in the United Kingdom and overseas and then identified delays in referral of oral cancer patients in a region that had been studied before NOCAW was introduced, to see if this was having any effect on referral delays. [...]

6/13/2005 Boston, MA Todd Golub et al. Medical News Today (www.medicalnewstoday.com) Despite significant progress in understanding the genetic changes in many different cancers, diagnosis and classification of tumor type remain, at best, an imperfect art. This could change quickly, thanks to the findings of a group of researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MIT, and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. In the June 9 issue of Nature, the scientists describe two important breakthroughs: (1) a surprisingly accurate correlation of the 217 known human microRNAs (miRNAs - small noncoding RNA molecules that control the levels of proteins made from transcribed genes) with the development and differentation of tumors, and (2) the development of a technology that not only enabled this exciting discovery but that could be the basis for an easy and inexpensive diagnostic test. "This study opened our eyes to how much more there is to learn about genomic approaches to cancer," said Todd Golub, senior author of the paper. Golub is a core faculty member and director of the Cancer Program at Broad Institute, the Charles A. Dana Investigator in Human Cancer Genetics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator at Harvard Medical School. "That microRNA profiles have such potential diagnostic utility was a big surprise to us, and one we're keen to validate in future studies." MiRNAs were first identified in the worm C. elegans, and were shown to control development and [...]