Curing Death by Curing Aging

No-entry zones for AIDS virus

Sunday, November 15, 2009 00:00 MST

The AIDS virus inserts its genetic material into the genome of the infected cell. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center have now shown for the first time that the virus almost entirely spares particular sites in the human genetic material in this process. This finding may be useful for developing new, specific AIDS drugs.

Scientists uncover new key to the puzzle of hormone therapy and breast cancer

Saturday, November 14, 2009 00:00 MST

The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer.

FDA-approved drugs eliminate, prevent cervical cancer in mice

Friday, November 13, 2009 00:00 MST

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health have eliminated cervical cancer in mice with two FDA-approved drugs currently used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis.

Longevity tied to genes that preserve tips of chromosomes

Friday, November 13, 2009 00:00 MST

A team led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres -- the tip ends of chromosomes. The findings appear in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For young boys with cancer, testicular tissue banking may be option to preserve fertility

Thursday, November 12, 2009 00:00 MST

Boys diagnosed with cancer before reaching puberty have a unique option for possibly preserving future fertility, which is often endangered by cancer therapies. In an experimental procedure, the boys can have a tiny portion of their testis removed and frozen for their potential future use. Parents of prepubertal boys are willing to agree to the procedure and are grateful for the opportunity, even though there is currently no guarantee of clinical success.

Study shows that some malignant tumors can be shut down after all

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 00:00 MST

More than half of all human cancers have mutations that disable a protein called p53. When cells lose p53, tumors grow aggressively and often cannot be treated. But a new study by Alea Mills and colleagues from CSHL may offer a way to counteract the problem. The scientists have succeeded in shutting off the growth of p53-deficient tumors by turning up the production of TAp63 proteins, a class of proteins produced by the p63 gene.

First use of antibody and stem cell transplantation to successfully treat advanced leukemia

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 00:00 MST

For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have reported the use of a radiolabeled antibody to deliver targeted doses of radiation, followed by a stem cell transplant, to successfully treat a group of leukemia and pre-leukemia patients for whom there previously had been no other curative treatment options.

Researchers to figure out tricky viruses, adapt for gene therapy

Monday, November 09, 2009 00:00 MST

Montana State University has a new grant to tap into the talent that viruses have for invading cells and seizing control.

Does green tea prevent cancer? Evidence continues to brew, but questions remain

Monday, November 09, 2009 00:00 MST

Although scientists are reluctant to officially endorse green tea as a cancer prevention method, evidence continues to grow about its protective effects, including results of a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which suggests some reduction in oral cancer.

New research suggests how low doses of radiation can cause heart disease and stroke

Sunday, November 08, 2009 00:00 MST

A mathematical model constructed by researchers at Imperial College London predicts the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, stroke) associated with low background levels of radiation. The model shows that the risk would vary almost in proportion with dose. Results, published Oct. 23 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology, are consistent with risk levels reported in previous studies involving nuclear workers.

Children who often drink full-fat milk weigh less

Sunday, November 08, 2009 00:00 MST

Eight-year-old children who drink full-fat milk every day have a lower BMI than those who seldom drink milk. This is not the case for children who often drink medium-fat or low-fat milk. This is one conclusion of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Cholesterol and cancer: Answers and some new questions

Saturday, November 07, 2009 00:00 MST

A pair of studies in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention lay to rest the decades-long concern that lower total cholesterol may lead to cancer, and in fact lower cholesterol may reduce the risk of high-grade prostate cancer.

A 'spoonful of sugar' makes the worms' life span go down

Friday, November 06, 2009 00:00 MST

If worms are any indication, all the sugar in your diet could spell much more than obesity and type 2 diabetes. Researchers reporting in the November issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, say it might also be taking years off your life.

Study shows neural stem cells in mice affected by gene associated with longevity

Friday, November 06, 2009 00:00 MST

A gene associated with longevity in roundworms and humans has been shown to affect the function of stem cells that generate new neurons in the adult brain, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study in mice suggests that the gene may play an important role in maintaining cognitive function during aging.

Researchers' findings bring hope for possible Parkinson's disease cure

Thursday, November 05, 2009 00:00 MST

Researchers at Iowa State University have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease and are looking for others.Anumantha Kanthasamy has been working to understand the complex mechanisms of the disease for more than a decade and thinks he has found hope for the cure.