Health Technology Research Synopsis
11th Issue Date 14 NOV 2007
Compiled By Ralph Turchiano
www.healthresearchreport.me www.vit.bz
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Public release date: 30-Oct-2007
Vitamin A derivative associated with reduced growth in some lung cells
Treatment with a derivative of vitamin A called retinoic acid was associated with reduced lung cell growth in a group of former heavy smokers, according to a study published online October 30 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Former smokers remain at elevated risk for lung cancer. According to one hypothesis, lung cells that were damaged during years of smoking may continue to grow and evolve into cancer even after that person has quit smoking. Previous studies have suggested that retinoids, a class of drugs related to vitamin A, may be effective for preventing lung cancer in former smokers. Retinoids have also been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells in laboratory experiments.
In patients given 13-cis-retinoic acid and vitamin E, there was a statistically significant reduction in parabasal layer cell growth compared with the placebo treatment, but not in those given 9-cis-retinoic acid. When the data were analyzed by the biopsy site, both treatments statistically significantly reduced cell growth.
Ralph’s Note- There have been multiple studies now in the past few weeks showing Vitamin A is good for smokers. Yet the media keeps on steering smokers away from all forms of Vitamin A.
Public release date: 30-Oct-2007
Einstein scientists treat cancer as an infectious disease — with promising results
(BRONX, NY) – Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have shown for the first time that cancers can be successfully treated by targeting the viruses that cause them. The findings, published in the October 31 issue of PloS One, also raise the possibility of preventing cancer by destroying virus-infected cells before they turn cancerous.
Nearly 20 percent of human cancers worldwide are caused by preexisting virus infections. Prime examples are liver cancer (caused by hepatitis B and C viruses), cervical cancer (caused by human papillomaviruses) and certain lymphomas (caused by the Epstein-Barr virus). But while antigens on the surface of cells are susceptible to attack by antibodies, the viral antigens associated with cancers typically lurk inside infected cells, so scientists had assumed that antibodies couldn’t reach them.
“Virus-associated cancers account for some 1.3 million cancer cases each year, so the need for new strategies in treating them is obvious and urgent,” says Dr. Dadachova. “Our study has shown in principle that radioimmunotherapy can help in treating cancers caused by viruses—and, just as exciting, the approach also holds promise for cancer prevention. In people chronically infected with hepatitis B or C, human papillomaviruses, or other viruses known to cause cancer, radioimmunotherapy could potentially eliminate virus-infected cells before they’re able to transform into cancer cells.”
“Virus-associated cancers account for some 1.3 million cancer cases each year, so the need for new strategies in treating them is obvious and urgent,” says Dr. Dadachova. “Our study has shown in principle that radioimmunotherapy can help in treating cancers caused by viruses—and, just as exciting, the approach also holds promise for cancer prevention. In people chronically infected with hepatitis B or C, human papillomaviruses, or other viruses known to cause cancer, radioimmunotherapy could potentially eliminate virus-infected cells before they’re able to transform into cancer cells.”
Public release date: 4-Nov-2007
Antioxidants could provide all-purpose radiation protection
Findings from the AACR Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine: From Technology to Treatment Singapore, Nov. 4-8, 2007
SINGAPORE — Two common dietary molecules found in legumes and bran could protect DNA from the harmful effects of radiation, researchers from the University of Maryland report. Inositol and inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) protected both human skin cells and a skin cancer-prone mouse from exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the damaging radiation found in sunlight, the team reported today at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine.
According to the researchers, inositol and IP6 could decrease the severity of side effects from radiation therapy, saving healthy cells while simultaneously increasing the potency of the treatment against cancer cells. Both molecules are potent antioxidants, the Maryland researchers say, capable of preventing reactive molecules from injuring DNA and turning cells cancerous.
“Both of these potent antioxidants have been shown to have broad-spectrum anti-tumor capabilities, and now our studies confirm the degree to which these molecules protect against the DNA-damaging effects of ionizing radiation,” said Abulkalam M. Shamsuddin, M.D., professor of pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Radiation damage is radiation damage, regardless of the source, so there could also be a protective role for IP6 in any form of radiation exposure, whether it is from a therapeutic dose or from solar, cosmic or nuclear sources.”
“IP6 certainly has some interactivity with DNA, but how exactly it works to repair DNA is still something of a mystery. There are reports that IP6 binds with DNA repair molecule Ku to bring about the repair process,” Shamsuddin said. “More importantly, we still don’t know how IP6 can appear to help healthy cells live while also enhancing the ability of radiation to kill cancer cells.”
According to Shamsuddin, IP6 could also offer protection against accidents or purposeful incidents involving nuclear material. ”It could also be advisable to use IP6 plus inositol as a cautionary treatment following a nuclear disaster or dirty bomb,” Shamsuddin said.
***Ralph’s Note – We have had this on our shelves for 5 years now.
Public release date: 4-Nov-2007
Curry-derived molecules might be too spicy for colorectal cancers
SINGAPORE — Curcumin, the yellowish component of turmeric that gives curry its flavor, has long been noted for its potential anti-cancer properties. Researchers from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, report on an apparent improvement upon nature: two molecular analogues of curcumin that demonstrate even greater tumor suppressive properties. The team presented their findings from the first test of these molecules in a mouse model of colorectal cancer today at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine.
According to Tohoku University researcher Hiroyuki Shibata, M.D., curcumin is one of the most widely studied plant-based chemicals with anti-cancer properties. Research has associated curcumin with several distinct actions, including the suppression of genes that promote cell growth (for example, the destruction of the pro-cancerous protein â catenin), and induction of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in colorectal cancer.
Unfortunately, natural curcumin has what researchers term “low bioavailability” — the molecule quickly loses its anti-cancer attributes when ingested, Shibata says. With the aim of improving the therapeutic potential of curcumin, Shibata and his colleagues synthesized and tested 90 variations of the molecule’s structure. Two, GO-Y030 and GO-Y031, proved to be more potent and bioavailable, than natural curcumin.
Public release date: 5-Nov-2007
Large VA study finds seasonal differences in blood pressure
ORLANDO, Nov. 5 — Fewer people treated for high blood pressure return to normal pressure levels in the winter compared to those treated in the summer, Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007.
The five-year study analyzed electronic health records from 15 VA hospitals in warmer and colder cities throughout the United States. Researchers identified 443,632 veterans with high blood pressure. Those who had readings of more than 140 mm Hg systolic or more than 90 mm Hg diastolic on three separate days were identified as hypertensive.
“The bottom line is that regardless of whether you’re in Anchorage, Alaska or San Juan, Puerto Rico, there is a difference in high blood pressure returning to normal in the winter compared to the summer,” said Ross D. Fletcher, M.D., the study’s lead author and chief of staff at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The study found a significant variation in every city, warmer or colder, in return to normal blood pressure in winter compared to summer. The average significant difference in percent of patients returning to normal was 7.76 percent between the two seasons, based on patients’ blood pressure readings as recorded in their Electronic Health Record.
“San Juan is virtually equal to Anchorage, as blood pressure systematically worsens in the winter and improves in the summer,” Fletcher said. “We did not see the coldest city had the biggest change in blood pressure.”
He emphasized the importance of designing treatment strategies for patient’s high blood pressure to account for these seasonal variations, perhaps requiring increased anti-hypertensive intervention during the winter months.
Public release date: 5-Nov-2007
Breastfeeding babies offers them long-term heart-health benefits
ORLANDO, Nov. 5 – Breastfed babies are less likely to have certain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adulthood than their bottle-fed counterparts, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007.
“Having been breastfed in infancy is associated with a lower average body mass index (BMI) and a higher average HDL (high-density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol) level in adulthood, even after accounting for personal and maternal demographic and CVD risk factors that could influence the results,” said Nisha I. Parikh, M.D., M.P.H., author of the study and a cardiovascular fellow at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass.
After adjustment for factors that could potentially influence the results (such as use of blood pressure-lowering medication, maternal education, maternal smoking, maternal body mass index, etc.), breastfed offspring had higher average HDL cholesterol levels in adulthood: 56.6 mg/dL vs. 53.7 mg/dL for the bottle-fed participants (though this was not significantly different once participant BMI was considered in later analysis).
The breastfed infants also had a significantly lower mean BMI in adulthood: 26.1 kg/m2 vs. 26.9 kg/m2 for bottle-fed infants. Adults with a BMI higher than 25 are considered overweight and are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
Public Release: 5-Nov-2007
New insights into how natural antioxidants fight fat
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Scientists in Taiwan are reporting new insights into why diets rich in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of obesity. Their study, scheduled for the Oct. 17 (current) issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication, focuses on healthful natural antioxidant compounds called flavonoids and phenolic acids.
In the study, Gow-Chin Yen and Chin-Lin Hsu point out that large amounts of those compounds occur in fruits, vegetables, nuts and plant-based beverages such as coffee, tea, and wine. Scientists long have known that flavonoids and phenolic acids have beneficial health effects in reducing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, obesity, and other disorders. However, there has been uncertainty about exactly how these compounds affect adipocytes, or fat cells.
The researchers studied how 15 phenolic acids and six flavonoids affected fat cells in laboratory cultures of mouse cells. Their results showed that fat cells exposed to certain antioxidants had lower levels of an enzyme that forms triglycerides and accumulated lower levels of triglycerides — fatty materials which at high levels increase the risk of heart disease. The findings suggest that these compounds could be effective in improving the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms like obesity and high blood sugar that increase the risk of heart disease, the researchers said. “Effects of Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids on the Inhibition of Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes
Public release date: 5-Nov-2007
Gene governs IQ boost from breastfeeding
DURHAM, N.C. – The known association between breast feeding and slightly higher IQ in children has been shown to relate to a particular gene in the babies, according to a report this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
In two studies of breast-fed infants involving more than 3,000 children in Britain and New Zealand, breastfeeding was found to raise intelligence an average of nearly 7 IQ points if the children had a particular version of a gene called FADS2.
Ninety percent of the children in the two study groups had at least one copy of the “C” version of FADS2, which yielded higher IQ if they were breast-fed. The other 10 percent, with only the “G” versions of the gene, showed no IQ advantage or disadvantage from breastfeeding.
The gene was singled out for the researchers’ attention because it produces an enzyme that helps convert dietary fatty acids into the polyunsaturated fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and AA (arachidonic acid) that have been shown to accumulate in the human brain during the first months after birth.
Public release date: 5-Nov-2007
Relationship between statins and cognitive decline more complex than thought
INDIANAPOLIS – Previous explorations of a link between statins, a cholesterol lowering medication, and cognitive decline have produced inconsistent results. New research reveals that the relationship between statin use and cognitive decline appears even more complex than had been thought.
In a three year epidemiological study, researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. have found an association of statin use with less cognitive decline in elderly African Americans and report that, surprisingly, the association is even stronger for those who had discontinued use than for continuous users. Their findings are published in the Nov. 6 issue of Neurology.
In 2001 and again in 2004, the IU School of Medicine researchers evaluated 1146 African Americans aged 70 and older living in Indianapolis testing them in various cognitive areas including language, attention and calculation, memory and orientation. The researchers also compared use of statins and whether, if used, they were taken consistently. While cognitive decline in statin users was less than those who did not take statins, those who continued to take statins from 2001 to 2004 had greater cognitive decline than those who were taking statins in 2001 but were no longer taking them in 2004. Study participants who discontinued statin use did not differ from those who continued to use statins in any other health, demographic, clinical or biochemical characteristics.
If statin use were directly associated with a reduction in cognitive decline, continuously taking statins would presumably produce the greatest effect. The study authors say that in light of their findings that the association between statins and decreased cognitive decline is more complex than previously realized, carefully designed randomized clinical trials of statins are needed to provide definitive answers to their potential role in dementia prevention.
***Ralph’s note- It appears that initial use of statins had some benefit on cognitive ability, but then had a negative rebound effect. The wording here is difficult so those in the initial study up to 2001 had an advantage. However, that same group when re analyzed from 2001 to 2004. The Statin users fared much worse than those who stopped after 2001.
Public release date: 5-Nov-2007
Modest gain in visceral fat causes dysfunction of blood vessel lining in lean, healthy humans
ORLANDO, Fla. — When lean healthy young adults gained about 9 pounds, the functioning of their blood vessel lining became impaired — but shedding the weight restored proper functioning, according to a Mayo Clinic research report. The finding is important because this vessel disorder, known as endothelial dysfunction, is a predictor of heart attacks and stroke, and the effects of modest weight gain on the disorder were not previously known.
The Mayo Clinic team presented the findings today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007.
In fat-gainers, brachial artery flow measurements decreased with the addition of weight. But once subjects shed the gained weight their flow levels improved, and returned to levels measured at the beginning of the study.
Relationship between environmental stress and cancer elucidated
One way environmental stress causes cancer is by reducing the activity level of an enzyme that causes cell death, researchers say.
They found that stress-inducing agents, such as oxidative stress, recruit a protein called SENP1 that cuts a regulator called SUMO1 away from the enzyme SIRT1 so its activity level drops, says Dr. Yonghua Yang, postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Kapil Bhalla, director of the MCG Cancer Center.
This fundamental finding about the relationship between stress and cancer opens the door for treatments that increase SENP1 activity, making it easier for cells that are becoming cancerous to die, says Dr. Yang, first author on a paper published in the November issue of Nature Cell Biology.
Ralph’s Note- The reason this is important. Is some scientist believe it is the oxidative stress that is kill for killing cancer. Therefore anti-oxidants may be bad thing. It may be the enzymes, not the free radicals that kill cancer after all. Otherwise claiming that anti-oxidants may predispose you to cancer is ludicrous.
Public release date: 5-Nov-2007
Diesel exhaust associated with higher heart attack, stroke risk in men
ORLANDO, Nov. 6 — Increased roadway pollution produced by diesel fuel in vehicles is leading to a cascade of conditions that could result in heart attack or stroke, researchers suggested in the report of a small study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007
United Kingdom and Swedish researchers found that diesel exhaust increased clot formation and blood platelet activity in healthy volunteers — which could lead to heart attack and stroke.
“The study results are closely tied with previous observational and epidemiological studies showing that shortly after exposure to traffic air pollution, individuals are more likely to suffer a heart attack,” said Andrew Lucking, M.D., lead author of the study and a cardiology fellow at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom. “This study shows that when a person is exposed to relatively high levels of diesel exhaust for a short time, the blood is more likely to clot. This could lead to a blocked vessel resulting in heart attack or stroke.”
To measure clot formation, researchers used low and high shear rates, recreating flow conditions inside the body’s blood vessels. Compared to filtered air, breathing air with diluted diesel exhaust increased clot formation in the low shear chamber by 24.2 percent and the high shear chamber by 19.1 percent. This was seen at both two and six hours after diesel exposure.
Public release date: 6-Nov-2007
Chronic kidney disease common in the United States
There is a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the United States, which has risen over the past decade, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study found that the overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease increased from 10 percent of the population during a period from 1988-1994 to 13 percent from 1999-2004. The researchers conclude that the increase in chronic kidney disease is partly due to the rise in number of Americans with diabetes and hypertension and the aging of the population. The study is published in the November 7, 2007, edition of JAMA.
Public release date: 6-Nov-2007
Drug slows prostate tumor growth by keeping vitamin A active
SINGAPORE — A novel compound that blocks the breakdown of retinoic acid, derived from vitamin A, is a surprisingly effective and “promiscuous” agent in treating animal models of human prostate cancer, say investigators from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).
Daily injections of the agent VN/14-1 resulted in up to a 50 percent decrease in tumor volume in mice implanted with human prostate cancer cells, reported Aakanksha Khandelwal, Ph.D., today at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine. No further tumor growth was seen during the five-week study, Khandelwal reports
This potent agent causes cancer cells to differentiate, forcing them to turn back to a non-cancerous state – which is what we expected it would do – but it also stops cancer growth by arresting the cell cycle and pushes cells to die by inducing programmed cell death,” Njar said.
“These functions were unexpected and wonderfully surprising,” he said. “I am not aware that any other drug currently used to treat prostate cancer targets so many pathways.”
Vitamin A, when converted by the body into retinoic acid, is known to be involved in maintaining the normal growth of cells, and other research has shown that prostate cancer cells contain five to eight times less retinoic acid than normal prostate cells. Njar’s laboratory developed a number of compounds, including VN/14-1, with the aim of inhibiting the normal breakdown of retinoic acid in cancer cells.
The agent is similar in function to the well-known acne and anti-aging therapy, Retin-A, as well as to the leukemia drug Vesanoid. These products, known as retinoids, add all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) to skin or cancer cells. VN/14-1, which is a retinoic acid metabolism blocking agent (RAMBA), works by inhibiting the breakdown of ATRA, keeping more retinoic acid available within cancer cells so that the chemical can redirect these cells back into their normal growth patterns, which includes programmed cell death.
“Our idea is that rather than give extra ATRA, we would prevent ATRA
Ralph’s Note- Hmmm, Vitamin A didn’t the U.S. Gov’t tells us it was dangerous? Less Vitamin A, more prostate cancer.
Public release date: 6-Nov-2007
UCSD researchers discover inflammation, not obesity, cause of insulin resistance
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered that inflammation provoked by immune cells called macrophages leads to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Their discovery may pave the way to novel drug development to fight the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes associated with obesity, the most prevalent metabolic disease worldwide
In recent years, it has been theorized that chronic, low-grade tissue inflammation related to obesity contributes to insulin resistance, the major cause of Type 2 diabetes. In research done in mouse models, the UCSD scientists proved that, by disabling the macrophage inflammatory pathway, insulin resistance and the resultant Type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
Macrophages, found in white blood cells in the bone marrow, are key players in the immune response. When these immune cells get into tissues, such as adipose (fat) or liver tissue, they release cytokines, which are chemical messenger molecules used by immune and nerve cells to communicate. These cytokines cause the neighboring liver, muscle or fat cells to become insulin resistant, which in turn can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
Public release date: 6-Nov-2007
Scientists complete genome sequence of fungus responsible for dandruff, skin disorders
Scientists from P&G Beauty announced that they successfully sequenced the complete genome for Malassezia globosa (M. globosa), a naturally occurring fungus responsible for the onset of dandruff and other skin conditions in humans. Results of the genome sequencing are published in today’s online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis affect more than 50 percent of the human population. Despite the role of Malassezia in these and other common skin diseases, including eczema, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, little was known about the fungus at the molecular level until this study. In addition, understanding of Malassezia’s genetic make-up may help scientists reevaluate the parameters that have historically been used to classify fungal organisms.
M. globosa, which is among the smallest of the sequenced free-living fungal organisms, is comprised of just around 4,285 genes – roughly 300 times fewer base pairs than are found in the human genome. A common fungus that lives on the skin of humans, M. globosa feeds off of fatty external lipids. Humans naturally secrete sebum and other lipids onto the scalp, creating a prime environment for M. globosa to thrive. The average human can host to up to 10 million M. globosa. Symptoms of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis occur when three factors come together: genetic susceptibility for an inflammatory response, the presence of sebum on the scalp and the presence of M. globosa
Ralph’s Note- That explains team why the polysorbate 80, and zinc pyrithione combo works so well.
Public release date: 6-Nov-2007
A ‘grape’ future for Alzheimer’s disease research
Concord grape juice and red wine polyphenols show promise in counteracting beta-amyloid plaques associated with cognitive decline
Two recent population studies associated moderate red wine and 100 percent fruit juice consumption with lowering the risk of AD dementia (wine) or delay in AD onset (juice). Adding further weight to those studies is the research presented by Dr. Lap Ho at Neuroscience 2007, which demonstrated the potentially protective effect of Concord grape juice and Cabernet Sauvignon polyphenols to slow beta-amyloid neuropathology.
Previous work by Dr. Pasinetti’s group at MSSM reported that moderate consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon wine had reduced AD-type neuropathology and prevented cognitive decline in a transgenic mouse model , yet counseled that even moderate intake of alcohol may carry health risks, particularly with an older population
Public release date: 7-Nov-2007
Cholesterol-lowering drug linked to sleep disruptions
ORLANDO, Nov. 7 — A cholesterol-lowering drug appears to disrupt sleep patterns of some patients, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007.
“The findings are significant because sleep problems can affect quality of life and may have adverse health consequences, such as promoting weight gain and insulin resistance,” said Beatrice Golomb, M.D., lead author of the study and an associate professor of medicine and family and preventive medicine at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine
Because simvastatin is fat soluble it can more readily penetrate cell membranes and cross the blood brain barrier into the brain. The brain controls sleep, and many of the brain’s nerve cells are wrapped in a fatty insulating sheath called myelin.
“Several small studies were done early on, including those focused on lipophilic versus hydrophilic statins,” Golomb said. “Most (researchers) didn’t see a difference in sleep, but they had short durations of follow-up and enrolled just a handful of people — often fewer than 20, which was not enough to see a difference unless it was very large.
In this study, researchers tested 1,016 healthy adult men and women for six months in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial using simvastatin, given at 20 milligrams (mg), pravastatin at 40 mg, or a placebo. They assessed outcomes with the Leeds sleep scale, a visual analog scale of sleep quality, and a rating scale of sleep problems. Both scales were measured before and during treatment.
“Those who reported developing much worse sleep on study medication also showed a significant adverse change in aggression scores compared to others,” Golomb said “We should also point out that although the average effect on sleep was detrimental on simvastatin, this does not mean that everyone on simvastatin will experience worse sleep.”
Public release date: 7-Nov-2007
Exercise helps repair muscle damage in heart failure patients
ORLANDO, Nov. 7 — Exercise increased the growth of new muscle cells and blood vessels in the weakened muscles of people with heart failure, according to two studies reported today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2007.
“If you have heart failure, exercise training can improve your health status, increase your ability to exercise and reverse patterns of muscle damage that are common in heart failure,” said Axel Linke, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and a co-author on both studies.
“In addition to getting out of condition because it becomes difficult to exercise, people with heart failure have cellular-level changes in their muscles that make them weaker, more prone to fatigue, and in later stages results in actual muscle shrinkage,” he said.
Study participants rode a stationary bicycle at least 30 minutes a day (usually divided into two sessions) at about half their peak exercise capacity.
At the end of the six-month study, levels of progenitor cells stayed the same in the inactive group but changed significantly in the exercisers:
- Total number of progenitor cells (identified by c-kit+ protein marker on the cell surface) increased by 109 percent.
- Progenitor cells differentiating into muscle cells (identified by c-kit/MEF2+ marker) increased by 166 percent.
Progenitor cells actively dividing to form new cells and repair muscle damage (identified by c-kit/Ki67+ protein marker) significantly increased six-fold.
- Circulating progenitor cells (identified by CD34+ marker) increased 47 percent.
- Circulating progenitor cells beginning to mature into endothelial cells (identified by CD34/KDR+ marker) significantly increased 199 percent.
- Functional activity of the circulating progenitor cells (measured by migratory capacity) significantly increased 149 percent.
- The density of capillaries in skeletal tissue significantly increased 17 percent.
“Whether you have moderate or severe heart failure, you can benefit from exercise therapy,” Linke said. “These studies show that the benefits come from both the regeneration of muscle cells and the formation of blood vessels.”
More than 5 million people in the United States have heart failure. About 1 percent of people over age 65 start having heart failure annually.
Ralph’s Note- There was NO IMPROVEMENT in the non exercisers. I’m sorry to get these benefits with just 30 minutes of moderate cycling total. If you don’t do it, well…
Public release date: 7-Nov-2007
Boston University Medical Center researcher’s abstract selected by Society for Neuroscience
Boston, MA—David Farb, PhD, recently had an abstract selected that was highlighted by the Society for Neuroscience (SFN). The abstract details how antioxidants influence dopamine release from striatal synaptosomes. It will be presented at SFN’s 37th annual meeting November 7th in San Diego, California.
Farb’s abstract details the relationship between antioxidants and dopamine. Antioxidants can protect the central nervous system from oxidative damage. The level of oxidation and reduction of molecules reflects conditions within the nervous tissue. Increased levels of oxidative damage are believed to be involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.
Researchers sought to determine whether the presence of antioxidant compounds could influence spontaneous dopamine release from synaptosomes. They concluded that the release of dopamine could be influenced by numerous factors, including input from other neurotransmitters as well as the reducing/oxidizing state of the cell. Inclusion of the water soluble, sulfhydryl containing antioxidant glutathione, or the glutathione precursor NAC lowered spontaneous dopamine release by 85 percent. The antioxidant vitamin E had no effect on dopamine release.
“Not all antioxidants are equivalent,” said Farb. “Our results suggest that the ability of NAC or glutathione at therapeutic doses to rapidly and reversibly stabilize the release of dopamine raises the possibility that such antioxidants may have significant potential for the treatment of oxidative damage in neurodegenerative diseases.”
Public release date: 7-Nov-2007
‘Tweens’ double use of diabetes drugs
More children taking chronic medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma, depression and diabetes
WASHINGTON, DC, November 7, 2007 – America’s tweens more than doubled their use of type-2 diabetes medications between 2002 and 2005, with girls between 10 and 14 years of age showing a 166 percent increase. The likely cause: Obesity, which is closely associated with Type 2 diabetes.
The finding is included in a study of chronic medication use in children 5 to 19 reported Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association by researchers from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and School of Public Health and pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts. In addition to diabetes, utilization patterns for blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma and depression medications were also examined
“Across every chronic medication class we examined over this four year period of time, children’s use increased, with varying patterns of growth across males and females and age groups,” said Emily R. Cox, Ph.D., RPh, senior director of research at Express Scripts.
With asthma, children age 5 to 9 accounted for the largest increase in the use of controller medication among the three age groups at 67.3 percent as compared to 38.8 percent for the 10 to 14 age group and 34.7 percent for the 15 to 19 age group
“Overall, these patterns could reflect changing prescribing behaviors by physicians (anti-hypertensives), increases in the risk factors for chronic diseases (type-2 antidiabetics, antihyperlipidemics), increased office visit rates and therefore screening rates – particularly for females – or trends toward greater use of drug therapy as the preferred mode of treating children with chronic conditions,” observed Sharon M. Homan, Ph.D., professor of community health at Saint Louis University School of Public Health
Public release date: 7-Nov-2007
OHSU research suggests America may over-vaccinate
PORTLAND, Ore. –A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week by Oregon Health & Science University researchers suggests that timelines for vaccinating and revaccinating Americans against disease should possibly be reevaluated and adjusted. The study shows that in many cases, the established duration of protective immunity for many vaccines is greatly underestimated. This means that people are getting booster shots when their immunity levels most likely do not require it. The results are published in the November 8 edition of the journal
“The goal of this study was to determine how long immunity could be maintained after infection or vaccination. We expected to see long-lived immunity following a viral infection and relatively short-lived immunity after vaccination, especially since this is the reasoning for requiring booster vaccinations. Surprisingly, we found that immunity following vaccination with tetanus and diphtheria was much more long-lived than anyone realized and that antibody responses following viral infections were essentially maintained for life,” explained Mark Slifka, Ph.D. Slifka serves as an associate scientist at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute with joint appointments at the Oregon National Primate Research Center and the department of molecular microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine.
The research also reconfirmed a previous finding by Slifka and his colleagues: that the duration of immunity after smallpox vaccination is much longer than previously thought. In that earlier study published in the journal Nature Medicine in 2003, these OHSU researchers observed surprisingly long-lived antiviral antibody responses but they were unable to measure the slow rate of decline. In this current study, they demonstrate that this type of immunity is maintained with a calculated half-life of 92 years – a number that is substantially longer than the estimate of only 3 to 5 years of immunity following vaccination that was previously proposed by experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Another example is the tetanus vaccine,” said Slifka. “Doctors are told that vaccination is effective for a period of 10 years – but after that, people should be revaccinated. Based on our studies and the work of others, once a person has received their primary series of vaccinations they are likely to be protected for at least three decades. Indeed, other countries such as Sweden have changed their vaccination policies and doctors are advised to offer tetanus revaccination only once every 30 years.” Importantly, this has not resulted in any increase in the number of tetanus cases in Sweden and demonstrates first-hand that switching from the 10-year to 30-year policy is safe and effective. Taking this small step in vaccination scheduling could save hundreds of millions of dollars on health care here in the US.”
Public release date: 8-Nov-2007
Could vitamin D, a key milk nutrient, affect how you age?
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 8, 2007)- There is a new reason for the 76 million baby boomers to grab a glass of milk. Vitamin D, a key nutrient in milk, could have aging benefits linked to reduced inflammation, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
In a genetic study of more than 2,100 female twin pairs ages 19-79, British and American researchers found that higher vitamin D levels were linked to improved genetic measures of lifelong aging and chronic stress. Using a genetic marker called leukocyte telomere length (LTL), they found those with the highest vitamin D levels had longer LTL, indicating lower levels of inflammation and body stress. The telomere difference between those with the highest and lowest vitamin D levels was equivalent to 5 years of aging.
Public release date: 8-Nov-2007
In the laboratory, green tea proves a powerful medicine against severe sepsis
MANHASSET, NY – A major component of green tea could prove the perfect elixir for severe sepsis, an abnormal immune system response to a bacterial infection. In a new laboratory study, Haichao Wang, PhD, of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and his colleagues have been studying the therapeutic powers of dozens of Chinese herbal compounds in reversing a fatal immune response that kills 225,000 Americans every year. They found that an ingredient in green tea rescued mice from lethal sepsis – and the findings could pave the way to clinical trials in patients.
Scientists worldwide have been stumped by sepsis. Even with the most advanced medical techniques available, half of those who develop sepsis die of the massive assault on the body. Several laboratories at the Feinstein Institute are working on sepsis – both on the basic biological level and in patients.
In the latest study, Dr. Wang’s group gave a substance in green tea called EGCG to mice in the throes of severe sepsis. The dose was equivalent to 10 cups in a human. Survival jumped from 53 percent in those who didn’t receive the green tea substance to 82 percent in those who did. “Clinically, even if we could save five percent of patients, that would be huge,” said Dr. Wang. “In this study, we saved 25 percent more animals with the green tea.” He said that the green tea component, EGCG, is readily available.
There have been more than 100 papers focusing on this natural substance and its anti-cancer benefits. “This compound prevents HMGB1 from being released by immune cells and it also prevents it from activating immune cells to produce more cytokines,” he said. Cytokines are produced by immune cells and act as weapons to defend the body against invaders. “We are hoping to stimulate future interest in clinical studies,” said Dr. Wang, who worked on the study in collaboration with Wei Li, PhD, Andrew Sama, MD, chairman of emergency medicine at North Shore University Hospital, and other Feinstein investigators.
Public release date: 8-Nov-2007
Interferon does not slow or stop hepatitis C from worsening, study finds
Interferon does not slow or halt the progression of chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease in patients who haven’t responded to previous attempts to eradicate the disease, a national study in which the Saint Louis University School of Medicine participated has found.
Patients in the trial who were treated with interferon did experience a significant decrease in viral levels and liver inflammation, but the trial unequivocally demonstrated that treatment with long-term pegylated interferon – also called peginterferon – does not prevent the worsening of liver disease in patients who’ve failed prior treatments
“The results are this study are very clear – long-term therapy with peginterferon for those with chronic hepatitis C is not effective in preventing progression of liver disease for patients who did not respond to an initial course of treatment,” said Adrian Di Bisceglie, M.D., professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and chairman of the trial’s steering committee.
Results of the study were reported by Di Bisceglie at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease in Boston this week.
The randomized, multi-site study involved 1,050 patients with chronic hepatitis C who’d failed prior treatments to eradicate the infection. All had advanced liver fibrosis – a gradual scarring of the liver that puts patients at risk for progressive liver disease.
At the end of the study, while patients treated with interferon did have significantly lower blood levels of the hepatitis C virus and less liver inflammation, 34.1 percent of them had experienced one or more of the following outcomes: excess fluid in the abdomen; brain and nervous system damage; cirrhosis (for those who did not have it initially); liver cancer; or death. Of patients in the control group, 33.8 percent experienced one or more of the outcomes.
Public release date: 8-Nov-2007
Too much sugar turns off gene that controls the effects of sex steroids
Eating too much fructose and glucose can turn off the gene that regulates the levels of active testosterone and estrogen in the body, shows a new study in mice and human cell cultures that’s published this month in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. This discovery reinforces public health advice to eat complex carbohydrates and avoid sugar. Table sugar is made of glucose and fructose, while fructose is also commonly used in sweetened beverages, syrups, and low-fat food products. Estimates suggest North Americans consume 33 kg of refined sugar and an additional 20 kg of high fructose corn syrup per person per year.
Glucose and fructose are metabolized in the liver. When there’s too much sugar in the
diet, the liver converts it to lipid. Using a mouse model and human liver cell cultures, the
scientists discovered that the increased production of lipid shut down a gene called
SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), reducing the amount of SHBG protein in the
blood. SHBG protein plays a key role in controlling the amount of testosterone and
estrogen that’s available throughout the body. If there’s less SHBG protein, then more
testosterone and estrogen will be released throughout the body, which is associated with
an increased risk of acne, infertility, polycystic ovaries, and uterine cancer in overweight
women. Abnormal amounts of SHBG also disturb the delicate balance between estrogen
and testosterone, which is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease,
especially in women.
“We discovered that low levels of SHBG in a person’s blood means the liver’s metabolic
state is out of whack – because of inappropriate diet or something that’s inherently wrong
with the liver – long before there are any disease symptoms,” says Dr. Geoffrey
Hammond, the study’s principal investigator, scientific director of the Child & Family
Research Institute in Vancouver, Canada, and professor in the Department of Obstetrics
& Gynecology at the University of British Columbia.
Ralph’s Note- Just to convert U.S. citizens (man, woman, child, infant) consume about 117 pounds of sugar a year. About a 1/3 of a pound a day.
Public release date: 11-Nov-2007
US among worst in world for infant death
In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available, roughly seven babies died for every 1,000 live births before reaching their first birthday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. That was down from about 26 in 1960.
Babies born to black mothers died at two and a half times the rate of those born to white mothers, according to the CDC figures.
The United States ranks near the bottom for infant survival rates among modernized nations. A Save the Children report last year placed the United States ahead of only Latvia, and tied with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia.
The same report noted the United States had more neonatologists and newborn intensive care beds per person than Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom — but still had a higher rate of infant mortality than any of those nations.
Ralph’s Note – Tennessee has a rate of more than 15 deaths for every 1,000 births, more than twice the U.S. average. The same as a third world country.
Public release date: 12-Nov-2007
Eating fish, omega-3 oils, fruits and veggies lowers risk of memory problems
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A diet rich in fish, omega-3 oils, fruits and vegetables may lower your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, whereas consuming omega-6 rich oils could increase chances of developing memory problems, according to a study published in the November 13, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology
The study found people who regularly consumed omega-3 rich oils, such as canola oil, flaxseed oil and walnut oil, reduced their risk of dementia by 60 percent compared to people who did not regularly consume such oils. People who ate fruits and vegetables daily also reduced their risk of dementia by 30 percent compared to those who didn’t regularly eat fruits and vegetables.
Ralph’s Note- Keep in mind many of the bad omega-6 they talk about. Is either hydrogenated or fried fats. Not Evening primrose or Borage sources of GLA.
Public release date: 12-Nov-2007
“Dragon’s blood” quenches stomach ulcer bacteria Journal of Natural Products
“Dragon’s blood” may sound like an exotic ingredient in a witch’s brew or magic potion. But researchers in China are reporting that the material — which is actually a bright red plant sap used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine — contains chemicals that were effective in laboratory experiments in fighting bacteria that cause millions of cases of gastrointestinal disease each year. Their study is scheduled for the current issue of ACS’ Journal of Natural Products, a monthly publication.
In the new study, Weimin Zhao and colleagues indicate that “dragon’s blood” has been used for years in China and other countries as a folk remedy for stomach ulcers, blood clots, and other conditions. Researchers, however, have never identified the active ingredients in dragon’s blood responsible for its beneficial health effects on peptic ulcer and preventing blood clots.
The researchers isolated 22 different compounds from the powdered stems of Dracaena cochinchinensis, a common source of dragon’s blood. The scientists tested the compounds’ effects on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the bacteria known to cause most cases of stomach ulcers and gastritis. Two of the compounds blocked the growth of H. pylori. In another part of the experiment, eight other compounds from dragon’s blood inhibited blood clotting, suggesting their potential use in the prevention of the blood clot responsible for some strokes and most heart attacks, the scientists say
Public release date: 12-Nov-2007
Long-term beta carotene supplementation may help prevent cognitive decline
Men who take beta carotene supplements for 15 years or longer may have less cognitive decline, according to a report in the November 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Decreases in cognitive ability—thinking, learning and memory skills—strongly predict dementia, a growing public health issue, according to background information in the article. Long-term cellular damage from “oxidative stress” may be a major factor in cognitive decline. Some evidence suggests that antioxidant supplements may help preserve cognition, although previous studies have been inconclusive, the authors note.
Francine Grodstein, Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues studied the antioxidant beta carotene and its effect on cognitive ability in two groups of men. The long-term group included 4,052 men who in 1982 had been randomly assigned to take placebo or 50 milligrams of beta carotene every other day. Between 1998 and 2001, an additional 1,904 men were randomly assigned to one of the two groups. Both groups were followed through 2003, completing yearly follow-up questionnaires with information about their health and their compliance with taking the pills. The men were assessed by telephone for cognitive function at least once between 1998 and 2002.
The long-term participants were treated for an average of 18 years and the short-term participants for an average of one year. Men in the short-term group displayed no differences in cognition regardless of whether they took beta carotene or placebo, but men in the long-term group who took beta carotene had significantly higher scores on several of the cognitive tests compared with men who took placebo.
“In this generally healthy population, the extent of protection conferred by long-term treatment appeared modest; nonetheless, studies have established that very modest differences in cognition, especially verbal memory, predict substantial differences in eventual risk of dementia; thus, the public health impact of long-term beta carotene use could be large,” the authors write.
Beta carotene is not without risks—for example, it may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers, the authors note. However, its benefits against dementia surpassed those of other medications tested in healthy older people. “Thus, the public health value of beta carotene supplementation merits careful evaluation,” the authors conclude. “Moreover, as these data support the possibility of successful interventions at early stages of brain aging in well-functioning subjects, investigations of additional agents that might also provide such neuroprotection should be initiated.”
Ralph’s Note- 50mg of Pro-Vitamin Beta Carotene is about 83,000 I.U. ‘s….I would be curious to know the cancer statistics from the study.
Public release date: 13-Nov-2007
A low-carb diet may stunt prostate tumor growth
DURHAM, N.C. — A diet low in carbohydrates may help stunt the growth of prostate tumors, according to a new study led by Duke Prostate Center researchers. The study, in mice, suggests that a reduction in insulin production possibly caused by fewer carbohydrates may stall tumor growth.
This study showed that cutting carbohydrates may slow tumor growth, at least in mice,” said Stephen Freedland, M.D., a urologist at Duke University Medical Center and lead researcher on the study. “If this is ultimately confirmed in human clinical trials, it has huge implications for prostate cancer therapy through something that all of us can control, our diets.”
The researchers published their results on November 13, 2007 in the online edition of the journal Prostate. The study was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Surgery and the Division of Urology at Duke University Medical Center, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program.
The researchers hypothesized that since serum insulin and a related substance known as insulin-like growth factor (IGF) had been linked with the growth of prostate tumors in earlier research in mice, a reduction in the body’s levels of these substances might slow tumor growth, Freedland said
The low-carbohydrate diet definitely had the most significant effect on tumor growth and survival, he said.
Public release date: 13-Nov-2007
Cranberry sauce: good for what ails you
WORCESTER, Mass. – Cranberry sauce is not the star of the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal, but when it comes to health benefits, the lowly condiment takes center stage. In fact, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have found that compounds in cranberries are able to alter E. coli bacteria, which are responsible for a host of human illnesses (from kidney infections to gastroenteritis to tooth decay), in ways that render them unable to initiate an infection
The findings are the result of research by Terri Camesano, associate professor of chemical engineering at WPI, and a team that includes graduate students Yatao Liu and Paola Pinzon-Arango. Funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the Cranberry Institute and Wisconsin Cranberry Board, the work has been reported in a number of publications and presentations, including FAV Health 2007 (The 2nd Annual Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables), the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in September 2006, and the January/February 2007 issue of the Italian publication AgroFOOD industry hi-tech.