Scientists detail critical role of gene in many lung cancer cases

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have shown that a well-known cancer-causing gene implicated in a number of malignancies plays a far more critical role in non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease, than previously thought.

These findings establish the gene as a critical regulator of lung cancer tumor growth. This new information could turn out to be vital for the design of potentially new therapeutic strategies for a group of patients who represent almost half of non-small cell lung cancer cases.

In the study, published online ahead of print by the journal Cancer Research, the scientists found that presence of known oncogene Notch 1 is required for survival of cancer cells. In both cell and animal model studies, disabling Notch 1 leads to a rise in cancer cell death.

"While Notch signaling has emerged as an important target in many types of cancer, current methodologies that target that pathway affect all members of the Notch family, and this has been associated with toxicity," said Joseph Kissil, a TSRI associate professor who led the study. "We were able to identify Notch 1 as the critical oncogene to target, at least in a common form of lung cancer."

The new findings show that Notch1 is required for initial tumor growth, as it represses p53, a well-known tumor suppressor protein that has been called the genome's guardian because of its role in preventing mutations. The p53 proteincan repair damaged cells or force them to die through apoptosis—programmed cell death.

Using animal models, the study shows that inhibition of Notch1 signaling results in a dramatic decrease in initial tumor growth. Moreover, disruption of Notch 1 induces apoptosis by increasing p53 stability—substantially increasing its biological half-life, for example.

These findings provide important clinical insights into the correlation between Notch1 activity and the poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer patients who carry the non-mutated form of the p53 gene. "If you look at lung cancer patient populations, Notch signaling alone isn't a prognostic indicator, but if you look at p53-positive patients it is," Kissil said.

Cell study offers more diabetic patients chance of transplant

Diabetic patients could benefit from a breakthrough that enables scientists to take cells from the pancreas and change their function to produce insulin.

Islet cells—which occur naturally in the pancreas—produce insulin, which enables the body to store glucose. However, not enough of these cells can be provided by a single donor for a successful islet transplant to take place.The research could reduce waiting times for patients with Type 1 Diabetes who need islet cell transplants. These transplants are carried out to prevent life-threatening complications resulting from diabetes, such as seizures resulting from low blood sugar levels.

This means that patients can wait months before a second pancreas becomes available so that a sufficient number of islet cells to be transplanted.

The breakthrough, published in the journal Diabetes, could enable pancreatic cells—other than islets—to be developed in the laboratory for transplant operations.

It was carried out by the University of Aberdeen, the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.

Only one pancreas donation would be needed to enable the successful transplantation of insulin-producing cells, which would save months waiting for a second donor to become available as well as make more organs available for other patients

This would involve an islet cell transplant once an organ becomes available, followed by a second transplant soon after when enough pancreatic cells have been developed to produce insulin.

The effects of the operations would also be longer lasting than currently as more cells would be transplanted.

Islet cell transplants are given to Type 1 diabetics—who are unable to make insulin and are dependent on insulin injections—to treat severe hypoglycemic unawareness.

This condition can cause potentially fatal seizures as patients have no warning signals that their blood sugar has reached dangerously low levels.

Almost 20 per cent of patients with Type 1 diabetes suffer from hypoglycemic unawareness.

John Casey, of the University of Edinburgh and also lead clinician for the National Islet Transplant Programme in Scotland, said: "There is a shortage of organ donors, which is not helped by the need for two pancreases to be donated to treat each patient. Developing previously unusable cells to produce insulin means that fewer donors would be needed, which would make a huge difference to patients waiting for transplants operations."

The research was funded by the Medical Research Council.

Professor Kevin Docherty, of the University of Aberdeen, said: "This is an example of how reprogramming,—the ability to change one cell type into another—can have a huge impact on the development of cell based therapy for diabetes and many other diseases."

An islet cell transplant programme was introduced in the UK in 2008. Since then, over 90 islet transplants have been successfully carried out in the UK with some patients now completely free of insulin injections.

6 Ways to Boost your Metabolism.

There are several ways by which we can boost series of processes by which food is converted into the energy and products that are need in the body for sustaining life, the following are the six ways by which these biochemical activities can be enhanced.

1.   Sinless Snacking

Eating more really can help you lose weight -- eating more often, that is. When you eat large meals with many hours in between, your metabolism slows down between meals. Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day. Several studies have also shown that people who snack regularly eat less at meal time.

                                                2.   Energy Drinks

Some ingredients in energy drinks can give your metabolism a boost. They're full of caffeine which increases the amount of energy your body uses. They sometimes have taurine, an amino acid. Taurine can speed up our metabolism and may help burn fat. But using these drinks can cause problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep issues for some people. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend them for kids and teens.

3.   Spice Up Your Meals

Spicy foods contain chemical compounds that can kick the metabolism into a higher gear. Eating a tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can boost your metabolic rate. The effect is likely temporary, but if you eat spicy foods often, the benefits may add up. For a quick boost, spice up pasta dishes, chili, and stews with red-pepper flakes.

                                                      4.   Power Up with Protein

Our body burns many more calories digesting protein as it uses for fat or carbohydrates. Although you want to eat a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost the metabolism at mealtime. Healthy sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

5.   Booster Shot: Black Coffee

 If you're a coffee drinker, you probably enjoy the increased energy and concentration that follows your morning ritual. Taken in moderation, one of coffee's benefits may be a short-term increase in your metabolic rate.

6.   Best Bets

          The impact of different foods and drinks on the metabolism is small compared to what you need for sustained weight loss. Your best bet for creating a mean calorie-burning machine is to build muscle and stay active. The more you move during the day, the more calories you burn. And remember: working out in the morning has the benefit of revving up your metabolism for hours.

      

     

**Is this post helpful? kindly drop your comment

You may also like:

-   How Stress Affects Our Body System.

-   Read! Unsuspected Causes of Obesity.

-   Dealing With Sore Muscles and Joint Pain.

             

Watch these kids in Science Video Music about Frankline, Crick and Watson DNA Structure story... its so amazing.
DNA Structure science video music
+OLAYINKA A ADENEYE +SOBUR OLALEKAN Adeagbo +BABATUNDE YUSUF Raimi  

Lowest temperature for life discovered

The study, published in PLoS One, reveals that below -20 °C, single-celled organisms dehydrate, sending them into a vitrified – glass-like – state during which they are unable to complete their life cycle.

The researchers propose that, since the organisms cannot reproduce below this temperature, -20 °C is the lowest temperature limit for life on Earth.

Scientists placed single-celled organisms in a watery medium, and lowered the temperature. As the temperature fell, the medium started to turn into ice and as the ice crystals grew, the water inside the organisms seeped out to form more ice. This left the cells first dehydrated, and then vitrified. Once a cell has vitrified, scientists no longer consider it living as it cannot reproduce, but cells can be brought back to life when temperatures rise again. This vitrification phase is similar to the state plant seeds enter when they dry out.

'The interesting thing about vitrification is that in general a cell will survive, where it wouldn't survive freezing, if you freeze internally you die. But if you can do a controlled vitrification you can survive,' says Professor Andrew Clarke of NERC's British Antarctic Survey , lead author of the study. 'Once a cell is vitrified it can continue to survive right down to incredibly low temperatures. It just can't do much until it warms up.'

More complex organisms are able to survive at lower temperatures because they are able to control the medium the cells sit in to some extent.

'Bacteria, unicellular algae and unicellular fungi – of which there are a huge amount in the world-are free-living because they don't rely on other organisms ,' Clarke explains.

'Everything else, like trees and animals and insects, has the ability to control the fluid that surrounds their internal cells. In our case it's blood and lymph. In a complicated organism the cells sit in an environment that the organism can control. Free-living organisms don't have this; if ice forms in the environment they are subject to all the stresses that implies.'

If a free-living cell cools too quickly it would be unable to dehydrate and vitrify; instead it would freeze and wouldn't survive.

This goes some way towards explaining why preserving food using deep freezing works. Most fridge freezers operate at a temperature of nearly -20 °C . This study shows that this temperature works because moulds and bacteria are unable to multiply and spoil food.

'We were really pleased that we had a result which had a wider relevance, as it provided a mechanism for why domestic freezers are as successful as they are,' Clarke says.

The scientists believe that the temperature limit they have discovered is universal, and below -20°C simple forms of unicellular life can grow on Earth. During the study they looked at a wide range of single-celled organismsthat use a variety of different energy sources, from light to minerals, to metabolise. Every single type vitrified below this temperature.

'When you have a single-celled organism and cool it until ice forms in the external medium, in every case we looked at the cells dehydrated and then vitrified between -10°C and -25 °C. There were no exceptions,' explains Clarke.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-08-lowest-temperature-life.html#jCp

Bad breath can get in the way of your social life, Know the Cure.

Worried about bad breath? You're not alone. More than fifty million people suffer from bad breath, or halitosis,

according to research. Bad breath can get in the way of your social life. It can make you self-conscious and embarrassed. Fortunately, there are simple and effective ways to freshen your breath.

1. Brush and floss more frequently.

One of the prime causes of bad breath is plaque, the sticky build-up on teeth that harbors bacteria. Food left between teeth adds to the problem. All of us should brush at least twice a day and floss daily.

If you're worried about your breath, brush and floss a little more often.  But don't overdo it. Brushing too aggressively can erode enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to decay.

2. Scrape your tongue.

The coating that normally forms on the tongue can harbor foul-smelling bacteria. To eliminate them, gently brush your tongue with your toothbrush. Some people find that toothbrushes are too big to comfortably reach the back of the tongue. In that case, try a tongue scraper. "Tongue scrapers are an essential tool in a proper oral health care routine," says Pamela L. Quinones, RDH, president of the American Dental Hygienists' Association. "They're designed specifically to apply even pressure across the surface of the tongue area, removing bacteria, food debris, and dead cells that brushing alone can’t remove."

3. Avoid foods that sour your breath.

Onions and garlic are the prime offenders. "Unfortunately, brushing after you eat onions or garlic doesn't help," says dentist Richard Price, DMD, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association.

"The volatile substances they contain make their way into your blood stream and travel to your lungs, where you breathe them out." The only way to avoid the problem is to avoid eating onions and garlic, especially before social or work occasions when you're concerned about your breath.

4. Kick the habit.

Bad breath is just one of many reasons not to smoke. Smoking damages gum tissue and stains teeth. It also increases your risk of oral cancer. Over-the-counter nicotine patches can help tame the urge to smoke. If you need a little help, make an appointment to talk to your doctor about prescription medications or smoking cessation programs that can help you give up tobacco for good.

5. Rinse your mouth out.

In addition to freshening your breath, anti-bacterial mouthwashes add extra protection by reducing plaque-causing bacteria. After eating, swishing your mouth with plain water also helps freshen your breath by eliminating food particles.

6. Skip after-dinner mints and chew gum instead.

Sugary candies promote the growth of bacteria in your mouth and add to bad breath problems. Instead, chew sugarless gum. "Gum stimulates saliva, which is the mouth’s natural defense mechanism against plaque acids which cause tooth decay and bad breath," Quinones tells WebMD.

**Is this post helpful? kindly drop your comment

You may also like:

-   How Stress Affects Our Body System.

-   Read! Unsuspected Causes of Obesity.

-   Dealing With Sore Muscles and Joint Pain.

   

Herpes and the eye

Introduction to Herpes Viruses and the Eyes

Most people are surprised to find out that two types of herpes viruses -- the one that causes cold sores and the one that causes chickenpox -- can cause a condition called herpetic eye disease. Unlike a separate virus that causes genital herpes, herpetic eye disease is not sexually transmitted.

One of the viruses that causes herpetic eye disease is called the varicella-zoster virus. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, a disease of the nervous system. When this virus affects the eye, it is called herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

The other virus that causes herpetic eye disease is called herpes simplex type 1. Herpes simplex type 1 is the same virus that causes cold sores on the lips and mouth. In the eye, it usually causes an infection of the cornea. This infection is called herpes simplex keratitis.

How Does Herpetic Eye Disease Develop?

Like many viruses, the herpes simplex 1 and varicella-zoster viruses are present in most adults. The viruses in the herpes family usually live around the nerve fibers in humans without ever causing a problem. Occasionally, the viruses will start to multiply, or they will move from one area of the body to another, and that is when herpetic disease breaks out. This often happens when the immune system of the body is weakened by some other health problem.

How Is Herpetic Eye Disease Diagnosed?

The two types of herpetic eye disease have different symptoms. One thing they have in common, however, is that they can both be very painful, because they affect the nerves directly. The problem is likely to be herpes zoster ophthalmicus if your doctor finds some or all of these symptoms:

• Pain in and around only one eye

• Redness, rash, or sores on the eyelids and around the eyes, especially on the forehead. Sometimes the rash breaks out on the tip of the nose.

• Redness of the eye

• Swelling and cloudiness of the cornea

The problem is likely to be herpes simplex keratitis if your doctor sees these symptoms:

• Pain in and around only one eye

• Redness of the eye

• Feeling of dirt or "grit" in the eye

• Overflowing tears

• Pain when looking at bright light

• Swelling or cloudiness of the cornea

Your doctor might want to use special tests if it looks like herpetic eye disease might be present. The pressure inside the eye will probably be checked, for example. There is also a special dye called fluorescein that the doctor might put into the eye. This dye glows under ultraviolet light and will show the doctor if the virus is causing problems on the surface of the eye.

How Is Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus Treated?

Because herpes is a virus, antibiotics such as penicillin are not an effective treatment. The only drugs that will work against herpes infections are antiviral medications.

Depending on how serious the herpes zoster ophthalmicus is and what part of the eye is affected, your doctor will recommend antiviral eye drops, pills, or both. No matter what kind of medication is recommended, it is important to keep using the medicine for as long as your doctor recommends. Even though the eye might start to look or feel better, the infection could come back if you stop taking your medicine too soon.

If the infection is affecting the cornea, another kind of eye drops called corticosteroids might also be recommended. Corticosteroids will help control the disease, but they can also raise the pressure in the eyes of some people. If corticosteroids are being used, it is important for the patient to come back to the doctor's office so the pressure can be checked.

Another type of eye drop might also be prescribed to keep the pupil dilated. This will help the eye's natural fluids flow, which prevents the pressure from increasing.

Unfortunately, herpetic eye disease can be painful even after several days of treatment and even when the eye is starting to look better. This can be discouraging, but it does not mean that the treatment is a failure. The medications are working, and the pain will go away eventually.

How Is Herpes Simplex Keratitis Treated?

The same types of eye drops and pills that are used to treat herpes zoster ophthalmicus are prescribed to treat herpes simplex keratitis. It is also just as important to use the medications as recommended and to keep all appointments with your doctor.

6 Foods To Boost Men's Health

Lean Red Meat

If you're a steak-and-potatoes kind of guy, you're in luck. Red meat can be good for you, says Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, nutritional consultant to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lean cuts of beef are packed with protein and have only a little more fat than chicken breast. Red meat is also one of the best sources of leucine, an amino acid that helps build muscles.

Tart Cherries

How do the Pittsburgh Steelers soothe sore muscles? Cherry juice. Bonci says she keeps some in their training room at all times. "The pigment in cherries and cherry juice mimics the effects of some anti-inflammatory medicines," she tells WebMD. "And there are no side effects."

Milk and Yogurt

The whey in milk and yogurt is another source of leucine, the muscle-building amino acid. Bonci recommends Greek yogurt. "It has a thicker consistency that men may like better," she says. It's also packed with protein, potassium, and friendly bacteria that keep the gut healthy. "Plus, it requires no preparation whatsoever."

Shellfish

Shellfish and other types of seafood are rich in zinc, which is critically important for the heart, muscles, and reproductive system. Research has linked zinc deficiency to poor sperm quality and male infertility. If you're not a seafood fan, beef, turkey, chicken, nuts, and seeds provide excellent alternatives for stocking up on zinc.

Avocado

Sure, avocado is high in fat - but it's the "good" kind. The monounsaturated fat found in avocados packs a one-two punch against cholesterol when it replaces saturated or trans fats in your diet. It can knock down levels of total cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol (LDL), as long as no more than 25%-35% of your daily calories come from all types of fat. Olive oil and nuts also contain good fats.

Bananas

The banana is celebrated for its bounty of potassium -- and with good reason. Potassium is critically important in muscle contractions and bone health, Bonci says. It also helps blood pressure. In fact, getting enough potassium may be as important as reducing sodium when it comes to lowering blood pressure.

How Artificial Chromosomes Could Transform Humanity.

 http://io9.com/how-artificial-chromosomes-could-transform-humanity