Novel test may speed up war against cancerNovember 23rd, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian scientists have successfully developed the first test in the world for a technique by which cancer cells make themselves immortal. The advance, made by researchers at the Children's Medical Research Institute, could speed up development of new types of anti-cancer drugs.
High-school athletes more likely to indulge in 'drink, fight'November 10th, 2009 NEW YORK - High-school male athletes are 1.4 times likelier to binge drink and 1.3 times likelier to fight, according to a new study. The survey, conducted by Susan Connor, a researcher at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, recruited 13,000 teens in America.
Obesity causes more than 100,000 types of cancers: U.S. studyNovember 9th, 2009 LONDON - Over 100,000 types of cancers are caused by obesity, according to an American study. Excess body fat makes a person vulnerable to cancer by increasing the amount of hormones like estrogen circulating in the body and disrupting how the body processes insulin, which is linked to higher risk of cancer.
Soon, simple blood test to tell if a women is at Alzheimer's riskNovember 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A simple blood test could soon determine if a women is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, long before any signs of illness, concludes a new study. A thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, found that middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later-a discovery that could lead to a new and simple way of determining who is at risk much before any symptoms of the disease.
1930s gonorrhea drug could fight cancerNovember 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Drug, acriflavine, used in the 1930s for treating gonorrhea, has now been found beneficial in battling cancer, according to a new study at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Researchers have found that acriflavine has the previously unknown ability to halt the growth of new blood vessels.
Blood vessels could predict how prostate cancer would behaveNovember 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Blood vessels in prostate cancer could act as predictor of how it would behave, say researchers at The Ohio State University and the Harvard School of Public Health. The study of 572 men with localized prostate cancer indicates that aggressive or lethal prostate cancers tend to have blood vessels that are small, irregular and primitive in cross-section.
Green tea can slash cancer riskOctober 15th, 2009 LONDON - Five cups of green tea every day can cut the risk of developing certain blood cancers, say researchers. The much touted beverage, drunk in China, Japan and the Middle East, has been previously shown to have a host of benefits including staving off cancers, helping the heart, boosting the brain and lowering levels of "bad" cholesterol.
Blood counts may provide clues to human diseaseOctober 12th, 2009 LONDON - Researchers claim to have uncovered the basis of genetic variations vital to the formation of blood cells, which can have a significant impact on common human diseases. Blood measurements, including the number and volume of cells in the blood, are routinely used to diagnose a wide range of disorders, including anaemia, infection and blood cell cancers.
New, simpler optical method to diagnose TBOctober 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - American researchers have demonstrated a new optical technique to detect TB bacteria in fluids. The method developed by a team of scientists at the Colorado State University (CSU) uses light to identify various molecular markers to spot tuberculosis (TB) infection.
231 new genes linked with head and neck cancer identifiedOctober 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital have identified 231 new genes associated with head and neck cancer. Earlier, only 33 genes were known to be associated with head and neck cancer.
Experts: Obesity might become the top cause of cancer in Western women in the next decadeSeptember 24th, 2009 Obesity could become top cancer causeLONDON — Being fat could become the leading cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the coming years, European researchers said Thursday. Being overweight or obese accounts for up to 8 percent of cancers in Europe.
Carla Bruni felicitated for fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malariaSeptember 23rd, 2009 NEW YORK - French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has been honoured for her humanitarian efforts in fight against AIDS. The 41-year-old beauty was felicitated for her work for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at a Midtown bash on Monday.
Two new blood tests make detection of gastrointestinal cancer simplerSeptember 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have come up with two new blood tests that can make it simpler and cost effective to diagnnose gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. A research team led by Joost Louwagie, from the company OncoMethylome Sciences in Liege, Belgium collected blood before surgery from 193 patients known to have colorectal cancer, as well as from 688 controls undergoing colonoscopy for cancer screening.
HPV vaccine could save women from breast cancerSeptember 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can prevent some forms of breast cancer in women and save thousands of lives each year, suggested an Australian study. Researchers at the University of New South Wales used genetic probes to test cancerous breast cells, and found several strains of HPVs, which are known to have a high risk of initiating cancer of the cervix.
DNA to be extracted from NY wrong-way driver's toothbrush, compared with autopsy samplesSeptember 3rd, 2009 DNA testing for NY wrong-way driver's toothbrushWHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — DNA will be extracted from a toothbrush used by a wrong-way driver who caused a deadly crash to help determine whether tests that found she was drunk were valid, a private investigator said Thursday.
