Single-cell analyses have shown that individual cancer cells can acquire mutations that make them more aggressive and resistant to chemotherapy. Thus, in some cases, even if chemotherapy seems to have been effective, a particularly aggressive cancer cell may survive and then cause a relapse in the future. The specific mutations that drive cancer progression andContinueContinue reading “Fishing for insight into leukemia relapse”
Tag Archives: cancer
Cancer detection by fruit fly olfaction
Cancer cells and non-cancer cells differ in metabolism and emit distinct volatile compounds, allowing them to be distinguished by their scent. Insect odorant receptors are excellent chemosensors with high sensitivity and a broad receptive range. Putting these two ideas together, collaborating scientists from University of Konstanz (Germany) and University of Rome (Italy) investigated the potentialContinueContinue reading “Cancer detection by fruit fly olfaction”
Interfering with the progression of breast cancer
The most common noninvasive lesion of the breast is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Only a fraction of DCIS lesions will progress to invasive breast tumors, but it is not currently possible to predict which ones. Therefore, although surveillance may be recommended for early stage lesions, treatment of DCIS is typically aggressive, including options likeContinueContinue reading “Interfering with the progression of breast cancer”
Copper promotes tumor growth
New study results from researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (Switzerland) suggest that copper is essential for energy production in malignant cells and that reducing levels of bioavailable copper can slow tumor growth in mice. Lab Anim. (NY) 43, 6 (2014). view full text (login required)
It’s all in the ‘gloop’
In the naked mole-rat colony maintained by Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov at the University of Rochester (NY), rodents live for roughly 30 years but do not develop cancer, even in their old age. Gorbunova and Seluanov study the mole-rats’ unusual resistance to cancer in hopes that it will yield a better understanding—and possibly betterContinueContinue reading “It’s all in the ‘gloop’”
An aspirin a day keeps cancer at bay?
Regular use of aspirin may prevent the progression of breast cancer, according to results of a study done by researchers in Kansas City. The study found that aspirin significantly reduced the growth of tumors in mice. It also slowed the growth of breast cancer cell lines in vitro. Gargi Maity (Veterans Affairs Medical Center, KansasContinueContinue reading “An aspirin a day keeps cancer at bay?”
AACR Annual Meeting 2013
The 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) centered on the theme “Personalizing Cancer Care Through Discovery Science.” The conference brought together basic, translational and clinical approaches to studying cancer, driven by next-generation techniques. In vitro experiments, animal models and randomized trials all emphasized the goal of improving individualized care andContinueContinue reading “AACR Annual Meeting 2013”
Palladin promotes metastasis in pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the US with a 5-year mortality rate >90%. This high mortality rate is due in part to the fact that tumors often go undetected during their early stages, allowing them to develop aggressive metastatic activity. Recent research on pancreatic cancer has focused on the tumorContinueContinue reading “Palladin promotes metastasis in pancreatic cancer”
Clarifying the cause of chemotherapy ‘fog’
Up to 70% of cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy report experiencing a mental ‘fog,’ with up to 50% of them suffering measurable deficits in attention, working memory and mental processing speed. Despite its high incidence, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment or ‘chemo-brain’ have not been well defined. New research from theContinueContinue reading “Clarifying the cause of chemotherapy ‘fog’”
Multi-Hit model for tumor development
Decades of cancer research have shown that development of most tumors requires a combination of several genetic mutations. A wide array of such combinations has been implicated in tumorigenesis, and determining which combinations are the most troublesome has been tedious. Now a new mouse model seems poised to facilitate more rapid testing of mutation combinationsContinueContinue reading “Multi-Hit model for tumor development”
Fluent in Science 