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Period Ending July 14, 2007
VITAMIN C: SUPPLEMENTS OFFER LITTLE PROTECTION AGAINST COLDS
A review of 30 studies showed that daily supplements of vitamin C provided little protection against common colds, according to researchers at the Australian National University and the University of Helsinki. The review, which included more than 11,000 people who took daily doses of at least 200 milligrams of vitamin C, also showed that vitamin C does little to reduce the length or severity of a cold. However, they found that people exposed to periods of high stress—such as marathon runners, skiers and soldiers on sub-arctic exercises—were 50 percent less likely to catch a cold if they took a daily dose of vitamin C. The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.
DIABETES: GENE DISCOVERED THAT RAISES CHILD'S RISK FOR TYPE 1
Researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk for type-1 diabetes. The research, published in the online version of the journal Nature, adds a new gene to the four genes previously discovered for type-1 diabetes. In type-1 diabetes, the immune system destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and sufferers must rely on frequent insulin injections to keep their blood sugar under control. The gene implicated in the research, KIAA0350, is known to be active almost exclusively in immune cells.
CANCER: PROTEIN PROVIDES NEW TARGET FOR DRUGS
Duke University Medical Center researchers believe they may have found a new target for anti-cancer drugs by bypassing a well-known gene implicated in almost one-third of all cancers and instead focusing on the protein activated by the gene. In experiments with human cells and animal models, the researchers studied the gene known as "ras," which is integral in normal cell growth. When this gene is mutated and becomes overactive, it can lead to the unregulated proliferation of cells that is the hallmark of tumor formation. To date, efforts at blocking or turning off ras have proven ineffective. The researchers tried to determine if something that ras activates could be a possible target for a drug or therapy and found the overactive ras gene was responsible for above-normal secretion of interleukin-6. They also found that inhibiting interleukin-6 production reduced the creation of new blood vessels, which are crucial for the development and nourishment of tumors. The study, published in the journal Genes & Development, points to interleukin06 as a viable target for drugs that holds promise in the treatment of cancers dependent on the ras oncogene.
CANCER: IMMUNE SYSTEM ESCAPE ROUTE SHOWS WHY VACCINES FAIL
Scientists at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere say they have mapped out an escape route that cancers use to evade the body's immune system, allowing the disease to spread unchecked. In a report published in the journal Nature Medicine, the Hopkins team, along with researchers from Florida and Nebraska, describe how myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which normally keep the immune system in check and prevent it from attacking otherwise healthy tissue, can suppress the anti-tumor response to cancer. These suppressor cells block other immune system cells, CD8 "killer" T cells, from binding with proteins that identify the foreign antigens on the surface of unhealthy cancer cells, marking them for destruction. They said their experiments also suggest that the chain reactions in T-cell tolerance are reversible, raising the possibility of vaccine and drug therapies that break through the blocked immune system.
CROHN'S DISEASE: NEW THERAPY SHOWN EFFECTIVE IN STUDIES
Certolizumab pegol is an effective treatment for adults with Crohn's disease, according to two new studies from Mayo Clinic researchers. The studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found Certolizumab pegol blocks tumor necrosis factor, an important cause of inflammation in Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States. Currently approved therapies that also block tumor necrosis factor include intravenous infusions of infliximab or subcutaneous injections of adalimumab. But patient who receive repeated doses of these drugs eventually stop responding making the availability of additional options in this class of drug important. Certolizumab pegol is being developed by UCB Pharma, which funded the Mayo Clinic research and provides consulting fees to the lead researcher on the studies.
HIV: GENOMIC ANALYSIS UNCOVERS NEW TARGET FOR VACCINE
An international team of researchers has identified three gene variants in the DNA of 486 people infected with HIV that appear to have helped some of the patients fight off the virus and delay the onset of full-blown AIDS. The researchers expect the new findings to aid the search for an HIV vaccine that would work by boosting the protective effects of one or more of these genes and helping the body's own immune system overcome an infection. The study, published online by the journal Science, is the first large cooperative study with major findings arising from the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology, a seven-year project funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The findings represent only the first of what investigators said will be a series of future genome-wide studies to pinpoint additional targets for HIV vaccines.
CANCER: LOW CHOLESTEROL LEVELS LINKED TO HIGHER RISKS
Scientific studies support the benefits of lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and it is one of the most important steps in preventing heart disease, but researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine found evidence for an association between low LDL levels and cancer risk. In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the researchers sought to determine why cholesterol-lowering statins cause side effects, particularly damage to the liver and muscle cells, but they were surprised to find evidence of increased cancer risks—one additional incident per 1,000 patients—from low LDL levels. The researchers said their analysis doesn't implicate the statin in increasing the risk of cancer.
NEUROLOGY: ABNORMALITIES FOUND IN PEOPLE WITH WRITER'S CRAMP
People with serious cases of writer's cramp have brain abnormalities, according to a study published in the journal Neurology. People with writer's cramp had less brain tissue than healthy people in three areas of the brain that connect the senses and movement with their affected hand. Writer's cramp is a form of dystonia, an involuntary, sustained muscle contraction. Writer's cramp often occurs in people who have used the same muscles repeatedly for years. The researchers at Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris found that those with writer's cramp had less grey matter in three areas of the brain: the cerebellum, the thalamus and the sensorimotor cortex.
SLEEP: GENE RESPONSIBLE FOR RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROM FOUND
An international team of researchers has identified the first gene associated with Restless legs syndrome, a common sleep disorder affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. The study, published in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, was led by scientists at Emory University and deCODE Genetics, a biopharmaceutical company in Reykjavik, Iceland. Restless legs syndrome is a condition that produces an intense, often irresistible urge to move the legs during sleep and is a major cause of insomnia and sleep disruption. RLS affects approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population. The discovery provides strong new evidence that RLS is a genuine syndrome, a fact which has recently been the subject of some debate. The researchers said it is the most definitive link between genetics and RLS that has been reported to date.
HUNTINGTON'S: REGULAR SLEEP IMPROVES COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Mice carrying the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's Disease showed marked improvements in alertness and their ability to learn after they were given drugs that put them to sleep. Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that daily treatments of Alprazolam or chloral hydrate, two different sedatives, enabled them to develop a regular sleep pattern and improved their cognitive function—their ability to understand and act on information. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, shows for the first time that treatments aimed at restoring normal sleep-wake activity could slow the cognitive decline that is such a devastating feature of the disease.
BLINDNESS: GENE VARIANT INCREASES RISK OF LOSS OF VISION
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found a gene variant that can more than double the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, a degenerative eye disease. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual loss in older people and the most common cause of blindness in the United States and Europe. The researchers found that for the 30 percent of the population that carries the gene variant, the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration increased by 70 percent. For the 4 percent of the population with two copies of the variant, the risk of the disease more than doubled.
CROHN'S DISEASE: GENE IDENTIFIED IN CHILDREN
Pediatrics researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania have identified a gene variant that raises a child's risk of Crohn's disease, a chronic and painful condition attributed to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The research reinforces previous results by German researchers, who found the same gene variant associated with the adult form of Crohn's disease. The researchers reported their results in a letter in the journal Gut. The gene implicated in their research plays an important role in the autophagosome pathway, a sequence of biological events involved in processing bacteria within cells. While the mechanisms are not fully understood, a mutation in the gene may weaken a cell's ability to degrade cellular waste products, including bacteria. As unprocessed waste piles up within the cell, it may stimulate the inflammatory response that characterizes Crohn's disease.
PREMENSTRUAL DEPRESSION: STUDY FINDS HEREDITARY LINK
A specific genetic variation may be tied to an increased risk for severe premenstrual depression, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Mental Health report. Known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, the psychiatric condition affects roughly 8 percent of women in their childbearing years. It's characterized by bouts of major depression, anxiety and severe irritability during the second half of the menstrual cycle. Symptoms subside with the onset of each menstrual period. The study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, is the first to identify a genetic variation linked to a mood disorder associated with endocrine changes during the menstrual cycle.
ALZHEIMER'S: CHEMICAL IN CURRY HELPS IMMUNE SYSTEM CLEAR PLAQUE
Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have isolated a chemical in curry that may help the immune system clear plaques found in Alzheimer's disease. The chemical, bisdemethoxycurcumin, is a natural substance found in turmeric root that may help boost the immune system in clearing amyloid beta, a peptide that forms the plaques found in Alzheimer's disease. Using blood samples from Alzheimer's disease patients, researchers found that bisdemethoxycurcumin boosted immune cells called macrophages to clear amyloid beta. In addition, researchers identified the immune genes associated with this activity. The study provides more insight into the role of the immune system in Alzheimer's disease and points to a new treatment approach. The new approach relies on the innate immune system, which is present at birth rather than on antibodies produced by B cells, which is a later developed part of the active immune system.
MS: CHILDHOOD EXPOSURE TO SUN MAY LOWER RISK
People who spent more time in the sun as children may have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis than people who had less sun exposure during childhood, according to researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. In a study published in the journal Neurology, the researchers examined 79 pairs of identical twins with the same genetic risk for MS in which only one twin had the condition. The twins were asked to specify whether they or their twin spent more time outdoors during hot days, cold days and summer, and which one spent more time sun bathing, going to the beach and playing team sports as a child. The study found the twin with MS spent less time in the sun as a child than the twin who did not have MS. Depending on the activity, the twin who spent more hours outdoors had a 25 to 57 percent reduced risk of developing MS. The researchers said work should be done to determine how sun exposure reduces MS risk in the hopes of unraveling the mystery of what causes it.
EXERCISE: A BREAK DURING WORKOUT CAN HELP BURN MORE FAT
Taking a break in the middle of a workout may metabolize more fat than exercising without stopping, according to researchers at the University of Tokyo. The researchers conducted the first known study to compare exercising continually in one long bout versus breaking up the same workout with a rest period. The findings, reported in the Journal of Applied Physiology, found repetitions of shorter exercise may cause a greater breakdown of fat during and after workouts. The researchers said their study could change the way people approach exercise.
SMOKING: HOSPITAL STAYS CAN HELP MOTIVATE SMOKERS TO QUIT
Hospitalized patients make a great captive audience for smoking cessation efforts, according to a review from researchers at the Tobacco Research and Treatment Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. The researchers found that when smokers become hospital inpatients, regardless of the reason for admission, they are receptive to efforts to help them to quit smoking after discharge and more likely succeed in the long run. The researchers, who report their findings in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, said a hospital stay is a good time to get their attention. They said it represents a "teachable moment" when illness makes smokers feel vulnerable to the health risks of smoking. Offering advice or counseling to someone in the hospital is effective only if there is some continuing contact after the smoker leaves. Adding nicotine replacement or bupropion (Wellbutrin) to counseling, which is standard treatment for smokers who do not enter the hospital, appears to increase the success of hospital-based programs.
TENNIS: INTENSIVE TRAINING OF YOUNG TIED TO SPINAL DAMAGE
The intensive training given to young elite tennis players damages their spines, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of young elite tennis players with no symptoms of pain showed a variety of spinal abnormalities in the lower back, some of which were irreparable. The abnormalities included spinal disc degeneration, herniated discs, complete fractures and stress fractures known as pars lesions. The researchers said that the chances of success as a professional player on the circuit are linked to junior career performance, and young athletes spend increasing amounts of time playing and training. They said training techniques should be modified to minimize the risk of progressive musculoskeletal damage.
MANIC DEPRESSION: STUDY LINKS DISORDER TO LOSS OF BRAIN TISSUE
People with bipolar disorder—or manic depression—suffer from an accelerated shrinking of their brain, researchers at the University of Edinburgh reported. The study shows for the first time that bipolar disorder—a condition characterized by periods of depression and periods of mania—is associated with a reduction in brain tissue and proves that the changes get progressively worse with each relapse. The findings, published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry, show that the loss of grey matter tissue is concentrated in areas of the brain which control memory, face recognition and coordination.
PATENTS: HOUSE COMMITTEE CLEARS REFORM BILL
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee approved patent reform legislation that has long been sought by the high-tech sector but opposed by the pharmaceutical industry, the Associated Press reported. The bill moves to the full House for a vote. If approved, the legislation would establish a process to re-evaluate patents after they are granted. This would allow patents to be challenged without companies needing to go through potentially costly and drawn out litigation that could end with stiff financial penalties. The Biotechnology Industry Organization is opposing the legislation it said because it threatens innovation by diminishing the value of patents and reducing incentives for investment.
INSURANCE: SENATE PANEL WANTS TO ADD BILLIONS FOR KIDS, BUT BUSH VOWS VETO
The Senate Finance Committee approved a major expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program, but President Bush is threatening a veto saying it is a step toward "government-run health care for every American," The New York Times reported. The bill, which passed the committee on a vote of 17 to 4, would increase spending to a total $60 billion over the next five years, $35 billion more than it would cost to maintain current levels of spending. A similar bill in the House seeks spending of a total of $75 billion while Bush has proposed spending just $30 billion. The program provides health care for children and some adults from families that earn too much to receive Medicaid, but can't afford private insurance. The program, which covered as many as 6.6 million low-income children last year, is set to expire Sept. 30.
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