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Statins are a type of drug commonly used to lower cholesterol levels. They work by interfering with the activity of the enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase, a key enzyme in cholesterol production in the liver. Recent studies have indicated that statins also can benefit high-risk localized prostate cancer… more
When a cancer becomes resistant to chemotherapy, the patient's prognosis worsens. Overcoming drug resistance is key to improving patient survival. Recent studies have shown that improving drug delivery may prove a key step in fighting certain resistant cancers, such as recurrent breast and liver… more
Telomerase is critical for the development of most human cancers. Without this enzyme, chromosomes become progressively shorter each time the cell divides, and after a certain point, the chromosomes are too short to be reproduced successfully. At this point, the cell enters into a state of non-… more
Lung cancer is the #1 leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and spread of the disease (metastasis) is a major determinant of how patients will do. New research has identified a gene Gaga3, as being partially responsible for the giving lung cancer cells the ability to metastasize.
The… more
A study of over 800 prostate cancer patients showed that a short course of anti-androgen therapy was able to boost survival and reduce the spread of locally advanced cancer to distant locations in the body. The research showed that 6 months of therapy was sufficient whereas 3 months did not… more
Tamoxifen is hormonal treatment for estrogen responsive breast cancer. Although tamoxifen is an older drug, and newer ways of blocking the activity or production of estrogen have been developed, a new study suggests that the benefits of taking it may go beyond cancer. The study found… more
Tamoxifen is a drug that blocks the activity of the female hormone, estrogen. It is used to both treat and prevent breast cancer. New research on the use of tamoxifen as a cancer prevention agent in women under the age of 55 showed that it was effective, and for those at high risk of… more
Researchers looking at a large sample of primary liver cancer samples and liver cancer cell lines were able to identify fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) as a gene that was frequently present in too many copies. Abnormal copying of genes (gene amplification) is common in many cancer types,… more
When cancer spreads to other parts of the body from an initial site, the cells have to crawl over/past their neighbors and cut a path through the fibrous proteins surrounding them. To accomplish this, the cells form extensions called invadopodia (from invasion and foot).
Researchers have… more
Cancer prevention by normal dietary items or dietary supplements is an active area of research. Selenium is an element that is found in the body in trace amounts. It is incorporated into proteins and is involved in the activity of some enzymes. Selenium has previously been… more
The removal of unwanted proteins is an important regulator of cell behavior. Some proteins are marked for destruction by being linked to another protein, ubiquitin. Once they are tagged, proteins are fed into an intracellular 'garbage disposal' called a proteasome.
Cop1 is a protein that… more
The targeted cancer treatment trastuzmab (Herceptin®) is used to treat breast cancer with elevated levels of a growth factor receptor, ErbB2. A major problem with Herceptin® treatment is the development of drug resistanct. New research has identified a major culprit in the development… more
The majority of cancer-related deaths are caused by metastasis, a process in which cancer cells leave the primary tumor site and grow in other parts of the body. The bloodstream functions like a highway for many metastases, and physicians face the difficult task of monitoring the spread of the… more
Cancer drug candidates may be obtained from one of two sources: naturally occurring compounds or synthetically produced compounds. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have utilized the positive effects of both approaches to create dozens of new compounds that may potentially aid in… more
Triptolide has long been used as an ingredient in Chinese herbal therapy. The source of the chemical, a plant commonly referred to as lei gong teng or “thunder god vine,” has proven to work both as an anti-inflammatory and as an anti-tumor drug. Precisely how triptolide functions, was unknown, but… more
The effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs is often limited by their capacity to penetrate their target cells. Unfortunately, tumor cells do not always make this process easy. Many have layers of thick oligosaccharide mucin chains, and these provide a physical barrier to the drugs. A recent study… more
When cancer metastasizes, or spreads from its original site to other parts of the body, the chances of fatality increase dramatically. Physicians keep this fact in mind when advising patients on the best treatment options. Most head and neck cancer can be treated without operating on the lymph… more
Many anti-cancer therapies work by using the body's own pathways to trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis). Many cancers, however, become resistant to anti-cancer drugs by modifying downstream events. Researchers of an article presented in Cancer Gene Therapy, however, have created a genetically… more
During development, the intestinal tract needs to grow asymmetrically. If it cannot, an infant is born with an intestinal birth defect. While studying this phenomenon, researchers at North Carolina State University discovered the compound heterotaxin, which not only causes intestinal birth defects… more
Oncogenes are genes that have undergone a mutation that allows cells to survive and proliferate beyond the normal restrictions the body has in place. MYC and RAS are two oncogenes common in many types of cancer, but these genes alone are usually not enough to promote the development of cancer. This… more
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