Cancer Research: Nanotech drug delivery shows promise for improved melanoma treatment ♦ Aspirin use may lower breast tissue density allowing for earlier detection

Obesity contributes to metastasis in ovarian cancer patients An increased body mass index is associated with a greater risk for ovarian cancer with worse overall survival, a large number of studies have shown. However, the influence of obesity on ovarian cancer metastasis had not been evaluated. Researchers set out to determine are tumor cells better able to successfully metastasize when the "host" is obese versus lean?

Older Breast Cancer Patients Defy Survival Models Older women with early-stage, invasive breast cancer had better survival rates than what was estimated by a popular online tool for predicting survival.

Aspirin use does not improve outcomes for cancer patients, but may lower breast tissue density, allowing for earlier detection Whether aspirin may help prevent or reduce the risk of breast cancer remains a hotly debated research question. While past studies have indicated a potential benefit, most recently in hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, one new study suggests otherwise. Aspirin does not appear to be protective or associated with improved clinical outcomes or survival among breast cancer patients with aggressive disease However, another study suggests aspirin may in fact help reduce breast tissue density, which could lead to earlier detection.

Nanotech drug delivery shows promise for improved melanoma treatment A new three-drug delivery system for cancer treatment, especially metastatic melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has been developed by researchers. The work has demonstrated that the system may have particular value with cancers like this that often spread through the lymphatic system. It may offer a novel therapeutic option for more effective cancer treatment.

Cancer Research Nanotech-based sensor developed to measure microRNAs in blood, speed cancer detection:♦ Nondrug interventions improve quality of life for Chinese cancer patients

Study advances potential test to sort out precancerous pancreatic cysts from harmless ones In a 'look-back' analysis of data stored on 130 patients with pancreatic cysts, scientists have used gene-based tests and a fixed set of clinical criteria to more accurately distinguish precancerous cysts from those less likely to do harm.

Bone protein inhibits prostate cancer invasion. A secreted protein predominantly expressed in bone inhibits prostate cancer metastasis to bone, new research shows. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. If detected at early stages the prognosis is quite favorable; however, aggressive forms of metastatic prostate cancer spread primarily to the skeleton

Nondrug interventions improve quality of life for Chinese cancer patients A meta-analysis of dozens of studies of traditional Chinese medicine and other nonpharmacological interventions meant to improve patients' quality of life affirms that these approaches, on the whole, help alleviate depression, fatigue, pain, anxiety, insomnia and gastrointestinal problems in Chinese cancer patients

Nanotech-based sensor developed to measure microRNAs in blood, speed cancer detection A newly developed, simple, ultrasensitive microRNA sensor holds promise for the design of new diagnostic strategies and, potentially, for the prognosis and treatment of pancreatic and other cancers

Health News:Nanotech moisturizer speeds healing of diabetic skin wounds ♦ Scientist separates the DNA of identical twins ♦ Delayed diagnosis of celiac disease may put lives at risk.

Crime scene discovery: Scientist separates the DNA of identical twins Since its first use in the 1980s -- a breakthrough dramatized in recent crime-solving dramas -- DNA profiling has been a vital tool for forensic investigators.  Now researchers have solved one of its few limitations by successfully testing a technique for distinguishing between the DNA -- or genetic fingerprint -- of identical twins.

Nanotech-enabled moisturizer speeds healing of diabetic skin wounds A new high-tech ointment applied to the skin may help diabetic patients heal painful ulcers on their feet. They develop a topical gene regulation technology that speeds the healing of ulcers in diabetic animals. They combined spherical nucleic acids with a common moisturizer to create a way to topically knock down a gene known to interfere with wound healing.

Discovery may open door for treating fragile X carriers Fragile X syndrome, an inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability, can have consequences even for carriers of the disorder who don't have full-blown symptoms.

Delayed diagnosis of celiac disease may put lives at risk. Celiac disease is one of the most common life-long conditions in Europe, yet many people remain undiagnosed and lengthy diagnostic delays may be putting lives at risk. Doctors are being urged to consider testing for celiac disease in anyone showing signs and symptoms of the condition and to consider screening everyone in high-risk groups.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Steatohepatitis: NASH linked to 50% higher death rate compared with NAFLD Results from a large population-based cohort of almost a million people in the UK found that the chances of dying from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, over a 14-year period, was approximately 50 percent higher than for those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

2/20/14 Health News: Nanotech in My Food - You Are as Old as You Eat - Cat Bites May Lead to Hospitalizations - Bionic Hand - CVS Ban on Cigarettes Could Cut Smoking

Wait, There's Nanotech in My Food?For a little more than a decade, the food industry has been using nanotechnology to change the way we grow and maintain our food. The grocery chain Albertsons currently has a list of nanotech-touched foods in its home brand, ranging from cookies to cheese …Continue Reading

You Are as Old as You Eat

In new research published in Cell Metabolism, USC scientists Sean Curran and Shanshan Pang identified a collection of genes that allow an organism to adapt to different diets and showed that without the genes, even minor tweaks to diets can cause premature aging and death. Finding a genetic basis for an organism’s dietary needs suggests that different individuals may be genetically predisposed to thrive on different diets and that now, in the age of commercial gene sequencing, people might be able to identify which diet would work best for them through a simple blood test. In this study, Curran and Pang identified a gene called alh-6, which delayed the effects of aging depending on what type of diet the worm was fed by protecting it against diet-induced mitochondrial defects.Continue Reading

Bionic Hand Allows Patient to 'Feel'Scientists have created a bionic hand which allows the amputee to feel lifelike sensations from their fingers. A Danish man received the hand, which was connected to nerves in his upper arm, following surgery in Italy. Dennis Aabo, who lost his left hand in a firework accident nearly a decade ago, said the hand was "amazing". In laboratory tests he was able to tell the shape and Continue Reading

Cat Bites May Lead to Serious Infections, Hospitalizations

Cat bites may look less serious than dog bites, but beware: They can cause dangerous infections, particularly when they involve the hand, new research indicates. Although cats have no more germs in their mouths than dogs or people, researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that when cats bite, their sharp teeth can inject hard-to-treat bacteria deeply into the skin and joints, increasing the risk for serious infection.Continue Reading

CVS Ban on Cigarettes Could Cut Smoking Rates

The decision by CVS to stop selling cigarettes could help to cut smoking rates substantially, especially because the move comes at a time of increased pressure on the tobacco industry from a number of fronts, health experts say. "It is a big deal — one of those death knell events the tobacco industry has feared for some time," says Thomas Glynn, director of cancer science and trends at the American Cancer Society. Research shows that making cigarettes even slightly less accessible has a measurable effect on smoking, especially for kids, who have fewer ways to get tobacco, says Otis Brawley, the Cancer Society's chief medical officer..Continue Reading