CDC researchers link cancer cells from parasite to human tumors

Unique case raises questions about misdiagnosis and treatment

Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have discovered cancer cells originating in a common tapeworm may take root in people with weakened immune systems, causing cancer-like tumors. It is the first known case of a person becoming ill from cancer cells that arose in a parasite – in this case, Hymenolepis nana, the dwarf tapeworm.

The report, in the Nov. 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, raises concern that other similar cases, if they occur, may be misdiagnosed as human cancer – especially in less developed countries where this tapeworm and immune-system-suppressing illnesses like HIV are widespread.

“We were amazed when we found this new type of disease – tapeworms growing inside a person essentially getting cancer that spreads to the person, causing tumors,” said Atis Muehlenbachs, M.D., Ph.D., staff pathologist in CDC’s Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch (IDPB) and lead author of the study. “We think this type of event is rare. However, this tapeworm is found worldwide and millions of people globally suffer from conditions like HIV that weaken their immune system. So there may be more cases that are unrecognized. It’s definitely an area that deserves more study.”

Health Research: Bio-marker for premature death ♦Scientists discover protein factories hidden in human jumping genes ♦ New gene a key to fighting sepsis

Scientists discover protein factories hidden in human jumping genes Scientists have discovered a previously unknown wellspring of genetic diversity in humans, chimps and most other primates. This diversity arises from a new component of itinerant sections of genetic code known as jumping genes.

Bio-marker for human jumping genesA single blood test could reveal whether an otherwise healthy person is unusually likely to die of pneumonia or sepsis within the next 14 years. Based on an analysis of 10,000 individuals, researchers have identified a molecular byproduct of inflammation, called GlycA, which seems to predict premature death due to infections.The findings suggest that high GlycA levels in the blood indicate a state of chronic inflammation.

New gene a key to fighting sepsis Scientists have identified a gene that could potentially open the door for the development of new treatments of the lethal disease sepsis. Sepsis is a severe whole-body infection that kills an estimated one million people in the United States alone each year. It occurs as a complication to an existing infection, and if not treated quickly can lead to septic shock and multiple organ failure, with death rates as high as 50 per cent.

New depression diagnosis and treatment Major depression is now believed to be caused by abnormalities in immune cells of the brain. New research may be set to revolutionize next-generation psychiatric medication treatment, according to researchers

People can raise their pain threshold by altering brain chemistry, study in arthritis patients shows The numbers of opiate receptors in the brain increases to combat severe pain in arthritis sufferers, researchers have shown for the first time. By applying heat to the skin using a laser stimulator, the researchers showed that the more opiate receptors there are in the brain, the higher the ability to withstand the pain.

Health News: Sugary drinks linked to 180000 deaths a year ♦ Human milk-sharing networks reflect a growing movement ♦ How small genetic changes changed human histor

Human milk-sharing networks reflect a growing movement There’s nothing new about the sharing of human breast milk. In earlier days, moms in tribal groups nursed babies other than their own when the baby’s mother died or wasn’t close by.

Sugary drinks linked to 180000 deaths a year Scientists are asking people across the globe to lay off sugary drinks, linking the consumption to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year, including more than 25,000 Americans. Overall, that means one in every 100 deaths from obesity-related diseases is caused by sugary beverages, according to a study published Monday in the journal Circulation.

Hantaviruses are highly dependent on cell membrane cholesterol to infect humans Hantaviruses use cholesterol in cell walls to gain access into cells and infect humans, according to laboratory research. Multiple genes involved in cholesterol sensing, regulation and production, including key components to a chemical pathway called SREBP (sterol response element binding protein), are critical to hantaviruses gaining entry.

Human urine helps prevent bacteria from sticking to bladder cells Human urine contains factors that prevent a common culprit in urinary tract infections (UTIs), uropathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria, from properly attaching to bladder cells, a necessary step for infection. The research reveals a weakness that could be exploited to develop more effective, non-antibiotic treatments for UTIs

How small genetic change in Yersinia pestis changed human history While studying Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for epidemics of plague such as the Black Death, scientists found a single small genetic change that fundamentally influenced the evolution of the deadly pathogen, and thus the course of human history. They demonstrated how the acquisition of a single gene caused the shift of Y. pestis from causing a primarily gastrointestinal infection to a more serious and often fatal respiratory disease and how later modifications lead to infections associated with the bubonic plague.

Childrens Health: Concerns over the online market of human breast milk ♦ Medulloblastoma: Promising drug target identified ♦ High school seniors now try smoking water pipes

Many things can be read in a newborn's gaze, such as future visual cognitive abilities Experienced nannies and doctors have always known how much the visual contact with a newborn can convey. A recent study provides scientific evidence for this everyday understanding. The findings show that a newborn's ability to fixate relates to the microscopic maturation of brain structures, and it predicts visual cognitive abilities later in childhood.

Concerns over the online market of human breast milk  The sale of human breast milk on the internet poses serious risks to infant health and needs urgent regulation, argue experts. Purchasing human breast milk on the internet can be cheaper than buying from regulated milk banks, where it can cost up to $3-4 per ounce, because sellers can cut corners to save on costs such as pasteurization, testing for disease and contamination, and the appropriate collection, storage and shipping of milk.

Medulloblastoma: Promising drug target identified  A protein has been found that is critical to both the normal development of the brain and, in many cases, the development of medulloblastoma, a fast-growing brain tumor that usually strikes children under 10. When the researchers cut the level of the protein Eya1 in half in mice prone to develop medulloblastoma, the animals' risk of dying from the disease dropped dramatically.

One in four high school seniors now try smoking water pipes  Despite declines in the number of youths who smoke cigarettes, hookah or water pipe use continues to rise among Canadian youth, a new study reports. The study found that almost one in four high school seniors try smoking hookah.

NIH begins early human clinical trial of Ebola vaccine

Human testing of a second investigational Ebola vaccine candidate is under way at the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are conducting the early phase trial to evaluate the vaccine, called VSV-ZEBOV, for safety and its ability to generate an immune system response in healthy adults who are given two intramuscular doses, called a prime-boost strategy. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is simultaneously testing the vaccine candidate as a single dose at its Clinical Trials Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“The need for a vaccine to protect against Ebola infection is urgent,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “NIH welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct human clinical tests of another promising — and hopefully, successful — Ebola vaccine candidate.”

NIAID researchers include principal investigator Richard T. Davey, M.D., and co-investigator John Beigel, M.D., of NIAID’s Division of Intramural Research, Early human testing of another investigational Ebola vaccine co-developed by NIAID and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) began in early September. Initial data on safety and immunogenicity (the capacity to generate an immune response) from clinical trials of the NIAID/GSK Ebola vaccine are expected by the end of 2014.

The VSV-ZEBOV vaccine candidate was developed by researchers at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory. It has been licensed to NewLink Genetics Corp through its wholly owned subsidiary BioProtection Systems, both based in Ames, Iowa.

“Canada has long been a world leader in Ebola research and innovation. Scientists at Canada's National Microbiology Lab developed this Ebola vaccine, following years of hard work. We hope the clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health proves to be safe and effective, so that the Canadian Ebola vaccine can be used as a global resource to help save lives and end this complex outbreak in West Africa," said Canada’s Minister of Health Rona Ambrose.

VSV-Zebov is based in part on a genetically engineered version of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which primarily affects rodents, cattle, swine and horses. Human VSV infections are rare and generally produce three to four days of mild illness. In the VSV-ZEBOV investigational vaccine, the gene for the outer protein of the vesicular stomatitis virus has been replaced with a segment of the gene for the outer protein of the Zaire Ebola virus species. The investigational VSV-ZEBOV vaccine cannot cause a vaccinated individual to become infected with Ebola.

The NIH Phase 1 clinical trial of the VSV-ZEBOV vaccine candidate will enroll 39 healthy adults aged 18 to 65 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups with 13 participants each. In each group, 10 participants will receive the investigational VSV-ZEBOV vaccine; three will receive a placebo. Each of the three groups will receive a different, escalating dose of the investigational vaccine, with the first group enrolled receiving the lowest dose and the third group enrolled receiving the highest dose. Study participants will receive an injection of the VSV-ZEBOV vaccine or placebo at their first scheduled visit and again, at the same dosage level, 28 days later.

Enrollment at each dosing level is staggered, so interim safety assessments of vaccinated individuals can be conducted before moving to the next dosing level. All study participants will be seen and evaluated by clinical staff 11 times over one year.

While NIAID tests the VSV-ZEBOV vaccine candidate as a prime-boost strategy,  WRAIR is evaluating the investigational vaccine as a single injection. This is being done to evaluate in real time the safety profile of the investigational vaccine when provided at different dosages and compare the immune responses induced by one injection versus two injections. Initial safety and immune response data on the VSV-ZEBOV vaccine are expected by the end of 2014.

More information about the NIAID clinical trial of the investigational VSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine is available on the NIH Clinical Center website using the protocol number 15-I-0001.