Posts Tagged ‘Breakthrough’

Cancer Treatment Breakthrough

Cancer Treatment Breakthrough
CRAIGAVON, Northern Ireland, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ New Study findings published in Clinical Cancer Research – The Journal of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Scientists from the School of Pharmacy at Queen´s University …

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Breakthrough Comment On Breast Cancer Deprivation Story

Breakthrough Comment On Breast Cancer Deprivation Story
Breakthrough Breast Cancer comment on the story from the British Journal of Cancer, about the link between the P53 gene and breast cancer survival. Research from the University of Dundee. Dr Caitlin Palframan, Policy Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “We know there is a connection between deprivation and breast cancer survival but we don’t yet know all the reasons for this. The …

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Williston Hopes for Cancer Breakthrough

Williston Hopes for Cancer Breakthrough
A local dentist along with several businesses and individuals are hoping to make a cancer breakthrough. They’re doing this by giving a $100,000 donation to a doctor from Seattle Washington.

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Understanding The Major Breakthrough Of Cancer

Hunting for Genetic Mutations and Cancer
The current paradigm in medical research holds that the cause of most cancers is a genetic mutation. For instance, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), an institute at the NIH, “all cancers are based on genetic mutations in body cells.”  In fact, mutation hunting is big business. Just look at the NIH budget allocated to discoveries of genetic mutations, the number of biotech companies chasing genetic mutations, the magnitude of the licensing agreements between biotech and pharmaceutical companies aimed to utilize newly discovered genetic mutations, and the number of stories in the media on genetic mutations and their so-called “link” to disease. However, this huge effort and billions of dollars has produced few discoveries and little benefits to the public. The reason for this limited success is simple. The cause of cancer is not a genetic mutation.

The story of the BRCA1 gene is a typical example of mutation hunting.

The Mystery of BRCA1
Genes, in general, produce proteins, which are the building blocks of cells. The concentration of the protein is tightly regulated. A mutated gene produces an abnormal concentration of its protein, which may lead to disease. In 1994, Mark Skolnick, PhD, discovered the BRCA1 gene (BRCA1 is short for BReast CAncer 1). Following the discovery, scientists observed an abnormally low level of the BRCA1 protein in breast cancer tissues. The BRCA1 protein is a cell cycle suppressor, which means that the protein prevents cell replication. This observation created a lot of excitement. At the time, scientists believed that they were on the verge of finding the cause of breast cancer. The reasoning was that breast cancer patients must have a mutated BRCA1 gene, which would explain the decreased production of the protein, and the excessive replication of breast cancer cells in tumors.

In the United States, 180,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year. However, the BRCA1 gene is mutated in less than 5% of these cases. In more than 95% of breast cancer patients the gene is not mutated.

So here is the mystery. If the gene is not mutated in the great majority of the breast cancer patients, why are the tumors showing low levels of the BRCA1 protein? Today, this is one of the biggest mysteries in cancer research.

The BRCA1 gene is not unique. Many normal (non-mutated) genes exhibit a mysterious abnormal (increased or decreased) production of proteins in cancer. Moreover, studies also report abnormal gene expression of normal genes in other diseases, such as atherosclerosis, obesity, osteoarthritis, type II diabetes, alopecia, type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, asthma, lupus, thyroiditis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and graft versus host disease.

The Discovery
A virus is a collection of genes. To replicate, some viruses settle in the nucleus of the host cell and use the cell machinery to replicate. What is the effect of a viral gene on the production of cellular proteins?

Think of a gene as an assembly line of a protein. Like all assembly lines, the gene has two parts, a conveyor (the gene coding section), and a control panel (the gene promoter/enhancer). Imagine a cellular shop that assembles a product called BRCA1. One of the many buttons on the control panel is called N-box. Pressing the button increases production. However, only a small number of operators (called transcription factors), those who pass a special certification (called the p300 test), have permission to press this button.  What happens when a virus opens a shop across the street from the cellular shop (called latent infection) to produce its viral products? The control panel in the viral shop also has an N-box button. To start production, the virus begins to hire away some of the certified operators. What is the effect of this “hiring away” on the number of available BRCA1 units? The number decreases. Moreover, the decrease becomes apparent even before the virus starts production (the “hiring away” is what creates the effect, not the viral proteins). The viral assembly line competes with the BRCA1 assembly line for the certified operators, and by hiring them away prevents the cellular shop from producing the optimum, or “healthy” number of BRCA1 units. The lower number of BRCA1 units leads to excessive cell replication and breast cancer. (See a more technical description in a recent paper published in the European Journal of Cancer.)

The infection with the latent virus causes abnormal production of other genes, and as a result, the development of other chronic diseases. This sequence of events easily explains why people who suffer from obesity are also more likely to suffer from diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and why a recent large scale study found that a low-fat diet does not protect against breast cancer.  It also explains another surprising observation that male pattern baldness is associated with heart disease and prostate cancer. In general, this sequence of events easily explains the numerous observations indicating a co-existence or co-morbidity of some chronic diseases.

This discovery was first described by Dr. Hanan Polansky in his book, Microcompetition with Foreign DNA and the Origin of Chronic Disease, published by The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease.

To summarize: the cause of cancer, and other chronic diseases, is not a genetic mutation, it’s an infection with a latent virus.

Reaction of the Scientific Community
What is the scientific community saying about Dr. Polansky’s discovery?  

Consider what the famous heart surgeon and “Living Legend,” Michael E. DeBakey, said about the discovery, “The theory underlying the basic concept concerning the origin of chronic diseases presented by Dr. Polansky is most interesting, indeed fascinating … Perhaps a symposium could be held to provide a forum for further discussions and critiques of this fascinating theory.”

Elena N. Naumova, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, said, “Dr. Polansky’s work compellingly demonstrates a framework that could bring together researchers from different fields. His proposed theory will work its magic by clarifying ambiguous definitions, identifying similarities and differences in various biological processes, and discovering new pathways … I believe that Dr. Polansky’s book will catalyze the scientific learning process, promote interdisciplinary cross-fertilization, stimulate development of treatment strategies and drug discovery, and leave the reader inspired.”

Sivasubramanian Baskar, PhD, Senior Scientist from the National Cancer Institute, NIH, said, “At first, I wish to congratulate Dr. Hanan Polansky for his scientific bravery to take such a unique, novel approach to further stimulate our understanding of the origin and establishment of chronic diseases. The philosophy underscored is an excellent one … The amazing correlation between theoretical predictions and observed in vivo effects seems to bring us a step closer to a deeper understanding of such complex biologic processes.”

Marc Pouliot, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Canada, said, “The concept of microcompetition will change our approach in the study of chronic diseases and will furthermore give scientists a higher level of understanding in biology. Presentation of this concept undoubtedly provides a new set of opportunities for attacking chronic diseases … They lead the way to new approaches in chronic disease treatment.”

Howard A. Young, PhD, Section Head, Cellular and Molecular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, National Cancer Institute, NIH, said, “In summary, Dr. Polansky is to be applauded for his attempt to provide a unifying basis for chronic diseases. His theories are stimulating and offer a basis for experimental testing and possible treatment.”

Michael J. Gonzalez, PhD, Professor, Medical Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, said, “I know this book will profoundly impact medical research, drug discovery, as well as natural therapies. I also believe it will benefit the scientific community and society in general by providing further means of treatment for conditions in which only palliative care is available.”

You can find more reactions and the biographies the scientists reacting to Dr. Polansky’s discovery on the publisher’s (see link below).

Hope for Cure and Protection
The significance of Dr. Polansky’s discovery cannot be overstated. For the first time, we can start to feel a little better about these diseases. With his discovery, pharmaceutical and biotech companies can now start to design medications that will target the cause of the disease rather than its symptoms, and therefore, cure the sick and protect the healthy from these deadly diseases.

A Potential new Breakthrough for Breast Cancer

Get the facts about Zometa, a new bone loss drug that may decrease your chances at breast cancer recurrence. Not yet used by doctors, Zometa is still undergoing clinical trials and may cause certain side effects.

Cuba Develops Breakthrough Cancer Drug

Cancer is a household word in our society. It would be rare to meet somebody that does not know of a person that has died of cancer, or even that has cancer currently. Celebrities’ battles with cancer are well publicized, and many of us have picked up on the common treatments for cancer and causes of cancer, without having any first hand experience with it. It has become somewhat of a holy grail of medicine, being the first to find a cure for cancer. In fact, scientists in Cuba have recently made a breakthrough in this area, patenting a new drug which not only helps fight lung cancer, but can also vaccinate against it.

The most common cause of lung cancer is long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. However, up to 20% of cases are caused by other environmental and genetic factors, including simple heredity, or exposure to asbestos, radon gas, air pollution, or second-hand cigarette smoke. Currently, with treatment, around 14% of people who develop lung cancer are still alive after five years, making lung cancer one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Around 1.3 million people die of lung cancer every year, and it is the most common form of cancer in men, and the second most common in women, after breast cancer. On of the best weapons in the fight against lung cancer is getting a regular cancer checkup.

Cuba has responded to these alarming statistics, with a scientific research institute patenting a drug which has helped lung cancer patients live up to a year longer in some cases. The drug is called CimaVax EGF, and it is actually classified as therapeutic vaccine, because it is composed of modified proteins that help the body build its own defenses against cancer cells. Vaccines that you have as a child, or when you travel overseas, work in the same way. You are injected with a dose of a killed bacteria or virus, or a modified protein from one of these, to help your body recognize the illness and develop antibodies to it, which will fight the infection if you encounter it in a live form (from somebody or thing that is infected with it).

Dr Gisela Gonzalez headed the team that researched and developed CimaVax EGF, which is said to be the first lung cancer vaccine in the world. She did recognize that other countries are working on similar vaccines, but they are in the development stage, while Cuba’s is ready to be used on lung cancer patients. It is tagged as a breakthrough in treating terminally ill patients, although not a miracle drug.

The conventional treatments for lung cancer, like heart cancer and many other forms of cancer, include radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These are often hard on a patient’s body, causing skin problems, loss of appetite, damage to surrounding tissues, and even secondary cancers. Anything that can be used to lower the number of chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments necessary can provide a better quality of life for lung cancer patients.

Testing has currently been approved by the US government, however, clinical studies may not begin for another two years. The tests in Cuba have revealed that patients live an average of 6 months longer when treated with the vaccine in combination with other therapies. This is a significant result in a disease where the average lifespan from diagnosis is only 20 months. It is the hope of researchers, as well as families the world over, that these new treatments can increase the number of lung cancer survivors, and improve the quality of life for terminal patients.

Interview Advisory: Leading Women’s Health Advocate to Testify to FDA Panel About Breakthrough Medication for Women’s …

Interview Advisory: Leading Women’s Health Advocate to Testify to FDA Panel About Breakthrough Medication for Women’s …
SCOTTSDALE, AZ–(Marketwire – 06/14/10) – WHAT: Michelle King Robson http://www.empowher.com/michelle , one of the nation’s leading women’s health and wellness advocates and Founder, Chairperson and CEO of EmpowHER, a health media company for women, will share her personal testimony with a panel of the Food and Drug Administration on June 18, 2010 about women’s sexual …

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RCSI Researchers Uncover Breakthrough In Predicting Severity Of Breast Cancer

RCSI Researchers Uncover Breakthrough In Predicting Severity Of Breast Cancer
Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have identified a biomarker in patient blood which can predict the severity of breast cancer in patients and may enable clinicians to track patients throughout the course of their treatment. Around 75 percent of breast cancers are fuelled by the hormone estrogen which encourages them to grow. Although this type of breast cancer can …

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Power3 Medical to Publish Medical Breakthrough Documented During Clinical Trials of Power3 Medical’s Flag Ship …

Power3 Medical to Publish Medical Breakthrough Documented During Clinical Trials of Power3 Medical’s Flag Ship …
HOUSTON—-Power3 Medical Products, Inc. announced today that, in collaboration with Lourdes R. Bosquez, MD, it has unexpectedly discovered new and unprecedented findings regarding clinically important differences in the response of the NuroPro® protein biomarkers in the blood of untreated Alzheimer’s disease patients compared to patients treated with the widely used anti-dementia drugs Aricept® …

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Breakthrough Method Predicts Risk Of Invasive Breast Cancer

Breakthrough Method Predicts Risk Of Invasive Breast Cancer
For the first time, scientists have discovered a way to predict whether women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – the most common form of non-invasive breast cancer – are at risk of developing more invasive tumors in later years.As a result of the finding, women with DCIS will have the opportunity to be more selective about their treatment, according to the scientists.”Women will have much …

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