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Drug that mimics vitamin D hormone may boost prostate cancer treatment

A drug designed to mimic the effects of Vitamin D hormone may be able to boost the effectiveness of radiation treatment for prostate cancer, report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in the current on-line edition of the British Journal of Cancer. “About 30 percent of men with locally advanced prostate cancer fail radiation therapy because the cancerous cells become resistant to treatment,” said Constantinos Koumenis, Ph.D., lead researcher. “Any agent that increases the cancer cells’ sensitivity to radiation, without significantly affecting normal cells, would be of great benefit.”

Researchers on verge of defining arousal

For scientists in the field of neurobiology, defining the factors that influence the arousal of brain and behavior is a “Holy Grail.” Research published by Rockefeller University scientists in the Aug. 11 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition are the first to give a rigorous definition of what is meant by arousal, considered to be at the base of all emotionally laden behaviors. In particular, the researchers, led by Donald W. Pfaff, Ph.D., provide an operational definition of arousal that scientists can pursue and measure quantitatively in laboratory animals, as well as in human beings.

Long-term decline of coral reef ecosystems reported

An article in the August 15 issue of the journal Science warns against the human exploitation of coral reef ecosystems around the world, noting that these “ecosystems will not survive for more than a few decades, unless they are promptly and massively protected from human exploitation.”
This warning comes out of a study of 14 coral reef ecosystems around the world conducted by a team of scientists organized by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). The Center is affiliated with the University of California, Santa Barbara and funded by the National Science Foundation.

Instrument to fashion custom-made proteomics chips

Sscientists are developing an instrument that can fabricate custom-made biochips for protein analysis, offering a potentially powerful new tool for drug development and basic medical research. The instrument makes use of a new method to remove and isolate the tangle of proteins found within cells, a process necessary to reveal protein function within an organism. In contrast to other, more labor-intensive separation methods, the Purdue team’s technique allows proteins with similar chemical properties to be separated in the gas phase based on their mass so that analysis can be accomplished in far fewer steps than previously required.

Medicare changes won’t help many low-income patients

Although Medicare beneficiaries with very modest incomes are the ones least likely to have drug coverage, many would receive only limited help under the Medicare drug bills being considered in Congress, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund. Average out-of-pocket costs for a couple at 160% of poverty would be reduced only slightly under both the House and Senate bills, according to the report, Caught in Between: Prescription Drug Coverage of Medicare Beneficiaries Near Poverty, by Dennis G. Shea of the Pennsylvania State University, and Bruce C. Stuart and Becky Briesacher, both of the University of Maryland.

Second gene ID’d for rare skeletal defects syndrome

Researchers have discovered a second gene responsible for a rare syndrome that causes the loss of bone from the lower jaw, fingers, toes and collarbone. The researchers isolated the gene, zinc metalloproteinase (ZMPSTE24), in a patient who had all of the classic characteristics of mandibuloacral dysplasia (MAD) but did not have a mutation in the LMNA gene, previously reported as a cause of the disorder.

Creatine found to boost intelligence, memory

Research undertaken by scientists at the University of Sydney and Macquarie University in Australia has shown that taking creatine, a compound found in muscle tissue, as a dietary supplement can give a significant boost to both working memory and general intelligence. The work, to be published in a forthcoming Proceedings B, a learned journal published by the Royal Society, monitored the effect of creatine supplementation on 45 young adult vegetarian subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment.

Endostatin a promising new treatment for AIDS-related cancer

New research suggests that the anti-tumor compound endostatin delivers a one-two punch to Kaposi’s sarcoma ? the most common AIDS-related cancer. Endostatin seems to strike Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) lesions by preventing existing tumors from growing new blood vessels and also by stopping KS tumor cells from migrating through the body, said Susan Mallery, the study’s lead author and a professor in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery and pathology at Ohio State University’s College of Dentistry.

Chlamydia infection prevelent among female army recruits

Nearly 10 percent of female Army recruits tested positive for the bacteria that causes the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis), according to researchers from Johns Hopkins, the Department of Defense and the Army. The researchers also found that the number of recruits testing positive for chlamydia increased over the four-year duration of the study, from 1996 to 1999.

Infants More Vulnerable to Brain Injury From Falling Than Previously Thought

Babies are more vulnerable to serious head injury during a fall than had been previously thought, according to new research that may also begin to help child abuse investigators distinguish between accidental and intentional injury. Whitaker investigator Susan Margulies of the University of Pennsylvania found that rotational forces generated by a baby’s head hitting a hard surface can cause widespread, potentially serious brain injury. This can include internal bleeding, which can damage tissue and alter brain function, and nerve cell damage, which can impair thinking, sensation, and other mental functions.

Drug may eliminate transfusions in patients with blood disorder

The use of hydroxyurea may eliminate the need for future blood transfusions in children with beta-thalassemia major, an inherited blood disorder, according to a study published in the August 15th issue of Blood. Beta-thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that occurs when a person is unable to produce adequate levels of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. This genetic disorder probably arose about 6,000 years ago as a partial defense against malaria.

Hypnosis doesn’t improve pain techniques

Techniques like relaxation and visualizing a pleasant scene can take the sting out of mild pain, but adding hypnosis to the mix does not make such techniques more effective, according to a new report in Health Psychology. Leonard S. Milling, Ph.D., of the University of Hartford and colleagues, compared five different behavioral treatments for finger pain delivered under hypnotic and non-hypnotic conditions. Treatments included imagining a pain-protective glove, relaxing various muscle groups, picturing a warm summer day and reciting statements like: “I’ll make the pain less severe when it comes.”

New drug reduces advanced Parkinson’s disease symptoms

After 40 years of treating Parkinson’s disease with dopamine medications, a new study shows potential for a non-dopamine drug that may provide benefit for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease. Robert A. Hauser, M.D., first author of the study and director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at the University of South Florida, and other researchers across the United States, found istradefylline (KW-6002) reduced by 1.7 hours per day the time that advanced Parkinson’s disease patients experienced tremors, slowness and stiffness. Istradefylline did not worsen the severity of dyskinesias and was generally well tolerated by participants.

Schizophrenia could cause patients to forget their meds

Patients with schizophrenia must take medication regularly to reduce their risk of relapse. But the disease impairs memory, according to an article published in BMC Psychiatry, meaning these patients may have difficulty in remembering to take their tablets. Habitual tasks, like taking medicine every few hours, rely on “prospective memory”. This type of memory, which appears to be impaired by schizophrenia, enables you to remember that you have to do something in the future, without being prompted.