Information for your health

Researchers at The Wistar Institute have deciphered the structure of the active region of telomerase, an enzyme that plays a major role in the development of nearly all human cancers. The landmark achievement opens the door to the creation of new, broadly effective cancer drugs, as well as anti-aging therapies.

Researchers have attempted for more than a decade to find drugs that shut down telomerase—widely considered the No. 1 target for the development of new cancer treatments—but have been hampered in large part by a lack of knowledge of the enzyme's structure.

There is limited evidence to support the use of methylphenidate and erythropoietin for the treatment of cancer-related fatigue in some patients, according to a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
The review was published in the August 12 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Cancer-related fatigue is a common problem for patients undergoing treatment and for cancer survivors. However, the underlying causes of the problem are largely unknown, and therefore, identifying targeted therapies that mitigate the problems has been challenging.

A new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine could explain why the cold and flu virus symptoms that are often mild and transient in non-smokers can seriously sicken smokers. The study also identified the mechanism by which viruses and cigarette smoke interact to increase lung inflammation and damage.

Researchers from four leading cancer centers have confirmed that an analysis involving a panel of genes can be used to predict which lung cancer patients will have the worst survival. The finding could one day lead to a test that would help determine who needs more aggressive treatment.
The study, the largest of its kind, appears online in Nature Medicine.

Scientists of the Division of Theoretical Bioinformatics at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in Heidelberg have simulated on the computer how cells decide whether or not to migrate. Using their results, the researchers were able to predict the molecular targets within a cell that have to be hit so that its behavior changes in a particular direction. This method may help to develop new treatments against cancer metastasis.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) developed a device that is able to detect and analyze circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the bloodstream providing information to help oncologists to determine whether the therapy being used works in the patient.

One difficult thing with lung cancer treatment is that the treatment often results in resistance quickly and doctors may not be aware of how effective the treatment he uses in the patient or whether the patient needs a new therapy.