“Trojan Horse” Used to Terminate Cancer Cells

Scientists have long been looking for a better way to fight the battle of cancer, rather than the traditional radiation and chemotherapy treatments, both of which damage healthy cells instead of just the cancerous ones. Now, they might have found the answer with a new treatment they call the “Trojan horse” therapy.A team of researchers in Australia have developed the new “Trojan horse” therapy to help combat cancer by using a bacterially-derived nano cell to help penetrate and disarm the cell that is cancerous before a second nano cell kills it with the chemotherapy drugs. The “Trojan horse” therapy has the potential to target the cancer cells directly with chemotherapy, rather than the current treatment where drugs are injected into the cancer patient and end up attacking both the healthy and the cancer cells.The scientists in Sydney, Dr. Jennifer MacDiarmid and Dr. Himanshu Barhmbhatt who formed EnGenelC Pty Ltd in 2001, stated that they have achieved a 100 percent rate of survival in mice with human cancer cells by using the “Trojan horse” therapy over the past two years. They plan to start the clinical trials on humans within the coming months. However, the human trials of the cell delivery system will begin next week at The Austin located at the University of Melbourne and the Peter MacCullum Cancer Center at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.The therapy, which was published in the latest Nature Biotechnology journal, sees the mini-cells that are called EDVs (EnGenelc Delivery Vehicle) attach and then enter the cancer cell. The first wave of these mini-cells release ribonucleic acid molecules, which are called siRNA, that are used to switch off the production of proteins that make the cancer cell resistant to the chemotherapy treatment. Then, a second wave of the EDV cells are accepted by the cancer cells and release the chemotherapy drugs, in turn, killing the cancer cell.MacDiarmid stated, “The beauty is that our EDVs operate like ‘Trojan horses’. They arrive at the gates of the affected cells and are always allowed in. We are playing the rogue cells at their own game. They switch-on the gene to produce the protein to resist drugs, an we are switching-off the gene which, in turn, enables the drugs to enter.”RNA interference, also known as RNAi, is designed to help silence the genes that are responsible for producing disease-causing proteins and is considered one of the hottest areas of biotechnology research. The subject of RNA was the basis of the 2006 Nobel Prize in medicine. Dozen of biotechnology companies are already looking for way that they can manipulate RNA to help block the genes that produce disease-causing proteins that are involved in blindness, cancer or AIDS. Brahmbhatt said that after the treatment with the conventional drug therapy, a high number of the cancer cells are terminated, however, a small percentage of the cells can produce the proteins that make cancer cells resistant to the chemotherapeutic medications. “Consequently, follow-up drug treatments can fail. The tumors thus become untreatable and continue to flourish, ultimately killing the patient. We want to be part of moving toward a time when cancers can be managed as a chronic disease rather than being regarded as a death sentence,” he stated.The Nature report said that the mini-cells were well tolerated by the animals that were actively treated with no adverse side effects or deaths, despite the repeated dosing. MacDiarmid said, “Significantly, our methodology does not damage the normal cells and is applicable to a wide spectrum of solid cancer types. The hope is that the benign nature of this EDV technology should enable cancer sufferers to get on with their lives and operate normally using outpatient therapy.”

Restaurant Menus: Making Calorie/Nutrition Content Visible

Eight o’clock Friday night and you are having a Big Mac attack. Would you change your mind about a trip to the local drive-thru if you knew that sandwich had 540 calories, 260 of those from fat? Maybe more than you want to think about on a Friday evening, and something you may not take the effort to find out, since the information isn’t on the wrapper.Legislation being discussed as part of health reform could make knowing what you are eating easier to determine. Presently the information is available online or if requested at fast food and chain restaurants. Some of the establishments list the nutrition in a clear and concise chart. For instance, finding the calories online on the Big Mac was no problem; it’s also easy to find that KFC’s 3-piece chicken strip item is 380 calories, 200 of those from fat. Red Lobster’s online information is a little less clear: the Ultimate Feast®, is 638 calories, but the fat is shown in grams at 4.18, requiring that the diner also know how many grams of fat are allowed in their daily calorie count for the information to be useful.Why does all of this matter if that is what you want to eat? U.S. chain restaurants and fast food chains have been criticized for contributing to the country’s obesity epidemic. Food items that you purchase at the grocery store, and even snack items on almost all retail shelves have labels that provide nutritional information. At present, nutritional information on both fast food chains and large nationwide dining chains must be sought out by the consumer. Most of us are not going to set up our laptop to check out nutritional information before we order that Awesome Blossom® at Chili’s (2710 calories, 1827 from fat) but maybe we should.The law requiring menu labeling could be in health reform legislation which is expected to be addressed by Congress in the next few weeks. States and some cities already have laws requiring menu labeling to help promote health and nutrition, but most would rather see federal legislation to make the rules uniform. This legislation is not just about “big brother” looking over shoulders at the dinner table, but trying to provide information for fighting obesity, which can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—all extremely expensive diseases in terms of health care costs.“America is facing an obesity epidemic, which must be addressed at the national level,” said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who along with Democratic Senators Tom Harkin and Tom Carper, have backed menu labeling legislation. The legislation is also backed by the National Restaurant Association, whose members include the operators of Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains; The American Diabetes Association; and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Sue Hensley, a spokeswoman with the National Restaurant Association said, “To have all of those key players at this point as one unified front to move forward with a nutrition standard is, I think, really significant.”Will this legislation, if passed, really help reduce obesity? Only if Americans use the information to their advantage and plan their calorie count around the food they are going to eat away from home.

Green Tea: A New Weapon Against Prostate Cancer?

Many medical “discoveries” have occurred quite by happenstance. For instance, consider the story of Green Tea which began some 5,000 years ago when, as Chinese legend has it, leaves from a nearby Camellia sinensis tree fell into an emperor’s boiling pot of water. The leaves turned the water a light-brown color and gave off a delightful aroma. The emperor, upon taking a sip, found it also had an excellent taste and proclaimed it as “heaven sent.” Since then, the delectable brew has been considered a health-promoting beverage in China; used to treat everything from headaches to depression. Today, a wealth of studies has provided hard evidence for its positive effects on health. Drinking green tea is reputed to promote heart health, lower high cholesterol levels, lessen free radical damage to cells, fight obesity, inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots, and slow the progression of age-related cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers now say that certain compounds in green tea may actually slow the progression of prostate cancer, a disease that kills more men each year in the United States than any cancer other than lung cancer.Previous studies have shown that green tea may be linked to a reduced incidence of prostate cancer, and its polyphenols have been regarded as a potential cancer therapy. But last year, the FDA announced that the evidence for green tea benefits was inconclusive, because people consume relatively small quantities. So, Dr. James Cardelli, and his colleagues at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, carried out a clinical trial to determine the effects of short-term supplementation with increased amounts of the active compounds in green tea on the progression of prostate cancer. The small study consisted of 26 men between 41 and 68 years of age who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and were scheduled for radical prostatectomy. The men were put on a daily dose of four capsules containing a total of 1.3 grams of polyphenon E, equivalent to about 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea, for 12 to 73 days (with an average time of 34.5 days), until the day before surgery. Blood tests showed a significant reduction in serum levels of three biomarkers associated with the growth and spread of prostate cancer: hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and prostate specific antigen (PSA). On an average, HGF decreased 18.9 percent, VEGF decreased by 9.9 percent and PSA dropped by 10.4 percent. Some patients demonstrated reductions of more than 30 percent. The researchers said that in vitro, EGCG (the main catechin in polyphenon E) swiftly blocked the production of HGF, and the block “seems to be at the level of transcription.” EGCG also blocked the production of VEGF, which plays a critical role in the angiogenic process in cancer-associated fibroblasts, they noted. Age, race, and time on the drug did not have a significant effect on the changes in serum biomarkers.Previous studies have suggested that high levels of EGCG may have adverse effects on liver function, but in this study the liver function of the patients remained normal. “Our results show a significant reduction in serum levels of PSA, HGF, and VEGF in men with prostate cancer after brief treatment with EGCG (Polyphenon E), with no elevation of liver enzymes. These findings support a potential role for Polyphenon E in the treatment or prevention of prostate cancer,” the researchers concluded.Dr. Cardelli admits that the study is still in an early stage and that the findings need to be verified by larger, placebo-controlled trials. “Green tea can keep cancer from growing very fast, but it may not be able to shrink tumors,” he said. “But it can be a good addition to traditional therapies, like chemotherapy or radiation.”“We think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence," Dr. Cardelli said. “There is reasonably good evidence that many cancers are preventable, and our studies using plant-derived substances support the idea that plant compounds found in a healthy diet can play a role in preventing cancer development and progression.”John Neate, chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity, says though there have been a number of studies into the potential benefits of green tea, there is no conclusive evidence. “The results of this study do suggest that there is merit in further research into the effects of extracts of green tea, both in relation to its impact on the prevention of prostate cancer and in controlling progression in men already diagnosed with the disease, as was investigated in this instance,” he said. “These initial positive findings could indicate that green tea could have a place in ‘active surveillance’, where a slow-growing, low risk tumor is monitored for changes and men want to take something which could help keep progression at bay.” “Potentially, this could mean completely avoiding, in some cases, any of the more usual medical interventions and their associated side effects,” Neate said. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 192,280 men and will kill 27,360 in 2009. Men over 50 are urged to get tested for the disease annually, however very few do, putting them at risk of being diagnosed at a later stage rather than earlier in the cancer process.The study is published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

HealthNews Dozen: 12 Tips for Finding the Best Pediatric Hospitals

Facing and treating a child’s illness is one of the most painful processes for any parent to undergo. With all of the emotional, physical, and financial challenges that come with the knowledge that one’s child must endure treatment or hospitalization for a condition or disease, many parents don’t have the time or energy to invest in researching hospitals. But where the child receives care is of the utmost importance, and with a few simple guidelines, parents can find the best treatment center for their little one.Along with the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of the best pediatric facilities in the United States, the news organization writes complementary articles for those interested in or in need of children’s hospitals. The detailed annual study ranks 30 of the nation’s top hospitals in specialty categories like cancer and neonatal care, and the results are based on surveys sent to pediatric specialists around the country. The final report includes a great deal of information that can be helpful to parents, not to mention pediatricians, seeking hospitals that specialize in a particular disease or disorder.Parents in need of a hospital for their child are welcome to scan the report and find the U.S. News rankings and pick the facility that suits their needs, but sometimes the hospitals at the top of the list may not be in a convenient area. More research is suggested and encouraged. Each hospital has areas of expertise, so facilities can be narrowed in that way, and subsequently by other qualifications that one’s child will required as dictated by the pediatrician. But this also requires long, detailed conversations with said doctor in order to know everything possible about treatment options and exactly what the child will require at each step of the treatment process. Not only can the pediatrician help with such details, but he or she can also assist in securing an appointment with a specialist who can better care for and treat the child.Understanding exactly what the child needs and what will make the process easier for everyone will require more than a discussion with a doctor; it will require much research on the internet, but more importantly it should include hospital resource centers. Proper research leads to a keen knowledge of the situation and will allow parents to be able to ask the right questions of everyone involved.The care team at each hospital should be investigated, from the records of the doctors and nurses to all of the staff on hand to handle a child’s needs, i.e. therapists and specialists to take care of the emotional and physical needs and complications of any situation. Hospitals should have satellite locations if the distance is an issue, and facilities offering clinical trials are an indication that the newest treatments are being researched and implemented.In addition to the hospital research, parents should seek out advocacy and support groups related to the disease or condition at issue. While some are funded by drug companies and have agendas, others are simply dedicated to obtaining the best care for children. Parent support groups are also helpful to parents in need of encouragement and advice, as well as hospital and treatment center suggestions.Finally, it is of the utmost importance to insist to doctors and all surrounding staff that there is constant communication. Parents should be involved in every treatment decision as well as general care option that is available, and there should be an open line of discussion between parents and everyone else in charge of the child’s care.

Dog Bite Risk for Kids Greatest During Summer

To everything, there is a season; and if there were a season for dog bites, it would be summer. The incidence begins to increase in March, as the days get longer and warmer and people and their pets spend more time outdoors. And while anyone, regardless of age, gender or race, could become a dog bite victim in the summer, a recent study found the risk is greatest for young children. The study, an analysis of 84 cases of dog bites in children, also found that young children are especially vulnerable to severe bites in the head and neck areas, likely due to their short stature. The most common sites of bites to the head and neck were the cheeks (34 percent), lips (21 percent), and nose and ears (both 8 percent). More than half of the children (64 percent) suffered dog bite wounds in multiple locations, and the average wound size was 7.15 centimeters. Twenty-seven percent of dog bite injuries were caused by family pets. Pit bulls were the breed most commonly involved in attacks. The researchers said families need to be made aware of the increased risk of dog bites during the summer and recommended a system for uniform data collection, which would include all the circumstances of the dog bite: signs of provocation; adequacy of child supervision; breed and sex of dog; spay-neuter status; history of prior aggression; dog restraint; time of event; patient’s previous history of dog bites; length of dog ownership; location where injury occurred; disposition of dog after the event; and the dog’s vaccination history. This system, combined with more accurate and timely reporting of dog bites to local health officials, could help to identify dog bite trends and assist in developing prevention strategies. In the United States, dog bites account for about 1 percent of all emergency room visits each year, including 44,000 cases of facial injuries. Countless more bites go untreated. However, experts say all dog bites can be avoided by taking precautions:
NEVER leave a baby or young child alone with a pet.
Start teaching young children, including toddlers, to be careful around pets.
Wait until children are older than 4 years of age before getting a dog.
Select your family pet carefully and be sure to keep your pet’s vaccinations up-to-date.
Leave animals alone when they are eating or caring for puppies.
Keep pets on a leash when in public.
Avoid sick animals and animals that you don’t know.
Do not try to separate fighting animals.
If you are threatened by a dog, remain calm; do not scream or turn and run.
If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your head and neck.
In the event something goes wrong and you are bitten, first seek medical treatment for the wound. Next, if you are bitten by your own dog, confine the animal and make sure their rabies vaccinations are up-to-date. If you are bitten by a stray, contact authorities and tell them everything you can about the dog: the owner’s name, if you know it; the color and size of the dog; where you encountered the dog; and, if and where you’ve seen it before. These details may help animal-control officers locate the dog. In addition, consider asking your physician if post-exposure rabies treatment may be necessary.

Mental Health Risks with Popular Stop-Smoking Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that patients taking the popular stop-smoking drugs Chantix and Zyban should be watched closely for signs of serious mental illness. The warning was issued following mounting reports of bizarre behavior, including suicide, among users of the drugs. Pfizer is the maker of Chantix (varenicline), and GlaxoSmithKine is the manufacturer of Zyban (buproprion). Buproprion is also sold under the brand name Wellbutrin, as a treatment for depression.Both of the drugs will now be required to carry “black box” labels warning that people who take the drugs should be closely monitored for signs of suicidal thoughts, depression, hostility, and other behavioral changes. In addition, both drug companies will be required to conduct clinical trials for the purpose of assessing the mental health risks associated with the uses of the drugs. Unlike the clinical trials leading to the FDA approval of the drugs, the new trials will enroll smokers with underlying psychiatric disorders. Pfizer has already begun enrollment of schizophrenia patients in a trial.Since the drugs have been marketed, a total of 98 suicides and 188 attempted suicides have been seen in user of Chantix as well as 14 suicides and 17 attempted suicides in Zyban users, according to data from the FDA’s adverse event reporting system. However, officials stressed that fear of experiencing adverse symptoms should not stop patients from taking the smoking-cessation medications. According to Dr. Curtis J. Rosebraugh, director of a drug evaluation office at the FDA, “We don’t want to scare people off from trying a medication that could help them achieve this goal. You should just be careful.” He also added, “Stopping smoking is a goal we should all be working towards.”First marketed in 2006, Chantix has cornered about 90 percent of the prescription smoking-cessation drugs market, according to IMS Health, a health care information company. However, Chantix sales have fallen short of Pfizer’s expectations due to previous warnings of the drug’s side effects. Analysts do not foresee the FDA action having much effect on future sales because of the previous indications of psychiatric risks linked to use of Chantix.Dr. Steve Romano, Pfizer vice president and head of medical affairs, pointed out that since nicotine withdrawal can be very difficult for people to endure, and those who are trying to quit smoking are statistically inclined to be depressed and suicidal, it is difficult to identify the specific impact of the drugs on the risks. Regarding the black-box warning, he said, said, "The purpose of the new boxed warning is to raise particular issue of concern to physicians so they can mitigate it, by being more vigilant and monitor patients more actively.”It is not clear why the drugs are associated with mental problems. Although some patients may be experiencing nicotine withdrawal, some adverse affects involved patients who had yet to stop smoking. Curt Rosebraugh, MD, MPH, director of one of the FDA's drug evaluation units, said that some of the suicide reports came from Chantix users who were still smoking. Officials have also acknowledged that many of the events happened soon after patients either began or stopped therapy. However, regarding the odd behaviors, FDA official Dr. Robert Temple said, “If this is nicotine withdrawal, it really doesn’t matter. You need to pay attention to them.”