Novel Discoveries Leading To Targeted Treatment Of Lymphatic DiseasesNovember 20, 2003A gene responsible for lymphatic vessel formation Novel discoveries at the University of Helsinki, Finland, about the development of the lymphatic network may help researchers to better understand the mechanisms of cancer and its metastasis, and also diseases such as lymphedema, wound healing and inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Lymphatic vascular network is essential in transporting the tissue fluids and immune cells from tissues to the nearby lymph nodes and back to the blood circulation. Thus, this network of vessels is crucial in provoking body's immune defense mechanisms. A study published as advance online publication of 'Nature Immunology' (web edition 23.11.2003) describes VEGF-C as an essential regulator of lymphatic vessel development. Dr. Karkkainen and collaborators from the University of Helsinki show that in the absence of this growth factor the lymphatic development is interrupted, which results in fluid accumulation in tissues and embryonic lethality. VEGF-C haploinsufficiency gene results in delayed and abnormal lymphatic development and swelling of the limbs, in a disease called lymphedema. Within the past couple of years, there has been an unprecedented explosion of lymphatic biology research. The current study was done in one of the leading laboratories in the field of lymphangiogenesis, in the group lead by Dr. Kari Alitalo from the University of Helsinki, which has reported major advances in the fields of angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and cancer biology in recent years. The authors believe that the current study helps in developing more targeted treatments of various lymphatic diseases. Now, for the first time there are exciting new developments making treatment possible for the over one hundred million people worldwide who suffer from diseases related to the lymphatic system. Based on the siting index (impact factor), Nature Immunology is the 7th best among 5876 ranked journals. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Cancer Current Events and Cancer News Articles Metabolic reactions: Less is more in single-celled organisms A Northwestern University study has found a surprising similarity among four quite different organisms. The simplest organism, a bacterium called H. pylori, uses the same number of biochemical reactions (around 300) as yeast, the largest, most complex organism of the group, when optimizing growth. Genetic breakdown in Fanconi anemia may have link to HPV-associated cancer A genetic malfunction that causes DNA instability in people with the blood disorder Fanconi anemia may put them at high risk for squamous cell carcinomas linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a study posted online ahead of print by Oncogene. International study supports new standard of treatment for women with advanced ovarian cancer Results of a phase III, international randomized clinical trial demonstrate a new standard of care for treating advanced ovarian cancer that significantly reduces side-effects and post-operative deaths compared to the previously established treatment course. Researchers identify cell group key to Lyme disease arthritis A research team led by the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology and Albany Medical College has illuminated the important role of natural killer (NK) T cells in Lyme disease, demonstrating that the once little understood white blood cells are central to clearing the bacterial infection and reducing the intensity and duration of arthritis associated with Lyme disease. Researchers Discover New Enzyme in Cancer Growth While studying the mechanics of blood clots, researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center discovered a new enzyme that not only affects the blood, but seems to play a primary role in how cancer tumors expand and spread throughout the body. Angled gantry technique reduced breast radiation exposure by 50 percent A novel angled gantry approach to coronary CT angiography reduced radiation exposure to the breast by more than 50%, according to Thomas Jefferson University researchers. HER2 levels may aid in treatment selection for metastatic breast cancer Findings published in the December 1, 2008, issue of Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, show lapatinib benefits women with HER2-positive breast cancer, while women with HER2-negative breast cancer or those who express EGRF alone derive no incremental benefit. Drop in cancer deaths tied primarily to gains in behavior and screening Improvements in behavior and screening have contributed greatly to the 13 percent decline in cancer mortality since 1990, with better cancer treatments playing a supporting role, according to new research from David Cutler of Harvard University. Plants display 'molecular amnesia' Plant researchers from McGill University and the University of California, Berkeley, have announced a major breakthrough in a developmental process called epigenetics. They have demonstrated for the first time the reversal of what is called epigenetic silencing in plants. New breast imaging technology targets hard-to-detect cancers Breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) is effective in the detection of cancers not found on mammograms or by clinical exam, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). More Cancer Current Events and Cancer News Articles |
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