Tag Archives: Cancer
Depression And Shortened Telomeres Lead To Higher Bladder Cancer Mortality
A new study reports that mortality rates of bladder cancer are caused by the combination of shortened telomeres and depression. “We found that patients with bladder cancer with shorter telomeres and high levels of depression symptoms have a threefold increased risk for mortality,” said Meng Chen, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. … [ Read more ]
Czech Man Survives With No Heart But Dies From Liver Failure
Jakub Halik, who was a father-of-one and a firefighter, had his heart replaced with mechanical pumps in a pioneering surgery last April after an aggressive cancerous tumor was found growing inside his heart. Doctors said that Halik died because of complications caused by liver failure, and not because of the artificial heart itself, according to the BBC. Halik was waiting … [ Read more ]
Stress May Alter Genes And Lead To Illness
A new study reports that stress may cause illness by altering our genes. Humans’ genetic code is mainly in place by the time an embryo is fertilized. However, a new field of research, called epigenetics, examines the “second code” which works to regulate genes. Scientists believe that changes in epigenetics, caused by acute psychological stress, are responsible for the development … [ Read more ]
Calorie Restriction Diets Offer Health Benefits
A new study reports that calorie restriction does not extend lifespan but it does offer some health benefits. Previous studies have claimed that calorie restriction does indeed, lead to longer life. But, researchers involved with this recent study did not find those results to be statistically significant. This particular study, conducted by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), examined the … [ Read more ]
Why Humans Are More Apt To Get Cancer Than Chimps
Our closet genetic relative is the chimpanzee, of which we share 96% f the same genome sequence. However, the differences in that remaining four percent of genetic materials hold the key to why humans are more vulnerable to diseases, like cancer, than chimps. A research team examines brain tissues samples of both species and found that human genes exhibit lower … [ Read more ]
Specific Sugar Identified That Fuels Cancer Growth
Cancer ravages the human body in the most aggressive manner. For many years, scientists have not understood how the tumors are able to maintain such rapid growth. A new discovery by chemists at the California Institute of Technology reveals that a certain sugar, known as GlcNAc or “glick-nack” feeds the tumors and encourages their growth. This chemical suppresses glycolysis and … [ Read more ]
Mysterious Properties Of Shark’s Skin
Scientists have recently discovered that sharks do, in fact, tan when exposed to sun and their skin is impervious to melanoma or skin cancer. In a study performed at the Shark Lab at California State University-Long Beach, scientists affirmed that sharks’ skin changes from light brown to black over time as the sun brings out melanin in their skin. Scientists … [ Read more ]
Decisive Links Established Between Cancer, Inflammation, And Bacteria
Scientists have finally discovered a clear link between inflammation, bacteria and cancer. In a study involving mice with intestinal inflammation, a research team found the inflammation caused healthy microbes to diminish, thus allowing harmful bacteria to proliferate. Among the most harmful bacterial communities was E. Coli which not only prospered, but aided in the formation of tumors. Researchers believe that … [ Read more ]
Brain Tumor Found To Be Associated With Fusion Of Two Genes
Scientists at Columbia University in New York recently found that the fusion of two adjacent genes greatly increases the risk of glioblastoma, a rare but fatal brain cancer. The genes merge and share a particular protein that enables the rapid growth of malignant cells. Scientists are excited by the discovery because this is the first known example of a mutation … [ Read more ]
Why Rates Of Cancer Increase As We Age
A new study published in the journal, Oncogene, suggests that cancer is not caused by genetic mutations but by the body’s diminished ability to fight disease as our tissues age. According to researchers at the University of Colorado, most people have developed the majority of mutations that their bodies will experience by the time they are in their teenage years. … [ Read more ]
