Cancer Research

The 1000 Genomes Project, announced today, will involve sequencing the genomes of at least a thousand people from around the world. Drawing on the expertise of multidisciplinary research teams, the 1000 Genomes Project will develop a new map of the human genome that will provide a view of biomedically relevant DNA variations at a resolution unmatched by current resources. As with other major human genome reference projects, data from the 1000 Genomes Project will be made swiftly available to the worldwide scientific community through freely accessible public databases. Any two humans are…

HALIFAX, Canada, January 21 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT), a clinical stage vaccine development company, will receive CAD $3 Million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), under the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF). This funding will enable IVT to undertake a CAD $6 million project to develop new potent immune enhancement systems. "Having ACOA recognize the market potential of our innovative vaccine platform is a tremendous boost," commented Brian Lowe, Vice President of IVT. "This funding will enable us, over the next three years, to create novel…

Researchers in Agricultural and Food Chemistry are reporting impressive new evidence that eating broccoli may protect against heart disease. Researchers have known for years that broccoli is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber that may protect against cancer, Dipak K. Das and colleagues note. Other studies also suggest that broccoli may benefit the heart, although scientists do not know how it works. Das and colleagues now report evidence on that topic from animal studies. They gave broccoli extract to lab rats for one month and measured its effects on the rats’ heart muscle…

A non-invasive diagnostic tool to detect surface cancers quickly and painlessly using technology currently employed by gyms to calculate body composition has been developed by a QUT PhD medical physics researcher. Jye Smith from QUT’s School of Physical and Chemical Sciences has developed a new diagnostic technique using bioimpedance spectroscopy to diagnose cervical and skin cancers. Bioimpedance measures the electrical characteristics of biological tissue and is used by gyms to calculate amounts of lean tissue, water and fat. “It has only recently been applied to biological tissue to…

Do antioxidant supplements reduce the risk of cancer and deaths related to cancer? While some trials have suggested that antioxidants have beneficial effects, results from other trials have been negative. It has been unclear which antioxidant compounts are more beneficial (or more harmful), and how individual antioxidants affect target organs and specific patient populations. To examine these issues, Mayo researchers writing in Mayo Clinic Proceedings conducted a systematic review on the topic. “Systematic reviews can provide reliable summaries of the research, and help understand why…

CAMBRIDGE, England and LILLE, France, January 18 /PRNewswire/ -- - Irish and UK Blood Services Continue Pre-Adoption Clinical Evaluation of Filter - Recent Case of vCJD Now Means That All the Population is Susceptible to the Disease - Increased Concerns Over "Second Wave" of vCJD in Individuals With Much Longer Incubation Times - P-Capt(R) Prion Reduction Filter Still the Only Proven Method of Protecting Against Potential Transmission of the Disease in Blood - ProMetic and MacoPharma Gearing up for Implementation in Watershed Year for the Product The successful completion of two human…

LEUVEN, Belgium and LUND, Sweden, January 18 /PRNewswire/ -- ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR) and co-development partner BioInvent International AB (Nordic Exchange: BINV) announce today that they have received approval from the regulatory authorities in Denmark to initiate a Phase I clinical trial of the novel anti-cancer agent TB-403. TB-403 is a monoclonal antibody that targets the angiogenic factor PlGF (placental growth factor). TB-403 has demonstrated strong inhibition of PlGF-associated angiogenesis and tumour growth in animal models, without affecting healthy tissues. This…

Labels such as “European American”, “white”, or “Caucasian” are often viewed as representing a homogeneous category in gene mapping studies and census reports, but each of these labels actually groups together multiple populations, which have diverse origins due to the complex history of European immigration to the United States. In a recent study, published PLoS Genetics an international team of researchers provide the first genetic dissection of the population structure of European Americans, focusing on identifying the contributions from different genetic ancestries that are important for…

Sugars were once credited with magical healing powers but are now seen like salt as an evil necessary in small doses but the cause of numerous diseases such as diabetes if taken in excess. Yet latest research suggests this view ignores the vital role played by more complex sugars in many biological structures, and the great therapeutic potential they have. A recent workshop organized by the European Science Foundation (ESF) focused on the current state of the art in glycoscience, the study of complex sugars in biology. A key point was that complex sugars are involved every time cells, and…

MAIDENHEAD, England, January 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Wyeth (WYE) today announced data from a Phase 3 study which showed that Enbrel significantly reduces the symptoms and signs of plaque psoriasis in children and adolescents with the disease.(1) This study was published in the January 17, 2008, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The trial - the first time any biological treatment has been tested in children and adolescents with plaque psoriasis - showed 57% of patients on etanercept for 12 weeks achieved the 'gold-standard' in improvement compared to 11% of patients who received the…