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CANCER CARE IN AYURVEDA

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Physical and Psychological sufferings of patients dealing with a condition like Cancer has made a deep impact and galvanized our Cancer research efforts .In our quest to address these issues, we at Muniyal Ayurveda have designed and developed an innovative line of treatment for Cancer called Mahoshadha Kalpa

It is known that abnormal cell division is the genesis of cancer. But the exact cause for such a rapid and uncoordinated growth is not explained by modern medical science.

Our research leads us to believe that Disturbed Cellular Intelligence leads to abnormal cell division causing cancer. This disturbance can be attributed to vitiation of food, environment and consciousness. To correct this disturbance and awaken cellular intelligence an Integrated and Holistic approach is necessary which improves the overall health and brings about a strong sense of well-being in patients. This will bring about positive reinforcement both in the mind and body of the patient.

Mahoshada Kalpa
Kalpas are unique lines of treatment developed by Muniyal Ayurveda for treating chronic disorders. It is a combination of several Ayurvedic procedures, proprietary and classical ayurvedic medicines manufactured by Muniyal Ayurveda.
The treatment principle is developed on 3 pillars:

Curative: To Correct and control the abnormal cell division that leads to cancer. To control cancer growth progression and prevent metastasis.

Preventive: To detoxify the body by chelating heavy metals and scavenging free radicals. To achieve Bio-purification of the body

Rejuvenative: To Rejuvenate and Revitalize the patient both physically and mentally. This will immensely benefit the patient, who has been undergoing intense cancer treatment and interventions from a long duration. The rejuvenating treatment and therapies will help the patient start a fresh new life.

Lifestyle / supplementary care:

  • Prevention of food-related (Aahara) diseases by adopting clinical diet
  • Adoption of Dinacharya (daily regimen) and Rutucharya (seasonal regimen) to counter the environmental ill effects.
  • Practice of Samata and Maitri Dhyana, Yoga and Pranayama for Chitta Shuddhi and Vipassana Dhyana to control the cancer growth progression.
  • Rejuvenation of body cells by Pyramid therapy.

Benefits of Mahoshada Kalpa

  • Early restoration of health – prolongs life span.
  • No ill effects like hair fall, organ damage, etc.
  • Early treatment provides better efficacy and benefits.
  • Helps prevent Metastasis
  • Treatment is economical, compared to prevailing lines of treatment.
  • Can be used along with chemotherapy and radiation.
  • Proper spiritual guidance and counseling improves will power to face the disease, and wards-off fear of death.

More than 350 cancer patients have received the Mahoshadha Kalpa treatment. On evaluation, the results of this treatment have been highly encouraging. Results have been detailed in the case study reports.

We have successfully helped patients diagnosed with different types of cancer and under different stages of treatment as listed below

  • Recently diagnosed and not administered any form of conventional treatment,
  • Administered conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy,
  • Discontinued chemo/radiotherapy.
  • Post-surgical procedures

Mahoshadha Kalpa treatment has provided complete cure in several cases of thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer and lymphomas. In most cases we could help the patient in various aspects i.e.; improving the quality of life, prolonging life span and life expectancy, development of positive attitude, minimizing the adverse effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

This positive result has further encouraged us to work towards making this holistic line of treatment available to maximum number of people suffering from cancer.

Few Short case studies suggesting the effectiveness of Mahoshadha Kalpa

CASE 1
A 27 year old female patient approached Muniyal Ayurvedic Hospital and Research Centre with the complaint of a swelling in the anterior aspect of neck since two months. There was no apparent constitutional symptoms. She had consulted a surgeon with the presentation of “multi-nodular goiter”.
Cytological diagnosis: HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS WITH OCCASIONAL
PAPILARY CLUSTERS. SUSPICIOUS FOR PAPILLARYCARCINOMA.
On examination, the swelling was firm, nodular and moving up during deglutition. No lymph nodes involved.
Blood Pressure : 150/100 mmHg.
Thyroid profile: T3 : 112 ng/dL(normal range: 60 – 200)
T4 : 2.6 µg/dL(normal range: 4.5 – 12.0)
TSH : 97.48 µIU/mL(normal range: 0.30 – 5.5)
Treatment: I. Oral medication: Muneks tablets, Kanchanara guggulu, Munipyrin tablets
II. Pyramid therapy
III. Meditation
After 45 days of above treatment, the swelling is markedly reduced
Blood Pressure: 140/86 mmHg.
Thyroid profile: T3 : 101 ng/dL(normal range: 60 – 200),
T4 : 6.3 µg/dL(normal range: 4.5 – 12.0)
TSH : 20.34 µIU/mL (normal range: 0.30 – 5.5)
She continued the treatment for six months, her TSH level came to 5.2 µIU/mL
with no clinical features.

CASE 2

A 61 years old lady with carcinoma of sigmoid colon, post-operative, post chemotherapy with the metastasis at Liver and Lungs approached our hospital with the complaint of loss of appetite, gaseous distension of abdomen and mild cough. She was treated under Mahoshadha Kalpa. She is on regular follow up since 12 months with substantial improvement in her condition.

Her SGOT and SGPT levels which was elevated have significantly come down with increase in appetite and reduction in gaseous distension of abdomen.

CASE 3

A diagnosed case of papillary carcinoma of thyroid, with a swelling in the anterior part of neck was treated under Mahoshadha Kalpa. He took the treatment for about 4 years with regular follow up.

He is also a diagnosed case of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and renal failure. He had complaints of general debility, loss of appetite, pedal oedema and exertional dyspnea. He is showing improvement in all these symptoms, swelling of neck has reduced .Blood urea has reduced from 87.00 mg to 49.00 mg, serum creatinine from 2.1 to 1.8. Thyroid Stimulating hormone reduced from 46.5 to 14.53(normal: 0.3 – 5.5) within 45 days which eventually got normalised by the end of three months (4.8IU/ml). This patient eventually showed no symptoms of thyroid cancer and his swelling in the neck was completely relieved.

CASE 4

A female patient aged about 40 years with infiltrating ductal carcinoma of right breast, post-operative but without any chemotherapy or radiation is under the treatment of Mahoshadha Kalpa since last 1 1/2 years.

She has showed good improvement in general condition like weight, appetite and haemoglobin and has shown no signs of metastasis.

CASE 5

A 60 year old male patient with bronchogenic carcinoma of the upper lobe of left lung approached Muniyal Ayurvedic Hospital and Research Centre two years back with the complaint of severe cough and breathlessness. He has not received any conventional cancer treatment.

After 2 months of treatment his cough reduced significantly and there no signs of metastasis. Treatment was continued for a period of two years with no serious episodes of symptoms but with dramatic remission in respiratory symptoms. CT scan done indicated no signs of bronchogenic carcinoma.

CASE 6

A 30 year old lady with carcinoma of lung was on chemotherapy with severe adverse reactions like weakness, vomiting, and oral ulcers. Her lesion was found to be chemo resistant. She is under Mahoshadha Kalpa treatment since one year.

Her symptoms like cough and breathlessness have considerably reduced; adverse effects of chemotherapy has subsided. There are no signs of metastasis.

CASE 7

A60 year old male patient, a diagnosed case of bronchogenic carcinoma (post-operative and chemo resistant) approached with the complaints of cough with haemoptysis, dyspnea and general debility.

He is also a known case of Type II Diabetes mellitus. His complaints like haemoptysis, cough and dyspnea drastically reduced in a month’s treatment.

He became almost asymptomatic after the treatment for about 12 months. CT scan of lungs indicated no signs of carcinoma. He is continuing the treatment since 7 years.

CASE 8

A diagnosed case of carcinoma of oesophagus and hard palate approached for treatment under Mahoshadha Kalpa. He had the complaints of dysphagia, loss of appetite, loss of taste, general debility, and cough with whitish sputum.

During the course of treatment his cough was substantially reduced, appetite improved and taste sensation is slightly better. USG of abdomen did not show any signs of metastasis.

Follow up endoscopy indicated no signs of carcinoma.

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I Don’t Smoke or Drink, I Eat Well & Exercise. How Did I Still Get Cancer? An Oncologist Answers.

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Dr. Vishal Rao, an oncologist and head and neck surgeon at the Bangalore-based HealthCare Global (HCG) Cancer Center, writes about the debate on food safety in India and how it is related to cancer.

A 45-year-old man presented himself to an oncologist with the typical symptoms of stomach cancer. His worst fears came true, the biopsy reports showed positive results.

He led an extremely healthy lifestyle; exercised regularly, maintained a balanced diet and did not have any addictions. Yet, cancer had managed to conquer his system. The distraught man asked the doctor, “Why me?” The visibly uncomfortable doctor was speechless.

A lot of their patients may have maintained a healthy lifestyle and yet, end up succumbing to cancer. It may not be just tobacco; we have tons of other carcinogens, which have unfortunately entered our diet chart.

Some of the reports on food exports from India show we rank among the top in agri-food rejects to USA & EU as per the UNIDO reports. The key reasons for rejects implicated in the reports were – mycotoxins, microbial contamination, veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, unauthorised food additives, product composition and pesticide residues.

Ever wondered if this was the quality for exports, what could be the standards of internal consumption for us Indians? The Maggi trial that India witnessed recently opened the much-needed debate on food safety, exposing just the tip of the iceberg.

Let’s reflect on a few aspects of such safety issues. Why do we stand where we stand today?

Current status of food quality

“Diet and nutrition are two different aspects of food.” Is the current state of food quality in India a matter of implausible conjecture or a reality yet to dawn in the Indian mindset? Pesticides, preservatives and wasted calories seem to be the trends of the new Indian recipes.

Pesticides:

Recently a patient of mine walked into my outpatient clinic for a follow up visit. He brought with him a basket of fresh fruits as a token of his gratitude. While he handed it to me, he exclaimed, “Doc, these are not the regular ones which I keep for sale, these are ones grow for my own consumption.”

The larger question – is our farmer well educated about balancing the quantity of pesticides to be used for safe and optimal yield; or does he believe that more is better! (Dilution and mixing of pesticides in regulated quantity is key.)

A growing concern among consumers is the question – do we have too much pesticides in our food? Are these really harmful? Is there a way to prevent this?

I have heard that often export rejects from various countries look at India as a potential market — be it tyres, automobiles or food products. Thanks to poor consumer awareness and implicit trust of the consumer in the manufacturer to abide by ethical practices. This is further compounded by extremely poor vigilance and enforcement by government agencies.

The Endosulfan Tragedy in Kerala has killed over 4,000 people and many have been affected since the 1970’s. Endosulfan is an internationally banned insecticide that was earlier used in cashew plantations to increase the product yield.

The progeny of many of the survivors still suffer from conditions like macrocephaly, intellectual disabilities and cancer. Despite the ban made by UN, Endosulfan is still being used in India. Recent reports in media highlighted traces of endosulfan found in several vegetables. Personal interactions with farmers confirm their use of these banned pesticides owing to a quick, sustained and stable yield.

Yes, pesticide residues in food are a growing concern. It is, however, vital to consume healthy and nutritious food after washing them thoroughly. Avoiding fruits and vegetables in fear of residue pesticides would be more harmful that the consumption of minimal residues themselves in causing cancer. Organic foods from reported and accredited farms may be the way forward and needs encouragement from the agriculture department. Educational programmes for farmers from NGO’s and departments would pave the way in foundation of food safety in farms.

Insecticide act of India 1968 is awaiting amendments. The amended act awaits clearance in Rajya Sabha.

Preservatives:

Traditionally, preservatives were introduced into food products for keeping them safe and edible for long periods. Salt, sugar and vegetable oil are classical examples, which preserve food and provide the body with nutrition when consumed at required amounts (class 1 preservatives).

As technology and research has advanced, we have moved to synthetic preservatives which help store and protect food from spoilage for extremely long periods (class 2 preservatives). While they may protect the food, they’re definitely harming us. Studies suggest that synthetic food preservatives like Sodium benzoate and Sodium nitrite can cause hyper reactivity in children and have been linked to gastric cancer as well. These preservatives are commonly found in cold drinks, processed meat, canned food and most importantly, ready-to-make food products.

Adulterants:

Food colourants are another group of chemicals quintessentially placed in the “cancer causing family.” Natural food colourants like pure beet/ pomegranate juice, carrot juice, spinach powder, parsley juice, turmeric powder, blueberry juice and cocoa powder can be used at home and in industries. Their shelf life may be low but they add nutritive value to the food product as well.

Red 40, Blue 1 and Yellow 5 are common synthetic food colourants used in industries even though they have been proven to cause long-term health problems. Indeed the palak gravy you may be having may be onion based gravy with green colourant.

Adulterants range from chalk powder (common in milk), saw dust (found in chilli powder), non-permitted dyes (common in turmeric powder) to coal tar (found in tea powder). Vegetables like green chillies and green peas are coated with malachite green (highly carcinogenic and are used as dyes to study bacteria) to enhance the colour and fruits like apples are coated with wax give them a glossy finish.

Hygiene:

Street food is a delicacy for the Indian palate. Microorganisms are responsible for more deaths than cancer every year. Typhoid fever, botulism, amoebiasis, etc. are common food and waterborne infections. An unhygienic condition maintained by street vendors and eateries is a key factor behind the spread of these infections. Vehicular emission, carbon dioxide and air pollutants from the roads are also absorbed by these food items. The basic practice of washing one’s hands before touching any food ingredient is unspoken of. H. Pylori is a growing cause of gastric cancers. Can this be a cause of increasing contamination and adulteration?

Degreening Agents:

As our storage methods are not effective enough, fruits and vegetables cannot be stored for a long time. They are harvested when they are raw and treated with de-greening ripening agents like calcium carbide and ethylene. They make the fruits colourful and appealing to the customer. By consuming these fruits, the consumer has unknowingly reduced his/ her life expectancy.

Looking into the current scenario of food safety makes us wonder – how have we reached here and where are we heading?

Today’s times would be rightly called “instant, unlimited and more” era. Man is in search of instant – coffee, pizza, burger, food and even success instantly. Unlimited food seems to be the most attractive and sought after option to make a dining choice. The more the better is our current attitude. It would not be surprising to witness buy 1 and get 3 free at the current pace and times.

The implicit trust placed by the Indian consumer on manufacturer advertisement and tall claims is appreciable. However, the food industry is rapidly and exponentially growing. We hope to have food that is given instantly, lasts as long as possible and in sufficient quality that satiates the palate. The industry, in an attempt to satisfy the customer, would need to resort to best methods to prolong life, improve revenues and combat competition simultaneously. Would all of these steps be feasible without compromising food safety? Is it not time for the manufacturers to reinstate this trust in the consumer and lay ethical guidelines to protect the consumer?

Food standard and safety act of India is a comprehensive act. The paradox is the regulation and implementation of this act. These bodies have largely remained to provide and regulate license. We have hardly come across brands being suspended owing to poor quality compliance. Would it not be ideal to have monthly checks of 100 random food products, selected from random shops in random areas and scrutinised for food safety? Is it not time for us to amend and strongly enforce Insecticide act of India 1968 to protect our future generations and secure food safety standards?

“Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake”

(Written by Dr. Vishal Rao)

Source:http://www.thebetterindia.com/85386/cancer/

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Cancer-cardiac connection illuminates promising new drug for heart failure

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A team of researchers at the Gladstone Institutes uncovered a new strategy to treat heart failure, a leading contributor to mortality and healthcare costs in the United States. Despite widespread use of currently-approved drugs, approximately 40% of patients with heart failure die within 5 years of their initial diagnosis.

“The current standard of care is clearly not sufficient, which highlights the urgent need for new therapeutic approaches,” said Saptarsi Haldar, MD, an associate investigator at Gladstone and senior author of a new study featured on the cover of the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine. “In our previous work, we found that a drug-like small molecule called JQ1 can prevent the development of heart failure in mouse models when administered at the very onset of the disease. However, as the majority of patients requiring treatment already have longstanding cardiac dysfunction, we needed to determine if our strategy could also treat established heart failure.”

As part of an emerging treatment strategy, drugs derived from JQ1 are currently under study in early-phase human cancer trials. These drugs act by inhibiting a protein called BRD4, a member of a family of proteins called BET bromodomains, which directly influences heart failure. With this study, the scientists found that JQ1 can effectively treat severe, pre-established heart failure in both small animal and human cell models by blocking inflammation and fibrosis (scarring of the heart tissue).

“It has long been known that inflammation and fibrosis are key conspirators in the development of heart failure, but targeting these processes with drugs has remained a significant challenge,” added Haldar, who is also a practicing cardiologist and an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “By inhibiting the function of the protein BRD4, an approach that simultaneously blocks both of these processes, we are using a new and different strategy altogether to tackle the problem.”

Currently available drugs used for heart failure work at the surface of heart cells. In contrast, Haldar’s approach goes to the root of the problem and blocks destructive processes in the cell’s command center, or nucleus.

“We treated mouse models of heart failure with JQ1, similarly to how patients would be treated in a clinic,” said Qiming Duan, MD, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in Haldar’s lab and co-first author of the study. “We showed that this approach effectively treats pre-established heart failure that occurs both after a massive heart attack or in response to persistent high blood pressure (mechanical overload), suggesting it could be used to treat a wide array of patients.”

Using Gladstone’s unique expertise, the scientists then used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), generated from adult human skin cells, to create a type of beating heart cell known as cardiomyocytes.

“After testing the drug in mice, we wanted to check whether JQ1 would have the same effect in humans,” explained co-first author Sarah McMahon, a UCSF graduate student in Haldar’s lab. “We tested the drug on human cardiomyocytes, as they are cells that not only beat, but can also trigger the processes of inflammation and fibrosis, which in turn make heart failure progressively worse. Similar to our animal studies, we found that JQ1 was also effective in human heart cells, reaffirming the clinical relevance of our results.”

The study also showed that, in contrast to several cancer drugs that have been documented to cause cardiac toxicity, BRD4 inhibitors may be a class of anti-cancer therapeutics that has protective effects in the human heart.

“Our study demonstrates a new therapeutic approach to successfully target inflammation and fibrosis, representing a major advance in the field,” concluded Haldar. “We also believe our current work has important near-term translational impact in human heart failure. Given that drugs derived from JQ1 are already being tested in cancer clinical trials, their safety and efficacy in humans are already being defined. This key information could accelerate the development of a new heart failure drug and make it available to patients more quickly.”

Story Source:Materials provided by Gladstone Institutes.

URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170517143623.htm

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At last, first cancer ‘living drug’ gets go-ahead

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The US has approved the first treatment to redesign a patient’s own immune system so it attacks cancer.
The regulator – the US Food and Drug Administration – said its decision was a “historic” moment and medicine was now “entering a new frontier”.


The company Novartis is charging $475,000 (£367,000) for the “living drug” therapy, which leaves 83% of people free of a type of blood cancer.
Doctors in the UK said the announcement was an exciting step forward.
The living drug is tailor-made to each patient, unlike conventional therapies such as surgery or chemotherapy.It is called CAR-T and is made by extracting white blood cells from the patient’s blood.

The cells are then genetically reprogrammed to seek out and kill cancer.
The cancer-killers are then put back inside the patient and once they find their target they multiply.
‘Enormously exciting’
Dr Scott Gottlieb, from the FDA, said: “We’re entering a new frontier in medical innovation with the ability to reprogram a patient’s own cells to attack a deadly cancer.
“New technologies such as gene and cell therapies hold out the potential to transform medicine and create an inflection point in our ability to treat and even cure many intractable illnesses.”
The therapy, which will be marketed as Kymriah, works against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Most patients respond to normal therapy and Kymriah has been approved for when those treatments fail.

Dr Stephan Grupp, who treated the first child with CAR-T at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the new approach was “enormously exciting”.
“We’ve never seen anything like this before,” he added.
That first patient had been near to death, but has now been cancer-free for more than five years.
Out of 63 patients treated with CAR-T therapy, 83% were in complete remission within three months and long-term data is still being collected.

However, the therapy is not without risks.
It can cause potentially life-threatening cytokine release syndrome from the rapid proliferation of the CAR-T cells in the body. This can be controlled with drugs.
New era
But the potential of CAR-T technology goes beyond one type of cancer.
Dr David Maloney, medical director of cellular immunotherapy at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said the FDA’s decision was a “milestone”.
He added: “We believe this is just the first of what will soon be many new immunotherapy-based treatments for a variety of cancers.

CAR-T technology has shown most promise against different blood-based cancers.
However, it has struggled against “solid tumours” such as lung cancer or melanoma.
Dr Prakash Satwani, a paediatric oncologist at Columbia University Medical, said: “The results haven’t been that great when you compare it with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, but I’m sure the technology will get better in the near future.”
Boosting the immune system is already a cornerstone of modern cancer treatment.
A range of drugs that “take the brakes off” the immune system to allow it to attack cancer more freely have already been adopted around the world.

CAR-T technology, which goes a step further and redesigns the immune system, is at a much earlier stage. Prof Peter Johnson, the chief clinician at the charity Cancer Research UK, said: “The first genetically modified cell therapy to be approved by the FDA is an exciting step forward.
“We still have a lot to learn about how to use it safely and who might benefit from it, so it is important to recognise this is just a first step.”

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-41094990

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Hope for cancer patients: Ancient Chinese ink could non-invasively treat the disease

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Scientists found that Hu-ink kills cancer cells in a laboratory dish. Under normal conditions, the ink is non-toxic.
The deadly disease cancer often sneaks up on patients. While the cure for cancer is still being researched, scientists claim that a plant-based ink, that has been used by Chinese calligraphers for hundreds of years, could non-invasively kill cancer cells. As cancer cells leave a tumour, they frequently make their way to lymph nodes, which are part of the immune system. In this case, the main treatment option is surgery, but this can result in complications.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging non-invasive treatment option in which nanomaterials are injected and accumulate in cancer cells. A laser heats up the nanomaterials, and this heat kills the cells. Many of these nanomaterials are expensive, difficult to make and toxic.

However, a traditional Chinese ink called Hu-Kaiwen (Hu- ink) has similar properties to the nanomaterials used in PTT. For example, they are the same colour, and are both carbon-based and stable in water. The researchers including those from Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China analysed Hu-ink and found that it consists of nanoparticles and thin layers of carbon. When Hu-ink was heated with a laser, its temperature rose by 55 degrees Celsius, much higher than current nanomaterials.

Under PPT conditions, the Hu-ink killed cancer cells in a laboratory dish, but under normal conditions, the ink was non-toxic. This was also the scenario observed in mice with tumours. The researchers also noted that Hu-ink could act as a probe to locate tumours and metastases because it absorbs near-infrared light, which goes through skin.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/health/hope-for-cancer-patients-ancient-chinese-ink-could-non-invasively-treat-the-disease/story-qCg6heFDGWVvHVAz2hvbpK.html

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New device to detect cancer with urine test is here

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A novel nanowire device that is able to non-invasively detect microscopic levels of cancer markers in the urine, has been developed by Japanese researchers and could aid in improving diagnosis and treatment of the deadly disease.

The device was found with potential to efficiently capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) from urine and potentially use them to screen for cancer.

“The ongoing challenge for physicians in any field is to find a non-invasive diagnostic tool that allows them to monitor their patients on a regular basis — for example, a simple urine test,” said lead author Takao Yasui, from the Nagoya University in Japan.

However, the content of EVs in urine is extremely low, at less than 0.01 per cent of the total fluid volume, which becomes a major barrier to their diagnostic utility.

The new device — embeded with zinc oxide nanowires into a specialised polymer — was found highly efficient at capturing these vesicles.


“Our findings suggest that the device is indeed quite efficient. We obtained a collection rate of over 99 per cent, surpassing ultracentrifugation as well as other methods that are currently being used in the field,” Yasui added.

Using the device, the scientists were able to net over a thousand types of microRNAs, which are short pieces of ribonucleic acid that play diverse roles in normal cellular biology.

The presence of certain microRNAs in urine might serve as a red flag for serious conditions such as bladder and prostate cancer, the study reported in Science Advances showed.

To test the device, the team compared the microRNAs of EVs isolated from healthy patients with those isolated from patients who were already diagnosed with bladder, prostate, and other forms of cancer.

Compared with the standard approach, they found a substantially greater number and different types of microRNAs with just 1 milliliter of urine, the researchers said.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/health/new-device-to-detect-cancer-with-urine-test-is-here-2070180

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How alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk

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Scientists have shown how alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, helping to explain why drinking increases your risk of cancer, according to research part-funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Nature today.

Much previous research looking at the precise ways in which alcohol causes cancer has been done in cell cultures. But in this study, researchers have used mice to show how alcohol exposure leads to permanent genetic damage.

Scientists at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, gave diluted alcohol, chemically known as ethanol, to mice. They then used chromosome analysis and DNA sequencing to examine the genetic damage caused by acetaldehyde, a harmful chemical produced when the body processes alcohol.

They found that acetaldehyde can break and damage DNA within blood stem cells leading to rearranged chromosomes and permanently altering the DNA sequences within these cells.

It is important to understand how the DNA blueprint within stem cells is damaged because when healthy stem cells become faulty, they can give rise to cancer.

These new findings therefore help us to understand how drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing 7 types of cancer including common types like breast and bowel.

Professor Ketan Patel, lead author of the study and scientist, part funded by Cancer Research UK, at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, said: “Some cancers develop due to DNA damage in stem cells. While some damage occurs by chance, our findings suggest that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of this damage.”

The study also examined how the body tries to protect itself against damage caused by alcohol. The first line of defence is a family of enzymes called aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH). These enzymes break down harmful acetaldehyde into acetate, which our cells can use as a source of energy.

Worldwide, millions of people, particularly those from South East Asia, either lack these enzymes or carry faulty versions of them. So, when they drink, acetaldehyde builds up which causes a flushed complexion, and also leads to them feeling unwell.

In the study, when mice lacking the critical ALDH enzyme — ALDH2 — were given alcohol, it resulted in four times as much DNA damage in their cells compared to mice with the fully functioning ALDH2 enzyme.

The second line of defence used by cells is a variety of DNA repair systems which, most of the time, allow them to fix and reverse different types of DNA damage. But they don’t always work and some people carry mutations which mean their cells aren’t able to carry out these repairs effectively.

Professor Patel added: “Our study highlights that not being able to process alcohol effectively can lead to an even higher risk of alcohol-related DNA damage and therefore certain cancers. But it’s important to remember that alcohol clearance and DNA repair systems are not perfect and alcohol can still cause cancer in different ways, even in people whose defence mechanisms are intact.”

This research was funded by Cancer Research UK, Wellcome and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK’s expert on cancer prevention, said: “This thought-provoking research highlights the damage alcohol can do to our cells, costing some people more than just a hangover.

“We know that alcohol contributes to over 12,000 cancer cases in the UK each year, so it’s a good idea to think about cutting down on the amount you drink.”


Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180103132629.htm

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FDA clears radioactive drug for cancer that killed Steve Jobs

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a radioactive drug to treat the ultra-rare type of digestive tract cancer that killed Steve Jobs in 2011.

The approval for Advanced Accelerator Applications SA’s (AAAP.O) Lutathera comes just days after Swiss giant Novartis AG NOVS.S closed its $3.9 billion acquisition of the French company.

Lutathera is unusual in that it harnesses the same molecule that is used to diagnose cancer to also deliver the treatment.

The radiopharmaceutical injection works by hitting cancer cells with high energy electrons, just like radiotherapy, but targets gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (GEP-NETs) that over-express a certain protein.

Advanced Accelerator said Lutathera’s list price is about $47,500 per dose, with the usual treatment period including four doses. This price is not necessarily what patients actually pay, as out-of-pocket costs vary based on a patient’s insurance plan and rebates offered by drugmakers.

The treatment reduced the risk of the disease progressing by 79 percent in a late-stage clinical trial, on the basis of which it was approved, Accelerator Applications said.

In general, patients with well-and-moderately differentiated tumours, compared with healthy cells, have a roughly 35 percent probability of surviving for five years, the company estimates.

This is the first U.S. approval for this kind of treatment, known as peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. The European Medicines Agency approved Lutathera in September and Novartis offered to buy Advanced Accelerator a month later.

The FDA estimates that each year, one out of 27,000 people are diagnosed with GEP-NETs, a disease that killed Apple (AAPL.O) co-founder Jobs in 2011.

It has been a long journey for Lutathera. The FDA rejected the drug in 2016, asking for more study data. The company resubmitted its marketing application in July last year.

Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sai Sachin Ravikumar and Savio D’Souza

Source: https://in.reuters.com/article/advanced-accelerator-fda/fda-clears-radioactive-drug-for-cancer-that-killed-steve-jobs-idINKBN1FF2RA

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Vaccine That Wiped Out Cancer in Mice Ready for Human Trial

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New York: Raising hopes for a cancer vaccine for different types of cancers, researchers have found that injecting minute amounts of two immune-stimulating agents directly into solid tumours in mice can eliminate all traces of cancer in the animals.

A clinical trial was launched in January to test the effect of the treatment in humans with lymphoma, cancer of the lymphatic system.

The approach works for many different types of cancers, including those that arise spontaneously, said the study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The researchers believe the local application of very small amounts of the agents could serve as a rapid and relatively inexpensive cancer therapy that is unlikely to cause the adverse side effects often seen with bodywide immune stimulation.

“When we use these two agents together, we see the elimination of tumours all over the body,” said senior author of the study Ronald Levy, Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine in the US.

“This approach bypasses the need to identify tumour-specific immune targets and doesn’t require wholesale activation of the immune system or customisation of a patient’s immune cells,” Levy said.

“Our approach uses a one-time application of very small amounts of two agents to stimulate the immune cells only within the tumour itself. In the mice, we saw amazing, bodywide effects, including the elimination of tumours all over the animal,” Levy explained.

Cancers often exist in a strange kind of limbo with regard to the immune system. Immune cells like T cells recognise the abnormal proteins often present on cancer cells and infiltrate to attack the tumour. However, as the tumour grows, it often devises ways to suppress the activity of the T cells.

Levy’s method works to reactivate the cancer-specific T cells by injecting microgram (one-millionth of a gram) amounts of two agents directly into the tumour site.

One, a short stretch of DNA called a CpG oligonucleotide, works with other nearby immune cells to amplify the expression of an activating receptor called OX40 on the surface of the T cells.

The other, an antibody that binds to OX40, activates the T cells to lead the charge against the cancer cells.

Because the two agents are injected directly into the tumour, only T cells that have infiltrated it are activated. In effect, these T cells are “prescreened” by the body to recognise only cancer-specific proteins.

“This is a very targeted approach,” Levy said.

“Only the tumour that shares the protein targets displayed by the treated site is affected. We’re attacking specific targets without having to identify exactly what proteins the T cells are recognising,” Levy added.

Source: http://www.news18.com/news/world/vaccine-that-wiped-out-cancer-in-mice-ready-for-human-trial-1649495.html

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LED bulbs can give you cancer, stay away from the blue light

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Reigniting the debate over exposure to the “blue light” emitted by outdoor LED screens and heightened risk of cancer, an international team of researchers have concluded that there is a “strong link” between the two. To reach this conclusion, the researchers from University of Exeter in Britain and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) determined indoor exposure to artificial light through personal questionnaires.

The outdoor levels of artificial light, such as emitted by street lights, were evaluated for Madrid and Barcelona, based on nocturnal images taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The study included medical and epidemiological data of more than 4,000 people between 20 and 85 years of age in 11 Spanish regions.

Results obtained for both cities show that participants exposed to higher levels of blue light had a 1.5 and two-fold higher risk of developing breast and prostate cancer, respectively, as compared to the less-exposed population. The findings, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found that the “blue light” emitted by LED lights seems to affect circadian rhythms and sleeping patterns, which then impacts hormone levels. Both breast and prostate cancers are hormone-related.

The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified night shift work as probably carcinogenic to humans. There is evidence pointing to an association between exposure to artificial light at night, disruption of the circadian rhythm, and breast and prostate cancers.

“With this study, we sought to determine whether night exposure to light in cities can affect the development of these two types of cancer,” explained Manolis Kogevinas, ISGlobal researcher and coordinator of the study.

According to Alejandro Sainchez de Miguel from University of Exeter and a lead author on the study, blue light is also produced by smartphones and tablets but the current study looked only at blue light from outdoor LEDs. “That is a confusion for many journalists; we have not done anything in phones. But the same mechanism may be affecting the phones or the bulbs at home, because the physiology is the same,” CNN quoted SAinchez de Miguel as saying.

Given the ubiquity of artificial light at night, determining whether it increases or not the risk of cancer is a public health issue. “At this point, further studies should include more individual data using for instance light sensors that allow measuring indoor light levels. It would also be important to do this kind of research in young people that extensively use blue light emitting screens,” suggested Ariadna GarcAa, ISGlobal researcher and first author of the study.

“We know that depending on its intensity and wave length, artificial light, particularly in the blue spectrum, can decrease melatonin production and secretion,” added Martin Aub, Physics Professor at CEGEP in Sherbrooke, Canada and study co-author.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/these-lights-are-harmful-for-health-may-trigger-breast-and-prostate-cancer/story-9loGV6AVpsfSAEhwWGNpzI.html

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