Gene identified that sensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapy drugs

NCI scientists have found that a gene, Schlafen-11 (SLFN11), sensitizes cells to substances known to cause irreparable damage to DNA.

 The researchers used 60 cell types to identify predictors of cancer cell response to classes of DNA damaging agents, widely used as chemotherapy treatments for many cancers. They found that high SLFN11 expression independently predicted overall survival for a group of ovarian cancer patients who were treated with DNA damaging agents in a NCI clinical trial. Similar results were found for chemotherapy response to colorectal tumors.

Specifically, to identify potential genes that could predict the toxicity of DNA damaging agents, the scientists correlated the expression of more than 17,000 genes from the NCI-60 (a 60 cell line panel used to screen for, and characterize, novel anticancer drugs), with the activity of four different topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitors. As a result, they identified SLFN11 as the single gene to show a highly significant positive correlation in all of the tested Top1 inhibitors. After finding this key gene for Top1 inhibitors, the scientists expanded their analysis to 1,444 other compounds commonly tested in the NCI-60, many with known mechanisms of action and routinely used in clinical practice. The scientists consistently observed significant positive correlations of SLFN11 expression, not only with Top1 inhibitors, but with other classes of DNA damaging agents including cisplatin, doxorubicin and etoposide. As a secondary check on their clinical findings, the researchers conducted laboratory tests on cancer cells from various tumor tissue types where it was known that SLFN11 expression was silenced, and cell death or cell cycle arrest occurred in response to numerous DNA damaging agents. The results of these studies further supported SLFN11 as a gene warranting continued investigational interest.

Source: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/nciinthenews/2012/SchlafenPNASNewsNote

An international institute for dream research!

I was quite excited to know that there's one entire huge interational instituion dedicated to just dream research.

 http://www.dreamresearch.ca/

Dreams, what might be their purpose really? Our old religious texts are full of how so and so had a dream in which God told them to do something or forewarned them about something or told them of something nice which was going to happen.

 So some people say that dreams show future, like they are some sort of a prophecy or something. Most of us just go through life without giving much thought to the 'why' - we just accept dreams as they come. 

Alright I am sleepy, good night.

Japanese Encephalitis : the brain fever disease

Japanese Encephalitis (JE), the brain fever disease,  is a viral disease which infects about 30,000-40,000 people annually the world over. This statistic could be possibly higher considering the secondary form of this disease leads to a milder case of JE which is usually not reported.

JE is a water borne disease that is prevalent in Asia, specially South East Asia, China, Philippines and Cambodia. JE is transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to the Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex vishnui groups, which breed particularly in flooded rice fields. The virus circulates in birds LIKE herons and egrets and is amplified in pigs which are the amplifying hosts as in here the virus reproduces and is transmitted to the mosquitoes. The virus tends to spill over into human populations when infected mosquito populations build up explosively and the human biting rate increases.

The primary form of this disease has no cure and leads to head aches, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures , spastic paralysis and death. So far no cure for this disease has been found and vaccination remains the only prevention. The treatment so far depends on relieving the symptomatic problems particularly pain and the cranial pressure.


Acknowledgements:

1.  http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/encephalitis/en/

2. http://chiraganindia.blogspot.in/2012/03/short-notes-on-japanese-encephalitis.html ( for the picture)

3. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/jencephalitis/

Cancer deaths in Asia

Cancer is a major killer, claiming about 17,000 lives per day. It is a serious cause for concern that 54% of the cancer deaths occur in Asia alone. I guess one reason for this is Asia is the most populated continent. With countries like India and China holding over one billion people each, one could begin to fathom this statistic better. But even then, a latest study by french researchers have found that the occurence of cancer is expected to rise by 75% in developed nations and by 90% in developing nations by 2030.

Now this statistic cannot be just another statistic that one might brush off lightly. Many reasons are being given for the rise in cancer cases the world over - and unless we take care, fund research better and get research to be communicated more to the lay persons, we would be at a loss really.

Source : http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/world/the-global-picture/

Progeria : Curious case of Benjamin Button

Progeria is a rare genetic condition that produces rapid aging in children, somewhat like the aged little baby Benjamin who looked old when he was born. But unfortunately unlike the movie, in progeria, children do not grow up to be young. The word progeria comes from the Greek words "pro" meaning "before", and "géras" meaning "old age". The disorder has very low incidences and occurs in an estimated 1 per 8 million live births.Those born with progeria typically live to their mid teens and early twenties.

Research so far on Progeria has not yielded any significant breakthroughs in the treatment of this disease or reversing the symptoms of aging.

Stem cells anyone?

For all the promise shown by stem cells, they are still looked at with suspicion by the major section of society. Human Stem cells = killed human fetuses for most of the public but the information, the correct information that needs to be communcated is that the stem cells are present right here, in our very own bodies- surprised? how do you think so many blood cells are being produced otherwise? A red blood cell which gives red colour to your blood and tranports oxygen to the different parts of the body- can live only for 120 days. It is regenerated by means of Haematopoietic stem (HPSC) cell which is also responsible for the generating the other blood cell types. 

 

HPSC are present in the bone marrow that is why in diseases or surgeries where the bone marrow is destroyed, a person becomes immunologically weak due to the inability of the body to produce the immune cells (white blood cells)

Look here for more info: 

http://stemcells.nih.gov/

The interesting octopus

The octopus squirts ink to make its surroundings less clear and hence it cannot be spotted by the predator or even the prey.

How cool is that?