Highlight HEALTH

Welcome to the 13th edition of the Cancer Research Blog Carnival, the blog carnival devoted to cancer research.

Everyone knows that cancer is a devastating disease. What many people don’t know is that cancer kills more than 1,500 people a day; that’s one person every minute. Tonight, Stand Up To Cancer, a one-hour fundraising event, will be simulcast on all three major U.S. networks. The goal of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is to enable cutting-edge research aimed at finding a cure to all types of cancer and making cancer part of the national debate.

Since 2001, federal deficits resulting from a number of fiscal pressures, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, increased national defense spending and hurricane Katrina, have together placed significant stress on the resources available for U.S. biomedical research. Between the fiscal years 2004 and 2007, the National Cancer Institute’s budget remained relatively flat. However, factoring in inflation (i.e. a Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI) of ~3.8% per year) reveals a 12% loss of purchasing power [1].

This decrease in resources comes as patient demand is growing. There was an estimated 1.5 million new cancer cases in 2007, an increase of 14% since 2001 [2]. The U.S. spends roughly $12 billion dollars every month fighting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. That’s 33 times more than what is spent on cancer research annually. Imagine what we could do if just a fraction of those resources was dedicated to cancer research.

Join the fight against cancer!

We’re all connected through cancer. Indeed, everyone knows someone affected by the disease. Tonight and in the coming months, join the fight! I encourage you to tune in to Stand Up To Cancer and support the next generation of groundbreaking cancer research.

As we join together to fight cancer, let’s get the the research, discoveries and advances highlighted in this months edition of the Cancer Research Blog Carnival.

Cancer Research Blog Carnival #13

Science-based Medicine

With all the credible health information online, an equal or greater amount of misinformation also exists. Frequently, false or misleading propaganda or marketing claims result in misconceptions about common health matters. Dr. Steven Novella writes about Attitudes and Public Health, reviewing the results of a new global survey showing that the public is misinformed about the risk factors for cancer [3].

The Things I Wish My Mother Would Have Told Me

Mia Perovetz’s mother died of breast cancer. She created a short video for a Breast Cancer Film Festival and as the trailer for her upcoming New York play, contemplating The Things I Wish My Mother Would Have Told Me.

I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I knew how great she was. Everyone wanted to be her or even just be liked by her. But how far do I have to follow until I fear that her destiny will become mine?

The Medical Quack

There is a variety of anti-cancer drugs available to oncologists. However, before highly toxic drugs are given to a patient, it would be advantageous to know which drugs are effective against a their cancer cells. Barbara Duck describes a new test called the Microvessel Vascular assay, writing that a Cancer Physician Invents Test For New Drugs That Cut Off Tumor’s Blood Supply [4].

Medication Non-adherence

One in two patients do not take their medications as prescribed. Alex Sicre writes about patient medication adherence, republishing a recent study abstract showing that A Video Game Improves Behavioral Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer [5].

Musings of a Distractible Mind

Zippy is a lobster friend of Dr. Rob (yes, I said lobster friend). Zippy’s goal is to raise money for brain cancer research and to have many adventures doing so. Dr. Rob asks readers to support Zippy the lobster and his Cancer Quest to raise funds for scientific and clinical research through the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation.

BayBlab

Cancer biomarkers have been the focus of a great deal of research over the past few years. Dogs tell us there’s something detectable, as they can identify cancer patients by scent with startling accuracy. Kamel explores Early Cancer Detection: Dogs with Frickin’ Laser Beams [6].

Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

GrrlScientist asks The Handmaid’s Tale: Fact or Fiction? as she discusses a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) draft document proposing to redefine nearly all forms of birth control as a form of abortion. It would allow any federal grant recipient to obstruct a woman’s access to contraception and prevent women from accessing treatments for diseases such as cancer if those treatments could harm a fetus.

Think Gene

One type of gene therapy involves the introdution of a “good” gene into targeted cells to fight or prevent disease. However, done incorrectly, gene therapy can also cause cancer. Given the extremely low survival rates in pancreatic cancer patients, Josh suggests a gene therapy that may be worth trying, republishing a press release announcing that VCU Massey Cancer Researchers Find Gene Therapy that Kills Pancreatic Cancer Cells [7].

Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You

Like colorectal cancer, the survival rate of ovarian cancer improves greatly with early diagnosis. Dr. Steve Murphy reflects on some facts on ovarian cancer, announcing that September is Now Ovarian Cancer Month.

e-patients.net

E-patients are health consumers who use the Internet to gather information about a medical condition of particular interest to them. Guest posting at e-patients.net, cancer patient Monique tells why she doesn’t see herself as “e”.

Remember the Mayo Clinic study proving that optimists live longer then pessimists, which didn’t surprise the pessimists, not one bit? Well, somebody is going to prove what we already suspect: e- patients get better medical care, without being rich. C-patients get sub-standard care. E-patients live longer. And, e-vidently, e-ssentially, better.

Britannica Blog

Nanotechnology is the science and technology of building devices from single atoms and molecules. Tasha Moideen offers a video from the National Cancer Institue describing the applications of Nanotechnology & Cancer in cancer research, prevention and treatment.

Terra Sigillata

Methadone is a synthetic opioid, which is used medically as a pain reliever, cough suppressant and maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients on opioids. It was reported last month that methadone can kill leukemia cells and overcomes chemoresistance [8]. Abel Pharmboy comments on the development of Methadone For Cancer (No) and Cancer Pain (Yes).

OncoChat

Vytorin is a drug used to treat elivated lipids in the blood by inhibiting the absortipon of cholesterol by the small intestine. However, there’s insufficient data to prove that it reduces cardiovascular disease. Now, scientists are discussing a link between the cholesterol-fighting medicine and cancer [9]. Sally Church asks, Vytorin and Cancer - is there a link?

Conclusion

My thanks to everyone that contributed articles — it’s been great hosting the Cancer Research Blog Carnival for a second time this year. Be sure to take a moment and let your fellow bloggers know this issue is available so that everyone’s hard work can be appreciated and enjoyed by all.

The Cancer Research Blog Carnival is looking for future hosts. You can find both the hosting schedule and past editions at the Cancer Research Blog Carnival website.

For more information on the U.S. investment in cancer research, you can read the NCI’s plan and budget proposal for fiscal year 2009.

References

1. Niederhuber JE. A look inside the National Cancer Institute budget process: implications for 2007 and beyond. Cancer Res. 2007 Feb 1;67(3):856-62.
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2. The Nation’s Investment in Cancer Research. Connecting the Cancer Community. An Annual Plan and Budget Proposal for FY2009. National Cancer Institute. National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 Jan.
3. Global Survey Highlights Need for Cancer Prevention Campaigns to Correct Misbeliefs. International Union Against Cancer. 2008 Aug.
4. Weisenthal et al. Cell culture detection of microvascular cell death in clinical specimens of human neoplasms and peripheral blood.
   J Intern Med. 2008 Sep;264(3):275-287(13).
5. Kato et al. A video game improves behavioral outcomes in adolescents and young adults with cancer: a randomized trial. Pediatrics. 2008 Aug;122(2):e305-17.
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6. McCulloch et al. Diagnostic accuracy of canine scent detection in early- and late-stage lung and breast cancers. Integr Cancer Ther. 2006 Mar;5(1):30-9.
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7. Lebedeva et al. Chemoprevention by perillyl alcohol coupled with viral gene therapy reduces pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. Mol Cancer Ther. 2008 Jul;7(7):2042-50.
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8. Friesen et al. Methadone, commonly used as maintenance medication for outpatient treatment of opioid dependence, kills leukemia cells and overcomes chemoresistance. Cancer Res. 2008 Aug 1;68(15):6059-64.
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9. Rossebø et al. Intensive Lipid Lowering with Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis. N Engl J Med. 2008 Sep 2. [Epub ahead of print]
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A number of recent advances in stem cell biology are poised to transform therapeutic approaches to a variety of cardiovascular diseases. In the July issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, researchers report one such advance, demonstrating that they can direct mouse embryonic stem cells to develop into an embryonic cell layer called the mesoderm, which can differentiate (meaning become different in the process of development) into the heart, blood and other tissues [1].

Animal embryos differentiate into three cellular layers called germ layers: the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Tissues and organs of the body develop from these germ layers through further differentiation. The mesoderm germ layer differentiates into circulatory and urogenital systems, connective tissue, muscle and bone.

Embryonic stem cells have the potential to develop into almost any type of cell in the body. To be used therapeutically, however, scientists have to understand how to direct stem cells to become specialized cell types, such as skin or heart cells. Why use stem cells to repair the heart? Heart muscle cells from a patient generally won’t divide in a sufficient number to replace damaged areas. Taking a part of the heart muscle from another area only creates more damage. Embryonic stem cells thus provide an external and abundant source of cells for heart muscle repair.

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that expression of the gene Mesp1 induced expression of mesodermal markers and genetic changes associated with the transition from embryonic to epithelial tissue (termed epithelial-mesenchymal transition).

A typical epithelium is a sheet of cells, often one cell thick, held tightly together by cell-cell junctions in a uniform array. Adhesions between neighboring epithelial cells inhibit movement of individual cells. In contrast, mesenchymal cells have neither organized structure nor tight intracellular adhesion, allowing for increased migratory capacity. Cells undergoing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) experience transient structural changes that result in a loss of contact with neighboring cells and a gain in motility. This process is vital to movements that reorganize the embryonic germ layers and to the development of other migratory cell types [2]. Many of the changes associated with cells undergoing developmental EMTs are also observed in wound healing, fibrosis and cancer.

Using mouse embryonic stem cells, researchers showed that Mesp1 expression restricted the potential fates, generating progenitors or precursor cells with the potential to differentiate into cardiovascular cells but, importantly, not into hematopoietic cells (meaning blood-forming cells). They further demonstrated that Mesp1 induces expression of genes specific to cardiovascular development. The authors suggest that Mesp1 may selectively program the development of endothelial, cardiac and smooth muscle cells.

According to senior author Kenneth Murphy, M.D., Ph.D., senior author and Professor of Pathology and Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine [3]:

That’s the challenge to realizing the potential of stem cells. We know some things about how the early embryo develops, but we need to learn a great deal more about how factors like Mesp1 control the roles that stem cells assume.

This work has the potential to one day treat cardiovascular diseases using human stem cells. Scientists next plan to identify gene programs and map out the pathways that specify development of the three cardiac cell types: endothelial, cardiac and smooth muscle cells.

For more information on stem cells and the repair of a damaged heart, see Stem Cell Information at the NIH.

References

1. Lindsley et al. Mesp1 coordinately regulates cardiovascular fate restriction and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in differentiating ES cells. Cell Stem Cell, July 3, 2008 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2008.04.004
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2. Shook and Keller. Mechanisms, mechanics and function of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in early development. Mech Dev. 2003 Nov;120(11):1351-83.
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3. Gene directs stem cells to build the heart. Washington University in St. Louis Medical News Release. 2008 Jul 2.

Have you ever wondered if those healthy fast food meals are really any better for you? McDonald’s has the Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait, Wendy’s offers Garden Sensations salads and at Burger King you can even get a veggie burger.

Yogurt, salad, veggie burger … these are all healthy foods.

However, new research suggests that healthy fast food meals have the same effect on your cardiovascular system as a burger, fries and a soda.

The endothelium is a thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from small capillaries to veins and arteries to the heart. These cells are responsible for regulating blood flow and blood pressure through vasoconstriction and vasodilation.

High-fat meals have a negative effect on endothelial function, causing endothelial dysfunction, meaning there is less elasticity of blood vessels and reduced blood flow. Endothelial dysfunction is a marker for cardiovascular disease and can lead to atherosclerosis or high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Ten years ago, a study linked diet and endothelial dysfunction [1]. Twenty healthy men and women with normal levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were fed four randomly administered breakfasts: a high-fat meal consisting of Egg and Sausage McMuffins with fried hash browns, a low-fat meal, a high-fat meal after taking the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E, and a low-fat meal with the same vitamin pretreatment. Ultrasound was then used to measure changes in blood vessel tone and blood flow in the brachial artery. The researchers found that decreased vasodilation occurred for up to 4 hours following the high-fat meal, while no significant changes were observed in blood vessel tone and brachial blood flow after the low-fat meal, the high-fat meal with vitamins or the low-fat meal with vitamin pretreatment. The study demonstrated the benefits of vitamins C and E, and the authors concluded that antioxidants help maintain normal endothelial function. Today, vitamin-rich side orders are prevalent throughout the fast food industry.

Researchers now have found that these presumably healthier alternatives to a burger and fries does not significantly differ with respect to their acute impairment of endothelial function [2]. Endothelial function, measured again using ultrasound, and cardiovascular disease risk markers were measured in 24 healthy volunteers who randomly received one of three fast food meals on three study days separated by 1 week:

• Big Mac with regular side orders (french fries, ketchup and Sprite)
• Vegetarian burger with regular side orders (french fries, ketchup and Sprite)
• Vegetarian burger with vitamin-rich side orders (salad, balsamic dressing, yogurt with fruit and Minute Maid orange juice)

Unexpectedly, all three meals resulted in decreased endothelial function. In contrast to the study ten years ago, even consumption of the vegetarian burger with vitamin-rich side orders resulted in decreased vasodilation. The researchers suggest that the reduced endothelial function may be attributable, at least in part, to the increase in baseline arterial diameter following a meal.

Why the conflicting results? The vitamin pretreatment given in the study 10 years ago was extremely high - over 10 times (1000 mg) the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and over 50 times (800 IU) the recommended daily intake of vitamin E [3]. While a salad, yogurt and orange juice are good, healthy foods, they contain substantially lower levels of antioxidants.

These results come in the wake of another study finding that fast food branding makes children prefer happy meals [4]. NewScientist reported that:

… children in the study were twice as likely to prefer the McDonalds-branded carrots as the plain-packaged ones. This suggests that marketing savvy could perhaps convince youngsters to make healthful choices. Some companies have already begun experimenting with this tactic by using Mickey Mouse cartoons to sell sliced fruit and placing Curious George stickers on bananas.
Last month McDonalds announced it would shift its advertising targeted to children under the age of 13 to focus on the 375-calorie Happy Meal, which it says meets current dietary standards outlined by the government.

What does all this mean? It means that eating a side salad with your burger or adding carrots in your child’s happy meal can’t prevent the harmful affects of fast food on the vascular system. Eating healthy doesn’t mean an apple here and a carrot there, it means a complete change in the types of meals we eat.

References

1. Plotnick et al. Effect of antioxidant vitamins on the transient impairment of endothelium-dependent brachial artery vasoactivity following a single high-fat meal. JAMA. 1997 Nov 26;278(20):1682-6.
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2. Rudolph et al. Acute effects of various fast-food meals on vascular function and cardiovascular disease risk markers: the Hamburg Burger Trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):334-340.
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3. Dietary Reference Intakes: Vitamins. U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Library.
4. Robinson et al. Effects of fast food branding on young children’s taste preferences. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007 Aug;161(8):792-7.
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