Brain tumor's 'grow-or-go' switch discovered

ScienceDaily (Mar. 13, 2010) — Cancer cells in rapidly growing brain tumors must adjust to periods of low energy or die. When energy levels are high, tumor cells grow and proliferate. When levels are low, the cells grow less and migrate more.

Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute have discovered the switch responsible for this grow-or-go behavior.

Their study shows that a molecule called miR-451 coordinates the change, and that the change is accompanied by slower cell proliferation and an increase in cell migration.

This behavior was closely linked to the cancer's ability to invade and spread. For this reason the molecule might serve as a biomarker to predict how long patients with the brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme will survive and may serve as a target to develop drugs to fight these tumors.

The researchers found that glioblastoma cells shift from their typical means of metabolizing glucose -- a sugar brought by the bloodstream and usually used for energy -- to an alternate means that consumes resources within the cell.

The findings are published in the March 12 issue of the journal Molecular Cell. "

Our study reveals how brain tumor cells adapt to their surroundings and survive conditions that might fatally starve them of energy," says co-author Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca, professor and chair of Neurological Surgery at Ohio State. "We have discovered that glioblastoma cells use miR451 to sense the availability of a nutrient -- glucose.
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Digestion strengthens green tea benefits - Life Extension Update

While the digestive process enables us to absorb and benefit from the nutrients contained in food, it can have varying effects on therapeutic plant compounds that have been shown to have specific benefits in vitro. However, research described in the journal Phytomedicine reveals that the neuroprotective properties of green tea are actually improved by digestion, meaning that its benefits could be greater than anticipated.

Research has demonstrated that polyphenols in green and black tea help protect brain cells by binding with hydrogen peroxide and amyloid beta, which are toxic compounds that are increased in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients.These tea phytochemicals are broken down to produce a number of compounds during digestion. "It's one of the reasons why we have to be so careful when we make claims about the health benefits of various foods and supplements," explained lead researcher Dr Ed Okello of England's Newcastle University. "There are certain chemicals we know to be beneficial and we can identify foods which are rich in them but what happens during the digestion process is crucial to whether these foods are actually doing us any good."

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Trouble Sleeping? Make Sure You Turn Glowing Gadgets Off After Sunset

The "Sleep Mistake" Which Boosts Your Risk of Cancer
(Posted By Dr. Mercola)

There's growing concern among experts that the proliferation of glowing gadgets like computers may fool your brain into thinking that it's still daytime after the sun has gone down. Exposure during the night can disturb sleep patterns and exacerbate insomnia.

Such concerns are not new -- Thomas Edison may have created these problems when he invented the light bulb. But the problem has grown worse thanks to the popularity of Apple's new slate computer, the iPad.

Many consumers use an iPad to read at night, and paper books or e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle, which does not emit its own light, the iPad's screen shines light directly into your eyes from a relatively close distance.

"That makes the iPad and laptops more likely to disrupt sleep patterns than, say, a television sitting across the bedroom or a lamp that illuminates a paper book, both of which shoot far less light straight into the eye, researchers said."

FDA Revokes Approval for Controversial Breast Cancer Drug

The FDA has said that the controversial drug Avastin should be phased out as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer. Recent studies show that its benefits are outweighed by dangerous side effects.

The announcement does not affect Avastin's status as a drug that can be prescribed for lung cancer, kidney cancer, colorectal cancer and brain cancer.

In 2008, the FDA granted Avastin accelerated approval for use to treat metastatic breast cancer. But studies have failed to show that patients getting Avastin lived longer than patients on standard chemotherapies.

According to CNN:

"Along with those disappointing findings, serious side effects became apparent in patients taking Avastin, including high blood pressure, internal bleeding, perforated internal organs, heart failure and heart attacks, and in some cases, even swelling of the brain."