PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

How our DNA may prevent bowel cancer

2015-03-24
(Press-News.org) The link between taking aspirin, and similar medications called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDS), and bowel (colorectal) cancer prevention is well established.

However, the mechanisms behind the protective effect have not been understood and it is not known why some people appear to benefit while others do not.

Conducted by investigators from four countries, including Professors Mark Jenkins and John Hopper from the University of Melbourne, the findings suggest this protection differs according to variations in DNA.

"We've known for a long time that aspirin lowers the risk of bowel cancer, but we also know that not everyone gets the same degree of protection," said Professor Mark Jenkins, a co-author of the paper and Director of the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population and Global Health.

"The aim of this study was to investigate if genetic variation can be used to determine who will benefit from taking aspirin and who will not," he said.

For the study, Professors Jenkins, Hopper and collaborators analysed the combined data from ten large studies conducted in Australia, USA, Canada and Germany.

They compared genetic and lifestyle data from 8,624 people who developed bowel cancer with that of 8,553 people who did not.

An important component of this data included 1,085 participants from Australia who enrolled in the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Study.

"This study confirmed that for most people, taking regular aspirin and NSAIDs lowered their risk of bowel cancer, but it also showed that the benefit from taking these medicines was not the same for everyone, and one of the differences was in their DNA" said Professor Jenkins.

"While most people benefit from aspirin, there was DNA evidence that about 1 in 25 people do not, and in fact may increase their risk of bowel cancer if they take aspirin," Professor Jenkins said.

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New membranes deliver clean water more efficiently

2015-03-24
Published recently in the journal Advanced Materials, the new membranes will supply clean water for use in desalination and water purification applications. Sandra Kentish, Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering said that up until now, there has not been a way to add chlorinating agents to water to prevent biological growth in the desalination process. "Such biofouling has been a major issue to date, but the new membranes have the potential to lead to a more economic desalination operation," she said. For Professor Kentish, the availability ...

A vineyard's soil microbes shape the grapes' microbial community

2015-03-24
WASHINGTON, DC -- March 24, 2015--In the first study of an entire wine grapevine's microbiome, researchers have found that the microbes associated with the grapes, leaves and flowers are largely derived from the soil microbes found around the plant's roots. The findings, published in mBio the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, could help dissect how microbes affect a wine's properties and pave the way for biotechnological advances for producing hardier crops. "Growers have been sub-selecting the best regions to grow grapes over thousands ...

Malaria-infected cells produce odors attractive to mosquitoes

2015-03-24
WASHINGTON, DC - March 24, 2015- The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum produces chemical compounds called terpenes that give off odors that attract mosquitoes, according to new research. The study, published this week in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, might explain why the insects are more likely to bite humans or animals infected with the organism. The work could lead to new diagnostic tests for malaria, said senior study author Audrey R. Odom, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of pediatrics and of molecular microbiology ...

Milk could be good for your brain

2015-03-24
New research conducted at the University of Kansas Medical Center has found a correlation between milk consumption and the levels of a naturally-occurring antioxidant called glutathione in the brain in older, healthy adults. In-Young Choi, Ph.D., an associate professor of neurology at KU Medical Center, and Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., professor and chair of dietetics and nutrition at KU Medical Center, worked together on the project. Their research, which was published in the Feb. 3, 2015 edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests a new way that drinking ...

Brain tumor cells decimated by mitochondrial 'smart bomb'

Brain tumor cells decimated by mitochondrial smart bomb
2015-03-24
HOUSTON -- ( March 24, 2015 ) -- An experimental drug that attacks brain tumor tissue by crippling the cells' energy source called the mitochondria has passed early tests in animal models and human tissue cultures, say Houston Methodist scientists. As reported on the cover of the April 2015 ChemMedChem (early online), Houston Methodist Kenneth R. Peak Brain & Pituitary Tumor Center Director David S. Baskin, M.D., and Peak Center Head of Research Martyn Sharpe, Ph.D. designed a drug called MP-MUS that destroyed 90 to 95 percent of malignant glioma cells, yet in other experiments ...

Child with autism improves with antibiotic; prompts new investigations into autism

2015-03-24
Dallas, TX (March 24, 2015) - John Rodakis, the parent of a child with autism was not looking to launch an international investigation into the microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that live on and in us) and autism, but, as he describes in his newly published article in the scientific journal Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, when his young son's autism unexpectedly and dramatically improved while taking an antibiotic for strep throat, he began a quest to understand why. Following the surprise improvement, Mr. Rodakis, who in addition to being a parent ...

More flavorful, healthful chocolate could be on its way

2015-03-24
DENVER, March 24, 2015 -- Chocolate has many health benefits -- it can potentially lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce stroke risk. But just as connoisseurs thought it couldn't get any better, there's this tasty new tidbit: Researchers have found a way to make the treat even more nutritious -- and sweeter. They will describe their research here today at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. The meeting features nearly 11,000 reports on new advances in science and other topics. ...

Fat turns from diabetes foe to potential treatment

2015-03-24
DENVER, March 24, 2015 -- A new weapon in the war against type 2 diabetes is coming in an unexpected form: fat. Researchers have discovered a new class of potentially therapeutic lipids, called fatty-acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs). These lipids are found at lower levels in people with insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, compared with those who don't have the condition. Administering FAHFAs to diabetic mice improved their glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, opening a surprising avenue for the development of novel medications for the ...

Looking to space to quantify natural gas leaks on Earth

2015-03-24
DENVER, March 24, 2015 -- The recent increase in natural gas production could provide a bridge to a lower carbon future because it generates half the carbon dioxide (CO2) of coal when burned. However, natural gas that is leaked into the atmosphere could speed global warming and climate change. That's because its primary component, methane, is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2. Understanding the leakage rate is critical to assessing the environmental benefit of natural gas, but there is much controversy, debate and confusion among scientists and policy-makers ...

Routine bisphosphonate treatment for women over age 65

2015-03-24
LAS VEGAS--Osteoporosis is a disease of progressive bone loss affecting more than 44 million Americans and contributing to an estimated 2 million bone fractures each year. A new study presented today at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that routine bisphosphonate treatment of women over 65 who sustain a distal radius (wrist) fracture--one of the most common fractures associated with osteoporosis--could significantly reduce the risk for additional fractures, primarily hip fractures, but at an estimated cost of more than ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] How our DNA may prevent bowel cancer