Researchers discover possible biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma
Cancer biologists and biomedical engineers team up for new findings
2011-03-18
(Press-News.org) (Boston) – Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, have identified a potential new biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma. The novel cell screening method used in the study also clarifies the process behind tumor metastasis and may allow the identification of biomarkers for other aggressive cancers. The findings now appear online in Cancer Research.
According to the American Cancer Society melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer and one in 55 people will be diagnosed with it during their lifetime. Previous research has found that metastasis causes more than 90 percent of solid tumor deaths throughout the world and is particularly aggressive in melanoma.
The researchers investigated the process through which melanoma cells communicate with blood vessel cells and promote the formation of tube-like conduits that may allow for tumor metastasis. With the combined expertise of the biologists and biomedical engineers they used microfluidics technology to identify molecules that were essential to this communication process. They found that the molecule Neuropilin-2 played a large role in the process and that silencing it inhibited cancer cell growth.
"We found that Neuropilin is an important mediator of melanoma cell and blood vessel cell interactions," said Rhoda Alani, MD, BUSM professor and Chair of Dermatology. "We can now investigate this molecule as a potential biomarker and melanoma treatment target. We can also use the unique methodology developed in these studies to evaluate cellular crosstalk between other tumor cell types and vessel cells. Such studies are likely to provide important insights into the metastatic process for other cancers."
According to the researchers the cell-to-cell communication process necessary for metastasis of tumors has garnered much attention recently but detailed knowledge of its underlying molecular mechanisms is lacking. These findings clarify this process in melanoma tumors and support the use of the team's methods to discover novel factors controlling cell communication for a variety of malignances.
###
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2011-03-18
Grand Rapids, Mich. (March 17, 2011) – In a recently-published study mapping the structure and function of the so-called "orphan" nuclear receptor TR4, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) investigators suggest that Vitamin A may play a more direct role than was previously known in certain physiological functions including sperm cell formation and the development of the central nervous system.
Scientists had previously determined that Vitamin A derivatives such as retinal and the retinoic acids are involved in physiological functions in the human body. But there has ...
2011-03-18
New Rochelle, NY, March 17, 2011—At-home, daily application of light therapy via light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed on the forehead and scalp led to improvements in cognitive function and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a groundbreaking study published in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/pho
Margaret Naeser, PhD, LAc, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues ...
2011-03-18
If you ask people how much they plan to exercise, they'll exercise more—but only if that's a personal goal, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
"When people have set for themselves targets about how much they should engage in a behavior (say, if the behavior is how much to exercise per week), asking them to predict whether they will exercise in the next week makes them think about what they think they should do," write authors Pierre Chandon (INSEAD), Ronn J. Smith (University of Arkansas), Vicki G. Morwitz (New York University), Eric R. Spangenberg, ...
2011-03-18
People who make an effort to exert self-control are attracted to aggressive art and public policy appeals, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. They also don't appreciate messages that nag them to control their behavior.
"We set out to examine whether exerting self-control can indeed lead to a wide range of angry behaviors and preferences subsequently, even in situations where such behaviors are quite subtle," write authors David Gal (Northwestern University) and Wendy Liu (University of California San Diego).
"Research has shown that exerting ...
2011-03-18
San Diego, Calif., USA – Today, during the 89th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and the 35th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, lead researcher Z. Zhang will hold an oral presentation on a study titled "Fuz is Essential for Craniofacial and Tooth Development." Fuz has been identified as a planar cell polarity effector gene and shown to be involved in ciliogenesis.
The objective of this study was ...
2011-03-18
New Rochelle, NY, March 17, 2011—Simulated interactions in which adults with autism converse with a virtual partner may help them develop better social interaction skills, according to a novel study presented in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/cyber
More than half of individuals diagnosed with autism have normal intellectual capabilities yet struggle in social and work environments because of their severely ...
2011-03-18
Even if you have a grasp on your own abilities, you might have trouble estimating the abilities of others, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. These false impressions affect people's product choices.
"We've known that people overestimate their relative ability for seemingly easy tasks, like driving, and underestimate for difficult tasks," write authors Andrew D. Gershoff (University of Texas at Austin) and Katherine A. Burson (University of Michigan). The researchers found that people tend to think others are fairly evenly spread out in their ...
2011-03-18
Colorectal cancer cells trigger a set of genes similar to those found in intestinal stem cells, scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) have found. The team of researchers, led by ICREA researcher Eduard Batlle, propose that patients with colorectal cancer undergo genetic tests of their intestinal epithelium in order to predict a higher risk of relapse. The results of the study, published online this week in Cell Stem Cell, offer new possibilities for diagnosing and treating the disease.
Colon cancer is the second cause of death by cancer ...
2011-03-18
The American Thoracic Society has released new official clinical guidelines on the diagnosis and management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The statement replaces ATS guidelines published in 2000, and reviews current knowledge in the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and management of IPF, as well as available treatment options, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies and palliative care.
The statement appears in the March 15, 2011, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
IPF is a chronic, progressive, fatal form of fibrotic ...
2011-03-18
Signing your name on the dotted line heightens your sense of self and leads to purchase behavior that affirms your self-identity, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. But signing can reduce engagement in consumers who don't identify strongly with a product or category.
"Although there are numerous ways in which people may present their identity to others, signing one's name has distinct legal, social, and economic implications," write authors Keri L. Kettle and Gerald Häubl (University of Alberta). The act of signing also has implications in the ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Researchers discover possible biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma
Cancer biologists and biomedical engineers team up for new findings
