(Press-News.org) ORLANDO, FL (April 4, 2011) – Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among American men. Yet population-wide screening programs have not reduced the number of deaths from the disease. By focusing screening programs on the men who are at greatest risk for aggressive disease or diagnosis at a young age, researchers think they could improve mortality rates and personalize the screening approach. For that reason, scientists have been looking for genetic markers to help them identify exactly which men are at high risk and require regular screening. Now, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have found that two novel genetic markers are associated with earlier time to prostate cancer diagnosis among African American men––and the markers are in a part of the genome that has only recently come under scientific study.
Veda Giri, MD, medical oncologist and director of Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment at Fox Chase, will present the findings at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011 on Monday, April 4.
Small RNAs, called microRNAs (miRNAs), help regulate gene activity. And expression of these miRNAs can influence an individual's risk of cancer. Knowing this, Giri and her colleagues have been researching genetic variations in miRNA binding sites. In two genes, IL-16 and IL-18, they have now found variations associated with a two-fold or greater increased risk of early prostate cancer diagnosis in African American men who are undergoing screening.
"We have found some preliminary data supporting the idea that genetic variation in miRNA target sites can influence prostate cancer risk," says Giri. "If we confirm these data, then we might be able to use these sites, along with other known genetic variants, to help individualize prostate screening in the future."
Giri notes that although miRNAs were only discovered recently, their role in cancer susceptibility is being rapidly uncovered, probably because they control expression of genes involved in tumor formation, progression, and metastasis. "miRNAs regulate gene expression. If miRNA binding sites are altered then there is a possibility that gene expression would change and could potentially contribute to the cancer process" Giri says.
Giri's team analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA binding sites in four genes of potential importance to prostate cancer risk– ALOX15, IL-16, 1L-18, and RAF1– in approximately 750 men enrolled in the Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase. None of the SNPs were associated with prostate cancer risk in Caucasian men. However, African American men who carried a genetic variant in the miRNA binding site in the IL-16 gene had a 2.27-fold increased risk of early diagnosis, compared with African American men who did not carry the variant. The association was statistically significant (p=0.013).
Additionally, African American men who carried a variant in the miRNA binding site in the IL-18 gene had a 4.44-fold increased risk of early diagnosis, compared with men who did not. Giri cautions, though, that this association had a relatively weak statistical association (p=0.042) and needs to be followed up in a larger study.
"Our goal is to develop individualized prostate cancer screening approaches, particularly for high-risk men," Giri says. "Therefore, our research is focused on identifying which men may develop lethal or clinically meaningful prostate cancer in order to screen these men for benefit, while sparing other men unnecessary tests and procedures. Down the road, these new markers may help us do that."
###
L. Hughes and K. Ruth from Fox Chase are co-authors on the study.
Fox Chase Cancer Center is one of the leading cancer research and treatments centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation's first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center's nursing program has received the Magnet status for excellence three consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. For more information, call 1-888-FOX-CHASE or 1-888-369-2427.
MicroRNA variations associated with earlier prostate cancer diagnosis in African-American men
Preliminary discovery may help individualize prostate cancer screening in the future
2011-04-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
ThinkHR Joins Assurex Global as Strategic Provider
2011-04-04
ThinkHR, a leading provider of sophisticated, on-demand, Human Resources consulting services through brokers to employers, today announced a Strategic Provider alliance with Assurex Global. The alliance agreement formalizes the independent relationships which currently exist between ThinkHR and a number of Assurex Global Partner firms and further expands ThinkHR's presence and expertise within the Assurex Global network in the United States.
ThinkHR's services include HR Hotline (a phone-based HR support service staffed by live, senior-level, human resources professionals), ...
MrsP.com Releases New Video on Bullying Written by 5-Year-Old
2011-04-04
MrsP.com, the award-winning children's website, released a new video today that looks at the issue of bullying - a hot topic among politicians and educators - from a child's point of view. Created from an original story, "The Peanut Butter and Jelly Hotdog," by 5-year-old Ivy Exum of Bremerton, WA, the video offers a funny, quirky take on a serious subject.
The story was submitted to MrsP.com as an entry to its 2010 Be-A-Famous-Writer contest. Although it didn't win the contest, the story caught the eye of the website's producers, who felt it had an important message ...
New research explains autistic's exceptional visual abilities
2011-04-04
This release is available in French.
Researchers directed by Dr. Laurent Mottron at the University of Montreal's Centre for Excellence in Pervasive Development Disorders (CETEDUM) have determined that people with autism concentrate more brain resources in the areas associated with visual detection and identification, and conversely, have less activity in the areas used to plan and control thoughts and actions. This might explain their outstanding capacities in visual tasks. The team published their findings in Human Brain Mapping on April 4, 2011.
Aiming to understand ...
New test detects early-stage, asbestos-related pulmonary cancer
2011-04-04
Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have investigated a novel protein test to detect early-stage, asbestos-related pulmonary cancer. The test can accurately identify proteins secreted from cancerous tumors caused by asbestos exposure. The study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting 2011 on April 4th.
In a blinded test performed under the sponsorship of the National Cancer Institute's Early Detection Research Network Biomarker Discovery Lab, researchers detected 15 of 19 cases of stage 1 or stage 2 malignant pleural mesothelioma. ...
Nationwide utilization of virtual colonoscopy triples, study suggests
2011-04-04
Reston, VA (March 29, 2011) — Medicare coverage and nationwide utilization of computed tomographic colonography (CTC), commonly referred to as virtual colonoscopy, has tripled in recent years, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (www.jacr.org). CTC employs virtual reality technology to produce a three-dimensional visualization that permits a thorough and minimally invasive evaluation of the entire colon and rectum. CT colonography is an alternative to conventional optical colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening ...
CleanFinancial Launches New Range of Financial Spread Betting Guides
2011-04-04
The leading financial spread betting website www.CleanFinancial.com has launched a brand new set of trading tutorials.
The guides, which cover the basics of spread betting, 24 hour trading, spread betting on stock markets and the value of tighter spreads, were introduced last week. The new tutorials have been added to the broad range of spread betting company reviews that the site already offers.
Jenna Cutly, Editor for CleanFinancial.com, said that the new trading guides will complement the range of information that service already offers. "Spread betting is an ...
Babies born earlier in areas near busy road junctions
2011-04-04
Babies are born earlier when their mothers live near a concentration of freeways and main roads, a study of 970 mothers and their newborn babies in Logan City, south of Brisbane, has found.
Senior research fellow Associate Professor Adrian Barnett from Queensland University of Technology's (QUT) Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) said the study, published today in the online journal Environmental Health, showed that the more freeways and highways around a pregnant woman's home, the higher the likelihood of her baby being born prematurely.
"The most ...
Giant batteries for green power
2011-04-04
This press release is available in German.
Green power is an unstable commodity. Photovoltaic plants rest at night, and wind turbines stand still when there are lulls in the wind. This is why in the future there will be a need for intermediate storage of considerable amounts of environmentally friendly power. One of the hot topics at the moment is the use of electric cars for intermediate power storage. Experts agree that this alone will not suffice. Instead, large-scale stationary storage facilities will be needed, substations centrally located in the grid and capable ...
Clumsy kids who don't 'grow out of it'
2011-04-04
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is widely recognized by the medical community, and there are a number of therapies in place. But as many as six percent of all children suffer from the less familiar Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Demonstrating a lack of refined motor skills, children with DCD tend to have a more difficult time playing sports and staying organized at school. They appear to be uncoordinated — and many parents think they'll grow out of it. But research shows that may not be true.
Now Dr. Orit Bart and her colleagues at Tel Aviv ...
Mobile with electricity
2011-04-04
This press release is available in German.
If electric vehicles are to become an alternative to traditional vehicles there is a lot of research and development work to be done. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft created the "System Research for Electromobility" project back in June 2009, an initiative involving a total of 33 Fraunhofer Institutes. The research is financed with € 34.4 million in funding from the federal economic stimulus program II from the German federal ministry of education and research (BMBF). In addition, the federal economic stimulus program I provided ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut
High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications
New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia
Evolution of fast-growing fish-eating herring in the Baltic Sea
Cryptographic protocol enables secure data sharing in the floating wind energy sector
Can drinking coffee or tea help prevent head and neck cancer?
Development of a global innovative drug in eye drop form for treating dry age-related macular degeneration
Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits
Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds
Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters
Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can
Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact
Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer
Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp
How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy
Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds
Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain
UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color
Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus
SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor
Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication
Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows
Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more
Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage
Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows
DFG to fund eight new research units
Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped
Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology
Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”
First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables
[Press-News.org] MicroRNA variations associated with earlier prostate cancer diagnosis in African-American menPreliminary discovery may help individualize prostate cancer screening in the future