Higher Risk Of Depression For Diabetic Women During And After Pregnancy
A study in the February 25 issue of JAMA reveals that low- income diabetic women who are pregnant or new mothers, have almost double the risk of suffering from depression during and after pregnancy, than women without diabetes.
In the perinatal period, usually known as the last few months of pregnancy and the year following childbirth, at least 10 to 12 percent of new mothers are affected by depression, according to the article, and about 2 to 9 percent of pregnancies are complicated by diabetes. A connection between depressive disorders and diabetes in general adult populations has been confirmed in previous research.
The link between depression in the perinatal period among low-income women and diabetes was analyzed by Katy Backes Kozhimannil, M.P.A., Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, and team. Information from New Jersey´s Medicaid administrative claims database was used by the researchers. The study examined 11,024 women enrolled in Medicaid six months prior and one year after delivery. The births occurred between July 2004 and September 2006.
Women suffering from any type of diabetes were considerably more inclined to show signs of depression during pregnancy or postpartum, according to the researchers. Following an analysis on the effects of age, race, year of delivery, and preterm birth, it appears that the probability of having a depression diagnosis doubles for women with diabetes. The prescribing of an antidepressant drug during the perinatal period was of 15.2 percent for women with diabetes compared to 8.5 percent for women with no signs of diabetes. For all forms of diabetes, this connection persisted.
For women with diabetes who had no signs of depression during pregnancy, the probability of suffering from new episodes of a depressive disorder was increased (9.6 percent) compared with those without diabetes (5.9 percent).
The authors write “Pregnancy and the postpartum period represent a time of increased vulnerability to depression. Treatable, perinatal depression is underdiagnosed, and it is important to target detection and support efforts toward women at high risk.”
“.. studies designed to test the impact of interventions that target those most vulnerable to depression during the perinatal period could provide helpful input to policy making. Among all women with depression, diabetes, or other mental or physical health conditions that complicate the normal course of pregnancy and postpartum recovery, careful monitoring and appropriate treatment are critical to ensuring the health of the mother and her child.”
JAMA. 2009;301[8]:842-847.
http://jama.ama-assn.org
Written by Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
[Via http://www.medicalnewstoday.com]
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Promptly After Their Release, Most US Prison HIV-Infected Inmates Do Not Get Proper Treatment
Within 30 days of their release from prison, around 80 percent of HIV-infected inmates in Texas did not fill a first prescription for antiretroviral treatment. According to a study in the February 25 issue of JAMA, the pause in the treatment could have dangerous health consequences.
The authors write: “The U.S. prison system has become an important front in the effort to treat and control the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, serving as the principal screening and treatment venue for thousands of individuals with or at high risk for HIV infection who have limited access to community-based health care. Many inmates are offered HIV testing for the first time while incarcerated, and three-quarters of inmates with HIV infection initiate treatment during incarceration.”
Suitable medical help to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a challenge, since most former inmates do not have private or public health insurance in the early months after their liberation. The authors say, “Those who discontinue ART at this time are at increased risk of developing a higher viral burden, resulting in greater infectiousness and higher levels of drug resistance, potentially creating reservoirs of drug-resistant HIV in the general community.” There is no information on the degree to which HIV-infected inmates experience a break in ART following release.
A study in the nation’s major state penitentiary system was conducted by Jacques Baillargeon, Ph.D., University Of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, and team. The research evaluated the percentage of HIV-infected inmates who filled a prescription for ART medication in the two months after their release from detention. Between January 2004 and December 2007, all of the 2,115 HIV-infected inmates released from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison System who were receiving ART prior to their release, were included in the study.
A first ART prescription was filled by 5.4 percent (115) of the former inmates within ten days of release, by 17.7 percent (375) within one month, and by 30 percent (634) within two months, in the entire study group. One of the findings was that non-Hispanic whites were more likely to fill a prescription within ten and thirty days compared to Hispanic and African American inmates. Ex-prisoners with an undetectable viral load had a higher probability of filling a prescription than those with a detectable viral load at release. Within the first two months, inmates released on parole were more likely to fill a prescription than inmates with a regular, unsupervised release. Ex-prisoners receiving formal aid in completing an AIDS Drug Assistance Program application had a higher probability of filling a prescription than inmates with no assistance.
The authors write, “In this 4-year study of HIV-infected inmates released from the nation’s largest state prison system, we found that only 5 percent of released inmates filled a prescription for ART medications soon enough (i.e., within 10 days after release) to avoid treatment interruption.” A pause in treatment was experienced in a least 90 percent of the inmates, in all the subgroups examined. The treatment interruption lasted at least a month for more than 70 percent, and at least two months for more than 60 percent.
“These exceedingly high rates of treatment interruption suggest that most inmates face significant administrative, socioeconomic, or personal barriers to accessing ART when they return to their communities. Future prospective and in-depth qualitative studies are needed to more rigorously examine these barriers. Adequately addressing a public health crisis of this scale and complexity will require carefully coordinated efforts between academic institutions, the criminal justice system, and public health agencies,” the authors write. “In particular, greater coordination between state and local agencies, health care institutions, and community-based organizations is needed to reduce this high rate of treatment interruption among newly released inmates.”
JAMA. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/301%5B8%5D:848-857
Written by Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
News From The American Journal Of Pathology
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) Leads to Pulmonary Hypertension
Researchers led by Dr. Changyi Chen at Baylor College of Medicine discovered that HAART contributes to pulmonary hypertension in HIV-infected patients. This report can be found in the March 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
An estimated 33 million people were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection) in 2007. Without treatment, approximately 9 out of 10 HIV-infected people will progress to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with 5-10 years.
HAART is a combination therapy for HIV that consists of at least three antiretroviral drugs that suppress viral replication and restore CD4+ T cell numbers in HIV-infected patients. HAART dramatically improves the prognosis of HIV-infected patients; however, HAART drugs may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Wang et al hypothesized that HAART drugs contribute to the risk for cardiovascular disease by impairing blood vessel-lining endothelial cell function. Their studies demonstrated that treatment of porcine pulmonary arteries with HAART drugs individually and in combination resulted in functional deficiencies in endothelial cells lining the blood vessels of the lungs. Therefore, HAART drugs may play a role in the high incidence of pulmonary artery hypertension in HIV-infected patients.
The research by Dr. Chen’s group “showed that several HAART drugs including ritonavir, indinavir, lamivudine, abacavir and AZT can cause endothelial dysfunction through decreasing eNOS expression and increasing oxidative stress in porcine pulmonary arteries and [human pulmonary artery endothelial cells]. Consequently, reducing oxidative stress by selected antioxidants may be able to prevent HAART drugs-associated pulmonary artery hypertension.”
Wang, X, Chai H, Lin PH, Yao Q, Chen C: Roles and mechanisms of HIV protease inhibitor Ritonavir and other anti-HIV drugs in endothelial dysfunction of porcine pulmonary arteries and human pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Am J Pathol 2009, 174: 771-781
Novel Treatment for Chronic Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension (PHTN)
Dr. Edward Dempsey and colleagues of the University of Colorado observed that neprilysin protects against PHTN. They present their data in the March 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Patients with pulmonary hypertension, an increase in pressure in blood vessels in the lung, may exhibit shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting, especially while exercising. Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension is caused by lack of oxygen, often due to other lung or heart disorders. One complicating factor in PHTN is vascular remodeling, where the blood vessels of the lung and the muscles surrounding them are permanently altered by the hypertension.
Neprilysin is a protein that is expressed within the blood vessels of the lung. Neprilysin breaks down neural signaling molecules that regulate both growth and contraction of the muscle cells around the blood vessels. To determine if depletion of neprilysin increased susceptibility to PHTN in response to chronic hypoxia, Dempsey et al generated a mouse model deficient in neprilysin. Although neprilysin deficiency had minimal effects on baseline cardiac and pulmonary function, upon hypoxic exposure, neprilysin-deficient mice had an augmented pulmonary hypertensive response. In addition, Dempsey et al observed increased proliferation of pulmonary smooth muscle cells in these mice, which was reduced upon reintroduction of neprilysin. Thus, introduction of neprilysin into the lungs of PHTN patients may provide a novel treatment for PHTN.
The neprilysin deficient mouse model of PHTN created by Dempsey et al demonstrates “changes in the pulmonary vasculature … , which are similar to those found in large animal models of hypoxic PHTN that closely parallel human disease and are usually not associated with mouse models of chronic hypoxic PHTN. [Demsey et al] believe that further work with the [neprilysin deficient] mouse model of chronic hypoxic PHTN may lead to the identification of new therapeutic strategies or targets to limit or reverse this important clinical problem.”
Dempsey EC, Wick MJ, Karoor V, Barr EJ, Tallman DW, Wehling CA, Walchak SJ, Laudi S, Le M, Oka M, Majka S, Cool CD, Fagan KA, Klemm DJ, Hersh LB, Gerard NP, Gerard C, Miller YE: Neprilysin null mice develop exaggerated pulmonary vascular remodeling in response to chronic hypoxia. Am J Pathol 2009, 174: 782-796
Dividing Cells May Contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr. Mark Smith and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University found that dysregulated cell cycle control may contribute to neural cell death. They report their findings in the March 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Neurodegeneration consists of the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, often resulting in neural cell death. The causes of cell death in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are incompletely understood. Mature neurons in healthy individuals do not divide; however, degenerating neurons express a protein, c-Myc (Myc), which regulates cell division.
Lee et al therefore explored the role of re-entry into the cell cycle, leading to cell division, in the neurodegenerative pathogenesis. They found that expression of Myc in forebrain neurons resulted in cell cycle re-entry. Furthermore, Myc expression resulted in neural cell death and cognitive defects. Neurodegeneration, therefore, may be a disease of dysregulated cell-cycle control, and cell-cycle regulators should be explored as future treatment targets.
Dr. Lee and colleagues “strengthen [their] hypothesis that neurodegeneration in [Alzheimer’s disease], like cellular proliferation in cancer, is a disease of inappropriate cell cycle control.” They “establish a model [that] provides a working platform to test genetic and pharmacologic approaches to block cycle re-entry” and thus explore new methods of treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Lee H-G, Casadesus G, Nunomura A, Castellani RJ, Richardson SL, Perry G, Felsher DW, Petersen RB, Smith MA: The neuronal expression of MYC causes a neurodegenerative phenotype in a novel transgenic mouse. Am J Pathol 2009, 174: 891-897
A Vaccine for the Plague
A group led by Dr. Olaf Schneewind at The University of Chicago has proposed Brown Norway rats as a new model for plague vaccine development. They report these findings in the March 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Pneumonic plague is the most virulent form of infection caused by Yersinia pestis. Unlike bubonic plague, pneumonic plaque can be transmitted from person to person, and pneumonic plague is often fatal if treatment is not initiated within twelve hours of fever onset. There is currently no licensed vaccine for plague. Given the recent increase in multi-drug resistant microbes, it is imperative to develop a vaccine for plague.
Multiple animal models must be used to evaluate the efficacy of plague vaccines because human clinical trials that test new vaccines are not feasible. Anderson et al propose using Brown Norway rats as an alternate model to mice for studying plague vaccine performance because of their larger size and epidemiological association with Y. pestis infection. These rats succumb to pneumonic plague rapidly, within two to four days, with similar disease progression as in humans. Brown Norway rats could be protected from disease by vaccination with either the protective antigen LcrV or its mutant derivative V10. These results validate the use of Brown Norway rats to study plague pathogenesis and immunity.
Dr. Schneewind and colleagues “focused … on the Brown Norway rat due to close similarities between rat and human bubonic plague. [They] describe the Brown Norway rat as a model for pneumonic plague and its use in the evaluation of LcrV plague vaccines.”
Anderson DM, Ciletti, NA, Lee-Lewis H, Elli D, Segal J, DeBord KL, Overheim KA, Tretiakova M, Brubaker RR, Schneewind O: Pneumonic plague pathogenesis and immunity in Brown Norway rats. Am J Pathol 2009, 174: 910-921
Hemorrhage-Associated Macrophages (HA-mac) Protect Against Atherosclerosis
Researchers at Imperial College London found a novel population of macrophages in hemorrhaged atherosclerotic plaques that protect against atherosclerosis. These findings are presented in the March 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability in the United States. Atherosclerosis, or disease of the arteries, is caused by the build-up of hardened plaques along the arterial wall, decreasing the diameter of the arteries and increasing blood pressure.
White blood cells, including macrophages, are thought to contribute to atherosclerosis through the secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules. Plaque hemorrhage promotes progression and clinical symptoms of cardiovascular disease; however, macrophages found in hemorrhaged atherosclerotic plaques secrete the atheroprotective molecule IL-10.
Dr. Joseph Boyle and colleagues examined the macrophage phenotype in hemorrhaged atherosclerotic plaques and found a novel population of macrophages, HA-macs, which expressed high levels of a molecule that binds the hemoglobin in blood. These HA-macs caused less damage and produced lower levels of inflammatory molecules than conventional pro-atherogenic macrophages. In addition, macrophages develop into HA-macs in the presence of anti-inflammatory molecules, such as IL-10. Skewing macrophage differentiation to atheroprotective HA-mac may comprise a new cardio-protective therapeutic strategy.
This work “predict[s] that HA-mac would suppress the impact of hemorrhage on atherosclerosis progression. In culprit lesions, the effects of HA-mac are by definition too little and too late, but therapeutic modification of HA-mac pathways may prevent plaque destabilization.”
Boyle JJ, Harrington HA, Piper E, Elderfield K, Stark J, Landis RC, Haskard DO: Coronary interplaque hemorrhage evokes a novel atheroprotective macrophage phenotype. Am J Pathol 2009, 174: 1097-1108
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The American Journal of Pathology, official journal of the American Society for Investigative Pathology, seeks to publish high-quality, original papers on the cellular and molecular biology of disease. The editors accept manuscripts that advance basic and translational knowledge of the pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis, and mechanisms of disease, without preference for a specific analytic method. High priority is given to studies on human disease and relevant experimental models using cellular, molecular, animal, biological, chemical, and immunological approaches in conjunction with morphology.
Source: Angela Colmone
American Journal of Pathology
[Via http://www.medicalnewstoday.com]
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Noted School Of Medicine Researcher Recognized For Advances In Diagnostic Testing Of Anti-HIV Treatments
NorTech, in partnership with Crain’s Cleveland Business, has presented a 2009 NorTech Innovation Award to Eric J. Arts, Ph.D., for his development of a Biotech Platform to Detect, Monitor, and Treat Viral Diseases. Dr. Arts and his research team developed a set of diagnostic tests used by physicians and researchers to monitor the success of anti-HIV treatment by determining drug resistance and disease “strength” of the virus. The technology can also be used in academic research to better understand HIV/AIDS and to develop vaccines. Dr. Arts is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is also Director of the Uganda Laboratory Core for the Case Western Reserve University Center for Aids Research.
“It is an honor to receive the prestigious NorTech Innovation Award,” said Dr. Arts. “My team and I appreciate this recognition of our decades of work and commitment to advancing the treatment and quality of life for patients with HIV/AIDS.”
Dr. Arts is highly respected by his peers in the field of infectious disease. His research found that the heterogeneity of HIV type 1 has a significant impact on viral fitness, disease progression in the patient, emergence of drug resistance, and development of an effective vaccine. Although encompassing a broad range of topics, all of his research projects are related to HIV type 1 genetic diversity.
“Dr. Arts and his laboratory are a source of great pride for the School of Medicine. Their work is an excellent example of our institution’s focus on translational research which ultimately results in improved care for patients,” said Pamela B. Davis, M.D., Ph.D., Dean, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. “We look forward to this technology’s next generation of testing for conditions, such as hepatitis C, and the development of real-time influenza vaccines based on a season’s dominant virus strains.”
“Since 2000, NorTech has been recognizing technology leaders working at the forefront of research, development, and technology commercialization in Northeast Ohio,” said Dorothy C. Baunach, President and CEO, of NorTech. “We believe the innovations being recognized today will lay the groundwork for building new technology industries for the future of our region.”
Earlier this month, Case Western Reserve University and Diagnostic HYBRIDS Inc. signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement granting Diagnostic HYBRIDS rights to a novel yeast-based virus cloning technology invented by Dr. Arts. His technology is a step towards personalizing medicine based on the needs of each patient. In this case, physicians can use this assay to determine the effectiveness of a patient’s anti-HIV medication. Compared with existing drug-resistance technology, Dr. Arts’ technology is more sensitive, inexpensive, and provides better analysis of the body’s response to medication.
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and 15th largest among the nation’s medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. Eleven Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the school.
The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching and in 2002, became the third medical school in history to receive a pre-eminent review from the national body responsible for accrediting the nation’s academic medical institutions. The School’s innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes–research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism–to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century.
Annually, the School of Medicine trains more than 600 M.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students and ranks in the top 25 among U.S. research-oriented medical schools as designated by U.S. News & World Report Guide to Graduate Education. The School of Medicine’s primary clinical affiliate is University Hospitals and is additionally affiliated with MetroHealth Medical Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, with which it established the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University in 2002. http://casemed.case.edu.
Source: Jessica Studeny
Case Western Reserve University
Marshall Lindheimer, M.D., Of The University Of Chicago Receives 2009 DeLee Humanitarian Award
An internationally recognized authority on kidney disease and hypertension during pregnancy, Marshal D. Lindheimer, MD, professor emeritus in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and of Medicine and in the Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics at the University of Chicago, will receive the 2009 Joseph Bolivar DeLee Humanitarian Award from the Board of Directors of Chicago Lying-in Hospital, part of the University of Chicago Medical Center.
The award will be presented at the board’s annual dinner on Saturday evening, March 7, 2009, at the Standard Club, 320 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago.
Named after Joseph Bolivar DeLee, MD, a pioneer in the field of obstetrics and founder of the Chicago Lying-in Hospital, the award is presented annually to an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the health care of women and infants.
Previous winners include Lasker Award-winner Elwood V. Jensen, PhD; human genetics pioneer Mary-Claire King, PhD; M. Jocelyn Elders, MD, the first African American appointed as Surgeon General of the United States; Robert G. Edwards PhD, the scientist who made in-vitro fertilization possible; as well as Georgeanna Seegar Jones, MD, and Howard W. Jones, MD, who opened the first successful in-vitro fertilization clinic in the United States.
“Marshall Lindheimer has changed the way we think about the kidney during pregnancy,” said Arthur Haney, MD, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago. “He brought a new level of rigor to the study of hypertension, especially during pregnancy, and in the process has taught us all a lot about how the kidney responds to the unusual physical stresses related to reproduction. He is also a devoted clinician, sought after by other physicians for his expertise in medical problems during pregnancy.”
One of the world’s leading authorities on kidney function, blood pressure control, and water-level maintenance during pregnancy, Lindheimer is widely known for his research on preeclampsia, a form of hypertension that remains a leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality worldwide.
In collaboration with Adrian Katz he described how the kidney reabsorbs the large increases in filtered sodium during pregnancy. With another University of Chicago colleague, Edward Ehrlich, Lindheimer elucidated the roles of the hormones aldosterone and progesterone in sodium and potassium regulation during pregnancy.
Working with John Davison, of Newcastle upon Tyne University, England, Lindheimer mapped out how regulation of the hormone vasopressin affected fluid retention during pregnancy. Understanding this process led them to predict the existence of an as-yet-unrecognized disease, now known as “transient diabetes insipidus during pregnancy.” After finding such patients they were able to treat them.
More recently, Lindheimer focused on clinical trials and translational studies designed to prevent preeclampsia, such as a large multicenter randomized trials testing low-dose aspirin and supplemental dietary calcium to prevent this disease. He also was involved in a large observational trial centered in underdeveloped nations to determine if measuring circulating antiangiogenic proteins could predict preeclampsia.
“By bringing the subject of the kidney and pregnancy to the attention of internists and obstetricians in a readable and comprehensible way, and by his own contributions to our collective base of knowledge, he has made an outstanding contribution that has directly impacted the care of patients with renal disease and changed the clinical practice of nephrology,” said Arthur Herbst, MD, Joseph B. DeLee Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago.
The author of more than 250 original articles, 115 chapters and 7 edited texts, Lindheimer’s contributions have earned him several honors, including the Chesley Award for Research in Hypertension in Pregnancy, a Lifetime of Service award from the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, a Lifetime of Advocacy award from the Preeclampsia Foundation, and the Belding Scribner Award from the American Society of Nephrology. He and his wife, Jacqueline celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary last November.
The DeLee Award is presented each year by the Chicago Lying-in Hospital Board of Directors, which supports programs to advance education, research and patient care relating to women’s and infants’ health at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Joseph Bolivar DeLee was a leading advocate for greater safety in childbirth. His concern for women in labor led him to open a small dispensary on Chicago’s Maxwell Street in 1895, which became known as the Chicago Lying-in Hospital and Dispensary. The facility and its services grew in size and reputation. In 1931, DeLee opened the 140-bed Chicago Lying-in Hospital on the Medical Center campus and became the first chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago.
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Chicago Lying-in board members Lee and Arthur Herbst will serve as honorary chair for the annual dinner. Jenny L. Whitlock and Marjorie E. Sherman serve as chair and co-chair.
Source: John Easton
University of Chicago Medical Center
Mouse Model Of A UV Sensitivity Syndrome Illustrates Skin Stem Cell Dysfunction Is Linked To Cancer Pathology
Cell lifespan is limited by telomeres, DNA sequences that cap chromosomes and control the number of times a cell may be copied. A new study reported in Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/dmm.biologists.org, describes how telomere dysfunction in skin cells can lead to increased skin cancer risk and pigmentation.
Researchers from Spain investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying skin cell telomere dysfunction using a mouse model of Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a disease in which patients have increased sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Their studies revealed that these mice have impaired skin cell regeneration, and that limiting the activity of a tumor suppressor signaling protein, p53, restores cell regeneration and reduces hyperpigmentation. Surprisingly, limiting p53 activity also advances the progression of skin cancers.
This study establishes a link between telomere dysfunction, cancer progression and the dysfunction of DNA repair mechanisms in XP patients. Understanding the pathways which control cell regeneration and cancer progression in these patients will not only aid in treatments for XP patients, but can likewise provide clues on how to target and better treat other cases of skin cancer.
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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The report was written Gerdine J. Stout and Maria A. Blasco at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center in Madrid, Spain. The report is published in the March/April issue of Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM), a research journal published by
About Disease Models & Mechanisms:
Disease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) is a new research journal publishing both primary scientific research, as well as review articles, editorials, and research highlights. The journal’s mission is to provide a forum for clinicians and scientists to discuss basic science and clinical research related to human disease, disease detection and novel therapies. DMM is published by the Company of Biologists, a non-profit organization based in Cambridge, UK. The Company also publishes the international biology research journals Development, Journal of Cell Science, and The Journal of Experimental Biology. In addition to financing these journals, the Company provides grants to scientific societies and supports other activities including travelling fellowships for junior scientists, workshops and conferences. The world’s poorest nations receive free and unrestricted access to the Company’s journals.
Source: Donna Perry
The Company of Biologists
The Company of Biologists, a non-profit based in Cambridge, UK.
Global Rare Disease Day
WHAT:
Raptor Pharmaceuticals, San Francisco Bay Area biotech company, will participate in Global Rare Disease Day on February 28, 2009, joining hundreds of patient organizations, government agencies, medical societies and other drug development companies to focus attention on Rare Diseases. A Rare Disease affects fewer than 200,000 Americans, and nearly 7,000 such diseases afflict nearly 30 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”).
Global Rare Disease Day website: http://www.rarediseaseday.org
Information on U.S. Rare Disease Day on the NORD website
WHEN:
February 28, 2009
RESOURCES:
Sacramento / San Francisco Bay Area families active in the fight against cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder
Researchers working towards a cure/improved treatment for cystinosis
Nephropathic cystinosis (cystinosis) is a serious lysosomal storage disease, primarily diagnosed in early childhood. If left untreated, cystinosis destroys major organ systems including the kidneys, eyes, liver, muscles, pancreas and the brain. The current treatment, cysteamine therapy, may be effective at preventing kidney failure by delaying kidney transplants in cystinosis patients. However, patient compliance is challenging due to frequent dosing and potential gastrointestinal side effects. http://www.raptorpharma.com/patients_cystinosis.html
Raptor Pharmaceuticals’ DR Cysteamine product candidate is a delayed-release oral formulation of cysteamine bitartrate currently being investigated for its potential to improve the management of cystinosis by potentially reducing frequency of dosing and minimizing gastrointestinal side effects. http://www.raptorpharma.com/dr_cysteamine_cystinosis.html
About Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. (“Raptor”) is dedicated to speeding the delivery of new treatment options to patients by working to improve existing therapeutics through the application of highly specialized drug targeting platforms and formulation expertise. Raptor focuses on underserved patient populations where it can have the greatest potential impact. Raptor currently has product candidates in clinical development to treat nephropathic cystinosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”), Huntington’s Disease (“HD”) which is also a rare disease, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (“ALDH2”) deficiency.
Raptor’s preclinical programs are based upon bioengineered novel drug candidates and drug-targeting platforms derived from the human receptor-associated protein (“RAP”) and related proteins that are designed to target cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and infectious diseases.
Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp
Calcium Linked To Lower Risk Of Intestinal Cancer
A new US study found that higher calcium intake was linked to a lower risk of total cancers in women only; and for both men and women, it was linked to lower
risk of of cancers of the digestive system, and colorectal cancer in particular.
The study was the work of researchers from the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland and the AARP in Washington, DC and was published
online on February 23 in the Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Previous studies have linked dairy food and calcium intakes to cancer risk but the results have been inconsistent and limited, and the effect on overall
cancer risk is also unclear, wrote the authors in their background information.
They also wrote that calcium is known to be good for healthy bones and because of this the Institute of Medicine recommends adults aged 50 and over
have 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day and the 2005 dietary guidelines for Americans says they should have 3 cups per day of low-fat or fat-free dairy
foods.
For the study the authors analyzed data on 293,907 men and 198,903 women from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health and Study. NIH stands for
National Institutes of Health and the AARP was formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons.
When they enrolled in the study between 1995 and 1996 the participants had completed a food frequency questionnaire that asked them about the
foods they ate and whether they took supplements. The researchers correlated their answers with state cancer registeries to identify new cancer cases
from the start of the study until 2003.
Using a statistical tool called Cox proportional hazard they estimated the relative risks of individual and total cancers in men and women in relation to
calcium intake.
The results showed that:
- During an average follow up of 7 years, there were 36,965 cases of cancer in the men and 16,605 in the women.
- There was no link between calcium intake and total cancer in men.
- There was a non-linear link between calcium intake and total cancer in women, and the risk went down as daily calcium intake went up to
approximately 1,300 mg a day; no further risk reduction occurred above this level.
- In both men and women dairy food and calcium intake were inversely linked to cancers of the digestive system.
- Comparing the 20 per cent of participants who ate the most calcium (1,530 and 1,881 mg/day for men and women respectively) with the 20 per
cent who ate the least (526 and 494 mg/day) showed a relative risk of cancer of the digestive system of 0.84 (16 per cent lower) for men and 0.77 for
women (23 per cent lower).
- This decrease was even more pronounced for colorectal cancer.
- Calcium intake from supplements was also linked to lower colorectal cancer risk.
- Calcium and dairy food intake was not linked with prostate cancer, breast cancer or cancer in any other anatomical system besides the digestive
system.
The authors concluded that:
“Our findings suggest that calcium intake consistent with current recommendations is associated with a lower risk of total cancer in women and
cancers of the digestive system, especially colorectal cancer, in both men and women.”
The authors also wrote that dairy food is high in nutrients that are thought to have anti-cancer properties, these include calcium, vitamin D and
conjugated linoleic acid. Also calcium has been shown to reduce abnormal growth and promote normal turnover of cells in the intestine and breast and it
binds to bile and fatty acids, which is thought to reduce damage to the mucous membrane of the large intestine (includes the colon and the
cecum).
The study was funded by the Intramural Research Program of the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
“Dairy Food, Calcium, and Risk of Cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.”
Yikyung Park; Michael F. Leitzmann; Amy F. Subar; Albert Hollenbeck; Arthur Schatzkin.
Arch Intern Med Vol. 169 No. 4, pp 391 – 401, February 23, 2009.
Click here for
Abstract.
Sources: Journal abstract, JAMA and Archives Journals press statement.
Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
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