In a new study published online in Science, researchers shed light on the poorly understood process of metastasis - when a tumor spreads to other organs. They report that mutations in mitochondrial DNA can spur metastasis and that it can be reversed with drugs, at least in mice: Mitochondria are the tiny organelles inherited from your mom that serve as the cell's powerhouses. They have their own DNA, called mtDNA. Ten years ago, cancer researchers noticed that mtDNA in tumor cells tends to be riddled with mutations--far more than in normal tissues. (This is in part because mtDNA is not packaged in proteins, which makes it more vulnerable to damage.) Some researchers think mtDNA may cause tumors. But others suggest that the mutations are simply a byproduct of the cancer; they note that people with mitochondrial diseases are not particularly cancer-prone, and cancer risk is not inherited maternally, as would be expected for a disease linked to mitochondria.

Just when you might think it was safe to drink the water in plastic bottles, along comes another chemical called BPA or bisphenol A. Now it looks as though you might want to think twice next time before you leave your plastic water bottle in a hot car, or even drink from a plastic bottle if you're genetically predisposed to breast cancer.

Via Science Daily : In the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, contributors briefly summarize current scientific data on omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular health, focusing on who benefits most from their protective effects, recommended guidelines for administration and dosing, and possible adverse effects associated with their use. Two omega-3 fatty acids that have been associated with cardiovascular benefit, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are found in fish oils. The best source for DHA and EPA are fatty coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Fish oil supplements or algae supplements also can provide omega-3 fatty acids.

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet and the University of Miami have developed a method for studying complicated cell processes, such as the secretion of insulin in the pancreas, of living animals - something that has not been possible to this date. The new method, which involves the transplantation of a tiny part of the pancreas onto the iris of mice, paves the way for radical approaches to diabetes research, which has previously been conducted on single cells in artificial laboratory environments. The scientists believe that the study will result in significantly benefit to diabetes research in a variety of ways, from gene expression and in understanding how blood vessels and nerves are established in the insulin-secreting part of the pancreas, to the testing of new drugs on living organisms: "The eye acts like a window through which we can watch complicated biological processes at a cellular level for a long time without having to operate on the animal, which is therefore spared any suffering," says Professor Per-Olof Berggren, who led the study at the Rolf Luft Research Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Karolinska Institutet. "We can also confirm that diabetic mice which had pancreatic beta cells transplanted onto the eye were completely cured."

Researchers have long suggested that being under stress greatly increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. Examples of stressful situations women encounter that have been suggested as possibly contributing to cancer-contributing stress levels include tension, fear, anxiety, or sleep disturbances related to family or work problems. Such stress effectors are likely best described as "moderate." Now, for the first time, Research findings from a Queen's University study have uncovered a possible biological link between severe psychological stress and an increased risk of developing breast cancer: Via ScienceDaily The study, led by biochemist Christopher Mueller, found that the stress hormone hydrocortisone may repress the activity of a tumour-suppressing gene known as BRCA1 that is related to breast cancer.

In what they describe as "Exciting Research," a team of scientists at the University of Edinburgh have developed a method of making bacteria-produced nanomagnets stronger, opening the way for their use in cancer treatment: [...] The bacteria-produced magnets are better than man-made versions because of their uniform size and shape, the Nature Nanotechnology study reported. It is hoped one day the magnets could be guided to tumour sites and then activated to destroy cancerous cells. The bacteria take up iron from their surroundings and turn it into a string of magnetic particles.

(Via foodconsumer.org ), dietary risk factors for prostate cancer include foods high in calcium and possibly processed foods and red meats while foods that have protective effects include those rich in lycopene and selenium and possibly legumes, vegetables, vitamin E, antioxidants, fish and marine n-3 fatty acids (article published Feb 17, 2008). Since so much research has been done on how foods could affect risk of prostate cancer, one can learn much from news articles published early on foodconsumer.org as to what men can do to prevent the disease: 1) A new review published in the September 2007 issue of Nutrition Review showed that eating plant-based diets may help patients with prostate cancer.

Investigators report a prospective study that the long-term use of supplemental multivitamins does not reduce the risk of developing lung cancer, and high doses of vitamin E may even raise the risk , particularly in smokers: ... these findings "should prompt clinicians to counsel patients that these supplements are unlikely to reduce the risk of lung cancer and may be detrimental," say Christopher G. Slatore, MD, from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, and colleagues. "Vitamin pills are widely used with the idea that supplementing our diet with extra vitamins must be a good thing," comments Tim Byers, MD, MPH, from the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, in an accompanying editorial. "However, almost every time we take a hard look at objective evidence regarding nutritional supplements, the balance tips away from benefit and toward harm."

A research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reports that a protein that stimulates blood vessel growth - interleukin-8 (IL-8), worsens ovarian cancer, but its production can be stifled by a tiny bit of RNA wrapped in a fatty nanoparticle: ... high IL-8 expression in tumors is associated with advanced tumor stage and earlier death for ovarian cancer patients. Lab experiments and research in a mouse model show that short interfering RNA (siRNA) can cut IL-8 expression, reducing tumor size by attacking its blood supply.

Ovarian cancer usually happens in women over age 50, but it can also affect younger women. Its cause is unknown and it is hard to detect early, with many women having no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage and hard to treat. Clearly, the sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better one's chance for recovery, but until now, there has not been an effective means for detecting this "silent killer." However, scientists at the University of Guelph say they are developing a means of detecting Ovarian cancer in its early stages, a breakthrough that could save thousands of lives annually: Dr. Jim Petrik, a biomedical science professor at the university, and his colleagues are creating a "biomarker" to identify the presence of the disease.