OBESITY-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN LINKED TO LEUKEMIA DEVELOPMENT

Cancer researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have found an obesity-associated protein’s role in leukaemia development and drug response which could lead to more effective therapies for the illness.

The study, published in the online edition of Cancer Cell  provided evidence that FTO -- the protein associated with fat mass and obesity -- plays a critical cancer-promoting role by regulating expression of a set of genes through a mechanism involving ribonucleic acid (RNA) modification and thereby increasing the reproduction of leukaemia cells and prohibiting drug response.

Researchers in the study analyzed a microarray dataset of 100 human acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) samples from patients and nine normal control samples as well as other large-scale microarray datasets of AML samples. They found that FTO was highly expressed in various subtypes of leukaemia samples such as those that contained chromosome crossover (genetic exchange between chromosomes) or mutations in certain genes. The high level of FTO expression contributed to cancer cells multiplying and surviving and also promoted the development of leukemia in animal models and the non-response of cancer cells to therapeutic agents.

Additionally, researchers found that genes like ASB2 and RARA, which were reported to inhibit leukaemia cell growth and/or mediate the response of leukaemia cells to therapeutic agents, were suppressed in the AML samples with higher FTO expression. The suppression of these genes was attributed to FTO-controlled decreased stability of their mRNA and was connected to FTO's m6A demethylase activity.

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GESTATIONAL DIABETES LINKED WITH IRON LEVEL

High levels of iron are linked with a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes (GDM), which calls into question routine recommendations for iron supplements for pregnant women, new research indicates.

Results from a study published in Diabetologia on November 10 showed that women who were in the top quartile for iron biomarkers in the second trimester of pregnancy had about 2.5 times the risk of developing GDM compared with those in the bottom quartile.

The researcher thinks that is more likely that iron supplements are a contributor to gestational diabetes, rather than the cause of it, pregnant women should be screened for iron levels and given supplements only if they are deficient.

Too much iron as well as too little can cause harm, and pregnant women are often susceptible to low iron levels and related adverse outcomes. 

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INFLAMMATION AND DIABETES COMPLICATIONS: ANY LINK?

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. With type 1 diabetes, the body does not make insulin. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin well. Without enough insulin, the glucose stays in your blood.

Over time, having too much glucose in blood can cause serious problems. It can damage your eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb.

The number of people with diabetes has quadrupled worldwide over the last 20 years.

Inflammation is one of the main reasons why people with diabetes experience heart attacks, strokes, kidney problems and other, related complications. Now, in a surprise finding, researchers have discovered, in mice, that when certain immune cells can’t manufacture fat, the mice don’t develop diabetes and inflammation, even when consuming a high-fat diet.

But eliminating inflammation altogether is not the answer to preventing diabetic complications because inflammation is also vital for clearing infectious pathogens from the body and helps wounds heal. Still, Semenkovich said the new findings may have profound clinical implications.

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ARE YOU AT RISK OF OTHER SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER ?

Around one in six women (17 per cent) diagnosed with breast cancer goes to her doctor with a symptom other than a lump -- the most commonly reported breast cancer symptom, according to new research presented at the 2016 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer conference in Liverpool.

Breast symptoms, other than a breast lump, that may be a sign of cancer (termed 'non-lump' in the study) include nipple abnormalities, breast pain, skin abnormalities, ulceration, shape abnormalities and an infected or inflamed breast.

Researchers from UCL examined the data of more than 2,300 women diagnosed with breast cancer in England in 2009/10. They found that, although most women with breast cancer sought help quickly, those with 'non-lump' symptoms were more likely to delay going to their doctor compared with women with a breast lump alone.

Women with both a breast lump and 'non-lump' symptoms were also more likely to delay seeking help.

Women presenting with breast ulceration, nipple abnormalities, breast infection or inflammation, swollen arm or armpit, and pain in the armpit were more likely to wait longer than three months to seek help.

It's crucial that women are aware that a lump is not the only symptom of breast cancer. If they are worried about any breast symptoms, the best thing to do is to get it checked by a doctor as soon as possible. Diagnosing cancer earlier really is key in order to increase the chances of survival. Symptom awareness campaigns such as the Be Clear on Cancer campaign should continue to emphasise breast symptoms other than breast lump. 

Source: Science Daily

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BREATH ANALYZER: DIABETES DIAGNOSIS MADE SIMPLE

For several years, scientists have been working toward "breathalyzers" that can diagnose various diseases without painful pinpricks, needles or other unpleasant methods. Now, one team has developed a new, portable breath analyzer that could someday help doctors diagnose diabetes noninvasively in the office. The report appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.

Many studies examining the hallmarks of diabetes in exhaled breath have shown that elevated levels of acetone are strongly linked to diabetes. Detecting the concentrations of any given substance in breath in a simple way, however, is a major challenge. Breath contains a complex mix of compounds, including water, carbon dioxide and methane, that can throw results off. Mass spectrometry can do the job, but it's not very practical for point-of-care testing. Robert Peverall and colleagues wanted to fill that void.

The researchers created a hand-held device with an adsorbent polymer that can trap acetone from exhaled breath, then release it into a cavity where a laser probes its concentration. They tested the accuracy of the device on the breath of healthy subjects under different conditions, such as after overnight fasting or exercising, and compared results with mass spectrometry readings. The measurements were a close match and covered a wide range of concentrations, including those that would suggest a patient has undiagnosed type-1 diabetes, or has problems controlling their blood glucose. Adding to the practicality of the device, the researchers say it could be re-used many times.

Source: Science Daily

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COCOA COMPOUND IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR BIOMARKER

To the tantalizing delight of cocoa lovers everywhere, a number of recent studies employing various methods have suggested that compounds in cocoa called flavanols could benefit cardiovascular health. Now a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cocoa consumption reveals some further pieces of supporting evidence.

The meta-analysis in the Journal of Nutrition, an assessment of the combined evidence from all 19 RCTs, focused on whether consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa products was associated with improvements in specific circulating biomarkers of cardiometabolic health as compared to consuming placebos with negligible cocoa flavanol content. In all, 1,139 volunteers were involved in these trials.

The studies found that cocoa flavanol intake may reduce dyslipidemia (elevated triglycerides), insulin resistance and systemic inflammation, which are all major subclinical risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases.

The greatest effects were seen among trial volunteers who ate between 200 and 600 milligrams of flavanols a day (based on their cocoa consumption). They saw significant declines in blood glucose and insulin, as well as another indicator of insulin resistance called HOMA-IR. They also saw an increase in HDL, or "good," cholesterol. Those consuming higher doses saw some of the insulin resistance benefits and a drop in triglycerides, but not a significant increase in HDL. Those with lower doses of flavanols only saw a significant HDL benefit.

There were benefits evident for both women and men and didn't depend on what physical form the flavanol-rich cocoa product was consumed in -- dark chocolate vs. a beverage, for example.

Source: Science daily.

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HIGH CHOLESTEROL LINKED TO ARTHRITIS

High cholesterol might harm more than our cardiovascular systems. New research using animal models, published online in The FASEB Journal, suggests that high cholesterol levels trigger mitochondrial oxidative stress on cartilage cells, causing them to die, and ultimately leading to the development of osteoarthritis. This research tested the potential therapeutic role of mitochondria targeting antioxidants in high-cholesterol-induced osteoarthritis and provided proof-of-concept for the use of mitochondrial targeting antioxidants to treat osteoarthritis.

To make this discovery, Prasadam and colleagues used two different animal models to mimic human hypercholesterolemia. The first was a mouse model that had an altered gene called ApoE-/- that made the animals hypercholesteremic. The other was a rat model, and the animals were fed a high-cholesterol diet, causing diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. Both models were fed a high-cholesterol diet or control normal diet, after which they underwent a surgery that mimics knee injuries in people and was designed to bring on osteoarthritis.

Both the mice and the rats that were subjected to surgery and fed with high-cholesterol diets showed more severe osteoarthritis development than seen in the normal diet group. However, when both the mice and the rats are were exposed to the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin and mitochondrion-targeted antioxidants, the development of osteoarthritis was markedly decreased in relation to the untreated groups.

Source: Science daily

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