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Cancer in Clams Spread Cells Floating in the Water

Clams along the United States' eastern coastline are suffering from cancer. Like the "bug" in the Tasmanian devil it spreads from individual contact. Rogue cells jump between clams by floating in the water. The most common cancer of clams is leukemia - the sea creatures have a circulatory system.

The find happened because Carol Reinisch of Massachusetts Marine Biology Laboratory (who works on soft-shell clams) asked Stephen Goof of Columbia University to look for clams getting cancer by a virus. He was shocked to discover a toxic cell that spreads cancer all along the eastern seaboard.

Only two other cases of the spread of cancer by cells are known. One is decimating the Tasmanian devil. The other is transmitted sexually in dogs. At present Geoff Goff's research is supposition. A lab experiment which shows cancer spreading by a cell in water has not yet been done.

Scientists will soon carry out the relevant test. Then we will know whether something dangerous has been discovered. Though people cannot get cancer by eating clams, there could be a danger of getting the same or similar cancer by swimming in water contaminated by the cells.

✴ Biology by Ty Buchanan ✴

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Unboiled Eggs

Australian and US Scientists have discovered how to unboil eggs. This is not the whole egg as you would see on your dinner plate: just egg white. Transport of egg white will be revolutionized, no more need to ship fragile whole eggs in their shells (egg white powder is available though not that useful in such a form). Laboratories will be using the protein as a base medium for research.

A protein is added to pre-boiled egg white which untangles proteins thus allowing them to refold. The procedure is quick and cheep, cheap - sorry about the pun! It is a two stage process. First a substance from urea is added, then the remaining lumps are untangled using a special machine.

Reconstituted egg white can be used in cancer treatment, cheese manufacturing and the farming industry. A patent has been applied for. There is always a catch, but that's life I suppose.

✴ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ✴

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Zebrafish Stem Cell Discovery

A lot of work is going into stem cells research. Anything we can learn about them is important for future human transplants. There have been some claims that have been proved wrong. However, we are moving forward in understanding how organs can be created from them.

A significant breakthrough has been made in Australia while investigating zebrafish. Scientists have found out how hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) important in bone marrow and blood are made. The stem cells replenish immune cells in the blood.

At present hematopoietic stem cells are used to treat leukemia and myeloma. It will probably be possible to treat other cancers in blood vessels, muscle and bone. Furthermore, diabetes, spinal problems and degenerative disorders cold also be treated.

The discovery is important. "Buddy" cells were observed while the hematopoietic stem cell were being created. Ironically, the scientists were investigating muscle development when they noticed the "helper" cell. Other scientist will take this further.

Science by Ty Buchanan

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Scientists Make Mice Transparent

Scientists have made mice transparent - let us hope they were dead first! Studying the human body and test animals in general is difficult because usually one has to carry out dissections to see inside. The new process will change medicine.

Lipids block sunlight in bodies, so it has to be replaced with acrylamide which is just transparent hydrogel. After the acrylamide is absorbed, the bodies are placed into detergent which absorbs the lipids. Electricity is also applied to reduce the time taken to "clean" tissue.

The treated mice do not keep their original shape. They end up like gel in a plastic bag. Internal organs can be clearly seen, however. After staining, the structure of organs can be seen as shown in the picture above.

Micro-slicing has been used to date. A computer assembles a 3D structure for study. Both systems will probably be used in future as each as its benefits. There are plans to adapt the transparency technique to evaluate tissue in cancer patients. Biopsies will be treated to identify any cancerous cells.

Science by Ty Buchanan

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Science Award to Cadhering Research

Professor Alpha Yap has received the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology President's Medal. That is some title. It is also the scientists real name. His research is very important. It involves the way the body "glues" flesh together.

Cells in the body must be able to join together to form separate organs. The gluing must be specific. It cannot be general adhesion because everything would join together and not function property. The substance that controls bonding is cadherin.

Diseases such as cancer and even inflammation can stop the gluing action in the body. Lack of cadherin occurs with the onset of cancer. Problems of the intestines like ulcerative colitis and chrohn's disease cause caderin dysfunction which breaks down epithelial barriers.

Loss of cadherin could be causal or the result of disease. It is hoped e-cadherin levels in the body can be controlled. This may affect chronic disease and become treatment for serious ailments that disables thousands of people.

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Health by Ty Buchanan

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Should the Government Pay for Ipilimumab?

How can the state pay for drugs that are shown to be effective against disease but cost far too much? Regularly, someone will be on a current affairs television program and point their finger at the government for not continuing to supply their needed medication. In the long term a government must balance the books. There is simply not enough revenue to provide new expensive drugs.

A new treatment for melanoma called Ipilimumab is very effective, but it costs $120,000 for a three month course. It stops the cancer from spreading beyond the skin. Ipilimumab can also be used to treat some types of lung cancer.

Should the government subsidize this drug? Like all medications there are side effects that can be severe in some patients. Symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, urination complications, bloating, stomach pain, fever and breathing difficulties.

The drug usually extends life by several months. In some cases patients survive for a year. A value judgement is needed to decide whether this treatment is added to the pharmaceutical benefits list. Obviously, there are many new drugs that prolong life for a relatively short period. Personally, if I was to get melanoma I would not worry about extending my life for maybe a year. I would be looking at the quality of my final days of life.

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Health

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Molecular Cancer Treatment Now Possible

New cancer "curing" medications are announced to the public all the time. Unfortunately, what you are not told is when they will be available. It isn't much use if you have to wait ten years - if you have cancer you could be dead before then.

It is not so much chemicals that attack dangerous "bugs" that are coming to the fore: modified molecules are increasingly being tested. In prostate cancer testosterone attaches to androgen receptors. Activation in this manner allows cancer growth to take place. A helix-mimicking molecule attaches to the particular docking point thus preventing the ideal cancer condition occurring.

In animal and human tests protein supporting cancer growth was not produced when the molecules attached. Moreover, it was not found to be toxic to the body. This research opens up a completely new area of treatment. The future looks bright in the fight against cancer - it we can afford to pay for it.

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Health

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Study Shows Optimistic Cancer Sufferers Live Longer - Or Does It?

Treating the effect as the cause is wasting valuable time in finding a cure for cancer. A Study found that depressed people lived shorter lives when they had cancer. Depression per se and lack of hope, optimism and anxiety were tested. Those suffering from these "attributes" didn't live as long as "optimists" who were also cancer sufferers.

A great leap of faith was made to claim that mood sufferers did not seek second opinions on cancer. Note that this was not proven it was just surmised. Overall findings were that optimism did not lead to better survival in people with cancer. Well this is game. set and match. You can't have it both ways. Either being optimistic improves survival or it doesn't.

There is no doubt that psychological treatment improves the well being of cancer patients, but let's not get ahead of ourselves and say optimistic cancer sufferers live longer. A great deal of money is set aside for medical research. We have to be careful to ensure this money is well spent.

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Health

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High Meat Consumption Blamed for Obesity - Questionable!

In the twentieth century Australia was dominant in swimming at international events. This was largely due to the high consumption of meat in the diet of Australians. As time went by other nations noticed this and their athletes ate more meat. Today, Even small island nations have access to reasonably priced beef, pork, lamb and poultry. Consequently, Australia's dominance has waned.

Despite consuming a lot of meat, Australians did not die at a young age. Indeed, longevity was extended. New research points to an increase in heart disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes that do tend to shorten life. An example was given of Hawaii where these diseases are rapidly increasing. Red meat is seen as the major cause.

This research has flaws. Higher red meat consumption cannot be directly linked to more "modern" maladies. It could be coincidence. No tests were done on the rising consumption of refined carbohydrates. The call for more vegetables in the diet will improve the situation, but only if less red meat and refined carbohydrates are consumed.

There is an indirect link between red meat consumption and more disease. The feeding of antibiotics to animals to improve body weight has impacted on humans. Antibiotics are not so effective in people generally. Some countries have banned this practice, but all nations need to do so. Overall, there is no evidence of antibiotics in animal feed leading to modern diseases. Control of infections is the biggest problem.

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Society

Tasmanian Devil Cancer Is Parasitic

Tasmanian devils have a unique form of cancer. It is the only type that is contagious. Just how it is transmitted is the unknown factor. Scientists studying the disease now believe it should be reclassified as a parasite. Though at first glance it seems to be a cancer it has many characteristics of a parasite.

The parasitic cancer stays in a host until the sufferer is irretrievably damaged then it will move on to a new host. It uses the Tasmanian devils predilection for violence to spread itself. It remains alive by sticking to the teeth. When devils fight they snap at each others' mouths causing blood to flow.

It is really a new category of disease. Though a cancer it not in other animals. A parasite will exist in many animals. The disease originated in one female devil during the 1990s. Just how it originated is not known. It is such a difficult disease to treat. The Tasmanian devil could reach its demise in less than 15 years.

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Science

Staying Out of the Sun Prevents Skin Cancer but Not Osteoporosis

Australians are so obsessed about staying out of the sun to prevent skin cancer that the number of people getting osteoporosis is increasing. This is a sad consequence of a positive behavior change. Osteoporosis would not be a problem if more people took calcium tablets with vitamin D each day. Unfortunately, many would rather spend their money on other things. The disease affects young people as well as the elderly.

The Nepean Consensus Statement meeting has been praised for making the disease more widely known. However, money spent on such activities is wasted, considering you can treat yourself without actually being diagnosed with the disease. Developing "fancy" management practises is unnecessary.

Giving calcium and vitamin D to the elderly who already suffer with osteoporosis is a waste of time, because once you have the disease it cannot be cured. A person need not adopt a calcium rich diet: calcium and vitamin D in tablet form are easily absorbed by the body. Even exercise is questionable, as this could cause bone fractures in susceptible people. Bone density tests just show that someone already has the disease.

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Health

Busy Cat

"Come on. What do you want to know? I haven't got all day."

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Funny Animal Photos

Cannabis Can Cause Bronchitis and Cancer

If you thought smoking cannabis had no health dangers and was safer than smoking cigarettes, you would be wrong. The smoke from both have similar harmful gaseous and particulate chemicals.

Smoking cannabis is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes. This is due to the way people behave when inhaling. They try to keep the smoke in the lungs as long as possible in order to get the greatest euphoric effect.

Indeed, inhaling smoke from cannabis causes changes in the lungs consistent with bronchitis. Cellular dysplasia indicates malignancy could be the end result. Users believe lung cancer is solely due to smoking tobacco, but a cough and morning sputum production show cannabis use can lead to cancer.

Cannabis smoking is addictive and damages your health. Combining this pastime with cigarette smoking is doubly dangerous.