Small Changes In The Genome Account For Gender Differences In Liver Cancer Risk
Men are four times more likely to develop liver cancer compared to women, a difference attributed to the sex hormones androgen and estrogen. Although this gender difference has been known for a long time, the molecular mechanisms by which estrogens prevent - and androgens promote - liver cancer remain unclear. Now, new research, published in Cell from the lab of Klaus Kaestner, PhD, professor of Genetics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has found that the difference depends on which proteins the sex hormones bind next to.
PSA Screening Does Not Help Mortality
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reveals that there is no difference in mortality rates between men participating in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial, and men who receive usual care after 13 years follow-up. In November 1993, the multi-center, two-arm, PLCO Trial, began enrollment with follow-up, through December 2009. The trial assessed the effect of screening on prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer. Participants had no previous history of these cancers and were aged between 55 and 74 years of age.
Identification Of Essential Protein For The Formation Of New Blood Vessels
New research explains how cells regulate their bonds during the development of new blood vessels. For the first time, the role of the protein Raf-1 in determining the strength of the bond between cells has been shown. If Raf-1 is not present, the cells cannot stick together and the formation of new blood vessels is inhibited. This discovery may one day lead to new approaches to cancer treatment Angiogenic sprouting, the process by which new blood vessels grow from existing vessels, is a double-edged sword.