Discovery Of Novel Therapeutic Target To Slow Breast Cancer Cell Motility
Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), a ubiquitin like protein, is highly elevated in a variety of cancers including breast cancer. How the elevated ISG15 pathway contributes to tumorigenic phenotypes remains unclear and is the subject of a study published in the January 2012 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine. Dr. Shyamal Desai and her co-investigators from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and the Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine in New Jersey report that gene knock-down studies demonstrate that elevated ISG15 pathway results in disruption of the cytoskeletal architecture of breast cancer cells.
Further Investigation Needed To Understand Link Between Parabens And Breast Cancer
New research into the potential link between parabens and breast cancer has found traces of the chemicals in breast tissue samples from all of the women in the study. Parabens are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetics, food products and pharmaceuticals. As the research shows that parabens are measurable in the tissue of women who do not use underarm cosmetics the parabens must enter the breast from other sources. Breast tissue samples were taken from 40 women, with the results showing that all of the women had at least one paraben in their tissue.
HPV Vaccine Does Not Alter Sexual Behavior
According to a national study by The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, contrary to some people's belief, young women receiving recommended vaccinations for the prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and related cancers do not engage in more sexually risky behavior. Nicole C. Liddon, Ph.D., who led the study, explained the motivation behind the study, but advised against drawing too broad a conclusion from it, saying: "Because of perceived risk that young women would behave recklessly, parents, providers, policy-makers and other STD opponents raised concerns when the FDA first licensed and approved the HPV vaccine in 2006.