Alternative Medicine News | Alternative medicine news stories, Alternative Medicine information, Alternative medicine doctor directory. Breaking alternative medicine news stories

Search Medical Library

Oncology / Cancer » Brain Tumors Current Stories

Today's Featured Doctor

Surrounding Normal Cells Can Influence Tumor Growth

It was once believed that the two cells found within a cancerous breast tumor - rapidly growing malignant cells and the normal cells that surround them - existed independently, without interaction. However, evidence emerged indicating that normal-looking cells encouraged cells within the tumor to become malignant, but how they were influencing each other was not known.

Read more about Surrounding Normal Cells Can Influence Tumor Growth

Nanoparticles Carrying Deadly Genes Destroy Cancer Cells

For the first time, infinitesimal particles, loaded with anti-tumor genes, have been created that can bypass healthy cells and ferry the genes exclusively into cancer cells, stimulating them to manufacture deadly proteins that cause cell suicide, a recent study showed.

This means that the therapy could potentially be used to treat previously hopeless cancer that has spread, or metastasized, to various parts of the body.

Expert Commentary: Dr. Tauseef Ahmed, M.D., April 30, 2009

I think a better term for the therapies recently reported in Cancer Research would be targeted small molecules. Nanoparticles are formulations of various chemotherapeutic drugs that improve the delivery of chemotherapy. The most commonly used nanoparticle medication is nanoparticle bound paclitaxel, sold as Abraxane. This allows this particular chemotherapy to be dissolved in water. This could not be achieved without having tiny particles attached to the molecule.

Viruses Zap Tumors, Not Healthy Tissue

Scientists have developed a new virus through genetic engineering that invades and bursts cancer cells while leaving healthy cells entirely alone. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic engineered the genome of the oncolytic (or cancer dissolving) virus to recognize the so-called microRNAs of normal tissue and therefore pass by those cells, infecting only cancerous tissue. MicroRNAs are short snippets of 20 or so nucleotides that don't code for proteins but rather seem to have the effect of regulating gene expression.

Cell Phone Use and Tumors

New research has revealed that use of a cell phone over 10 years might increase the risk of their users developing a rare benign tumor. For millions of Americans, cell phones have become remote lifelines for both business and leisure…for some it’s an addiction.

What is the Polypill?

Dr. Valentin Fuster discusses the Polypill. The Polypill is being developed in response to an important reality surrounding cardiovascular disease. There are three important drugs that can help prevent heart disease (statins, ACE inhibitors, and aspirin). These drugs are not taken for two major reasons. First, the drugs are simply too expensive for much of the world, including countries as developed as Russia. And secondly, in developed nations where the drugs are affordable patients too often fail to comply - after three years 70% of patients do not take the medications as prescribed.