Cancer protein found
Scientists have identified a specific protein called CD36 on cancer cells which has the ability to metastasise or spread. CD36, found in the cell membranes of tumour cells, is responsible for taking up fatty acids. This unique CD36 activity and dependence on fatty acids distinguishes metastasis-initiating cells from other tumour cells, says the work published in the journal Nature .
Cancer is most deadly when it has begun to spread as successful treatment is much more difficult. Scientists around the globe are therefore trying to understand how the process occurs and develop new ways to stop it. The protein was present on metastatic cancer cells from patients with a range of different tumours including oral tumours, melanoma skin cancer, ovarian, bladder, lung and breast cancer. To confirm its essential role in cancer spread, they added CD36 to non-metastatic cancer cells which then caused the cells to become metastatic. — Eurekalert
Non-smokers beware
Non-smokers, particularly women, aren’t necessarily immune to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), reports a study published by University of Toronto researchers. Seven per cent of never-smoking, older African American women and 5.2 per cent of white older women have COPD, compared to 2.9 per cent of never-smoking older white men. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and smoking is the biggest risk factor. However, approximately one-quarter of Americans with COPD have never smoked. The study used a representative sample of 129,535 Americans aged 50 and older who had never smoked. It included 8,674 African American women, 2,708 African American men, 80,317 white women, and 37,836 white men and was published online this week in the International Journal of Chronic Diseases . Physiological differences could partially explain the discrepancy as — adjusted for height — women have smaller lungs than men. However, the researchers found women had approximately 50 per cent higher odds of COPD compared to white men even when adjusted for height, education, income, and health care access. — Eurekalert
Beans trump pork
Meals based on legumes such as beans and peas are more satiating than pork and veal-based meals according to a recent study by the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports. The study results also suggest that sustainable eating may also help with weight loss. Numerous modern dietary recommendations encourage high protein consumption to help with weight loss or prevent the age-related loss of muscle mass. In the study, 43 young men were served three different meals in which patties, consisting of either beans/peas or veal/pork, were a key element. The study also demonstrated that when participants ate a protein-rich meal based on beans and peas, they consumed 12 per cent fewer calories in their next meal than if they had eaten a meat-based meal. The results appear in the scientific journal, Food & Nutrition . — Eurekalert
Four types of depression
Patients with depression can be categorised into four unique subtypes defined by distinct patterns of abnormal connectivity in the brain, according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine. In a study published in Nature Medicine , researchers identified biomarkers in depression by analysing more than 1,100 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans of patients with clinical depression and of healthy controls, gathered from across the country. These biomarkers may help doctors to better diagnose depression subtypes and determine which patients would most likely benefit from a targeted neuro-stimulation therapy called transcranial magnetic stimulation that uses magnetic fields to create electrical impulses in the brain. Approximately 10 per cent of Americans are diagnosed with clinical depression each year, and it is by some estimates the leading cause of disability in many developed countries. — Eurekalert
