http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. February 15, 2013 – Doctors currently struggle to determine whether a breast tumor is likely to shift into an aggressive, life-threatening mode—an issue with profound implications for treatment. Now a group from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified a mechanism through which mitochondria, the powerhouses of a cell, control tumor aggressiveness. Based on their findings, the team developed a simple treatment that inhibits cancer progression and prolongs life when tested in mice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-scientists-approach-breast-cancer.html Cancer Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:07:50 EST news280156049 A protein known to regulate how cells process glucose also appears to be a tumor suppressor, adding to the potential that therapies directed at cellular metabolism may help suppress tumor growth. In their report in the Dec. 7 issue of Cell, a multi-institutional research team describes finding that cells lacking the enzyme SIRT6, which controls how cells process glucose, quickly become cancerous. They also found evidence that uncontrolled glycolysis, a stage in normal glucose metabolism, may drive tumor formation in the absence of SIRT6 and that suppressing glycolysis can halt tumor formation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-protein-glucose-metabolism-tumor-suppressor.html Cancer Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:00:52 EST news274016995 Smoke poisoning can be caused by a number of things, including cyanides, the salts of hydrocyanic acid. Because the quick diagnosis and treatment of victims with cyanide poisoning is critical and often lifesaving, it is very surprising that a cyanide test for emergency situations is not yet available. Now, chemists at the University of Zurich have developed a simple and reliable procedure to detect blood cyanide in less than two minutes. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-rapid-response-cases-poisoning.html Other Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:47:52 EST news265985255 The oxygen and food we consume are converted into energy by tiny organelles present in each cell, the mitochondria. These 'power plants' must be continuously supplied with fuel, to maintain all vital functions. A team led by Jean-Claude Martinou, professor at the University of Geneva, has identified this fuel's carrier, baptized Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier. The study, published online by Science, henceforth allows the researchers to investigate how the activity of the carrier is modulated. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-cells-petrol.html Medical research Thu, 24 May 2012 14:00:04 EST news257081216 No one knows the cause of most cases of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders. But researchers have found that certain factors are consistently associated with these debilitating conditions. One is DNA damage by reactive oxygen species, highly destructive molecules usually formed as a byproduct of cellular respiration. Another is the presence of excessive levels of copper and iron in regions of the brain associated with the particular disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-high-iron-copper-block-brain-cell.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 20 May 2011 12:59:29 EST news225115143