Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Changes in gene contribute independently to breast and ovarian cancer

Defects in a key gene - long thought to drive cancer by turning off the protection afforded by the well-known BRCA genes - spur cancer growth on their own, according to a study led by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center.

The study gene, known as EMSY, has some of the same functions as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are known to protect against breast and ovarian cancer when normal. When defective, BRCA genes block the body's self-defense against cancer-causing genetic mistakes.

The new study, published online Jan. 13 in Oncotarget, helps to explain why some women with healthy BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes develop cancer. The findings may also expand treatment options for the roughly 11 percent of women with breast and ovarian cancer and normal BRCA genes, say the study authors.

"Now that we know exactly how changes in EMSY spur cancer cell growth, we can start to design therapies to specifically target that activity and hopefully stop it," says senior author Douglas Levine, MD, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at NYU Langone and its Perlmutter Cancer Center.

"This work also suggests that treatments that work for patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations might also be effective against EMSY-driven cancers because the disease mechanism is similar," says first study author Petar Jelinic, PhD, a research assistant professor at NYU Langone. "The best way to go rapidly from bench to bedside is to find new ways to use existing treatments."

When normal, EMSY, BRCA1 and BRCA2 give the body's cells instructions to create proteins that help to repair DNA damage that can cause cancer. When those genes are altered, the repair process fails and cancer grows. Overly active EMSY, like mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2, changes those instructions, so that the DNA damage repair process is blocked.

This new study dispels prior theories that EMSY's activation merely turned off the cancer suppression function of BRCA2, says Jelinic.

Earlier work by Levine and others pointed toward EMSY activation as a culprit in breast and ovarian cancer, but had only examined certain parts of the EMSY protein. The new study was the first to evaluate the full-length EMSY protein and to show that it acts independently of BRCA1 or BRCA2.

Furthermore, the research revealed the part of the EMSY protein is changed by an enzyme called protein kinase A. When there is more active EMSY than normal, this enzyme reacts with the EMSY protein to more thoroughly suppress the DNA repair process.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, after skin cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women, according to the National Cancer Institute.





this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes 
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

Defects in a key gene - long thought to drive cancer by turning off the protection afforded by the well-known BRCA genes - spur cancer growth on their own, according to a study led by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center.
The study gene, known as EMSY, has some of the same functions as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are known to protect against breast and when normal. When defective, BRCA genes block the body's self-defense against cancer-causing genetic mistakes.
The new study, published online Jan. 13 in Oncotarget, helps to explain why some women with healthy BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes develop cancer. The findings may also expand treatment options for the roughly 11 percent of women with breast and ovarian cancer and normal BRCA genes, say the study authors.
"Now that we know exactly how changes in EMSY spur , we can start to design therapies to specifically target that activity and hopefully stop it," says senior author Douglas Levine, MD, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at NYU Langone and its Perlmutter Cancer Center.
"This work also suggests that treatments that work for patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations might also be effective against EMSY-driven cancers because the disease mechanism is similar," says first study author Petar Jelinic, PhD, a research assistant professor at NYU Langone. "The best way to go rapidly from bench to bedside is to find new ways to use existing treatments."
When normal, EMSY, BRCA1 and BRCA2 give the body's cells instructions to create proteins that help to repair DNA damage that can cause cancer. When those genes are altered, the repair process fails and cancer grows. Overly active EMSY, like mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2, changes those instructions, so that the DNA damage repair process is blocked.
This new study dispels prior theories that EMSY's activation merely turned off the cancer suppression function of BRCA2, says Jelinic.
Earlier work by Levine and others pointed toward EMSY activation as a culprit in breast and ovarian cancer, but had only examined certain parts of the EMSY protein. The new study was the first to evaluate the full-length EMSY protein and to show that it acts independently of BRCA1 or BRCA2.
Furthermore, the research revealed the part of the EMSY protein is changed by an enzyme called protein kinase A. When there is more active EMSY than normal, this enzyme reacts with the EMSY protein to more thoroughly suppress the DNA .
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, after skin cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death among women, according to the National Cancer Institute.


Read more at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-01-gene-contribute-independently-breast-ovarian.html#jCp

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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Pain Management and Spinal Stenosis


  Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of spaces in the spine (backbone) which causes pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. About 75% of cases of spinal stenosis occur in the low back (lumbar spine). In most cases, the narrowing of the spine associated with stenosis compresses the nerve root, which can cause pain along the back of the leg.

There are many  causes for spinal stenosis-

  • Ageing: With age, the body's ligaments (tough connective tissues between the bones in the spine) can thicken. Spurs (small growths) may develop on the bones and into the spinal canal. The cushioning disks between the vertebrae may begin to deteriorate. The facet joints (flat surfaces on each vertebra that form the spinal column) also may begin to break down. All of these factors can cause the spaces in the spine to narrow.
  • Arthritis: Two forms of arthritis that may affect the spine are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Hereditary: If the spinal canal is too small at birth, symptoms of spinal stenosis may show up in a relatively young person. Structural deformities of the involved vertebrae can cause narrowing of the spinal canal.
  • Instability of the spine, or spondylolisthesis: When one vertebra slips forward on another, that can narrow the spinal canal.
  • Tumors of the spine: Abnormal growths of soft tissue may affect the spinal canal directly by causing inflammation or by growth of tissue into the canal. Tissue growth may lead to bone resorption (bone loss due to over-activity of certain bone cells) or displacement of bone and the eventual collapse of the supporting framework of the spinal column.
  • Trauma: Accidents and injuries may either dislocate the spine and the spinal canal or cause burst fractures that produce fragments of bone that penetrate the canal.

 Symptoms of Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis may result in low back pain as well as pain in the legs. Stenosis may pinch the nerves that control muscle power and sensation in the legs. Additional symptoms may include:

  • Frequent falling, clumsiness
  • Pain and difficulty when walking
  • Numbness, tingling, hot or cold feelings in the legs

 Spinal Stenosis Diagnosis


Spinal stenosis can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can be caused by other conditions. Usually, people who develop stenosis have no history of back problems or any recent injury. Often, unusual leg symptoms are a clue to the presence of spinal stenosis.
If simple treatments, such as postural changes or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, do not relieve the problem, special imaging studies may be needed to determine the cause of the problem. An MRI (magnetic resonance image) or CT (computed tomography) scan may be requested. A myelogram (an X-ray taken after a dye is injected into the spine) may be performed. These and other imaging studies can offer details about the bones and tissues and help with diagnosis.

Treatment For Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis can be treated several ways. Treatment options include:

  • Changes in posture: People with spinal stenosis may find that flexing the spine by leaning forward while walking relieves their symptoms. Lying with the knees drawn up to the chest also can offer some relief. These positions enlarge the space available to the nerves and may make it easier for people with stenosis to walk longer distances. 
  • Medications-In some cases, the pressure on the nerves is caused by inflammatory swelling. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines  such as aspirin or ibuprofen may help relieve symptoms.
  • Rest: Rest, followed by a gradual resumption of activity, can help. Aerobic activity such as bicycling is often recommended.
  • Surgery: If other treatments do not ease the pain, surgery may be recommended to relieve the pressure on affected nerves. 
  •  
    this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.
    https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations
    https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes

    https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

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