ScienceCache
Vol. 208
Nov. 1, 2005
VITAMIN E AND ‘TAP’ DANCE TOGETHER TO FIGHT PROSTATE
CANCER
Researchers have identified a protein that disrupts an important signaling
pathway in prostate cancer cells and suppresses growth of the cancer.
The protein also assists in the retention of vitamin E in prostate
cancer cells and increases the effect of vitamin E in limiting the
proliferation of cancer cells. The team led by ShuYuan Yeh, assistant
professor of urology and pathology, is the first to describe the role
of a protein known as alpha tocopherol associated protein, or TAP,
in prostate cancer. The researchers found that TAP is not as abundant
in prostate cancer as in a normal prostate, and they found that TAP
increases vitamin E’s capacity to control the rapid growth of
the cancer cells. “Vitamin E and TAP have distinct pathways to
modulate prostate cancer cell growth and we hypothesize that vitamin
E and TAP can work together to elicit better tumor suppression effects,” the
researchers write in the article, which appears in today’s issue
of the journal Cancer Research. While TAP itself someday might become
an effective avenue of treatment for prostate cancer, it has immediate
potential as a new prognostic marker. “If research continues
to show the important role of TAP, we could use TAP expression levels
to better assess and predict the aggressiveness of the cancer,” says
urologist Edward M. Messing. “We may be able to use TAP levels
to predict whether a patient will respond to treatment.”
Full story
PREVENTION FROM THE PULPIT: CHURCHES PLAY KEY ROLE IN IMPROVING HEALTH
A Medical Center program that works with city churches to help improve
the health of residents has been honored with an “Innovation in
Prevention” award by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Healthy Living Program builds upon existing support networks within
the African-American faith community to identify and recruit participants
and host sessions about health. The program targets adults who are either
suffering from or are at risk of developing chronic conditions. Nine
out of ten participants have a body mass index greater than 30, and only
10 percent meet guidelines for aerobic activity, placing them at higher
risk for conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
The 12-week program includes health screenings and assessment, health
education, counseling, and physical activity. Participating pastors and
their congregations not only get the word out through their church networks,
they also provide the encouragement and support necessary to prompt individuals
to enroll and stick with the program. The program has served more than
1,000 participants at 50 separate church-based sites in the city. The
program is directed by the Center for Lifetime Wellness and is administered
by the Center for Rochester’s Health, a joint program of the Medical
Center and the Monroe County Department of Public Health. “This
award is particularly gratifying because it recognizes an innovative
approach to prevention that has been embraced by Rochester’s faith
community,” says Nancy M. Bennett, director of the Center for Rochester’s
Health. “Judging from the tremendous growth and success of the
Healthy Living Program, we knew that we had created something special,
and this award validates what we have long believed: This program can
serve as a national model for community-based preventative services.”
Full story
THE DAY AFTER: DELAYED NAUSEA FROM CHEMOTHERAPY STILL A CHALLENGE
New medications that take aim at the severe vomiting and nausea experienced
by many patients who receive chemotherapy are no better at ending the
nausea than older drugs available at a fraction of the cost, according
to researchers at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. As many as three-quarters
of cancer patients experience nausea a day or two after chemotherapy
treatment, and many describe it as severe. “We’re very good
at preventing vomiting and nausea immediately following chemotherapy,
but we can’t seem to get a handle on the nausea that people experience
two or three days after their treatment,” says Jane Hickok, lead
author of the study and research assistant professor of radiation oncology. “We
need to do better at preventing these symptoms and helping people get
back to their normal lives after their treatment.” Her team led
a three-year study of 671 patients that compared the new class of medications
-- short-acting serotonin receptor antagonists such as Zofran and Kytril
-- with the long-used nausea drug compazine. In each group, more than
three of every four participants reported delayed nausea. “Even
in the patients who are getting the best drugs available today -- from
the first day of chemotherapy and each following day -- we’re finding
that it’s not working,” Hickok says. She led the study done
through the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) headed by Gary
Morrow. The results of the study were published in the October issue
of The Lancet Oncology.
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