Tag Archives: cancer

Gene trigger for stem cell shut down in ageing

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Biologists have uncovered a gene that shuts down stem cells as people age.

They say the gene known as p16-Ink4a gradually reduces the ability of stem cells to proliferate, thus reducing the risk of cancer.

The discovery, reported in the scientific magazine Nature, was made in an experiment on mice, but the scientists believe that it applies to humans too.

The finding indicates that many degenerative diseases of ageing are caused by an active shutting down of the stem cells that renew the body’s various tissues and are not just a passive disintegration of tissues under daily wear and tear.

Senior author Dr Norman E Sharpless of the University of North Carolina said: “I don’t think aging is a random process — it’s a program, an anticancer program.”

The finding that stem cells are switched off with age is not encouraging for those who wish to use a patient’s own adult stem cells to treat disease.

The gene plays a central role in the body’s defenses against cancer, and it produces two quite different proteins that interact with the two principal systems for deciding whether a cell will be allowed to divide.

One of the proteins had also been noted to increase substantially with age. The cells of a 70-year-old produce 10 times as much of the Ink4 protein as those of a 20-year-old.

In the experiment the scientists genetically engineered a mouse strain with the gene knocked out. They found that the mouse cells had an extra ability to proliferate when the Ink4 protein was not present. At the same time the mice were highly prone to cancer which they developed as early as a year.

The researchers assume, but have not yet proved, that the increasing amounts of Ink4 as a person ages will thrust the stem cells into senescence, meaning that they can never divide again. The evolutionary purpose is evidently to avert the risk that a damaged stem cell might evade controls and proliferate into a tumor.

One implication is that therapists who hope to increase longevity have to tackle a system that may be hard to cheat. An intervention that reduces Ink4 production to prevent the age-related decline of stem cells will also increase the risk of cancer.

Dr Sharpless said that so far the only intervention known to increase lifespan was a calorically restricted diet which also reduced cancer, at least in laboratory mice. The reason, he said, is probably because such diets reduce cell division, the prime source of cancer risk.

For cell therapists, the dual activity of Ink4 may be “a hard box to get out of,” he said, unless they use cells that are somehow much younger than the patient.

Some proposals for stem cell therapy with adult stem cells envisage taking a patient’s stem cells, making them divide in the laboratory and putting them back in the patient to build new tissue.

The researchers said they did not yet know what stimulus makes cells increase their production of the Ink4 protein as a person grows older. Their suspicion is that the usual factors implicated in aging like mutation and oxidative damage to tissues would turn out to have a role in making cells produce more Ink4.

Vaccine could cut cervical cancer deaths and cases by three-quarters, new study finds

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London: A vaccine against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) could cut the number of cases and deaths from cervical cancer by three-quarters in the UK, according to a new study.[i]

The study, sponsored by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), was presented at the International Papillomavirus Conference in Prague (September 1-7 2006).

It found that with 100% coverage, the vaccine could lead to a 76% reduction in cases of cervical cancer and a similar reduction – 76% – in deaths from the cancer.

The researchers assumed that the women vaccinated would take part in the UK’s existing cervical screening programme, so the benefits of vaccination highlighted in the study are in addition to the lives already being saved by cervical smears.

A computer model was used to predict the outcome of vaccinating all 12-year-old girls in the United Kingdom (376,385 girls) over their lifetime.

Extrapolating the decrease in cervical cancer cases and deaths seen in the study across the entire UK population, using the latest UK figures, would mean 262 women dying each year from cervical cancer, where currently there are 1,093 deaths.[ii] The number of cases of the disease in the UK would also drop from 2,841 to 682.[iii]

The researchers admit that 100% coverage assumed in the study is unrealistic, so the computer model gives alternatives. With 80% of 12 year old girls vaccinated, cancer cases and deaths are predicted to drop by around 61%.

The study also examined the potential impact of vaccination on the precancerous stages of cervical disease.

Over the lifetime of women vaccinated at 12 years of age, vaccination is predicted to reduce the burden of abnormal smears due to cancer-causing HPV by over half (52.4%) and the subsequent need for diagnostic colposcopies by 54.8%.

Vaccination is also predicted to bring a 70% reduction in the more severe pre-cancerous stages of cervical disease due to cancer-causing HPV strains (known as Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, CIN 2 and 3).

This research examined the long-term impact of HPV vaccination using GSK’s candidate HPV vaccine which targets HPV 16 and 18, the two most common HPV strains associated with cervical cancer.

Protection against additional cancer-causing strains of HPV was also included in the model.

This inclusion was based on preliminary evidence from GSK clinical trials, showing that the candidate HPV vaccine demonstrates additional protection against infection with the third and fourth most common HPV strains associated with cervical cancer globally, HPV 45 and 31.[iv]

The public health benefits of vaccination may be greater than predicted by the study since it does not look at cancers caused by HPV that affect other parts of the body.

There is evidence that HPV 16 and 18 may play a role in causing other anogenital cancers, including vulval and vaginal cancers. Therefore, in theory, protecting the body against cervical cancer could also prevent these additional cancers.

Further research is now being carried out to look at the overall cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination to the NHS, which currently spends £157 million a year in England alone on the cervical cancer screening programme.[v]

Dr Anne Szarewski, Clinical Consultant for Cancer Research UK, who researches into HPV, said: “HPV vaccination offers great promise in terms of reducing the number of cases of cervical cancer and preventing deaths from it.

“Currently there are still 3,000 women in the UK who get cervical cancer each year – despite a highly efficient screening programme.

“The peak age for cervical cancer to strike is while women are in their late-30s, but it can occur earlier. Treatments, such as hysterectomy, will prevent them having children, perhaps before they have had a chance to start a family.”

Dr Szarewski added: “Beyond the cases and the deaths, hundreds of thousands of women each year in the UK suffer anxiety when they have an abnormal smear result. The idea of finally being able to prevent cases of cervical cancer with a vaccine is extremely exciting.”

About GSK’s candidate HPV vaccine

GSK’s HPV vaccine targets HPV strains 16 and 18. In clinical trials, it has demonstrated sustained efficacy up to 4.5 years against HPV 16 and 18 infections, and associated abnormal cytology and precancerous stages of the disease (CIN). There is also evidence of cross protection against incident infection with HPV 31 and 45. The vaccine appears to be well tolerated, with a good safety profile.[vi],[vii]

GSK’s HPV vaccine is formulated with the innovative adjuvant AS04. Studies have shown that the vaccine formulated with AS04 induced a stronger antibody response over a 48 month follow-up period, when compared to the same vaccine formulated with a conventional aluminium based adjuvant.

GSK applied to the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) for an EU marketing authorisation for its HPV vaccine in May 2006, with submission to the US Food and Drug Administration expected by the end of 2006.

About HPV and cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is a major global health problem, with nearly 500,000 new cases occurring each year worldwide. It is the second most common cancer – and the third leading cause of cancer deaths – in women worldwide.[viii]

In the UK each year, almost 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer are reported[ix] and there are more than 1,000 deaths.8 It is the second most common cancer in women under the age of 35 years in the UK.9

Cervical cancer is not hereditary. It is caused by persistent infection with cancer-causing HPV. All women who have a sexual relationship are at risk of HPV.[x],[xi],[xii],[xiii]

HPV is very common and easily transmitted through close sexual contact[xiv] – full sexual intercourse is not necessarily required.[xv][xvi][xvii] The risk begins with first sexual activity.16,[xviii]

Up to 75% of sexually active women will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives.[xix],[xx]

There are cancer-causing and low risk strains of HPV. Cancer-causing strains can cause cervical cancer. The four most commons HPV strains associated with cervical cancer globally are 16 and 18, which account for approximately 70% of cervical cancers, and 31 and 45 which account for a further 10%.[xxi]

Cervical screening is an important preventative tool against cervical cancer and the UK operates a highly effective screening programme. It has been estimated that without a screening programme, up to 5,000 more UK women would die each year from cervical cancer.[xxii] Women should attend for regular cervical screening.

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For company information please visit www.gsk.com

Chemical cosmetics health danger

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London: Bad chemicals in toiletries and cosmetics are putting the users health at risk, according to a body representing the manufacturers of natural products.

Women who may use as many as 12 such products daily containing up to 175 different chemicals were putting themselves most at risk to cancers and other health problems, according to www.chemicalssafeskincare.co.uk

The culprit chemicals they say are parabens, used to preserve and linked to cancer; foaming agents such as sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate used in shampoos which act as an irritant and formaldehyde which may cause asthma and headaches.

The organisation’s spokesperson, Julia Mitchell, said more detailed information and details of side effects should be displayed.

Chemicalsafeskincare said labels could mislead by, for example, using the word organic when only 1 per cent of the product actually is organic.

A glass of cider may keep disease at bay

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Glasgow: Cider, the fermented juice drink made from apples, may help protect against an array of diseases.

Even one glass daily may protect against stroke, heart disease and cancer according to research carried out at Glasgow University

Now a trial on patients in which they will be asked to drink a pint of cider a day, to see how the body reacts to the antioxidants known as phenolics.

Dr Serena Marks, who is leading the University of Glasgow study, said there was a connection between the antioxidants and protection from some diseases and that cider contained a higher amount of these beneficial substances than applies.

The scientists tested 19 varieties of English cider apple and 35 types of cider.

Diet sodas – indirect cancer link

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Rochester: Although diet sodas cannot be discounted in esophageal cancer, according to doctors at the US Mayo Clinic.

There are interconnections between soda, obesity, gastroesophagel reflux disease and esophageal cancer that may indicate it’s best to go easy on soda, say Dr Claude Deschamps, Thoracic Surgery and Jennifer Nelson dietitician.

The incidence of esophageal cancer continues to increase, and so far, researchers can’t pinpoint a single reason for the increase. But there are two important risk factors associated with soda consumption.

First, frequent or constant heartburn is the most common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease. While heartburn seems like just a nuisance, about 5 percent of people with GERD will develop Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that occurs when acid reflux stimulates changes in the lining of the lower esophagus. Patients with Barrett’s esophagus have a 30- to 125-fold increased risk of developing esophageal cancer. And GERD is also associated with obesity.

Second, soda consumption – even of diet soda – can contribute to weight gain.

A 12-ounce regular soda contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar, which boosts calories. And according to a study presented at last year’s annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, people who drink two or more cans of diet soda a day have a 57.1 percent risk of becoming overweight or obese compared to 47.2 percent for those who drank more than two cans of regular soda a day. The study, done by researchers at Texas Health Science Center, tracked 622 people for about seven years.

It’s not clear why diet soda consumption was associated with a higher risk of weight gain. The researchers speculated that diet soda drinkers fared worse because they opted for diet soda in an effort to lose weight. But drinking diet soda – without other changes – isn’t enough to shed pounds. Another theory is that perhaps the artificial sweeteners in diet soda somehow stimulate appetite.

Maintaining a healthy body weight clearly reduces your risk of many chronic illnesses, including some cancers. While the interplay between soda, obesity and GERD has not been directly linked to esophageal cancer, there are enough connections to be cautious and watch what you drink.

Ultra sound trial on prostate cancer

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London: Doctors at University College Hospital in London are trialling a new soundwave device that zaps cancer tissue, avoding the need for surgery.

The device, by Misonix and Focus Surgery, works by heating the tissue up and because it be used accurately it only kills the area of localised cancer rather than the whole gland.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men – roughly one in thirteen develop the disease which usually affects older men. Current treatments such as radical surgery and chemotherapy have unpleasant side effects including impotence, incontinence and severe pain. It is hoped that treatment with ultrasoundwaves will avoid these.

The high-energy ultrasound waves can be focused with extraordinary precision on the location, and delivery of so much energy to such a small area results in a big increase in temperature — up to 90c.

That temperature, sustained for one to four seconds, is enough to kill the cancer tissue. Unlike radiation therapy, ultrasound has no adverse effect on the tissue it passes through to get at the cancer. The treatment takes around three hours, with the patients usually discharged the same or next day.

Gold nanoparticles boost cancer drug potency

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London: Scientists at a UK university have discovered that adding nanoparticles of gold can boost the potency of a cancer drug by 50 per cent.

This allows more malignant cells to be killed while healthy tissue is left unharmed without giving harmful amounts of the drug. The aim is to develop an alternative to chemotherapy which cannot differentiate between healthy and unhealthy cells and acts like a poison on the body in general.

But newer cancer drugs, such as Glivec, which is used for leukaemia, or Sutent, launched last month to tackle kidney and rare digestive tumours, do not affect healthy cells.

Glivec, for example, acts on the enzymes which control the growth of certain cancers.

The study, by the University of East Anglia, used a light sensitive drug to target cancer cells.

The drug homes in on the tumour and, when exposed to light, it starts to produce a form of ‘active’ oxygen toxic to cancer cells. Dr David Russell and his team wanted to see if there was any way of making the system, which is known as photo- dynamic therapy, more efficient.

They attached gold nanoparticles to the drug and used it on cervical cancer cells in the laboratory, according to a report in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal called Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences.

It emerged that adding gold made the reaction stronger, causing 50 per cent more active oxygen, known as ‘singlet oxygen’, to be produced. And it was this that led to more cancerous cells taking up the drug and dying off. The researchers said their results were ‘very encouraging’ and are planning further clinical trials.

The scientists plan work with Italian scientists to replicate the laboratory results in animals.

Because the research is still at a very early stage, it is likely to be several years before the drug will be tested on humans. But Professor David Philips, an expert in photo- dynamic therapy from Imperial College London, said the results bode well for future studies.

Pregnancy drug linked to early menopause and cancer

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Boston: Exposure to a common pregnancy drug has been linked to an early menopause for babies exposed to it in the womb, according to a new US study.

The drug, known as DES, an artificial form of oestrogen, was given routinely to women between the 1940s and 1970s to prevent miscarriages. The drug. also known as diethylstilboestrol/Stilbeostrol, was withdrawn in the seventies after it was found to cause defects in children.

But a study of thousands of women by Boston University has revealed that those who were exposed to it in the womb were 50 per cent more likely to start the menopause early.

In addition the women who took it are also at an increased risk of breast cancer, and this risk has likely been passed onto their daughters.

DES was withdrawn after many female children developed cancers of the vagina and other disorders of the reproductive system which made them infertile. The sons had low sperm counts and undescended testicles, and it is thought they might be at increased risk of testicular cancer.

Studies have shown that mothers and daughters both have an increased risk of breast cancer, with the risk increasing with age.

For instance, DES daughters over 40 have almost twice the usual risk of developing the disease. The latest study is the first to look at whether exposure to DES affected a woman’s reproductive life.

The researchers compared the age of menopause of 4,800 ‘DES daughters’ with that of more 2,100 women whose mothers had not taken the drug. The DES daughters were 50 per cent more likely to have reached menopause early. And the more DES their mothers had taken, the greater the risk. Worst affected were those whose mothers had taken part in a DES trial in the Fifties – these women were twice as likely to have reached menopause as others their age.

The increase in risk, the American Journal of Epidemiology reports, is thought to be because DES reduces the number of immature eggs produced as the unborn baby develops in the womb.

Baby girls are usually born with up to two million eggs but by the time they reach menopause all but 1,000 or so have withered away. If DES daughters have fewer eggs to begin with, they might reach menopause earlier.

Lead researcher Professor Julie Palmer, who has studied the effects of DES for 14 years, said that every woman who knows she is DES exposed should be having careful screening for vaginal cancer.

Women who took the drug and the children of these women should seek advice from their doctors.

Exercise cuts death risk in colorectal cancer

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Boston: Exercise can substantially reduce the risk of death following a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, two new studies confirm, both published in this month’s Journal of Oncology.

In one study, Dr. Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, from Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and his team identified 573 women diagnosed with stage I, II, or III colorectal cancer. During a median follow-up of 9.6 years, 132 women died; 80 of these deaths were due to the cancer.

The investigators documented the level of physical activity the participants reported following their diagnosis, and translated that to “metabolic equivalent tasks” (MET-hours per week). For example, walking at a rate of 2.9 mph was assigned a score of 3 MET-hours, aerobic exercise was given a 6, and running faster than 10 min/mile was counted as 12 MET-hours.

After adjusting for multiple confounders, the authors observed that compared with patients who reported less than 3 total MET-hours per week of activity, those reporting 18 or more MET-hours per week were significantly less likely to die of their cancer or of any cause.

In another study, Meyerhardt’s team studied 832 patients with advanced colon cancer who underwent surgery and chemotherapy with “curative intent.” The subjects reported their recreational physical activities approximately 6 months after their treatment had ended.

During median follow-up of 2.7 years, 159 patients had cancer recurrence and 84 died.

Compared with patients exercising less than 3 MET-hours, those who exercised 18 to 26.9 MET-hours per week were less likely to die in adjusted analyses, similar to the other study.

In a related editorial, Dr. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, notes that these two studies report outcomes similar to those of a previous study in which activity after a diagnosis of breast cancer was also associated with survival.

But all three trials were observational, she points out. So before physicians can be absolutely sure that exercise prevents progression or recurrence of cancer, randomized, controlled trials will be required.

Furthermore, important questions remain unanswered, she added, such as the safety of exercise for patients who have been given therapy toxic to the heart, what exercises are most beneficial, and which patients are most likely to benefit.

New blood test for breast cancer

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London: A new early warning blood test for breast cancer which is 1000 times more sensitive than any currently in use may cut deaths from the disease.

Breat cancer is the most common female cancer claiming more than 400,000 lives around the world each year.

Doctors diagnose it by physical examination, scanning and biopsy. The new blood test works by detecting small changes in the protein in the blood which change when the body’s immune system begins to fight cancer.

The test was developed by a joint team from University College London, the University of Pennsylvania and Pittsburg and the US company BioTraces Inc. The findings are published in the current issue of the Journal of Proteome Research.

Omega 3 may slow prostate cancer

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Los Angeles: Increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids and reducing omega 6 fatty acides could slow the progression of prostate cancer, according to a new study by the UCLA School of Medicine.

In the study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, mice were implanted with human prostate cancer cells and then divided into two group. One group, fed on a typical Western diet with an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 15 to 1, while the intervention group was fed the fatty acids in ratio of 1 to 1.

The cancer cells in the intervention group grew 22 per cent slow than the others. In addition the rate of growth in tumours, the final size and PSA levels were all lower

Senior author, Dr Willian J Aronson said that the study showed that altering the fatty acid ratio found in the typical Western diet to include more omega-3 fatty acids and decreasing the amount of omega-6 fatty acids reduced prostate cancer tumor growth rates and PSA levels in mice. He said more research was needed before any clinical recommendations could be made for human.

Elixir mushroom boosts effect of cancer drug

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Boston: An Oriental medicinal mushroom, the Phellinus linteus, has been found to boost the potency of a drug used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

The mushroom, used in Oriental medicine is called “Song gen” in China, “Sang-hwang” in Korea and “Mesimakobu” in Japan was studied by researchers at the University of Boston School of Medicine.

They discovered that combined with the chemotherapy treatment drug doxorubicin, it increased the number of cancer cells killed.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Cancer, mean that the effectiveness of treatment could be boosted at the same time as using lower drug doses.

The mushroom has previously been proven to have anti carcinogenic effects by boosting the human immune system. In previous clinical tests it has been shown to be effective in the treatment and preventive treatment of liver cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, and other cancers, as well as AIDS, diabetes, high blood pressure and loss of energy.

Phytonutrient therapy in the treatment of hormone-refactory prostate cancer – Dr Ben Pfeifer speaks at Anti-Ageing Conference London

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London, July 2006: Every year in Britain, 32,000 men are disagnosed with prostate cancer, and 10,000 die of the disease. Although surgery and radiotherapy can be successful if it is diagnosed early, for one man in five, the disease has already spread by the time it is detected.

Conventional treatment involves hormone therapy: injections of a pituitary down-regulator (which halts production of the male hormone testosterone that stimulates the cancer cells), such as Zoladex, or anti-androgen tablets (which block testosterone reaching the cancer cells), such as Casodex. But in more than 50 per cent of patients, the body stops responding to the drugs after a few years; this is known as hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Professor Ben Pfeifer, director of clinical research at the renowned Aeskulap Clinic in Switzerland, specialises in combining conventional and complementary cancer therapies. His success in treating prostate patients with a phytotherapy (the medicinal use of plants) protocol of four supplements, taken in specifically designed cocktails every day was recently featured in The Daily Telegraph.

These were Prostasol, which contains a range of herbs and dietary supplements with proven efficacy in supporting the prostate; Imupros, containing vitamins, trace elements, ginseng, lycopene, and green-tea extract to aid prostate function; Curcumin Complex, an extract of turmeric, which is a potent antioxidant – to mop up cancer-causing free radicals – and an anti-inflammatory; and Biobran, made from Japanese rice bran, which boosts the immune system.

At Anti-Ageing Conference London, Professor Pfeifer will speak on “Phytonutrient-Therapy and Immune System Support for Patients with Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer”

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This year Anti-Ageing Conference London has the largest gathering of the world’s pre-eminent medical speakers on the subject of anti-ageing health and regenerative medicine ever to be assembled in London.

The 3rd Anti-Ageing Conference (AACL), will be held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London from the 15-17 September 2006. This event offers a unique opportunity to learn from scientists and physicians about the latest medical advances from what some may consider controversial, to the proven and new treatments for the diseases of ageing.

This event is of importance to all medical professionals who wish to be cognisant on the latest medical and scientific developments in anti-ageing and rejuvenatory medicine from around globe. It is of particular importance to scientists, nutritionists, gerontologists, chiropractors, pharmacists, pharmaceutical chemists and research specialists, nursing practitioners, naturopathic doctors, dentists, bariatricians and weight management specialists.

Among the speakers are world-renowned experts who have driven the global debate on anti-ageing medicine including Dr Robert Goldman, Chairman, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and Dr Ronald Klatz, Founding President, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine; Professor Imre Zs-Nagy, Professor John Ionescu, Dr Michael Klentze. Our keynote speaker on Sunday is Dr Deepak Chopra, endocrinologist and author and a practitioner in the use of conventional and Eastern medicine, as well as mind and body health.

As well as the opportunity to hear from these world experts and put questions to our speaker panel, this event provides a unique networking opportunity for healthcare professionals. All delegates receive a high-quality bound conference manual including speaker presentations and biographical materials. The fee also includes a buffet lunch, on all three days, refreshments and an invitation to the conference cocktail reception. In addition the latest anti-ageing products from around the world will be on show in the exhibition hall.

This prestigious scientific event will be introduced by Heather Bird-Tchenguiz MBA, Chairperson, AACL; Founder and President of HB Health; Director of the World Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine; Board Member, European Society of Anti-Aging Medicine and Director, British Society of Anti-Ageing Medicine.

Heather Bird-Tchenguiz comments: “In most societies around the globe people are living longer so the importance of healthy ageing has never been greater. It is possible for older people to live full and healthy lives well into the latter part of their years but in most cases this does not happen because they and the medical professional are not always aware of the new opportunities that are available to them through anti-ageing medicine. That is what this conference is all about and why this knowledge is so vital.”

The speaker programme for Anti-Ageing London 2006 is as follows:

Friday, 15 September – Regenerative and Preventative Medicine
Heather Bird-Tchenguiz MBA – Welcome
Prof Larry Benowitz – Prospectives on stem cell differentiation in neuro surgery
Prof Geoffrey Raisman: Clinical application of olfactory cells in spinal cord injury
Prof David Naor PhD: Involvement of CD 44 in stem cell differentiation
Prof Stephen Minger – Stem Cells: Future Perspectives
Prof Stefan Krauss PhD: Forbrain development and neural stem cells
Dr Dasa Ciscova PhD: The efficacy of stem cell therapy in animal models of autoimmune diseases
Prof Tomas Ekstrom: Epigentics principles
Dr Tony Pellet: Umbilical Cord stem cells
Dr Miomir Knecevic – Commercialisation of stem cell research
Dr Ralf R Tonjes PhD: Stem Cell signatures as a tool for quality control of Innovative medicinal products
Andreas Junge MBA: Knowledge Management
Dr Octavi Quintana Trias: EU politics
Dr Marco Traub PhD: Symposium Overview

Saturday, 16 September
Heather Bird-Tchenguiz MBA – Welcome
Professor Dr Imre Zs-Nazy: The Theories of Ageing
Dr Ben Pfeifer MD Ph.D: Phytonutrient-Therapy and Immune System Support for Patients with Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer
Dr Mark A Babizayev PhD : Human Cataracts – the role of Lipid Peroxidation and the efficacy of N-acetylcarnosine as a treatment
Phil Micans PharmB: Biological Age Measurement – Practicalities and Issues
Dr Jennifer Krup MD ABAAM: HRT in Women : Questions. answers and more questions
Dr Brian Halvosen BDS LDS, RCS. FRSH: Holistic Dentistry with emphasis on Chelation and Preventative Health.
Dr Robert Goldman MD PhD FAASP DO FAOASM: (TBA)
Prof Dr Alfred Wolf: Chronic stress,burn-out and CFS, A new insight and preventive options
Sarah Noble Lic.Ac, MBAcC, MIMgt, MInstD: The Art & science of Spa Success – How to open a holistic Spa; Integrating spa services into your clinic for profitability
Patrick Holford BSc DipION FBant- Nutrition and Ageing

Sunday, 17 September
Dr Deepak Chopra
Dr Julian Kenyon MD :Photodynamic and Sonodynamic Therapy – An Important adjunct to Anti-Ageing Strategies
Dr John G Ionescu PhD: New Strategies to Slow Down the Photoaging of Human Skin
Dr Paul Clayton: Alzheimer’s Disease: Pharmaco-nutritional strategies to maintain the ageing brain
Dr Bill Cham PhD :Advances in the eradication of skin cancer
Dr Michael Klentze MD PhD ABAAM: New approaches for safe male hormone therapy.
Dr Eric Braverman, MD: Subclinical Hyperparathyroidism: A precursor of Osteoporosis and Dementia
Dr Ron Klatz MD: Closing remarks including ‘New horizons for the clinical specialty of Anti-Aging Medicine: The Future with Biomedical Technologies.

The programme may be subject to change

Full details of the speaker programme and speaker biographies can be viewed at www.antiageingconference.com
There are various categories of registration for this event:
Full registration £350;
Day 1 Only £200;
Day 2 only £200;
Day 3 £200.

Book on-line on the registration page at www.antiageingconference.com Membership of certain medical societies may qualify for a discount. Further information may also be requested from conference@antiageingconference.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 2075816962

The events sponsors and supporters include HB Health, the British Society of Anti-Ageing Medicine; the European Society of Anti-Aging Medicine; the World Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and The Trans European Stem Cell Therapy Consortium.

Weight gain in older women increases cancer risk

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Boston: Weight gain after the menopause may mean an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new US study.

Researchers at the Brigham Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, examined the links between weight gain and the risk of breast cancer among post-menopausal women. They discovered that weightloss after the menopause lowers levels of circulating oestrogen, the hormone that elevates cancer risk, in women. It has already been proven that weight gain in earlier life also raises cancer risk.

The researchers examined changes in weight in two different life periods – after the age of 18 and after menopause over a follow up period of 24 years. The study involved a total of 87, 143 postmenopausal women, aged 30 to 55 years, who were followed up for up to 26 years to analyse weight change since age 18. Weight change since menopause was assessed among 49,514 women. The study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Women who gained about 55 pounds or more since age 18 were at a 45 percent increased risk of breast cancer, compared with those who maintained their weight, with a stronger association among women who have never taken postmenopausal hormones.
Women who gained about 22 pounds or more since menopause were at an 18 percent increased risk of breast cancer. Those who lost about 22 pounds or more since menopause (and kept the weight off) and had never used postmenopausal hormones were at a 57 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those who simply maintained their weight. The researchers concluded that 15 percent of the study’s breast cancer cases may be attributable to weight gain of 4.4 pounds or more since age 18 and 4.4 percent of the cases may be attributable to weight gain of 4.4 pounds or more since menopause.

Herbal tea helps cut breast cancer risk

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Paris: Herbal tea rich in antioxidants may halve the risk of breast cancer, according to research based on 4,400 women.

The women were all cancer-free at the start of the study, but by the end nearly 100 breast cancers had been diagnosed in the study by the French institute, Supplèmentation en Vitamines et Minèraux Antioxydants.

Analysis of the women’s diets found that those who had been drinking herbal teas, , had a 57 per cent lower risk than non-drinkers.

The study also showed that drinking ordinary tea, coffee, fruit juice or wine is not linked with risk for developing breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in developed countries with around one in nine women developing the disease.

Diet rich in soy cuts prostate cancer risk

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Honolulu: Research carried out by the Cancer Center of Hawaii has found that just two daily servings of soy reduced levels of the prostate cancer marker PSA in men by 14 percent.

Doctors test PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels in men to screen for prostate cancer. The Hawaii indings support previous studies which suggest that soy may reduce the risk of prostate cancer development and progression.They also show that levels of the male hormone testosterone were unaffected. The results of the new randomized, crossover clinical trial, are published on-line in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

The isoflavones of soy are phytoestrogens and exert mild estrogen-like action.

The researchers at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, recruited 23 men with an average age of 58.7 and randomized them to receive either a high soy diet of two servings of soy per day or a low soy diet normal diet for three months. The the first test period, was followed by a one-month break and then the men crossed over to eat the other diet for a further three months.

The research adds to a growing number of studies linking soy-containing diets to lower incidences of prostate cancer. But longer and larger trials are needed to confirm or challenge these findings.

There are over half a million news cases of prostate cancer that are diagnosed every year world wide, and the cancer is the direct cause of over 200,000 deaths. The incidence of the disease is also increasing with a rise of 1.7 per cent over 15 years.

The lowest incidences of the cancer are found in China, Japan and India, with experts linking this to a high dietary intake of soy products. A recent meta-analysis from the International Journal of Cancer reported that men who regularly consumed soy-containing products had a 30 per cent lower risk of the cancer.

Americans risking early death through smoking or obesity

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Washington: Over 80 million American adults are putting themselves at serious risk of long-term illness and early death through smoking, obesity, or both, finds a study published on bmj.com.

Smoking and obesity are two of the leading causes of death and illness in the United States, but the overlap between the two conditions has never been measured.

Using data from the 2002 national health interview survey, researchers estimated the proportion of adults in the US who smoke and are obese. The results were stratified for various factors, such as income and education levels.

They found that 23.5% of adults were obese and 22.7% smoked (a total of 81 million).

About 4.7% (9 million) smoked and were obese. This proportion was particularly high in African Americans (7%) and in people with lower income and education levels.

Although this overlap is relatively low, the presence of these two conditions together may carry an increased risk to health, say the authors.

Treatments for people who smoke and who are obese need to be investigated, they add. Clinical trials should monitor the effects of programmes aimed at simultaneously stopping smoking and weight control. These results could be used to develop policies for prevention and treatment.

Exercise may help fight cancer

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New Jersey:A study of mice has shown that exercise helps fight cancer.

Researchers at Rutgers University found that female mice exposed to a form of ultraviolet light took longer to develop skin tumours if they had access to a running wheel.

However, experts warned the study, published in the journal Carcinogenesis, was not an excuse to go out in the sun unprotected.

In the first part of the study mice were exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) three times a week for 16 weeks. Then for the next 14 weeks, in the absence of further UVB treatment, half the mice had access to running wheels in their cages, while the other half did not.

In the second part mice were exposed to UVB light twice a week for 33 weeks, and, from the beginning, half had access to a running wheel and half did not.

All the mice in the high risk part of the study developed skin tumours. But exercising mice took an average of seven weeks to show signs of cancer, compared to an average of just 3.5 weeks in the mice which took no exercise.

The tumours in the exercising mice were also less numerous and smaller.

Non-malignant tumour size per mouse was decreased by 54% and malignant tumour size per mouse by 73%.

The second part of the study produced similar results. Again the exercising mice were slower to develop tumours, developed fewer tumours and those that they did develop were smaller.

This time non-malignant tumour size per mouse was decreased by 75% and malignant tumour size per mouse by 69%.

Analysis of samples found that exercise appeared to enhance programmed cell death (apoptosis) – a process that removes sun-damaged cells – both in the skin, and in tumours.

Lead researcher Dr Allan Conney said: “While UVB is triggering the development of tumours, exercise is counteracting the effect by stimulating the death of the developing cancer cells.”

Dr Conney said the results also showed that animals with less fat developed less tumours. He said this might be a significant factor – particularly as obesity rates were rising throughout the Western world.

Men with high cholesterol levels increase risk of prostate cancer

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Milan: Italian researchers have discovered that men with high levels of cholesterial have a 50 per cent higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

High levels of bad cholesterial (LDL) are already linked to other diseases particularly cardiovascular disease.

The new study is published in the Annals of Oncology on-line and says the present study found a direct association between high cholesterol levels and prostate cancer.

Each year more than half a million men develop prostate cancer with nearly half dying of the disease. Over half a million men worldwide are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, with over 200,000 deaths from the disease. The lowest incidence of the cancer is in Asia and the Far East, in particular India, Japan and China.

Led by Francesca Bravi from the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri in Milan, the study investigated cholesterol levels of 1294 men with clinically diagnosed prostate cancer, and 1451 controls with no prostate cancer.

After taking into account lifestyle, the researchers found that high cholesterol was associated with a 50 per cent increase in the risk of prostate cancer.

The risk is even higher for men over 65, with high cholesterol levels, who increase their risk of the cancer by 80 per cent, whereas younger men had a 32 per cent increased risk.

The increase risk is thought to be linked to higher levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein that is used as a marker for the disease, in men with high cholesterol levels. Raised levels of PSA are indicative of prostate cancer risk, although two-thirds of men with high PSA levels will not have prostate cancer.

Some experts argue against the cholesterol-PSA link, saying that the metabolic products of cholesterol are carcinogenic and that this may be the mechanism responsible.

Skin cancer set to soar because of global warming, world expert warns

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London: The number of people who will get skin cancer in the UK is set to treble within the next thirty years, a top scientist has warned.

Already over the last five years more people have died of skin cancer in the UK than in Australia,says Professor Mark Birch-Machin, professor of Molecular Dermatology at the University of Newcastle.

“This is not going to go away. The rate of increase is greatest in Britain.” he said.

In the UK there are 100,000 new cases of skin cancer each year and in the US 1.3 million cases.

Speaking at the spring conference of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors in London, he said that the predicted rise in temperatures as a result of global warning,some 3 degrees, would push the average summer temperatures in Britain to between 19 and 22 degrees Farenheit, when most people would get sunburn. Temperatures during the summer currently average 19 degrees or less.

Professor Birch-Machin said that messages about safe-sunbathing were currently confusing and misleading. High factor creams allow people to stay in the sun for longer but whilst they prevented sunburn they did not prevent damage to the skin cell DNA which it is now believed plays a role in skin cancers. He pointed to the recent publicity over the potential lack of Vitamin D which is made by the skin as a result of sunlight and that some sunbed outlets were promoting their businesses by highlighting this issue.

“You can get enough vitamin D by walking from your car to your office,” he said.

A test to determine sunburnt DNA has been developed by Professor Birch-Machin. Burnt DNA is thought to lead to cell mutations that cause skin cancer. See www.skinphysical.co.uk

He predicted that new “smart” sunscreens which protected against the burning of cell DNA would soon be on the market.

Sun cream manufacturers in class action over cancer risk

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Los Angeles: Several of the world’s leading manufacturer’s of sun creams are being sued in a US court accused of exposing users to the risk of cancer.

In a lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court the makers of leading brands Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, Banana Boat and Neutrogena are alleged to have made misleading claims about the effectiveness of their products.

It is being alleged by a group of US consumers that the advice given in the marketing of these creams gave a false reassurance that it was safe to spend long periods in the sun, resulting in a higher risk of cancer.

Recent UK studies have shown that some sun creams do not offer the protection factor stated on the pack. In addition scientists believe that prolonged sun bathing can mutate DNA which in turn may lead to cancer.

The defendants named in the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, include Johnson & Johnson Inc, Schering-Plough Corp, Playtex Products Inc, Tanning Research Laboratories Inc, and Chattem Inc.

The suit focuses on labels that claim the sunscreens protect equally against the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Documents lodged with the court say the products may protect against harmful UVB rays with shorter wavelengths. However, the skin remains exposed to UVA rays with longer wavelengths that penetrate deep into the skin.

The suit also questions whether products which claim to be waterproof, or effective in water, offer the protection that is claimed, and alleges that parents have been misled into believing their children are protected by products specifically designed for them.

The case seeks to stop the defendants from engaging in allegedly misleading marketing practices.

It also seeks the refund of money ‘wrongfully acquired’, unspecified damages for injuries suffered, and punitive damages. Schering-Plough said the company had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment on the specifics but said that labelling and advertising for all its products, including sun care, are developed in compliance with all applicable laws and FDA regulations.

Oily fish may prevent spread of prostate cancer

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Manchester: Including oily fish, containing Omega 3 fatty acids may prevent the spread of prostate cancer to other parts of the border, according to research by the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research at the Christie Hospital.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and is particularly dangerous if it infects areas such as bone marrow.

Omega 3 fats, found in mackerel, fresh tuna, salmon and sardines, have already been found to cut the risk of contracting the cancer. And this research suggests they might prevent a more aggressive form of the disease developing particularly when Omega 3 is combined with Omega 6 oils.

The experts looked at prostate cells in the laboratory and examined the extent to which they spread to bone marrow.

Both types of oils are essential for good health, but a balance could be required as omega 6 was found to help cancer to spread.

Dr Mick Brown, chief scientist in the research group, said that Omega 6 fats, found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, increased the spread of tumour cells into bone marrow. And this was blocked by Omega 3, so a balance was required.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Cancer, may also help in the development of drugs to stop other cancers, such as breast cancer, from spreading in the body.

Other research shows that a daily dose of fish oils could help keep Alzheimer’s disease at bay.

A team from St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London looked at the effect of omega 3 supplements on the number of glutamate receptors in the brains of aging rats. These are known to be essential to memory and alertness.

After 12 weeks, the researchers found that the concentration of glutamate receptors in the brains of rats who ate unsupplemented food had decreased. But the animals whose food had been enriched had as many as much younger rats, the journal Neurobiology of Aging reports.

The researchers believe the same could hold true for humans and say that omega 3 could hold promise as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Skin cancer set to soar because of global warming, world expert warns

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London: The number of people who will get skin cancer in the UK is set to treble within the next thirty years, a top scientist has warned.

Already over the last five years more people have died of skin cancer in the UK than in Australia,says Professor Mark Birch-Machin, professor of Molecular Dermatology at the University of Newcastle.

“This is not going to go away. The rate of increase is greatest in Britain.” he said.

In the UK there are 100,000 new cases of skin cancer each year and in the US 1.3 million cases.

Speaking at the spring conference of the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors in London, he said that the predicted rise in temperatures as a result of global warning,some 3 degrees, would push the average summer temperatures in Britain to between 19 and 22 degrees Farenheit, when most people would get sunburn. Temperatures during the summer currently average 19 degrees or less.

Professor Birch-Machin said that messages about safe-sunbathing were currently confusing and misleading. High factor creams allow people to stay in the sun for longer but whilst they prevented sunburn they did not prevent damage to the skin cell DNA which it is now believed plays a role in skin cancers. He pointed to the recent publicity over the potential lack of Vitamin D which is made by the skin as a result of sunlight and that some sunbed outlets were promoting their businesses by highlighting this issue.

“You can get enough vitamin D by walking from your car to your office,” he said.

A test to determine sunburnt DNA has been developed by Professor Birch-Machin. Burnt DNA is thought to lead to cell mutations that cause skin cancer. See www.skinphysical.co.uk

He predicted that new “smart” sunscreens which protected against the burning of cell DNA would soon be on the market.

Does Botox fight cancer?

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Botox injections may help treat cancer says scientists who discovered that tiny doses of the potentially-lethal toxin can significantly boost the effects of chemotherapy.

The wrinkle-busting poison appears to speed up the destruction of tumour cells. It does this by relaxing the muscles in blood vessels that supply the tumour, increasing blood flow and oxygen supplies.

So when drugs are injected into the bloodstream, they have a better chance of reaching deep inside the tumour and stopping it reproducing.

The findings, published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, contrast sharply with the latest innovations in cancer treatment.

Several new drugs focus on starving tumours of their blood supply, rather than increasing it.

But the Botox results suggest boosting blood flow can make chemotherapy far more effective.

The cancer breakthrough is potentially the most significant in a growing number of clinical applications for one of the most lethal poisons known to man, which has become most famous as a cosmetic therapy.

Omega 6 promotes cancer cell growth in prostate

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San Francisco: Omega-6 fatty acids, found in foods such as corn oil, resulted in the faster growth of human prostate tumors in cell culture , according to a study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

The study which is published in January’s Cancer Research discovered that an omega-6 fatty acid known as arachidonic acid turns on a gene signaling pathway that leads directly to tumor growth.

Lead researcher Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD, director of the Laboratory of Cell Growth at SFVAMC and professor of medicine at the University of California said it had been observed that the additin of omega 6 to the growth medium, the tumours grew twice as fast as those without it.

She said: “Investigating the reasons for this rapid growth, we discovered that the omega-6 was turning on a dozen inflammatory genes that are known to be important in cancer. We then asked what was turning on those genes, and found that omega-6 fatty acids actually turn on a signal pathway called PI3-kinase that is known to be a key player in cancer.”

Hughes-Fulford says the results are significant because of the high level of omega-6 fatty acids in the modern American diet, mostly in the form of vegetable seed oils such as corn oil – over 25 times the level of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in canola oil, fish, and green vegetables. She notes that over the last 60 years, the rate of prostate cancer in the U.S. has increased steadily along with intake of omega-6, suggesting a possible link between diet and prostate cancer.

The study results build on earlier work in which Fulford and her research team found that arachidonic acid stimulated the production of an enzyme known as cPLA-2, which in turn caused a chain of biochemical reactions that led to tumor growth. In the current paper, the researchers have “followed that biochemical cascade upstream to its source,” Hughes-Fulford says. “These fatty acids are initiating the signal pathway that begins the whole cascade.”

Hughes-Fulford and her fellow researchers also found that if they added a non-steroidal antiflammatory or a PI3K inhibitor to the growth media, interrupting the signal pathway, the genes did not get turned on and increased tumor cell growth did not take place.

Currently, Hughes-Fulford is conducting a study in which research animals are fed diets with different levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, “to see how the tumors grow in animals.”

Hughes-Fulford says that her study results have directly influenced her own diet. “I’m not a physician, and do not tell people how to eat, but I can tell you what I do in my own home,” she says. “I use only canola oil and olive oil. We do not eat deep-fried foods.”