Normal and cancerous cells are created by a process involving the amino acid glutamine and glucose, but it was assumed by most experts that each chemical acted independently. Instead, Utah researchers found glutamine and glucose act interdependently.
Moreover, curbing the availability of glutamine "short-circuits" the entire cellular process and prevents glucose from doing its work, thus stopping the growth of tumor cells, according to the study.
Under the cellular "hood," scientists discovered that MondoA, a protein that switches genes on and off, also blocks the thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP) gene believed to suppress tumors. The suppression of TXNIP by MondoA, however, allows cells to absorb glucose which spurs the growth of tumors
MUSHROOMS MAY SHARPLY CUT BREAST CANCER RISK: Add mushrooms to the list of natural weapons women may use to reduce their risks of breast cancer, according to a Chinese study.
Researchers discovered the beneficial effect of mushrooms when they compared the diets of more than 1,000 Chinese women breast cancer patients between ages 20-87 with a similar amount of healthy females.
Women who ate at least 10 grams (roughly a third of an ounce) or more of fresh mushrooms daily slashed their odds of developing breast cancer by about two-thirds. And, consuming 4 grams (0.14 ounces) of dried mushrooms contributed to a 50-percent reduction of breast cancer risks.
How can mushrooms reduce a woman's breast cancer risks? Scientists believe mushrooms may interact with the body in the same way as breast cancer drugs called aromatase inhibitors do, that lower the amount of estrogen in the body.
These overwhelmingly positive results may have been partially responsible for spurring California researchers to launch a study to learn if consuming a mushroom extract twice daily over the course of a month may protect breast cancer survivors from a second bout of the disease.
CAN ANIMALS SNIFF OUT CANCER?: Although it certainly sounds far-fetched, a growing body of research is proving how an animal's extraordinary sense of smell may detect such diseases as tuberculosis, diabetes and even certain forms of cancer.
Some of the more interesting results have come from the Pine Street Foundation, a California-based non-profit group whose mission is to help cancer patients make better treatment decisions through education and research, through their work with dogs. Just three years ago, international research funded by the foundation discovered that a dog's keen sense of smell could rule out or detect the presence of early or late-stage lung and breast cancer an astonishing 90 percent of the time.
With the support of governmental funding, Pine Street researchers are taking the "sniff" test a step further, to determine if a trained group of dogs can detect early-stage ovarian cancer in samples of exhaled breath.
What's more, an Irish study published late last year in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine tracked anecdotal reports from 212 dog owners, all Type 1 diabetics, who reported warnings from their pets about hypoglycemic events.
Even more amazing is how the African pouched rat can be trained to detect explosives as well as tuberculosis cells in a Petri dish more efficiently than conventional methods.
TOXIC MERCURY TAINTS EVERY FISH: Still skeptical about the pervasive existence of mercury in our environment? You probably won't be after reviewing this latest report, a seven-year study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGA) about the presence of mercury in more than 1,000 fish collected from 291 American freshwater streams.
The surprises were twofold for USGS researchers: All fish tested by the agency contained some mercury, and about 25 percent of them exceeded safety levels set by the EPA.
The highest concentrations of mercury were reported in remote blackwater streams located along the coasts of several Southeastern states (Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina) and in Western states where streams may be contaminated by mining operations.
According to a 2000 USGA fact sheet, humans are exposed to the most toxic form of mercury -- methylmercury is a potent toxin for nerve cells -- almost entirely by eating fish and wildlife at the top of the aquatic food chains.
Even worse, a Duke University researcher recently discovered how organic matter and chemicals containing sulfur serve as catalysts that allow mercury to be converted into methylmercury at the nanoparticle level inside the microbe.
DRINKING WINE MAY HELP BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: Female breast cancer patients may greatly reduce their risk of skin problems related to radiation therapy by drinking a daily glass of red wine, further enhancing the reputation of its natural antioxidant properties, according to a new study.
Italian researchers measured the beneficial effects of natural antioxidants found in red wine on some 350 breast cancer patients in hopes of finding a cheaper, safer alternative to expensive treatments with harmful side effects that may protect tumor cells along with healthy ones.
Patients who consumed a glass of wine every day experienced a significantly reduced incidence of Grade 2 or higher acute skin toxicity (13.6 percent), compared to those who drank no wine at all (38.4 percent).
Interestingly, drinking too little or too much wine affects skin toxicity as well (by as much as 35 percent for those who consume two glasses a day and nearly 32 percent for patients drinking just half a glass).
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