NewsTrust - Cancer - Most Recent Stories: Opinion (Mainstream)

A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By Mona Simpson - Oct. 31 (Opinion) - I grew up as an only child, with a single mother. Because we were poor and because I knew my father had emigrated from Syria, I imagined he looked like Omar Sharif. I hoped he would be rich and kind and would come into our lives (and our not yet furnished apartment) and help us. Later, after I’d met my father, I tried to believe he’d changed his number and left no forwarding address because he was an idealistic revolutionary, plotting a new world for the Arab people.

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Harvard scientists reverse the ageing process in mice – now for humans

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Ian Sample - Nov. 28 - Harvard scientists were surprised that they saw a dramatic reversal, not just a slowing down, of the ageing in mice. Now they believe they might be able to regenerate human organsScientists claim to be a step closer to reversing the ageing process after rejuvenating worn out organs in elderly mice. The experimental treatment developed by researchers at Harvard Medical School turned weak and feeble old mice into healthy animals by regenerating their aged bodies.The surprise recovery of the animals has raised hopes among scientists that it may be possible to achieve a similar feat in humans – or at least to slow down the ageing process.An anti-ageing therapy could have a dramatic impact on public health by reducing the burden of age-related health problems, such as dementia, stroke and heart disease, and prolonging the quality of life for an increasingly aged population."What we saw in these animals was not a slowing down or stabilisation of the ageing process. We saw a dramatic reversal – and that was unexpected," said Ronald DePinho, who led the study, which was published in the journal Nature."This could lead to strategies that enhance the regenerative potential of organs as individuals age and so increase their quality of life. Whether it serves to increase longevity is a question we are not yet in a position to answer."The ageing process is poorly understood, but scientists know it is caused by many factors. Highly reactive particles called free radicals are made naturally in the body and cause damage to cells, while smoking, ultraviolet light and other environmental factors contribute to ageing.The Harvard group focused on a process called telomere shortening. Most cells in the body contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, which carry our DNA. At the ends of each chromosome is a protective cap called a telomere. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres are snipped shorter, until eventually they stop working and the cell dies or goes into a suspended state called "senescence". The process is behind much of the wear and tear associated with ageing.At Harvard, they bred genetically manipulated mice that lacked an enzyme called telomerase that stops telomeres getting shorter. Without the enzyme, the mice aged prematurely and suffered ailments, including a poor sense of smell, smaller brain size, infertility and damaged intestines and spleens. But when DePinho gave the mice injections to reactivate the enzyme, it repaired the damaged tissues and reversed the signs of ageing."These were severely aged animals, but after a month of treatment they showed a substantial restoration, including the growth of new neurons in their brains," said DePinho.Repeating the trick in humans will be more difficult. Mice make telomerase throughout their lives, but the enzyme is switched off in adult humans, an evolutionary compromise that stops cells growing out of control and turning into cancer. Raising levels of telomerase in people might slow the ageing process, but it makes the risk of cancer soar.DePinho said the treatment might be safe in humans if it were given periodically and only to younger people who do not have tiny clumps of cancer cells already living, unnoticed, in their bodies.David Kipling, who studies ageing at Cardiff University, said: "The goal for human tissue 'rejuvenation' would be to remove senescent cells, or else compensate for the deleterious effects they have on tissues and organs. Although this is a fascinating study, it must be remembered that mice are not little men, particularly with regard to their telomeres, and it remains unclear whether a similar telomerase reactivation in adult humans would lead to the removal of senescent cells."Lynne Cox, a biochemist at Oxford University, said the study was "extremely important" and "provides proof of principle that short-term treatment to restore telomerase in adults already showing age-related tissue degeneration can rejuvenate aged tissues and restore physiological function."DePinho said none of Harvard's mice developed cancer after the treatment. The team is now investigating whether it extends the lifespan of mice or enables them to live healthier lives into old age.Tom Kirkwood, director of the Institute for Ageing and Health at Newcastle University said: "The key question is what might this means for human therapies against age-related diseases? While there is some evidence that telomere erosion contributes to age-associated human pathology, it is surely not the only, or even dominant, cause, as it appears to be in mice engineered to lack telomerase. Furthermore, there is the ever-present anxiety that telomerase reactivation is a hallmark of most human cancers."Medical researchAgeingBiologyUnited StatesCancerCancerIan Sampleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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An unforgettable lesson on true generosity

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Los Angeles Times - By Sandy Banks - Nov. 27 (Opinion) - A woman who received an outpouring of donations passes along her bounty to those even more in need.

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New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer

Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By Nicholas D. Kristof - May. 05 (Opinion) - The President’s Cancer Panel is the Mount Everest of the medical mainstream, so it is astonishing to learn that it is poised to join ranks with the organic food movement and declare: chemicals threaten our bodies. The cancer panel is releasing a landmark 200-page report on Thursday, warning that our lackadaisical approach to regulation may have far-reaching consequences for our health. I’ve read an advance copy of the report, and it’s an extraordinary document. It calls on America to rethink the way we confront cancer, including much more rigorous regulation of chemicals. Traditionally, we reduce cancer risks through regular doctor visits, self-examinations and screenings such as mammograms. The President’s Cancer Panel suggests other eye-opening steps as well, such as giving preference to organic food, checking radon levels in the home and microwaving food in glass containers rather than plastic.

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Insurance Nightmare: Why We Need a Better System

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Politics Daily - By Janet W. Battaile - Feb. 25 (Opinion) - Late last year, I learned two things at about the same time: My cancer was coming back, and I had gotten a new insurance plan. Since then, I've learned something else: It's far easier to deal with my disease than with my new insurers. I have multiple

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Cancer From the Kitchen?

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

New York Times - By Nicholas D. Kristof - Dec. 06 (Opinion) - what about broader public health challenges? What if breast cancer in the United States has less to do with insurance or mammograms and more to do with contaminants in our water or air -- or in certain plastic containers in our kitchens? What if the surge in asthma and childhood leukemia reflect, in part, the poisons we impose upon ourselves?

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Why We Need Health Care Reform

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By Barack Obama - Aug. 16 (Opinion) - In the end, health care reform isn’t about politics and fear. It’s about changing a system that often works better for the health-insurance companies than it does for millions of Americans.

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Consider McCain's health as well as candidate's age

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Seattle Post Intelligencer - By Richard E. Seroussi - Oct. 13 (Opinion) - As a physician, I am concerned that presidential candidate John McCain has not been willing to release his medical records for public scrutiny. While I can appreciate that the senator is a "very young" 72-year-old man, he is clearly at an age where his mortality is significantly more likely than for a younger man. The country should understand if he is at significant risk for a disease process that would carry enough morbidity to make him unable to perform the position of president for the next four years.

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