| New computational technique can predict drug side effects
Early identification of adverse effects of drugs before they are tested in humans is crucial in developing new therapeutics, as unexpected effects account for a third of all drug failures during the development process. Now researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have developed a novel technique using computer modeling to identify potential side effects of pharmaceuticals, and have used the technique to study a class of drugs that includes tamoxifen, the most prescribed drug in the treatment of breast cancer. Their study is currently available on line at PLoS Computational Biology. Conventional test methods screen compounds in animal studies in advance of human trials in the hope of identifying the side effects of promising therapeutics. The UCSD team � led by Philip Bourne, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at UCSD�s Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Lei Xie, Ph.D., of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UCSD � instead uses the power of computational modeling to screen specific drug molecules using a worldwide repository, the Protein Data Bank (PDB), containing tens of thousands of three-dimensional protein structures.
Obesity May Worsen Ovarian Cancer
The doctors included James Pavelka, MD, and Andrew Li, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. If their finding is correct, it could lengthen the list of possible links between obesity and cancer. Obesity has already been tied to cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, and endometrium (inner uterus lining). Links to ovarian cancer haven't been certain, the researchers note. They studied the records of 216 women undergoing surgery and treatment for ovarian cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The patients were in their late-50s to mid-60s, on average. They included 146 women with advanced ovarian cancer (stage III or IV ovarian cancer). Ovarian cancer is hard to spot in its earliest, most treatable stages.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Completes Move Into Its New Prentice ...
CHICAGO, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly eight years of planning and preparation culminated today following the carefully executed move from the existing facility into the new state-of-the-art Prentice Women's Hospital. The new one million square foot hospital brings together comprehensive care for women through all stages of life. From women's cardiovascular health to the Lynn Sage Comprehensive Breast Center, gynecologic oncology and obstetrics, the hospital offers care tailored to the unique needs of women. In addition, there are two floors dedicated to the care and treatment of medical oncology and hematology patients in the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "We moved 217 patients, a tremendous undertaking and significant achievement for all of our patients and employees," says Dean M.
New Marker To Identify Cancer Stem Cells Discovered
ScienceDaily (Dec. 12, 2007) Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found a marker that can be used to identify stem cells in breast tumors, suggesting a potential simple test that could help determine the best treatment for breast cancer. .
New Computational Technique Can Predict Drug Side Effects
Early identification of adverse effects of drugs before they are tested in humans is crucial in developing new therapeutics, as unexpected effects account for a third of all drug failures during the development process. Now researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have developed a novel technique using computer modeling to identify potential side effects of pharmaceuticals, and have used the technique to study a class of drugs that includes tamoxifen, the most prescribed drug in the treatment of breast cancer. Their study is currently available on line at PLoS Computational Biology.
Conventional test methods screen compounds in animal studies in advance of human trials in the hope of identifying the side effects of promising therapeutics. The UCSD team - led by Philip Bourne, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at UCSD's Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Lei Xie, Ph.D., of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UCSD - instead uses the power of computational modeling to screen specific drug molecules using a worldwide repository, the Protein Data Bank (PDB), containing tens of thousands of three-dimensional protein structures.
EDITORIAL: Choose liberty, decide for yourself
Believe it or not, people really can run their own lives. NEWS OUT OF MADISON is that a proposed full-state smoking ban - snuffing the weed in restaurants, bars and virtually all public places - has stalled, and is perhaps dead, after meeting objections in the Wisconsin Senate.Our response?Hooray!
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Prostate treatment may shorten penis
Men who receive combination treatment with hormone therapy plus radiation for local or locally advanced prostate cancer may experience a significant reduction in penile length, according to a report in the January issue of the Journal of Urology. There has been anecdotal evidence that radiation therapy can reduce penile length but, to the authors' knowledge, the present study is the first to determine if penile length changes following combination treatment with hormone therapy plus radiation. Dr Ahmet Haliloglu and colleagues at the University of Ankara in Turkey enrolled 47 men with local or locally advanced prostate cancer. The patients, who were followed from 2000 to 2005, received leuprolide or goserelin injections every three months, for a total of three doses.
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