Possible Breakthrough For Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Researchers have identified cancer stem cells in pancreatic tumours for the first time. Cancer stem cells are small subset of cells within the tumour capable to grow and propagate independently. Scientists have already discovered blood, brain and breast cancer stem cells. Using a xenograft model in immuno-compromised mice, highly tumorogenic subpolulation of primary human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells were grown expressing cell surface markers such as CD44, CD24 and epithelial-specific antigen (ESA). Tumours did not develop from cells devoid of these three markers until 1000 cells were injected. On the other hand, only 100 cells containing the trio would produce pancreatic cancers. Notoriously resistant to standard chemotherapy and radiation, pancreatic carcinomas have the worst survival rate killing nearly everyone having the disease. Further elucidation of signaling pathways that regulate cancer growth may provide therapeutic approaches to treat pancreatic cancer in the future.

Hepatitis C virus replication study in hepatocytes has long been hampered due to lack of effective culture systems. Current systems will allow virus to infect cells without replicating or producing new HCV, while others rely on derivatives of ‘permissive virus isolates’ for efficient replication in mutated cell lines. A new system to sustain replication of novel virus isolates obtained from patients using nontransformed human fetal hepatocytes were established by the scientists in University of Washington School of Medicine. The researchers were able to demonstrate that this new system can sustain viral replication and production of viral core protein and negative strand RNA for two months in 14 days cyclical pattern. Also these viral particles were able to infect new cells. The culture system provides a breakthrough in studying the responses of nontransformed liver cells to HCV infection, analyze serum infectivity and to clone novel HCVs from infected patients.

The Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study Research Group has revealed that, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) can double the risk of some fractures in adults aged 50 and older. The relationship between taking SSRIs and ‘bone mineral density and falls’, in 5,008 adults in the community, was evaluated over 5 years for incident of fractures. Depression and osteoporotic fractures are common ailments among elderly persons and SSRIs are frequently used in the treatment of depression in this population. First the link between SSRIs and fractures were identified. Then the daily dose was doubled resulting in 1.5 fold increase in the odds of falling. The results suggest that bone mineral density and falls may be affected adversely by daily SSRI use. However adjustments of these two factors do not reduce fracture rates. Probably other pathway such as impaired bone quality leading to reduced bone strength may play a role.