Early Trial Shows Drug Can Curb Ewing's Sarcoma Growth
An early study of the drug figitumumab has found that in some patients it can curb the growth of Ewing's sarcoma - a cancer which affects mainly teenage boys. The study was led by Dr Johann de Bono, from The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital, and funded by Pfizer, who developed the drug. The promising results, published online in The Lancet Oncology today, have led to the drug's progression to a Phase II trial in patients with Ewing's sarcoma, which has recently finished recruiting. Ewing's sarcoma is a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in the bone or soft tissue, most often the pelvis, femur, humerus and ribs. It is more common in males than females, and most often develops between the ages of 10 to 20.
Extremity War Injuries: More Research Is Needed
The fourth annual Extremity War Injuries Symposium was held in Washington, D.C., last January to bring together military and civilian orthopaedic surgeons, researchers, experts from governmental agencies, and others to discuss challenges faced by U.S. medical personnel working in Iraq and Afghanistan and to discuss ways to synergize resources and improve care for wounded warriors. A paper summarizing the findings from the symposium is published in the January 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). Majority of Trauma Is Orthopaedic-Related The majority of trauma that currently occurs among both military and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan involves the upper and lower extremities, and happens as a result of the detonation of explosive devices.
Women At Higher Risk Of Significant Bone Loss On Injectable Birth Control Identified By UTMB Study
Nearly half of women using depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), commonly known as the birth control shot, will experience high bone mineral density (BMD) loss in the hip or lower spine within two years of beginning the contraceptive, according to researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The study, reported in the January 2010 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was the first to show that women on DMPA who smoke, have low levels of calcium intake and never gave birth are at the highest risk for BMD loss. The researchers also found that high risk women continued to experience significant losses in BMD during the third year of DMPA use, especially in the hip - the most common facture site in elderly women.
Agents Targeting Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis
UroToday.com - Advanced prostate cancers regularly metastasize to the skeleton, and better treatments are needed to decrease morbidity and increase survival in men with end-stage disease. Metastatic prostate cancer cells alter the bone microenvironment in two ways: 1) they stimulate formation of disorganized new bone with poor biomechanical quality; 2) they stimulate bone remodeling by activating osteoclasts. These two steps offer unique adjuvant targets to supplement conventional anti-tumor therapies. Drugs against osteoclasts include classes of anti-resorptive agents developed against osteoporosis. In addition to the approved bisphophonates, inhibitors are in Phase III trials against osteoclast-selective targets cathepsin K and RANK ligand.
Exploration Of 'Garbage Disposal' Role Of VCP And Implications For Degenerative Disease
It's important to finish what you start, say Jeong-Sun Ju and researchers from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. In the December 14, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, Ju et al. reveal how a mutant ATPase blocks autophagy partway through to cause a multi-tissue degenerative disease. Mutations in VCP, a member of the AAA ATPase family, cause inclusion body myopathy, Paget's disease of the bone, and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD), a rare disorder that mainly affects skeletal muscle, brain, and bone. Patient muscle contains aggregates of membrane and proteins called rimmed vacuoles, which accumulate and disrupt cellular architecture.
Skull Bone's Resistance To Osteoporosis Opens Way For New Treatment, Prevention
UK scientists curious to discover why unlike the weight-bearing bone in our limbs, skull bone does not get thin as it ages, even in post-menopausal women, have found some quite remarkable differences between the two bone types that could help develop new treatments and prevent osteoporosis. Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London, led the investigation, which was published last week as a study in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Lead author, Dr Simon Rawlinson, Lecturer in Oral Biology at Queen Mary, University of London, told the press that the discovery was exciting because it tells us why our skulls remain tough while the bones in our arms and legs weaken as we age;
American Orthopaedic Foot Ankle Society Offers Advice For Treatment Of Heel Pain
Holiday shopping and holiday feasting may make you a prime candidate for a case of plantar fasciitis. Prolonged walking or standing and an increase in body weight are two leading causes of plantar fasciitis, a painful overuse injury affecting the sole of the foot, warns the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS). According to the AOFAS, plantar fasciitis typically starts gradually with mild heel pain. The pain classically occurs with the first step in the morning. Treatment options include stretching exercises, and modifying activities until the initial inflammation goes away. Ice application to the sore area for 20 minutes three or four times a day may also relieve symptoms.
Nanoscale Changes In Collagen Are A Tipoff To Bone Health
Using a technique that provides detailed images of nanoscale structures, researchers at the University of Michigan and Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital have discovered changes in the collagen component of bone that directly relate to bone health. Their findings, published online Dec. 16 in the journal Bone, could lead to new methods of diagnosing osteoporosis and other diseases affecting collagen-containing tissues. Bone is a composite material made up of a flexible collagen matrix impregnated with and surrounded by a stiffer, stronger mineral component. Though much is known about the importance of bone health to overall health, there's a critical lack of knowledge about the sub-microscopic structure of bone and how collagen and mineral - and the interactions between them - contribute to properties of healthy and diseased bone.
Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Studies From Recent Breast Cancer Conference
The following summarizes findings reported last week at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. ~ Anthracyclines: New research suggests that anthracyclines -- a class of chemotherapy drugs commonly used to treat breast cancer -- could cause more harm than benefits for breast cancer patients because they can be damaging to the heart, the Wall Street Journal reports. Researchers from the Breast Cancer International Research Group studied the effects of two courses of breast cancer treatment: anthracyclines taken in conjunction with Herceptin -- which is used to treat women who have HER-2-positive cancer -- and Herceptin taken with non-anthracycline drugs. A third control group was treated with just anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin and epirubicin.
Independent Advisory Committee Recommends Continuation Of Phase III Oral Calcitonin Studies For Osteoporosis And Osteoarthritis
Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (OTCBB: UGNE) announced that an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has recommended that Novartis and its partner Nordic Bioscience proceed as planned with their ongoing oral calcitonin Phase III studies for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Its recommendation is based on the committee's recently completed "futility" analysis of the data obtained from all patients enrolled for at least twelve months in these studies. That analysis included an assessment of both safety and efficacy parameters. It is the committee's opinion that there are no major or unexpected safety concerns and it unanimously recommends to proceed with the studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of oral calcitonin as planned.