TORONTO – an antipsychotic drug used as a therapy for schizophrenia appears to have an unusual property — it can neutralize some cancer stem cells that allow tumours to come back after treatment.

In lab experiments, Canadian researchers found that thioridazine can alter cancer stem cells that give rise to a type of leukemia, as well as those that generate certain breast cancer cells, without harming normal stem cells.

The discovery, reported Thursday in the journal Cell, came after researchers screened about 3,000 compounds in search of those that would selectively inhibit human cancer stem cells.

Thioridazine is one of about 20 agents winnowed down through high-tech drug screening that appear to work against cancer stem cells, said principal investigator Mick Bhatia, scientific director of the Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute at McMaster University.

“Cancer stem cells, what they do is they keep proliferating,” Bhatia said from Hamilton. “But they don’t do what normal stem cells do, which is make other cell types. and then those cells perform their function and then die. That’s the normal life cycle.

“Cancer stem cells refuse to go through that life cycle because they never differentiate. they just keep making copies of themselves.”

That’s why, even if a patient’s malignancy appears to have been eradicated with chemotherapy and radiation, the cancer can come back, Bhatia said.

“And the feeling there is that the drugs we’re using aren’t targeting the cancer stem cells, so you’re not getting to the root. You’re just picking the dandelion off the top.

“And it looks good for a while, the lawn looks fine, but if you don’t dig at it and get the root, it just comes back.”

Bhatia admits that thioridazine’s apparent power over cancer stem cells came as a bit of a surprise.

The drug works against schizophrenia, for example, by targeting dopamine receptors in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that plays a variety of roles in the brain, including helping to regulate attention, cognition and movement.

The drug is also used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, which develop in response to declining dopamine levels caused by the death of brain cells that make the neurotransmitter.

Thioridazine doesn’t appear to kill cancer stem cells, but rather encourages them to differentiate, thus exhausting the pool of self-renewing cells.

The researchers showed that the drug affects leukemia stem cells without harming normal blood stem cells. It turns out that unlike normal blood stems cells, leukemia cells have a dopamine receptor on their surfaces — making them vulnerable to the drug.

Dopamine receptors also appear on some breast cancer stem cells, the researchers found.

“This gives us some explanation,” Bhatia said. It also suggests that dopamine receptors might serve as a biomarker for early detection of rare, tumour-initiating cells in patients.

Michael Rudnicki, CEO and scientific director of the Stem Cell Network of Canada, described the paper as a “beautiful study, a very nice piece of work.”

“I think this paper really exemplifies the Canadian leadership in cancer stem cell research,” Rudnicki said Thursday from Ottawa. “Cancer stem cells were really discovered here in Canada, and this work takes it to a new level.”

He said the researchers’ findings strongly support the notion that already-approved, “human-ready” drugs exist in the global pharmaceutical armamentarium that could bolster doctors’ ability to defeat some cancers.

“Everything that we can do to build up the toolbox for the clinicians treating cancer will help this,” said Rudnicki, who was not involved in the study.

The McMaster-led team, which includes physicians, is planning to test thioridazine in combination with standard anti-cancer drugs in a small group of adults with acute myeloid leukemia who have not responded to chemotherapy alone.

The researchers’ next step is to investigate the effectiveness of thioridazine in other types of cancer, as well as exploring the potential of the other compounds identified so far, Bhatia said.

“We really want these drugs to be something that we can target at a clinical level.”

In the future, thousands of other compounds will be analyzed with McMaster’s robotic stem cell screening system in collaboration with other academic groups and the pharmaceutical industry.

“The goal for all of the partners,” said Bhatia, “is the same — to find unique drugs to change the way we tackle and treat cancer.”

Cancer causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Cancer

Article by James sameul

Information about Cancer

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and keep dividing and forming more cells without control or order, forming a growth or tumor. Benign tumors are NOT cancer; malignant tumors are cancer. Cancer stem cell content and the intrinsic radiosensitivity of cancer stem cells is thought to vary between tumours, thereby affecting their radiocurability.

Most cancers are named for where they start. for example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and breast cancer starts in the breast. the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis. Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Causes Of CancerCells are the building blocks of living things. Cancer grows out of normal cells in the body. Normal cells multiply when the body needs them, and die when the body doesn’t. Cancer appears to occur when the growth of cells in the body is out of control and cells divide too rapidly. it can also occur when cells “forget” how to die.there are many different kinds of cancers. Cancer can develop in almost any organ or tissue, such as the lung, colon, breast, skin, bones, or nerve tissue.the mutation in the DNA changes these instructions, so that the cells carry on growing. This causes the cells to reproduce in an uncontrollable manner producing a lump of tissue, known as a tumors.

Types Of CancerThere are hundreds of different types of cancer. the most common cancers in the are:Breast cancer,prostate cancer,lung cancercancer of colon, or rectum,bladder cancer, andovarian cancer.

Symptoms Of CancerSymptoms of cancer depend on the type and location of the tumor. for example, lung cancer can cause coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain, while colon cancer often causes diarrhea, constipation, and blood in the stool.Local symptoms – these occur when the cancer is contained in one part of your body.changes in bowel or bladder habits, a sore that does not heal, unusual bleeding or discharge, thickening or lump in the breast or any other part of the body, indigestion or difficulty swallowing, obvious change in a wart or mole, or nagging cough or hoarseness.

Treatment Of CancerTreatment also varies based on the type of cancer and its stage. the stage of a cancer refers to how much it has grown and whether the tumor has spread from its original locationIf the cancer is confined to one location and has not spread, the goal for treatment would be surgery and cure.If the tumor has spread to local lymph nodes only, sometimes these can also be removed.

Information about cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, clinical trials, proton therapy, complementary medicine, cutting edge technologies, Surgical Oncology, Targeted Therapies and Vaccine Therapies.Complementary medicine techniques such as acupuncture, meditation, and yoga could be a helpful addition to your regular medical treatment. Includes research on complementary techniques and ways to find qualified practitioners.

If all of the cancer cannot be removed with surgery, the options for treatment include radiation, chemotherapy, or both. Some cancers require a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

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EDINBURGH, Scotland, Dec. 7 (UPI) — Scottish researchers say a discovery involving stem cells may lead to reversing nerve damage and paralysis caused by multiple sclerosis.

MS is caused when the body’s immune system attacks a substance called myelin that covers and protects nerve fibers, disrupting messages as they are sent around the body.

Researchers from Edinburgh and Cambridge universities say they have identified a mechanism that helps regenerate the myelin sheaths that protect the body’s nerve fibers, particularly in the brain, the Daily Express reported Monday.

Identifying a way of regenerating the sheaths could lead to new drugs and treatments, the researchers say.

MS begins as a relapsing-remitting condition in which symptoms appear and then fade away, but every relapse causes more damage and even though symptoms retreat the sufferer never returns to normal.

“Therapies that repair damage are the missing link in treating multiple sclerosis,” Professor Robin Franklin at Cambridge University said. “In this study we have identified a means by which the brain’s own stem cells can be encouraged to undertake this repair, opening up the possibility of a new regenerative medicine.”

Blood Cancer Treatment in India available at ISO approved hospitals

Blood Cancer Treatment in India is available at various corporate hospitals that are JCI accredited, ISO certified or in the process of achieving these seals. various corporate hospitals in India are specially designed according to the needs of international patients. over the last two decades, the economic boom in India has led to the building of medical facilities & infrastructure that rival the very best that western medical care has to offer. Blood Cancer Treatment in India is available at various corporate hospitals that facilitate world class, high quality and affordable medical treatment and healthcare tourism in India.

About Blood Cancer

Blood Cancer or Leukemia refers to a group of cancers of the blood cells. in blood cancer, white blood cells become abnormal, and divide and grow in an uncontrolled way.

White blood cells and blood cancer

White blood cells are made in your bone marrow, which is the soft spongy centre of your bones. Your bone marrow makes the most basic type of cells (called stem cells), and they can develop further into three types of cells –

white blood cells – protect your body from infectionred blood cells – carry oxygen around your bodyplatelets – important for normal blood clotting

Once these cells are made, they enter your bloodstream. White blood cells are involved in your body’s immune system, a defense system that protects you from infections. there are two main types of white blood cells – myeloid cells and lymphocytes.

In blood cancer, some of the white blood cells don’t grow properly. They stay in the bone marrow and keep reproducing in an uncontrolled way. these abnormal white blood cells fill up the bone marrow and prevent it from making healthy white blood cells. This means the body is less able to fight off infections. The abnormal white blood cells also prevent bone marrow from making enough red blood cells and platelets. a lack of red blood cells leads to less oxygen being delivered to the organs and tissues of your body. This is called anemia, and it can make you feel tired and breathless. a lack of platelets can lead to problems with the blood-clotting system, and results in bleeding and bruising much more easily than usual.

Causes of Blood Cancer

The exact cause of blood cancer is unknown, although there are some factors that increase the chance of developing it.

a weakened immune system – this may be a result of medicines that suppress the immune system (eg medicines to prevent rejection of organ transplants), high doses of radiation (eg radiotherapy or chemotherapy for another cancer), or diseases that affect the immune system (eg HIV)age – chronic leukemia is more common in people who are over 40gender – slightly more men than women are affected by leukemiasmokingcertain genetic conditions, such as Down’s syndromeother blood disorders, such as aplastic anemia, a rare condition where the bone marrow fails to produce blood cells correctlycontact with a chemical called benzene, one of the chemicals in petrol and a solvent used in the rubber and plastics industry

Types of Blood Cancer / Leukemia

There are several types of blood cancer. They are named according to the type of white blood cells (myeloid cells or lymphocytes) that are affected and how quickly the disease develops. only the common types are discussed here. The two main types of blood cancer are acute and chronic.

Acute blood cancer

In acute blood cancer, symptoms develop rapidly and the cancer can quickly become life-threatening if it’s not treated. The most common form of acute blood cancer affects lymphocytes. This is called acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). another type of acute blood cancer is acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Chronic blood cancer

In chronic blood cancer, symptoms develop slowly and the white blood cells are almost fully grown and normal when they leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. They can function, but not as well as they should do. one type of blood cancer, called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), affects a particular type of white blood cells called myeloid cells. it has two phases, a chronic phase that can last for several years, during which symptoms develop slowly, followed by a more aggressive phase (accelerated phase), where symptoms quickly get worse.

Symptoms

The symptoms of blood cancer vary, depending on the exact type of disease and how advanced it is. there may be no symptoms in the early stages, especially in people with chronic blood cancer. Many symptoms are vague, such as fever, headaches, weight loss and night sweats.

Symptoms of blood cancer include –

tiredness, breathlessness and pale skin (due to anemia, a reduction in number of red cells in the blood)frequent infections that do not get betterincreased bruisingabnormal bleeding from gums and cutsheavier periods in womennosebleedsbone pain (due to the pressure of a build-up of cells in the bone marrow)swollen lymph glands (glands in the neck, groin and under the arms)abdominal pain (due to an enlarged spleen or liver)swollen gums, and occasionally, swollen testiclesheadaches and vision problems

Treatment for Blood Cancer

The effectiveness of treatment for blood cancer depends on the type and stage of the disease. Acute blood cancer or acute leukemia often goes into remission (the symptoms go away; the disease is under control but not necessarily cured). but many people with acute blood cancer have a relapse (the disease returns).

Treatment includes –

chemotherapyradiotherapybone marrow or stem cell transplantmonoclonal antibodiesbiological therapy (which may be in the form of tablets)steroids

Why consider India?

Blood Cancer Treatment in India is available at various hospitals of Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and new Delhi at an affordable price. various corporate hospitals in India use latest technology to perform complex medical treatments and procedures. Most state of the art equipment is imported from countries like USA, UK, Germany, Japan etc. While the treatment in Indian private hospitals are at par with the hospitals in USA and UK, the cost for such treatment in India is actually a fraction of what it would cost in western countries.

For more details visit our website – forerunnershealthcare.com Or you can email your queries at . Or call us at 00919371136499