Polyphenol extracts from mangoes have been found to have anti-cancer activity, particularly against colon and breast cancer, despite the fruit's comparatively low antioxidant activity.

Mango showed some impact on lung, leukemia and prostate cancers but was most effective on the most common breast and colon cancers.

"What we found is that not all cell lines are sensitive to the same extent to an anticancer agent," she said. "But the breast and colon cancer lines underwent apotosis, or programmed cell death. Additionally, we found that when we tested normal colon cells side by side with the colon cancer cells, that the mango polyphenolics did not harm the normal cells."

The researchers discovered that the bioactive compounds possibly responsible for the anti-cancer effect is a class of polyphenolic compounds called gallotannins. This compound apparently interrupted the cell cycle. Clinical trials are being planned to test mango phenolics on individuals who have increased inflammation in their intestines with a higher risk for cancer.

Microbially-Produced Electrical Wires The Biotech Weblog

My first foray into microbiological research threw me into the world of iron-reducing bacteria, a field pioneered by Derek Lovley who has been working on this group of anaerobic bugs, and who in 1987, discovered Geobacter. Ten years hence, I am still working on them, albeit for a different research group, and apparently, so is he. In the June 23rd issue of Nature , Dr. Lovley and his research group [...] Read More


Microbially Produced Antibiotics as Cancer Drug Candidates The Biotech Weblog

Researchers are exploring a method of producing powerful antibiotics called prodiginines which may also have potentials as anti-cancer drugs. Because these compounds are difficult to synthesize chemically, researchers are looking coaxing microorganisms to produce them. Professor Greg Challis and colleagues in the Chemistry Department of the University of Warwick have looked at the enzymes controlling the process that allows the bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor to create streptorubin B and have gained a [...] Read More


Nanowires For Detecting Cancer Biomarkers The Biotech Weblog

In the October Issue of Nature Biotechnology, Harvard Universtity researchers report on the use of nanowires in detecting biomarkers for cancer in blood samples. In addition to its accuracy and sensitivity, these special arrays of silicon nanowires also promise to pinpoint the exact type of cancer present with a speed not currently available to clinicians. "This is one of the first applications of nanotechnology to healthcare and offers a clinical technique [...] Read More


Tidy up the spaghetti wires beneath your desk Tech Without Wires

Underneath my desk I have a mess of wires connecting my three computers to power, printers, scanners, Internet phone, and many other peripherals. I am always open to ideas as to how to reduce this mess. Wireless power is one alternative. In an article "Field Trip Friday: Ultimate Home Office" author Brett in the blog "Startup Students" reveals an interesting way to solve spaghetti-wires under your desk using peg board. The [...] Read More


360 Electrical Outlet The Gadgets Weblog

If you're like most technology geeks, you've got enough gadgets at home to power a small business. You've also likely got a lot of power bricks that are painful to deal with due to their size. Sometimes, you can only plug in one of those power bricks into the wall jack, especially your plugs are polarized or grounded! ThinkGeek has an different approach to solving this problem: make the plugs rotate! [...] Read More

Procyon Acquires Bioxalis Medica Inc. at The Biotech Weblog

Procyon Biopharma Inc. announced last week the successful acquisition of Bioxalis Medica Inc. (Bioxalis), a Montreal-based biopharmaceutical company engaged in the research and development of targeted liposomes for cancer treatment. The acquisition of Bioxalis will bring to Procyon's pipeline an innovative technology platform for cancer therapy, TVT-Dox which is 12 months from an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. The TVT technology comprises a liposome drug carriers containing Dovorubicin, a cytotoxic drug, [...] Read More


Merck Acquires Survac at The Biotech Weblog

Danish start-up biotech company Survac, with a total injected capital of � 0.5 million, was sold to German pharma Merck for �10.9 million "It is a fantastic deal. It proves that it pays to invest in Danish high technology companies during the early stages of development even if it is risky. The deal proves that the interest for acquiring technologies and drug projects is present at a very early stage", says [...] Read More


Amgen Acquires Abgenix for $2.2 B at The Biotech Weblog

Amgen and Abgenix have been collaborating on developing two major cancer drug candidates, one of which, panitumumab, has been shown effective against colorectal cancer therapy in its Phase 3 clinical trials. If approved by the FDA (they will file for FDA approval next week), the drug, which is an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, is expected to have billion dollar potentials. Amgen's press release says that Amgen gains full ownership [...] Read More


April is Cancer Control Month at Straightfromthedoc

April will be over soon, but i still would like to mention that April is Cancer Control Month. Over at b5media's Health and wellness Channel, the theme day is all about cancer. Marijke of the pain management blog Help My Hurt hosted the said Theme Day. Hop on over to say HI and more. ;-) [...] Read More


American Cancer Society Launched SharingHope.tv at Straightfromthedoc

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has launched an online video community called SharingHope.tv. A lot like YouTube, but the essence is that, it is a venue where cancer patients, survivors and their families can share their stories, triumphs, as well as loses. How did they cope? Things like that. The above video was created by Jeffrey Simms. What are you waiting for? Find out now if SharingHope.tv is for you. [...] Read More

Researchers have obtained more insights into the mode of action of cordycepin, an anti-cancer compound originally extracted from a rare kind of wild mushroom called Cordyceps but is now prepared from a cultivated form.

The team has observed two effects on the cells: at a low dose cordycepin inhibits the uncontrolled growth and division of the cells and at high doses it stops cells from sticking together, which also inhibits growth. Both of these effects probably have the same underlying mechanism, which is that cordycepin interferes with how cells make proteins. At low doses cordycepin interferes with the production of mRNA, the molecule that gives instructions on how to assemble a protein. And at higher doses it has a direct impact on the making of proteins.

This research is due to be published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry and is available via early online publication.

Scientists have developed a urine test to provide rapid diagnosis of the cause of pneumonia.

In the new study, Slupsky and colleagues applied "metabolomics" - the study of the chemicals produced by the body's metabolic processes - to develop a profile for pneumonia as it appears in a patient's urine.

Using technology known as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the researchers were able to identify a chemical "fingerprint" for the type of pneumonia caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, and compare this to the chemical fingerprints for other types of pneumonia and noninfectious lung diseases.

Aside from its utility in diagnostics, the technology can also be used to quickly and easily monitor patient recovery. A patent is pending for this diagnostic procedure.