Blog – Page 10

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have discovered how certain pathogenic bacteria in gut and breast tissue can promote breast cancer development and progression by hijacking a key metabolic enzyme known as spermine oxidase (SMOX). In a study led by Dipali Sharma, Ph.D., professor of oncology, investigators found that exposure to pathogenic bacteria such as Bacteroides fragilis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Escherichia coli significantly increased SMOX activity, leading to DNA damage, tumor growth, and metastasis in laboratory and animal models of breast cancer.

The work, published in Cancer Research, reveals a novel link between microbial dysbiosis—the imbalance of good and harmful bacteria—and breast cancer, and identifies SMOX as a potential therapeutic target.

“Microbes don’t just reside in our gut. They can directly influence cancer behavior,” says Sharma. “We found that an overabundance of certain pathogenic bacteria triggers inflammation and activates SMOX, producing reactive oxygen species that damage DNA and fuel tumor growth. By blocking SMOX, we were able to dramatically reduce tumor formation in our preclinical models.”

In this systematic review and network meta-analysis, diclofenac and silymarin were the most effective preventive strategies for hand-foot syndrome in patients with cancer, with silymarin requiring confirmation in a larger randomized trial.

Diclofenac emerged as the agent with the best overall supporting evidence, informed by both effect estimates and study quality.

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Question Which of the prophylactic agents for treating chemotherapy-induced hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is the most effective for preventing clinically significant HFS in patients with cancer?

Findings In this systematic review and network meta-analysis of 17 randomized clinical trials including 2,192 patients, topical diclofenac, silymarin, 400-mg pyridoxine, and celecoxib significantly reduced the incidence of grade 2 or higher HFS compared with placebo; diclofenac and celecoxib were also effective in reducing overall HFS incidence.

Meaning These findings indicate that diclofenac is the prophylactic agent with the best supporting evidence for prevention of HFS in patients with cancer.

In patients with hemorrhagic cerebral small vessel disease, left ventricular mass is associated with MRI markers of arteriolosclerosis. @UCLStrokeRes

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BackgroundMost intracerebral hemorrhages (ICH) are caused by 1 of 2 cerebral small vessel diseases (cSVDs): arteriolosclerosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Hypertension is a major risk factor for ICH, but its contribution to the hemorrhagic manifestations of these arteriopathies remains uncertain. We investigated associations between a cardiac structural biomarker of systemic hypertension (left ventricular mass [LVM]) and cSVD neuroimaging phenotype in patients with ICH.