MemeFlux

As recently reported, overweight has been listed as a top cancer risk, the news today is that being a bit on the chubby side actually might not increase your risk of cancer and in fact protect you better from pneumonia, emphysemia and various other infections. The abstract to the article in JAMA also pries into the future:

…reductions in activities of daily living (ADL) impairment observed for nonobese older individuals did not occur in those who were obese. Over time, declines in obesity-related mortality, along with a younger age at onset of obesity, could lead to an increased burden of disability within the obese older population.

Via Reason

Two snippets from the world of cancer research

Amateur invention works as chemo therapy alternative - human tests in 3-4 years

John Kanzius–himself a cancer victim–has invented a device using radio waves instead of radiation to kill tumors, which has proved successful in clinical trials on rabbits. The device is a radio-wave generator which heats nanoparticles and destroys the cells.

The theory behind the therapy is that radio waves are, for the most part, harmless to living tissue, but that the waves do heat up certain metals. If, in theory, nanoparticles of carbon or gold were to bind to cancer cells, and only cancer cells, then radio wave exposure would heat the cancer cells to a desired temperature and destroy them, while ignoring and not affecting neighboring healthy cells. This process is being called in Kanzius’ patent applications “RF-induced hyperthermia“. The problem is targeting only the cancer cells. More specifically, the problem is finding a way for the nanoparticle targets to bind only to the cancer cells while ignoring healthy cells. The theory is that the nanoparticles would carried through the bloodstream by a targeting molecule, binding only to the cancer cells, the targeting molecule ignoring the healthy cells.

There is still some development left on guiding the particles to the cancerous cells only, but researchers are optimistic and human trials are estimated to begin in 3-4 years.

Diagnosed with leukemia in 2002, Kanzius (63) had no medical training, and describes the idea as a “pipe dream”, having created the first model during sleepless nights in his garage:

Using pie pans, spare parts from ham radios and know-how from his days as a radio engineer, he invented the first generation of what would become a machine that uses radio waves — not radioactivity — to fight cancer.

Top ten list

The World Cancer Research Fund has just released a comprehensive study on the causes of cancer, and has released a list of what to avoid. These lists - or bits and pieces of them - pop up from time to time, so take this one as a summary that has involved 200 cancer experts and taken 5 years to compile.

The list is ranked - body fat seems to be given more weight as a risk factor, and the intensity of physical exercise will be a challenge for many.

What we’re saying is that young adults should try not to put on weight throughout their adult life. They should stay as lean as possible,” measurement-wise this means having a BMI in the lower end of the 18.5-25 ‘healhty’ range.

Everyone should have at least half an hour of exercise a day - but the panel says it should be vigorous, not moderate exercise. If the exercise is moderate, it should last for an hour a day.

The harsh reality continues–

1. Stay as slim as possible
2. Take half an hour’s vigorous exercise a day
3. Avoid sugary drinks and fast food
4. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day and cereals/grains/pulses with every meal
5. Eat no more than 500g of red meat a week and no processed meat
6. No more than one drink a day for a woman and two for a man
7. No more than 6g a day of salt
8. Dietary supplements (vitamin and mineral pills) not recommended
9. Breastfeed exclusively for six months
10. Cancer survivors also to follow these recommendations

Pamela Melroy (46) commands the Space Shuttle mission that lifted off today, and when docking with the International Space Station she will be greeted by a crew which is led by Peggy Whitson (47) - the first time women lead both the manned space programs. Melroy is on her third shuttle flight while Whitson is on her second assignment to the space station.

Go space babes

The Guardian reports on upcoming news about the first synthetic chromosome, which can be equated to creating a simple life form:

Craig Venter, the controversial DNA researcher involved in the race to decipher the human genetic code, has built a synthetic chromosome out of laboratory chemicals and is poised to announce the creation of the first new artificial life form on Earth.

The chromosome, however is not designed from scratch:

Using lab-made chemicals, they have painstakingly stitched together a chromosome that is 381 genes long and contains 580,000 base pairs of genetic code.The DNA sequence is based on the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium which the team pared down to the bare essentials needed to support life, removing a fifth of its genetic make-up.

M. genitalium (yes, it may be considered causing an STD) has a relatively short genome — only about 580000 base pairs (you know; A+T or G+C), compared to around 3 billion (10^9) pairs in the human genome, making it ideal for studies of this sort.

So, is this big news? The tabloids will surely pick this up with poorly-hidden references to Dr. Frankenstein and whatnots, everyone from the religious right to deepest socialist greens will go head over heels to condemn the work as meddling with God’s/Nature’s work, claiming that it is “unnatural” and immoral. So, for a moment, let’s consider what Mr. Venter’s team most likely have done:

They have taken the shortest genome known at the time they started the work, and have through a technique called gene knockout debugged all of it to find out which parts of it are actually needed to sustain life (in this context a self-replicating chromosome). Having also sequenced the genome, the team has painstakingly assembled all the parts needed from individual proteins. What is big news about this is that it 1) is an extraordinary engineering feat, and 2) proves what has long been assumed amongst biologists: there is nothing magic to life, it is only a matter of assembling the right components. Venter and his team are neither immoral nor is what they are doing unnatural, they are just pioneers on the very frontiers of science, and their discoveries and techniques will have profound impacts on genetic therapy and medical treatment of all of us in a few years’ time.

As a last point; take a moment to check out the database info for M. Genitalium; think about the amounts of information and knowledge that is hidden in data like these– one day you will have your own genome stored as a file, which can be used for diagnostics, getting tailor-made medicines that will actually work, make you know your deep historic genetic origins.