Scientists find treatment to kill every kind of cancer tumor

Published March 27, 2013

New York Post

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Researchers might have found the Holy Grail in the war against cancer, a miracle drug that has killed every kind of cancer tumor it has come in contact with, the New York Post reported.

The drug works by blocking a protein called CD47 that is essentially a "do not eat" signal to the body's immune system, according to Science Magazine.

This protein is produced in healthy blood cells, but researchers at Stanford University found that cancer cells produced an inordinate amount of the protein thus tricking the immune system into not destroying the harmful cells.

With this observation in mind, the researchers built an antibody that blocked cancer's CD47 so that the body's immune system attacked the dangerous cells.

So far, researchers have used the antibody in mice with human breast, ovary, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate tumors transplanted into them. In each of the cases the antibody forced the mice's immune system to kill the cancer cells.

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New genetic testing for prostate cancer may reduce unnecessary treatment

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Many studies have found the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test – the standard exam for prostate cancer – to be a unreliable screening method.   Fortunately, a new report from the New York Times detailed how many more sophisticated prostate cancer tests will soon be on the market.

One such test involves mapping the genome of the cancer itself, in an attempt to distinguish between the most dangerous of tumors and the ones that are slow-growing and do not pose as much of a health risk.  The current PSA test is not very accurate in differentiating between the two, often highlighting tumors that don’t need to be treated.  

The United States Preventive Services Task Force actually recommended against the screening in late 2011, saying more men were harmed through unnecessary biopsies than men who were saved from dying of cancer.

“It’s not that screening doesn’t work; it’s that we haven’t done a great job of targeting treatments for the tumors that need it,” Dr. Matthew R. Cooperberg, an assistant professor of urology at the University of California, San Francisco, told the New York Times.

PSA tests work by measuring the amount of PSA – a protein produced by the prostate gland – in the blood.  The new genetic testing would look for more than just the PSA protein, mapping multiple genes in the prostate, as well as other biological markers.

Two test developers, Genomic Health and Myriad Genetics, have created screening tests that analyze the genes of prostate cancers after biopsy, allowing doctors to gauge just how serious the tumor is.  While the tests may come at a high price – maybe more than $3,000 – the companies say it could potentially reduce spending for unnecessary treatments by nearly $12 million, according to the New York Times.

According to Genomic Health, the company’s test – called the Genomic Prostate Score – will go on sale after Genomic Health releases supporting data on the test at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting in May.  

Myriad Genetics conducted a study on its test, called Prolaris, which was published last year in the British Journal of Cancer.  The research found that 19 percent of men with low-risk scores from the Prolaris test die from prostate cancer within 10 years, as opposed to 75 percent of men with high-risk test scores.

Myriad Genetics’ test has been available since last year, but sales of the product have remained low.  Some doctors are still skeptical that genetic testing is the way to go, because they maintain these tests have yet to be adequately substantiated.  Also, many men who test positive for prostate cancer still wish to receive treatment, even if they are recommended to forgo it based on their low test scores.

However, some experts believe these tests are the step in the right direction.

“Even if we can only convince 15 to 20 percent of men that we have enough confidence that they don’t need to be treated, that will be a big step forward,” Dr. Eric A. Klein of the Cleveland Clinic, who has worked with Genomic Health, told the New York Times.

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Rapid HIV treatment points to 'functional cure' for AIDS

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  An HIV-infected patient displays medicine at a hospital in Payao province, about 373 miles north of Bangkok.REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

Treating people with HIV rapidly after they have become infected with the virus that causes AIDS may be enough to achieve a "functional cure" in a small proportion of patients diagnosed early, according to new research.

Scientists in France who followed 14 patients who were treated very swiftly with HIV drugs but then stopped treatment found that even when they had been off therapy for more than seven years, they still showed no signs of the virus rebounding.

The research, published in the journal PLoS Pathogens, follows news earlier this month about a baby girl in Mississippi in the United States being effectively cured of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after receiving very early treatment.

Christine Rouzioux, a professor at Necker Hospital and University Paris Descartes and a member of the initial team who identified HIV 30 years ago, said the new results showed the number of infected cells circulating in the blood of these patients, known as "post-treatment controllers", kept falling even without treatment for many years.

"Early treatment in these patients may have limited the establishment of viral reservoirs, the extent of viral mutations, and preserved immune responses. A combination of those may contribute to control infection in post-treatment controllers," she said.

"The shrinking of viral reservoirs ... closely matches the definition of 'functional' cure," she said.

A functional cure describes when the virus is reduced to such low levels that it is kept at bay even without continuing treatment. The virus, however, is still detectable in the body.

Most of the some 34 million people with HIV across the world will have to take anti-AIDS drugs known as antiretroviral therapy for the whole of their lives. These drugs generally keep the disease in check but also have side effects and a high cost impact on health systems.

Worldwide, the number of people newly infected with HIV, which can be transmitted via blood and by semen during sex, is falling. At 2.5 million, the number of new infections in 2011 was 20 percent lower than in 2001, according to the United National AIDS programme (UNAIDS). And deaths from AIDS fell to 1.7 million in 2011, down from a peak of 2.3 million in 2005.

Asier Saez-Cirion, a senior HIV researcher at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, said that although most patients will not be able to control HIV, these results suggest that at least some may be able to if they get treatment early enough.

"(This data) and the Mississippi study strongly support early treatment initiation and may hold important clues for the development of a strategy to cure HIV or at least induce a long-term control without the need of antiretroviral treatment," he said.

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Kim Kardashian gets 'vampire' facial: Most extreme celebrity beauty treatment?

Kim Kardashian will do anything to stay beautiful — even if it means injecting herself with her own blood.

The pregnant reality star, 32, was shown having a trendy "vampire" facial in the latest episode of "Kourtney and Kim Take Miami." She even shared a gruesome preview pic on Instagram with the hashtag, #VampireFacial #kktm.

SODAHEAD SLIDESHOW: See the most extreme celebrity beauty treatments.

But Kim isn't the only star to do anything for a pretty face. 

Oprah is partial to anti-aging cream SkinMedica, which contains human foreskin. Madonna has used an oxygen machine to keep her skin looking young. Demi Moore has used leeches to detoxify her blood, and Gwyneth Paltrow reportedly raved about a snake venom beauty cream.

PHOTOS: See the latest celebrity pictures to hit the Internet.

From Kim's kooky facial to Jennifer Love Hewitt's "vagazzaled" private parts, let us know: Which celeb got the most extreme beauty treatment?

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Baby cured of HIV: What does this mean for the future of treatment?

The medical community is celebrating today, as scientists from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and the University of Mississippi have announced a case in which a Mississippi baby born with HIV has seemingly been ‘cured’ of the disease.

According to researchers, the child – who is now 2 ½ – has been off HIV medications for a year and does not show any sign of infection.  If the baby remains healthy and in remission, this would be the second ever report of an HIV cure.

RELATED: Baby born with HIV is now apparently free of virus, scientists say

Using a much more aggressive treatment than usual, Dr. Hannah Gray, a pediatric specialist at the University of Mississippi, started the baby on a three-drug infusion within 30 hours of birth.  This fast therapy apparently eradicated the HIV from the child’s blood before it could form reservoirs of dormant cells in the body.

So what does all of this mean for the future of HIV treatment? Will this news change the way doctors treat at-risk babies moving forward? Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor for FoxNews.com, spoke with Dr. Julia Piwoz, chief section of pediatric infectious diseases at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital about the current state of HIV transmission in pregnant mothers and how this medical breakthrough may change the medical landscape – or not.

What is the current treatment for HIV and pregnant mothers?

Dr. Piwoz: “For HIV in pregnancy, women are treated really regardless of their disease state.  Expectant mothers are typically treated with three medications.  Which medicines they receive depends on what medicines they’ve been on in the past and certain things like the type of virus they have or what it’s sensitive to.  That’s determined by their infectious disease specialist.

“There are several different medications available, and if someone is on a stable medicine regimen before they get pregnant, their doctor may choose to continue that regimen throughout pregnancy.  If a woman is diagnosed during pregnancy, then their HIV specialist will put them on a “cocktail” of three really active highly active anti-retro viral treatment (what we refer to as HAART).  

“Depending on certain things like the mom’s health, her level of virus, and her T-cell counts, we’ll determine how she delivers – whether by C-section, or if she’s very healthy, whether or not she’ll be a candidate for vaginal delivery.  Mom’s also receive a course of intravenous medication prior to delivery.  

“Infants who are born to women who are known to be infected with HIV are given a six week course of the medication called Zidovudine, formerly known as AZT.  If a mother shows up when her status is not known, and she shows up in labor, other medications such as Nevirapine may be given to the baby.”

What is the rate of HIV transmission between mother and child?

Dr. Piwoz: “If no treatment is given, and mom is on no medication at all, her risk of transmitting to her baby is about one in four.  If she is treated during her pregnancy and maintains her health and comes in and gets the intravenous medication, then the transmission rate can be less than 2 percent – or even 1 percent, as long as we know who’s infected.

“There are even regimens to show that treatment later in pregnancy still helps.  Even at the time of delivery, we can still cut transmission significantly by giving meds to the baby and ensuring the baby doesn’t breast feed.”

Do you think this breakthrough treatment will become the gold standard for HIV positive children?

Dr. Piwoz: “Not exactly and here’s why:  In the state of New Jersey, we perform HIV testing on all pregnant women in the first and third trimester.  If they come in without a test, we do a rapid test. The majority of HIV transmission from mother to baby happens at the time of labor and delivery.  If we’ve treated mom during the pregnancy and she’s responded to treatment, then her risk of transmission to the baby is very low and the baby’s risk might not justify such aggressive treatment.  

“What it may change is how we test and treat women who were not treated during pregnancy. Normally the current recommendation is to do testing by DNA PCR – which tests for the virus in the cells – and then putting the baby on one medication and adding the second medication Nevirapine for three doses.  How this might change high-risk babies, when they’re born we may send a test called RNA PCR – which tests for virus in the plasma.  And we might consider more aggressive treatment in infants who are at high risk.”

Where do you see the future of HIV treatment going?

Dr. Piwoz: “I think that when it comes to HIV, we’ve gone from having very few medications to having more than 30.  I think that over time, our medications have become easier to take and less toxic, and people are living longer, healthier lives.  I think that those infected will continue to benefit, and in general, we are seeing fewer and fewer babies being born with infection.

“We can prevent mom from passing HIV to her baby if we know which moms are infected, and many states have adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to test all pregnant women.  One area where we still see infections is in teenagers, so if we can reduce those infections, we’ll have fewer babies being infected with HIV.

“And with other countries, even some of the poorer countries have started providing access to HAART and started using some of the regimens to prevent maternal transmission – and they have been successful.  If they can provide the proper money and infrastructure, we’ll start seeing fewer moms being sick, fewer babies being sick, and fewer orphans.

“So we are starting to see benefits all over the world.”

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Ailing pets receiving hyperbaric chamber treatment

GAINESVILLE, Florida –  Hyperbaric chambers have been used for decades to treat divers with the bends, burn victims and people with traumatic injuries, but in the U.S. they're increasingly being used on ailing pets.

Doctors at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine have recently used an oxygen chamber on dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits and one monkey.

Veterinarian and professor Justin Shmalberg said the capsule has been used to treat animals that have been bitten by rattlesnakes, hit by cars and those with infected wounds, among other things.

"Any place we have swelling of tissue, we oftentimes are thinking about the hyperbaric chamber as something we could do to decrease that," he said.

Shmalberg said the chamber's high-pressure atmosphere of pure oxygen appears to help reduce swelling and aid healing time. He added that the school will begin clinical trials this summer to determine how - or even if - the hyperbaric chamber really is effective in speeding recoveries and healing animals.

There is little research on hyperbaric treatments and pets, although veterinarians who use the chambers note that most of the research for human hyperbaric treatments comes from trials done on rabbits and rats.

"We want to make sure there's really good science behind it," said Dr. Diane Levitan, who owns Peace Love Pets Veterinary Care in New York State. "It's not a panacea. There are specific reasons why this is helpful."

Levitan has a hyperbaric chamber in her practice and is writing an article for a veterinary journal on the treatment. Like Shmalberg, she has seen an improved rate of healing for certain conditions such as herniated discs, abscesses and even post-radiation swelling.

In humans, insurance companies will pay for hyperbaric treatment for several conditions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, crush injuries and bone marrow infections, among other things. Some insurance companies won't pay for hyperbaric treatment for wounds or ulcers, saying that it's an "unproven" therapy -- but some people swear by the treatment and seek out private clinics.

It's the same with pet owners; veterinarians with oxygen chambers say that people with sick pets often will often research the treatment and request it after becoming familiar with it through human medicine.

"It is a very new modality for treatment in veterinary medicine," said Dr. Andrew Turkell of Calusa Veterinary Center in Florida.

The devices used by UF, Levitan and Turkell are about the size of a loveseat and are manufactured by a company named Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine. Turkell was the first doctor to sign a contract with Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine, and estimates that he's used the chamber 750-800 times in the past year and a half.

"I find that it's really very effective for any kind of trauma," he said, adding that he's seen improvements in pets that have been hit by cars that have been subsequently treated in the chamber.

Wayne McCullough, the company's CEO, said that most veterinary offices can't afford to buy the capsules outright -- chambers for humans cost between $50,000 and $150,000 each -- so the company gives the clinics the chambers and then receives a cut on each treatment done by the veterinarian. At the UF clinic, treatment costs about $125 per session.

McCullough said that his employees deliver and train veterinarians on how to use the capsule. Working with 100 percent oxygen can be dangerous, which is why pets going inside the chamber are patted down with water before the treatment so their fur doesn't conduct static electricity and cause a fire.

In 2012, the high-oxygen chamber of a Florida equine sports medicine center exploded and caused part of a building to collapse, killed a worker and the horse inside the chamber.

The machine that exploded wasn't one of McCullough's chambers; it was a larger contraption made for horses. The horse inside the chamber apparently struck the side of the machine with its foot, which caused the spark and fire. It underscored the potential danger of the capsules.

Dr. Dorie Amour, the director of Emory University's wound care clinic, suggested that hyperbaric therapy in pets be a last-resort treatment. It "has to be a therapy used when there is no alternative. Or a therapy used for a very serious problem for which there hasn't been a solution."

Pet owners such as Mike Ray, the owner of Maggie, an 11-year-old dachshund with a gaping wound and recurring infection in her back paw, say they're willing to give it a try -- and spend the extra money to do so at the University of Florida animal hospital.

Maggie has been through a handful of hyperbaric treatments, and Dr. Schmalberg and Ray say they've noticed a difference after two sessions in the capsule. New fur is growing where raw flesh was once exposed.

"Whatever it takes, we're going do and we'll find a way to get it done," Ray said as he and his wife waited for Maggie to finish her oxygen therapy. "Because we need to get her healed."

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