A new study, however, has found that not all viruses leave their ‘fingerprints’ in cancerous cells. The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge, provides evidence for the existence of ‘hit and run’ cancer viruses that can invade a cell, initiate cancer and then vanish without a trace.

The study, conducted in mice, found that a specific type of mouse herpesvirus was able to invade the host cell and cause oncogenic changes that triggered cancer yet; it left no signs of a viral infection in the cancerous cell.

“We are saying that herpes viruses could cause a lot more disease than you would guess if you limited your suspicion to just cancers that came out having the virus genome in them” said study researcher and author, Philip Stevenson, to LiveScience.

The findings further showed that vaccinating the mice against the herpesvirus tested, protected them from developing cancer. If this evidence holds true in humans, immunization against oncogenic herpesviruses can prove effective in the prevention of many more cancers.

Sources: Stevenson et al. (2010), Journal of General Virology; LiveScience.com; August 19, 2010; National Cancer Institute – HPV; ScienceDaily.com; August 19, 2010.

Author: Karla Robleto, Ph.D.

In Europe, Asia, and Latin America, baby boys are not routinely circumcised, however Jewish and Muslim faiths traditionally subscribe to circumcision. Recent international studies have cast new light on the subject. Two trials held in Africa involving more than 7,500 men were stopped early because results showed that circumcised adult males had a 51% to 60% lower rate of contracting HIV, the AIDS virus, than their uncircumcised counterparts.

Researchers believe that the warm, moist area under foreskins of uncircumcised men can breed infections. Lifestyle and personal cleaning habits may have more impact on health, however, than the surgical removal of foreskin. In some areas of the world, clean water and soap may not be widely available, and in these areas, circumcision may make sense.

Doctors in the U.S. are split in their opinions on the potential benefits of circumcision. Those opposed believe that circumcision does unnecessary violence to the infant’s genitals, and that the decision should be left to the male in adulthood. Furthermore, they believe that removing a baby boy’s foreskin might diminish his sexual pleasure when he becomes sexually active.

Doctors who favor the procedure point out that studies over the years have shown circumcised males to have lower rates of urinary tract infections, penile cancer (a rare condition), and a variety of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Circumcised baby boys have fewer urinary tract infections and possibly other problems, but these can be treated with antibiotics or other strategies if needed.

Tradition, religion and philosophical beliefs will continue to be factors involved in the emotional choice involving circumcision. In the final analysis, it is up to the parents, guided by information from their baby’s doctor, to make the decision.

Whatever parents decide for their newborn sons will probably be fine, as there appear to be advantages and disadvantages either way. When in doubt, why not leave the penis intact and let the individual decide as an adult?

Source:  MSNBC

According to one researcher at the University of Manchester, Alzheimer’s patients who have the ApoE-4 form of the gene contain more herpes DNA in brain regions than others without that version of the gene. The team found that the herpes virus infiltrates brain cells and is associated with cellular tangles and amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s patients.

The oral herpes virus (herpes simplex 1), known to infect 80% of Americans, hides in the body’s nerves in its predominately latent phase. An outbreak is rarely triggered by factors such as stress, fatigue, or sunlight. HPV1 then becomes active, damaging cells and causing cold sores.

Scientists have long known that the ApoE-4 gene is a player in Alzheimer’s, but the idea that it can work in concert with the herpes virus is new. A group at the University of Rochester Medical Center recently found that this particular gene causes a fertile environment for herpes in the brain.

One theory is that the body’s immune response against herpes somehow damages the brain. The damage can be worse in those with the ApoE-4 copy of the gene than in those with another form of the gene, such as ApoE-2 or ApoE-3. No research is conclusive at this point.

In 2006, the Manchester research team published a study that showed inflammation to be the earliest change detected in a brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease, before the hallmark plaques or tangles appear and long before any behavioral changes are seen. Such inflammation can be a byproduct of the body’s immune system fighting an infection.

Much research is being conducted in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is hoped that one day it may be prevented, especially if treatment begins in the early stages before symptoms become obvious.

Source:  Medical News TODAY 

About 250,000 Americans have AIDS but don’t know it. These individuals need prompt medical care in order to control the virus and to help prevent its spread to others. Life-extending therapies now available are most effective when treatment is begun early in the disease.

The Center for Disease Control is recommending that HIV testing become part of a routine physical. This recommendation is not binding legally, and all doctors and health insurers may not embrace this policy.

If implemented, more expense would be involved for testing, counseling, and revising consent procedures. Standard tests vary between $2.50 and $8 a test. The new rapid test costs about $15, but follow-up tests to confirm the diagnosis could cost another $50 or more. In this country, treatment for HIV can cost more than $10,000 a year.

It might be difficult to carry out recommended routine testing for these age groups. The most sensible strategy would be to test for the AIDS virus when doing blood work for other conditions or during Emergency visits. The CDC suggests that everyone be tested at least once, and that an annual test should be given to persons in high-risk groups.

If this policy is fully implemented, testing could be administered to between 100 to 200 million Americans. The American Medical Association endorses the proposal and urges doctors to comply.

Patients could decline the testing. Physicians are urged to offer their patients the opportunity to have anonymous testing and allow them to choose the site where they want to be tested.

If the recommendation becomes public policy, an added burden will be placed on public health programs that pay for this type of care. Additional funding would be needed. The benefits of getting early care for HIV or AIDS and helping to control its spread should justify the increased cost.

Source: CNN.com

Technorati Tags: AIDS, STD, HIV

Women in the study kept journals of their sexual practices and were checked for HPV every four months with swabs of the cervix and other genital areas. They noted whether there was any genital contact before using the condom.

HPV can cause cervical cancer, genital warts, vaginal, vulvar, anal and penile cancers. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD), infecting about 80% of young women within five years after becoming sexually active. HPV is frequently killed by the immune system, but in some women, the virus causes lesions that can become cancerous.

Worldwide, about 500,000 develop cervical cancer and nearly 300,000 die of it annually. In the U.S., some 3,500 women die of it each year.

Known to prevent AIDS and pregnancy, condoms are recently found to give significant protection against HPV, as well. Their use can also provide protection against gonorrhea, Chlamydia and herpes in men and women.

In early June, the U.S. government approved the first vaccine against HPV. If given to young women before they become sexually active, it could prevent them from ever contracting the virus.
Sources: CNN.com, San Francisco Chronicle; 6/22/06

Technorati Tags: Sexual Health, HPV, Condoms

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, affecting an estimated 50% of sexually active adults. Each year, cervical cancer kills 290,000 women worldwide. About 3,500 of the annual deaths occur in the U.S., where many women have the opportunity for early detection through regular pap smears. Treatment for precancerous lesions and early cervical cancer greatly reduce mortality rates in the U.S..

Gardasil is the first vaccine known to prevent cervical cancer. If approved by the FDA, the Merck vaccine could be the biggest advance in eradicating cervical cancer since the pap test was introduced decades ago.

Merck recommends using the vaccine in females age 9 to 26. Gardasil can be most effective if young girls are vaccinated before they became sexually active. The vaccine is not intended to take the place of regular cervical screening.

The FDA is expected to endorse the use of the vaccine at a June meeting. If approval is given, a national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will decide whether to advocate routine vaccination with Gardasil.

Source: CNN.com

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The vaccine seems to offer similar protection against HPV types 45 and 31, which can also trigger cervical cancer, the second most common malignant disease in women worldwide. Spread by sexual contact, human papilloma viruses are the main cause of cervical cancer.

Women taking part in the study received either three doses of Cervarix or a placebo. Those who got the vaccine had no more long-term side effects than those getting the placebo injection.

Cervarix is yet to be approved for general use on the market. Preliminary results show from antibody levels tested that protection remains unchanged nearly five years later. Further investigation of the new vaccine will take place before the vaccine is approved for widespread use.   

A similar vaccine called Gardasil is awaiting approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Gardasil is thought to protect against HPV 16 and 18 as well as HPV 6 and 11, which account for about 90% of genital warts.

Gardasil could be on the market later this year and would likely be given to women in their late teens or early 20s. Cervical cancer is often diagnosed at a younger age than any other cancers.

Source:  MedicineNet.com

Also see the latest news and discoveries for Gardasil 

 

A surprising finding was that if you didn’t develop toxicity in the first six to twelve months, the risks of complications went down rather than up. Researchers examined medical records of 2,304 patients with HIV in eight cities in the U.S. Patients were placed in five groups, depending on their white-blood-cell counts – an index of the degree of their illness. Risks of kidney failure and neuropathy were studied for all five groups.

Reduced side effects were seen in 28 percent of patients who started treatment early, before their cell counts dropped. These findings were presented in February at a scientific conference in Denver, Colorado. Scientists were encouraged to find that in one quarter of patients, the harsh side-effects could be avoided or minimized, regardless of length of time on the drugs. The key was to start on drug cocktails early.

San Francisco Chronicle, based on article by health writer Sabin Russell, (2/12/06)