Viruses suspected to cause lung cancer

Source: Science Daily

Hello Everyone, this is a very interesting news that I picked. Scientists at the University of Louisville,Kentucky have found out instances of HPV(Human Pappiloma Virus) in samples of non-small-cell lung cancer cells.

Now we already know about the HPV and its role in Cervical cancer. Researchers tested about 23 samples of the lung cancer cells and found that 5 of them tested positive for the virus indicating that the HPV could possibly act as a co-carcinogen for lung cancer, the main cause as we all know being smoking.

If this could be considered as a coincidence, then this is even more interesting. Israeli researchers have also found out the role of measles virus in some lung cancers. In the tests that they conducted, they found occurence of measles virus in the cancerous cell samples indicating a similar phenomenon as described earlier. The Israeli scientists feel that these viruses could actually be boosting the function of the actual carcinogens instead of them directly acting as one.

Sunflower protein may help cancer patients

Source: Science Daily

Hello Everyone, I have got an interesting news that I wanted to share it with you. Here we go:

Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology have found a mini protein in Sunflower which they feel could prevent the spread of prostate cancer. The researchers feel that it is because of the spreading of cancer that most of the problems arise. So they are trying to tackle this by using this protein.

We know that proteases play a very important role in the spreading of cancer. The researchers say that the mini protein that they have discovered is actually a protease inhibitor which prevents this enzyme from functioning thereby preventing the spread of cancer.

But the problem they faced was that the protease enzyme also played roles in the development of the body. Hence they modified the protein in such a way that it could affect only those proteases that are involved with the protate cancer cells.

Now the researchers have got grants to pursue with the project. They say that they would start the mouse trials and if it comes out well, they would rope in Pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing Drugs.