unlikely antioxidants
"bacteria create anti-cancer compounds"
united press int'l / sci-tech today (9 may 2005)
u.s. scientists said they have discovered that a microbe found inside sea squirts produces a compound that has anti-cancer properties.
the findings could have implications for using bacteria to produce pharmaceuticals, researchers from the university of utah and the institute for genomics research in rockville, md., said in a report published online in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences.
previous studies have shown that ground-up extracts of sea squirts contain patellamides, chemicals that may be useful in treating some cancers.
researchers suspected the patellamides were produced by bacteria known as prochloron didemnia, which live in the sea squirt, but had not been able to prove it, until now.
the researchers isolated the bacteria's dna from sea squirt samples collected from the republic of palau in micronesia.
they found the bacteria's genes contained the chemical pathways responsible for producing two different patellamides.
"whiskey a day keeps cancer away?"
agence france-presse / sci-tech today (9 may 2005)
single malt whiskey can beat the threat of cancer, thanks to high levels of a powerful antioxidant that kills cancer cells, a medical conference in scotland was told sunday.
jim swan, an independent consultant to the global drinks industry, said that, according to research, single malt whiskey contains "more ellagic acid than red wine."
swan, a doctor, told the euromedlab 2005 conference explained that ellagic acid is an effective "free radical scavenger" that "absorbs" or "eats up" rogue cells that occur in the body during eating.
"the free radicals can break down the dna structure of our existing cells, which then leads to the risk of the body making replacement rogue cancer cells," he said.
"so, whether you indulge in the odd tipple, or you are a serious connoisseur, whiskey can protect you from cancer - and science proves it."
lesley walker of cancer research u.k. was dubious.
"there is considerable data documenting the link between drinking excess alcohol and the increased risk of a number of cancers, particularly in smokers," she said.
"ellagic acid is a powerful antioxidant, but that does not mean it is necessary to hit the bottle," she said, noting that the ellagic acid can also be found in soft fruits.
the euromedlab 2005 conference in glasgow, hosted by the association of clinical biochemists, runs until thursday, with more than 3,000 researchers, doctors, and science and technology companies expected to attend.
united press int'l / sci-tech today (9 may 2005)
u.s. scientists said they have discovered that a microbe found inside sea squirts produces a compound that has anti-cancer properties.
the findings could have implications for using bacteria to produce pharmaceuticals, researchers from the university of utah and the institute for genomics research in rockville, md., said in a report published online in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences.
previous studies have shown that ground-up extracts of sea squirts contain patellamides, chemicals that may be useful in treating some cancers.
researchers suspected the patellamides were produced by bacteria known as prochloron didemnia, which live in the sea squirt, but had not been able to prove it, until now.
the researchers isolated the bacteria's dna from sea squirt samples collected from the republic of palau in micronesia.
they found the bacteria's genes contained the chemical pathways responsible for producing two different patellamides.
"whiskey a day keeps cancer away?"
agence france-presse / sci-tech today (9 may 2005)
single malt whiskey can beat the threat of cancer, thanks to high levels of a powerful antioxidant that kills cancer cells, a medical conference in scotland was told sunday.
jim swan, an independent consultant to the global drinks industry, said that, according to research, single malt whiskey contains "more ellagic acid than red wine."
swan, a doctor, told the euromedlab 2005 conference explained that ellagic acid is an effective "free radical scavenger" that "absorbs" or "eats up" rogue cells that occur in the body during eating.
"the free radicals can break down the dna structure of our existing cells, which then leads to the risk of the body making replacement rogue cancer cells," he said.
"so, whether you indulge in the odd tipple, or you are a serious connoisseur, whiskey can protect you from cancer - and science proves it."
lesley walker of cancer research u.k. was dubious.
"there is considerable data documenting the link between drinking excess alcohol and the increased risk of a number of cancers, particularly in smokers," she said.
"ellagic acid is a powerful antioxidant, but that does not mean it is necessary to hit the bottle," she said, noting that the ellagic acid can also be found in soft fruits.
the euromedlab 2005 conference in glasgow, hosted by the association of clinical biochemists, runs until thursday, with more than 3,000 researchers, doctors, and science and technology companies expected to attend.