Battling For Health

I just got some really exciting news from some old labmates of mine: Judah Folkman, the father of angiogenesis therapy in cancer, has agreed to speak at my alma mater!

Who is Judah Folkman and Why Should I Care?

To understand the significance of this event, please allow me to give you a brief cell biology lesson: The body’s cells are surrounded by capillaries, or tiny blood vessels, which nourish the cells and carry off their waste. These capillaries are made up of endothelial cells, and because these endothelial cells generally never divide, the blood vasculature pretty much stays the same. Angiogenesis refers to the few times (like during wound healing or menstruation) when these sleepy endothelial cells actually do decide to wake up and start dividing. Like anything that has to go to work after a long nap, the cells get everything they need to get done in a short, controlled burst, and then tune right back out again.

Back in the 1960’s, it was generally thought that the living cells that comprise tumors were just feeding off the blood supply of normal tissue. Dr. Folkman was the first to hypothesize that perhaps these unwanted tumor cells were surviving due to angiogenic activity. Turns out that he was right, and a new way to approach cancer treatment was born.

A flurry of anti-angiogenic approaches have found success not just in cancer, but in but heart disease, obesity, and infertility as well. Researchers in Dr. Folkman’s laboratory have been in the forefront of the “stop ‘em where it starts” approach to management and treatment, and both the man and his research have been highlighted in books both by him and others, a documentary, several news stories, and most recently, new business development.

The Judah Folkman Lunchbox

Because he was not afraid to try new approaches when almost everyone in his field thought he was wrong, I’ve considered Dr. Folkman to be a Rock Star Scientist in my eyes for years. Both my husband and I had done our graduate work in an cancer angiogenesis laboratory, so we used to joke that getting the thumbs-up approval from Dr. Folkman would trump even a Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Fast forward a few years to this past April when I presented my work at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting for the first time. Until my labmates and I got our conference programs in the Los Angeles Conference Center, I had no idea that it was the 100th anniversary of AACR and that Dr. Folkman had been invited to be a keynote speaker. After briefly hyperventilating, I planned my entire schedule around seeing him speak. When I saw him at his sunrise session talk, he was both humble and instantly likeable as he spoke not just about his recent work but that of his collaborators.

Since I figured I’d never get the chance to see him in person again, I hung around afterwards with a small crowd of scientists. As I eavesdropped on the other people talking to him, I realized that each person he was talking to was asking for his expert opinion on research approaches or clinical practices. They were all dressed up and from big-name institutions. I was some scruffy kid who came from an cancer center no one’s ever heard of — and I had nothing brilliant to say! When it came to my turn in line, I said, in true Lesly-fashion, the first thing that came to mind: “Dr. Folkman, I’m Lesly, and me and my husband think that you’re so great that we would buy a lunchbox with your face on it!”

And there it was for all to see: my pedicured foot inserted neatly in my mouth.

Dr. Folkman laughed, and I quickly recovered to ask him what I was really interested in: If you’re in a situation where everyone thinks you’re wrong and your work is no good, how do you recover from the blows to your confidence? This was, as I told him, advice that I was asking on behalf of my husband who was stinging a bit at the time from spending the past few months trotting around the country for job interviews in places he never thought he’d ever have a shot.

Dr. Folkman told me that used to get down a bit, too, and a lot his support came from his wife who sagely told him that the only other person’s opinion who he should really take into account when it came to one’s self-confidence was hers and not to bother with the others. Then, he gave me his business card and told us to drop by and see him sometime if we were ever in Boston. My husband and I hung Dr. Folkman’s business card on our refrigerator to remind us that work is, after all, just work, and home is really what matters.

The story of the Judah Folkman lunchbox and how he took the time to offer advice to a starry-eyed babbler like myself circulated through the laboratories where I worked like wildfire, and not long after the conference, my school’s graduate student organization program invited him to speak at our university. Because no one on Dr. Folkman’s caliber had ever spoken our little university before, many of the professors thought it was silly to waste our time. They must have been pretty surprised to hear that he accepted our invitation. I can’t wait to go back and see him again and show him the Judah Folkman lunchbox that my friends made me!

Picture courtesy of the National Cancer Institute.

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Nutritional polyphenol antioxidants have have been enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the arena of cancer drug development, and the evidence of the downstream ripples lies in the long list of results that a quick googling of “antioxidants + cancer” yields.  So naturally (heh heh), my interest was piqued when I saw the following headline:  “In the Battle Against Cancer, Researchers Find Hope in a Toxic Wasteland.”

The opening paragraphs:

BUTTE, Mont. — Death sits on the east side of this city, a 40-billion-gallon pit filled with corrosive water the color of a scab. On the opposite side sits the small laboratory of Don and Andrea Stierle, whose stacks of plastic Petri dishes are smeared with organisms pulled from the pit. Early tests indicate that some of those organisms may help produce the next generation of cancer drugs.

From death’s soup, the Stierles hope to coax life.

Creepy stuff, huh?  The life-giving properties of ”death’s soup,” as described by Christopher Maag of the New York Times earlier this month, are the results of recent findings by Donald and Andrea Stierle.  The Stierles, a husband and wife time of scientists at Montana Tech of the University of Montana, have been hard at work for the last few years isolating extremely hardy compounds from the Berkley Pit Lake which previously served as one of the world’s largest copper mines before it was abandoned in the 1980’s.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Well, don’t discount the power of observation and some elbow grease — the Stierles were the first to publish the presence of taxol, a chemotherapeutic commonly used to treat breast and ovarian cancer, in a fungus that was often found next to yew trees, the only other source of taxol.  

The Stierles named two bioactive metabolites that they found in the Berkley pit by the very catchy names of Berkeleydione and Berkleytrione which they first described in 2004 in the journal Organic Letters.  Another metabolites, Berkelic acid is the source of recent interest as it has been found to have selective anticancer activity in ovarian cancer cells.  The findings were published in the the Journal of Organic Chemistry.

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When looking for quality information about medical or scientific breakthroughs, like most everything else in life, you have to sift through a lot of crap in order to find the good stuff. Unfortunately, for every good source on the internet about cancer like the American Cancer Society or WebMD, you have tons of sites and blogs with weak content or even misinformation.

Because physicians and scientists don’t often spend the time marketing their big ideas a la Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Edison, it’s often up to science writers, journalists, and bloggers to interpret their work and broadcast it for them. It is here where many roadblocks to good science communication can come up, including a lack of familiarity with a hyper-specialized vocabulary (be honest: do you recognize this?) or even a misintepretation of a data set’s significance (helpful hint for everyone who reports on medical breakthroughs in cancer research: correlation does not imply causation!)

Martin Fenner points out the difficulty of writing about cancer research science to a general audience in an interesting article entitled “Poor Media Coverage of Cancer Research: Are Blogs one Answer?” An excerpt:

For those of us working in cancer research, it is important to remember to communicate our research findings not only in journal articles and scientific meetings. We probably have to do a much better job in talking to the media and the public. One example would be to start a blog about a particular area of cancer research or cancer patient care. The number of quality blogs in this area could be much higher, and some blogs even had to close down.

I agree with Martin that there aren’t nearly enough high-quality news outlets for cancer research, and we’re not alone. This past year, one of the biggest powerhouses in scientific publications, the Nature Publishing Group, has made some pretty bold steps in making strong, evidence-based information about science easily accessible through their development of the Nature Network, an open-access social network and blogging platform geared directly to scientists and other professionals (including Martin).

In the spirit of promoting strong content in the world of cancer research, I’d like to point you to a few recent posts on some of my favorite blogs:

Immortal berry or not?

Joel Shurkin, one of my biggest inspirations in science writing, is about as skeptical as I am when it comes to the media-at-large reporting on new cancer breakthroughs, as he says here:

Overreacting to Alcohol’s Breast Cancer Risks

From the science blog at WIRED magazine, an interesting post that takes into consideration a vast pool of literature linking cancer and alcohol consumption:

Ixempra: New metastatic breast Cancer Treatment Approved by the FDA

Gloria at Cancer Commentary (who also happens to write Battling Arthritis) does a good job at explaining the basic mechanics of how newly-approved drugs work without the hype. Here, she discusses ixempra, a new chemotherapeutic targeting cancer metastasis.

Caspase 8 Story: Breast Cancer

If you already have a basic understanding of cell signalling pathways and you’re the kind of person who’s interested in the mechanics of how cancer works, then Cancer Genetics is right up your alley. Ram?nas Janavi?ius, a human geneticist with an interest in cancer, breaks down the freshest papers on clinical oncology for you. While you’re there, check out his list of ongoing clinical trials.

Am I missing your favorite cancer blog? Do you write a science blog that you’d like me to check out? Please let me know in the comments!

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Excuse my recent absence, I’ve been under a literally bad weather. You see, I work in our not-fully finished house near an open window where there is an optimum signal for my 3G signal. When it rains (especially if directed sideways) the cellphone (my modem) and the back of my PC (monitor and CPU) will get wet.

The last couples of days , we had to endure dark gray skies and continuous heavy downpour. You know… that kind of downpour that has no intention of stopping, like the heavens has a big hole in it. This kind of weather is our normal this time of the year, we are just thankful the rains and winds didn’t brew into a full-blown storm. While in the temperate countries, it must be starting to get really cold, temperatures dropping continuously it won’t be long before it starts snowing.

I haven’t been in any temperate country so I have no idea how cold cold can be in winter. But here in the tropics, this time of year until sometime in February is relatively cold, isn’t good for people (young and old) who are suffering from arthritis. For once, if it keeps raining, it is a hassle to go outside to stretch your legs. Besides, during cold weathers, arthritic pains seems to escalate, aging bones need some warmth.

If arthritic people in the tropics are suffering how much more those people in temperate countries.

Today, the weather finally hold up. Skies are still gray, we haven’t been grazed by sunlight yet but at least it has stopped raining.

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Most people will try a hundred different fad diets, at least as many nutritional supplements and even all sorts of wacky alternatives. But, getting them to exercise can be a real challenge.

Nevertheless, it’s an inescapable fact that proper diet has to be accompanied by an age-appropriate, regular exercise program - if the goal is good health and an attractive body. Diet is essential, but exercise is its essential partner. Diet provides the proper fuel, but exercise uses that fuel to generate health and fitness.

There’s no need to become a fitness fanatic, but there are several simple exercises you can begin today. Start a daily stretching routine of at least 10 minutes before doing any vigorous training. A 20-minute walk every other day is a great beginning for those not used to exercise.

Work up to more effort slowly. Most of those new to exercise get discouraged and quit too soon because they try too hard at first. This produces soreness and sometimes injury. That reduces the motivation.

Instead, start with some light weight training, using 5lb, 10lb, then 20lb weights. Curls, squats and other exercises are simple and you’ll soon graduate. Then add a 10-minute jog, a 20-minute jog, then 30-minutes. Once you hit an hour-long run, you’re into the serious workout category.

If you can, invest in equipment that may help you get motivated. Others will need the social stimulus of a gym to keep their willpower up. But in either case, don’t let your money go to waste. Make a commitment to regular workouts, whether at home or away. If you do join a gym, don’t be shy. Take advantage of the expertise of more experienced fitness enthusiasts and the staff.

In order to lose weight, you want to be sure to include some cardiovascular exercises in your routine. That can be running, cycling or any number of alternatives. To tone muscles and tighten the slack skin that will result from major body fat reduction, you’ll need to add resistance and weightlifting exercises. You can use stretchers, rope and pulley or other equipment to supply the resistance. Weight machines are great for lifting exercises.

As you get into the routine, you may or may not actually lose weight. If you’re not obese but merely overweight, you may not see much loss. As you reduce fat deposits the difference can be made up by gains in muscle mass. Don’t pay much attention to early losses, they may well be due as much to water loss as anything else.

But as you reduce excess body fat and tone muscles you’ll experience many side benefits beyond a more attractive body. You’ll feel better overall, be more energetic and should experience a heightened mood.

Feel good about it. You worked hard for the results.

Advertisement: Halloween @ HART Market Everything you need for a spooky Halloween!

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I met my friend M. while she was doing an undergraduate summer internship in a cancer research at the university where I worked. A year later, she joined my school as a PhD student and I trained her when she did a research rotation in my laboratory. About this time last year, she had a night on the town cut short by sudden, uncontrollable bleeding. She went home feeling pretty sick, and later that night, her boyfriend rushed her to the emergency room. Later on that week, she was told that that she had cancer.

We were friends — not best friends, but close enough where we regularly shared stories about our wacky families and our mutual fear that a life at the bench might not be for us, met for lunch, and watched basketball games when we could. In the months that followed, we got a lot closer. I visited her in her emergency hospitalizations, helped her sort through the business of hospital billing, and drove her to her specialist appointments four hours away at Johns Hopkins University. We even ended up being interviewed for a “Dateline” special together for a documentary on cancer patients!

In the time that she wasn’t in the hospital or at home recovering from procedures, we spent a lot of time talking. She told me all about how she wanted her life to be as normal as possible, so whenever I called her, we talked about the most mundane things like the latest gossip about our coworkers and the quirks about our bosses.

The thing that she didn’t know was that it was actually really hard for me to act like things were normal. I didn’t know why, but sometimes the prospect of talking to her was sometimes really daunting for me. Sometimes I wouldn’t respond to her email and phone calls right away. I hated it because I wanted to be a good friend to her, but I didn’t know how to deal with what I was feeling. I’m ashamed to say that the reason was that I just felt uncomfortable being reminded with the fact that she had cancer — and it could have been me!

The fine folks at Awareness Always recently pointed to a 2005 story in Time magazine entitled How to Talk to a Friend With Cancer. It was an interview with Lori Hope, a cancer patient while she was promoting her book, Help Me Live: 20 Things People With Cancer Want You to Know.

I was particularly struck by the following question:

Q: Why do you think so many of us feel tongue-tied and awkward around cancer patients?

A: You are confronted with the possibility of death, and you are afraid. And, in a way, you are relieved it’s not you. It brings up so many fears.”

I’m ashamed to say that I wasn’t the friend that I could have been to her during that time, but reading this helped me realize that this is apparently a common reaction. Read the article if you get a chance — it’s an enlightening read.

By the way, my friend’s okay now and back in school full-time. Also, Awareness Always has some really neat jewelery on sale, including this Daphne bracelet. A huge percent of the profits go to charity, so check them out!

For my readers who have recently known someone close who have been diagnosed with cancer — how did you handle the news, and how did you deal with your own feelings during the more difficult times? I’m curious to hear your stories — click on the “Submit your Story” tab or leave it in the comments!

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By Sarah Shepherd

In 1901, a German physician was presented with an unusual and never before seen case. His patient was a 51 year-old woman who seemed to be suffering from mental problems. In addition to having several bouts of memory loss, she accused her husband of being unfaithful. She had difficulty understanding simple things that we being said to her and she could no longer perform certain actions. The physician attempted to treat her as best he could, but never before seeing these symptoms together in one person proved to be a major stumbling block. He monitored her as these symptoms intensified, and within a few years she was completely bedridden. Less than 5 years later, the woman was dead. The causes of death were pneumonia and infections caused by bedsores. The doctor published his findings after the autopsy, and in 1910 it was suggested by a fellow physician that the disease be named after this German doctor. The debilitating brain disorder was henceforth known as Alzheimer’s Disease.

According to the National Alzheimer’s Association, a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every 72 seconds. The disease affects the brain by destroying brain cells. This leads to memory loss and causes problems with things such as motor skills and thinking processes. The cause of Alzheimer’s has yet to be determined. Even worse, no cure has been found. Approximately 5 million Americans are living with this disease, which is unfortunately a fatal illness. It is estimated that over 500,000 people are living with early onset Alzheimer’s, which affects people under the age of 65.

Every one of us knows someone or knows of someone who has been touched by Alzheimer’s disease. Whether it is a person suffering directly, or a family member dealing with the illness of a relative, it affects millions of people every day across the world. Not only is this disease absolutely devastating for those suffering from it, but usually more so for the family and friends of the person affected. It’s for this reason that Alzheimer’s Awareness Month was created.

Commonly recognized during November, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month brings attention to a disease that desperately needs it. Because there is no cure and the cause has not yet been found, Alzheimer’s Awareness Month serves as a yearly opportunity to raise money for research. Just like Breast Cancer Awareness month, there are several walks that are sponsored across the country, along with many other events. The money raised not only assists in research, but also in treatment. In addition to the fundraising opportunities that Alzheimer’s Awareness Month brings, it also serves as a time to recognize those living with the disease and those caring for them. For every person that lives with the disease there are several more that care for them, whether they are family members, social workers, or health care staff. In addition to honoring the living and their caregivers it also serves as a time to remember those that have lost the battle.

Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness Month can be done in several ways. Promotional t-shirts and caps can be purchased to be worn at walks. Since Alzheimer’s is usually associated with the color white, it’s not uncommon for white awareness bracelets to be worn in remembrance of those who have been lost. The most common purchasers of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month products are people that are directly involved in the cause, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Choosing to buy promotional awareness bracelets or t-shirts is an excellent way for businesses to align themselves with this worthwhile cause. Stores can create a “Gift with Purchase” program. For example, if a customer spends $50, they receive an Alzheimer’s Awareness t-shirt. Awareness bracelets are still extremely popular, so they can be offered to customers by keeping them available at the register. Try selling them for two dollars, and donate $1 to an Alzheimer’s foundation. Not only will you be raising money for a worthy cause, you will be showing your customers that your business cares about important issues.

Sarah Shepherd is a e-marketing specialist for Motivators, Inc., a Long Island based promotional products distributor. The company’s website, Motivators.com boasts over 30,000 e-commerce enabled promotional products and features an Alzheimer’s Awareness section.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Shepherd

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By Robert Groth

There are several recognized risk factors in Multiple Sclerosis, although there is not a definite known cause. These risk factors do not guarantee that you will be diagnosed with the disease, but they do increase your chances.

Heredity is the first of the known risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis. If no one has Multiple Sclerosis in your family, then your chances of having MS are only 1 in 750. Having a parent or sibling with MS increases the odds to 1 in 100. If you have an identical twin with MS, your chances are 1 in 4, although both twins do not always have MS. For this reason, many researchers believe that Multiple Sclerosis is not just a genetic disease, although heredity does affect the chances you will have it.

Environmental factors are the second risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Research shows that bacteria and viruses, especially at certain ages, can increase your chances of having MS. Alone these infections should not cause MS, but when combined with other risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis, especially heredity, they can greatly increase the odds of having it. The infections that could be related to MS are measles, herpes, chickenpox, rubella, mononucleosis, chlamydia, and some types of flu. These may have the most risk when they are contracted as a teenager.

Geography is the third risk factor in Multiple Sclerosis. For some unknown reason, MS is more common in temperate climates such as Europe, southern Canada, northern United States, and southeastern Australia. This geographical factor seems to be most important during puberty.

Gender is the fourth risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Women are 2 to 3 times more likely than men to have MS. This is believed to be due to hormonal differences. Men who smoke are twice as likely as men who do not smoke to be diagnosed with MS.

Age is the fifth risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis. Usually MS is diagnosed to people between 20 and 50. It is possible to be diagnosed during childhood or after the age of 50, but this age range seems to be the most critical.

The sixth risk factor in Multiple Sclerosis is giving cow’s milk to babies. This is a newly discovered risk, and the reasons are not yet known. It may be proven in the future to be in no way linked to MS. Pediatrician’s advise against cow milk for infants under one year of age, anyway, so it would be best to be careful. Breast milk is believed to be the best food for infants because it helps the brain develop faster and more fully. This may be the link between cow’s milk and MS, since the brain would not be as developed.

Heredity is probably the only risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis that may cause the disease on its own, but combining several of these factors together may greatly increase your odds. Since many of these things are beyond your control, if you meet several of these risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis, you may want to consult a doctor. At the least watch for any symptoms related to the disease. Anything you can due to reduce your chances or your loved one’s chances of meeting these risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis would be worth the effort.

© CG Groth 2007

Robert Groth, author and speaker was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1990. Receive more information and a free inspirational daily email on how you can beat multiple sclerosis at www.beatmultiplesclerosis.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Groth

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Hi everyone,

As I mentioned yesterday, tomorrow is first day of volunteer orientation at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. MDA is nestled within the depths of the The Texas Medical Center, a system of over 40 government and not-for-profit institutions making it the largest medical center in the world. As a small town girl, it’s a pretty amazing sight to see (except around rush hour when it loses its charm just a little).

MD Anderson has some of the best and brightest cancer physicians and research scientists in the world. This week, many of them are in San Francisco, California discussing their findings at the International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, the joint meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. This annual meeting is one of the world’s leading conferences covering breakthroughs in new developments in chemotherapeutics. Here’s some of the latest daily headlines from the meeting, courtesy of AACR:

Clinical Studies in the Pipeline: The Therapies of Tomorrow in Trials Today

Studies presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics demonstrate the flexibility of targeted therapy techniques, where new drugs can be developed and tested in human trials more quickly and safely than ever before.

Advances in Drug Screening: Building a Better Haystack for the Needles of Tomorrow

With the discovery of suitable molecular targets - cellular molecules along pathways crucial for sustaining the life of cancer cells - comes the perplexing dilemma of where to find the next therapeutics that will bind to and disable those targets. While the possibilities for drug designs are near-limitless, the methods to screen drug databases and repositories are often problematic or ill-suited for the particular needs of researchers. . . Researchers report new means of delving into vast stores of data in search of potential therapies, whether to find the next natural cancer fighter or to discover new classes of therapeutics.

Combination Targets: Some Drugs May Work Best When They Work Together

While some targeted therapies - drugs developed to attack specific molecules in the critical chemical pathways occurring within cancer cells - work well by themselves, increasingly researchers are finding that they work better when teamed with other targeted and conventional therapies.

Reported today at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, multiple-target applications of new and existing drugs are offering new hope in the fight against cancer and drug resistance, from lung and breast cancer to rare tumors of the bile duct.

Experimental Cancer Pharmaceuticals under Trial

Advances in drug development have enabled scientists to attack new and unconventional cancer targets, leading to better treatments for cancer patients with fewer unwanted side effects. The following items highlight the early results from two experimental therapeutics, currently involved in Phase I or II trials, which are being presented today at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics.

A Fresh Look at Existing Therapies: Researchers Explore Ways to Teach Approved Drugs New Tricks

Although all cancers are not alike, most share common causes, whether it is the result of a genetic mutation or faulty biochemical signaling pathway. For that reason, drugs developed specifically for one disease might have an impact on many others. Increasingly, researchers are discovering ways of combining new and existing drugs to fight cancer - broadening the targets of already-approved targeted therapeutics.

Today at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, researchers present the results of some of these investigations, whether it is finding a new use for the immunosuppressant rapamycin or adapting the use of approved antibodies to reach the same targets within different cancers.

Targets on the Horizon: Emerging Therapies and Novel Targets

New targets, such as cell signaling receptors found on cancer tumors, provide tantalizing targets for engineered antibodies and small inhibitory molecules. New therapeutic technologies, such as virus-based therapy against cancers metastasized to nerve cells and a unique two-headed antibody that attaches killer T cells to tumor cells, offer promising methods for controlling disease

Lots of cool stuff out there, and it makes me miss being in the lab a little bit. Wish me luck for tomorrow!

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A disabling form of arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis is a painful and progressive disease in which some or all of the spine’s vertebrae fuse together.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that not only affects the spine but also can attack other joints and organs, including the heart, lungs and eyes. The condition afflicts an estimated one in 200 males and one in 500 females and typically strikes during adolescence and young adulthood.

Now, an international team of researchers (led by a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center geneticist) has discovered two genes associated to ankylosing spondylitis.

The study revealed two genes linked to ankylosing spondylitis: ARTS1 and IL23R, both of which influence immune function. Together with the previously known gene HLA-B27, the new findings increase to three the number of genes known to be involved in the disease. A person who carries all three genetic variants would be expected to have a one-in-four chance of developing the disease.

What does finding a gene associated to a disease mean actually? It means that anybody can get tested for said genes to determine their risk of a certain disease — such as ankylosing spondylitis and the genes associated with it as recently discovered. In the long run, this disease may be treated or prevented by gene therapy, once research become successful in this department.

Indeed, genes are important, as my friend Hsien always tells us.

According to principal investigator and corresponding author Lon Cardon, Ph.D (a member of the Hutchinson Center’s Human Biology Division, a statistical methodologist who last year came to the Hutchinson Center’s Human Biology Division from the University of Oxford, where he conducted the research and retains an academic post, also a professor of biostatistics at the University of Washington):

“Clinically these diseases tend to occur together — people with inflammatory-bowel disease also tend to have a higher probability of having ankylosing spondylitis and psoriasis. The IL23R gene provides a genetic link that sheds new light on their co-occurrence.

This is an exciting time for genetics. The Wellcome Trust Case Consortium has yielded more genetic discoveries for common diseases in 2007 than have been made in the entire history of the field.”

Do not get tired ever of hearing about genetics and stuff in any other disease or health condition, because the breakthroughs are admirable, not to mention awesome. Not all people (not even me!) may understand it and the research involved, but it is paving the way to prevention and cure of serious diseases. Yes, including arthritis and its many forms such as ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis. What a mouthful! But now we know that it is a form of arthritis.

Find more details from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center press release.

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