New-science approaches to detecting, preventing and curing cancers

I have covered a number of new-science approaches to detecting, preventing or curing cancers in this blog and in other writings.  The context was set in an early blog entry From four-pound hammer to smart molecules – on cancer treatments.  Here is a listing of the new approaches and twists on old ones, citing relevant blog and writing entries:

*  DNA demethylation:  See DNA demethylation – a new way of coming at cancers.  Also Homicide by DNA methylation, and Embryonic Stem cell research news.  In my treatise see the candidate theory of aging Epigenomic Changes in DNA Methylation and Histone Acetylation and the blog entry Epigenetics, Epigenomics and Aging.

*  Use of terminator stem cells:  See Terminator stem cells in the early pipeline.  See also Trojan-horse stem cells might offer an important new cancer therapy, and Progress in fighting glioblastoma.

*  Using TRAIL to kill cancer cells: See On the TRAIL of a selective cancer treatment.  Also note Terminator stem cells in the early pipeline.

*  Keeping telomeres long:   See Revisiting telomere shortening yet-again.  The discussion in the treatise section Telomere Shortening and Damage is relevant for background.

*  Telomerase activation affect on cancer stem cells:  See Extra-telomeric benefits of telomerase – good news for telomerase activators. 

*  Gene therapy: See for example A Fascinating dance of death and life – Fas, FasL and diseases. 

*  Targeting the Factor 5A1 gene: See Senesco and the Factor 5A1 gene

* Inhibition of expression of NF-kappaB:  See in my treatise discussions in the Susceptibility to Cancers Firewall and in the Programmed Epigenomic Changes Firewall.

*  Taking advantage of the NRG1 GENE:  See The NRG1 Gene – an important new tumor suppressor gene?, Also see DNA demethylation – a new way of coming at cancers

*  Targeting the Nrf2 gene: see Nrf2 and cancer chemoprevention by phytochemicals.  Also Phytochemicals – focus on caffeic acid and Health and longevity benefits of dark chocolate.

* Targeting cancer stem cells:  see News on disabling cancer stem cells, Big Pharma is targeting cancer stem cells, Update on cancer stem cells, and On cancer stem cells.

*  Plant-derived substances:   See Progress in fighting glioblastoma re curcumin,  see Cordyceps militaris and cancer, and Blueberries and health – the research case.

*  Chemotherapy combinations and substances in clinical trials for lymphomas: see Autoimmune diseases and lymphoma – Part III: focus on lymphomas 

*  Cancer immunotherapy:  See Dendritic cell cancer immunotherapy 

*  DHMEQ:  See More on DHMEQ and a no-no mind bender and DHMEQ.

* Prevention of oncogenic radiation-induced DNA damage:  See my paper Protection Against Radiation - The Second Line of Defense.

For the time being it appears that the multiple forms of cancer offer multiple challenges and that multiple approaches  will be needed to deal with these challenges.  Thus, each of the above approaches and others yet may turn out to have their roles. I will continue to monitor these and other emerging developments.

This entry was posted on 16. December 2009 at 21:20 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.