Scripps Research Institute Breaks Ground in Breast Cancer Research
A giant leap in cancer research has been taken at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. Researchers studying breast cancer have identified the mechanism controlling the level of aggression in breast cancer tumors.
According to TSRI’s findings, the energy providing mitochondria of the cells, specifically a protein complex called mitochondria complex I, are responsible for the change in tumor behavior.
TSRI associate professor Brunhilde Felding, who led the research project, found the balance of metabolic cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and NADH in mitochondria complex I had a large effect on tumor aggressiveness.
By inserting yeast genes into the cells controlling the concentration of these cofactors, the team of researchers discovered a higher level of NAD+ made tumors less aggressive while higher NADH levels caused more aggressive tumor behavior.
Researchers tested their results further on mice infected with breast cancer and found that increased NAD+ caused breast cancer development to slow and allowed for longer life expectancy.
If this treatment is successful in humans, it could provide an alternative to chemotherapy and radiation therapy for breast cancer patients and may even be a preventative treatment for families with a history of breast cancer.
Cosmic Rays arise from Exploding Stars
At every second of every day, Earth and all of its inhabitants are bombarded by mass quantities of high energy, high speed cosmic rays. Many scientists believe they originate from the deaths of stars known as supernovas, but the mechanisms of these origins have been widely debated.
Astronomer Sladjana Nikolić at the Max Panck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany sought to lift the veil on this cosmic phenomenon by studying the shock point, or the point at which these rays plough into stationary interstellar matter, such as gases.
These shock points are similar to a jet plane breaking the sound barrier and creating a shock wave. Nikolić tested the historic supernova SN 1006, which occurred in the spring of 1006 and was so large it could be seen in broad daylight on Earth.
Using a VIMOS instrument to look deeper into the remnants of SN 1006, Nikolić found fast-moving protons he believes act as “seed particles,” which interact with shock front gases.
The interaction between these gases and protons causes the protons to become extremely energetic and fly off into space as cosmic rays.
