Heavy marijuana smoking may increase cancer risk, researchers warn

Heavy marijuana smoking may raise the risk of lung cancer and several head and neck cancers, according to growing research, but many important questions remain unanswered. Scientists are still trying to determine how much marijuana use is enough to significantly increase cancer risk. Edibles have not been linked to lung cancer so far, while the long-term effects of vaping marijuana and secondhand marijuana smoke are still being investigated.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/HZEVlAY

This frog bacterium wiped out cancer tumors in mice with a single dose

A naturally occurring bacterium from amphibian intestines completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice with a single treatment by both attacking cancer cells and activating the immune system. The findings point to a promising new type of cancer therapy that could one day work against many solid tumors.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vVxS4Fs

A hidden immune backup system could supercharge mRNA cancer vaccines

Researchers found that mRNA cancer vaccines can recruit an unexpected immune cell to launch powerful tumor-fighting responses, overturning a long-held assumption about how the vaccines work. The discovery could lead to more effective cancer vaccines and help scientists tailor treatments for better patient outcomes.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/84jVtqn

Tiny silica particles wiped out aggressive prostate cancer in mice

Tiny silica nanoparticles engineered to seek out prostate cancer caused tumor cells to self-destruct and supercharged the immune system in preclinical mouse studies. Combined with immunotherapy, the treatment produced complete remissions in multiple mice, raising hopes for a powerful new approach to prostate cancer.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/S0l7CsJ

Creatine doesn't just build muscle. It may also help fight cancer

Scientists have discovered that creatine may strengthen one of the immune system's most important cancer-fighting pathways by energizing dendritic cells that activate killer T cells. The promising results could eventually help make immunotherapy more effective, but they have not yet been tested in human patients.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/IUxeHtg

Scientists discover how colon cancer cells change identity to spread

Scientists have identified a molecular switch that may help explain how colorectal cancer becomes deadly. When levels of a gene-regulating factor called GATA6 drop, cancer cells can shed their normal identity and transform into highly adaptable, fetal-like cells capable of spreading through the bloodstream and establishing new tumors in the liver. The study suggests that this dangerous transition is driven less by new genetic mutations and more by changes in how genes are switched on and off.

from Breast Cancer News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/5Q0db79

Scientists found a surprising cancer fighter hiding inside tumors

Scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago have turned an unlikely source into a potential new weapon against cancer: bacteria that naturally live inside tumors. They developed a peptide called aurB, inspired by a bacterial protein, that infiltrates cancer cells and effectively cuts off their energy supply by targeting the mitochondria—the cells’ power plants.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/TGvpf39

Scientists found 45 chemicals in pregnant women and many were linked to birth risks

A large study found that pregnant women are exposed to dozens of common chemicals, many of which were associated with earlier births and lower birth weights. Researchers also discovered that some replacement chemicals may be just as concerning as the substances they were designed to replace.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/lwOcUEY

Light switch wakes sleeping cancer cells and makes them vulnerable again

Some cancer cells evade treatment by entering a dormant state triggered by stress hormones. ETH Zurich scientists have created a light-controlled molecular switch that selectively destroys the receptors responsible for this survival mode. In laboratory lung cancer cells, the approach woke sleeping tumor cells and could help make future cancer therapies more effective while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/mPTQA0I

Millions take omega-3 fish oil for brain health but a new study found no benefit

Fish oil supplements successfully delivered omega-3s to the brain, but a two-year study found no meaningful benefits for memory, cognition, or Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. The results challenge the idea that fish oil pills can help prevent Alzheimer’s and shift attention toward overall diet and lifestyle instead.

from Women's Health News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/CXs3nk7