The effect leukemia has on the bones of cancer patients has been studied by researchers at the University of Rochester and a new perspective which is both thought-provoking and has surprise element to it has been arrived at. The study further sparks potential that therapies which treat bone disorders could aid in the treatment of leukemia. It also lays the foundations of a possible path that newly diagnosed leukemia patients be screened for osteoporosis. (1) Leukemia is a form of blood or bone marrow cancer in which there is an abnormal increase in the production of white blood cells. According to the Leukemia Research Foundation approximately 74,000 people in the U.S will have leukemia diagnosed for them out of which 21,000 may die of the disease.  (2) Blood stem cells are multi-potent in nature and give rise to all types…

More insights were had on the possible development of osteoporosis through a study of deer antlers by researchers at Research Institute of Hunting Resources (University of Castilla La Mancha), Spain. We have long been reading literature about how important Vitamin D and magnesium are to calcium metabolization. This new study shows another dietary mineral plays a vital role in the osteoporosis equation and that is manganese. The study of deer antlers began when there was a marked increase in the reported breakage of deer antlers in 2005 in Spain. The study pointed out that it was not really the deficiency of dietary calcium that made antlers in deer weak, but low levels of dietary manganese caused the calcium to not ‘stick’ as it were causing poor quality antlers. In that particular year, due to an abnormally cold winter, the plants…

A study conducted by the American College of Rheumatology over more than a decade brings out a fact that would startle many: 63% of women over 50 years of age experience either incidental, intermittent or persistent knee pain. Even more shocking is that as many as 27 million women over 25 years of age suffer from osteoarthritis in the US alone. Most likely direct causes have been found in being overweight, having a history of knee injury or early onset of radiographic osteoarthritis. The findings of this study has been published in the Wiley-Blackwell publication Arthritis & rheumatism and has set the medical fraternity abuzz with what the realities are and what they have to deal with in terms of management of the condition. Osteoarthritis is a joint disorder that occurs as we age and is generally caused by gradual…

The anatomical structure and the working of a ‘molecular motor’ has now been identified whose malfunctioning is believed to be responsible for the onset of many critical diseases and health conditions such as osteoporosis and even cancer. The motor is an energy-converting protein known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase. Every cell in our body contains this cell which is used to produce energy for the organs for our body to function. The ATP synthase protein interacts with the fatty acids that surround it. The fatty acids form membranes around each cell giving the cell mechanical protection from physical shock. It also provides structural support for the cell as well as acts as a semi-permeable barrier to other surrounding cells. The function of the fatty acids is to act like a lubricant for the functioning of this molecular motor. (1) The…