Halting breast cancer’s spread: An unhealthy gut triggers changes in normal breast tissue that help breast cancer spread to other parts of the body, research from UVA Cancer Center revealed. The gut microbiome – the microbes that naturally live inside us – can be disrupted by poor diet, long-term antibiotic use, obesity and other factors. When this happens, the ailing microbiome reprograms important immune cells in healthy breast tissue, called mast cells, to facilitate cancer’s spread. It was discovered by researchers led by UVA’s Melanie R. Rutkowski. The finding could help scientists develop ways to keep breast cancer from spreading to other parts of the body.
Preventing heart failure: The loss of the male sex chromosome as some men age causes the heart muscle to scar and can lead to deadly heart failure, new research from UVA’s Kenneth Walsh and collaborators revealed. The finding may help explain why men die, on average, several years younger than women. The new discovery suggests that men who suffer Y chromosome loss – estimated to include 40% of 70-year-olds – may particularly benefit from an existing drug that targets dangerous tissue scarring.
As the STAT Madness tournament progresses, the Hoo faithful should remember to return each day to cast their votes.
