Cell research shows promise in hard-to-treat breast cancer

A form of fast-spreading breast cancer has remained hard to treat despite overall advances in the field. Now a new study reveals some of the underpinnings of this disease, called basal subtype breast cancer, and may point the way to future avenues of treatments.

Women with mutations in their BRCA1 genes are more likely than others to develop basal subtype breast cancer, and the study showed that even non-cancerous cells with these mutations express, or turn on, different genes, look different under a microscope and behave differently when they divide than cells without these mutations.

That means women with BRCA1 mutations have "a reservoir of cells primed to form cancer, if the right combination of other signals comes along," said study researcher Charlotte Kuperwasser, an associate professor of Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology at Tufts University in Boston.Normally, the BRCA1 gene suppresses tumor growth; women with mutations in this gene, however, have a much higher risk of developing breast cancer. Until now, scientists have not fully understood why.

In normal breast tissue, some cells are "milk makers" and others are "milk squeezers," and these types are easily distinguished from each other, Kuperwasser said.

But in their study, the team found that for women with BRCA1 mutations these breast cells develop abnormally, even when there are no signs of cancer. More specifically, these cell types get stuck in an immature state, Kuperwasser said.

"If you look at breast tissues under a microscope — in every way that we can do that — you cannot tell the difference between these cells," as you can in cells without the mutation, she said. And certain proteins that normally show up on the surfaces of cells of each type don't appear as they should.

In other ways, the tissue functions normally. These women have normal breast biology and normal lactation — somehow life has otherwise overcome the effects of the mutation, she said.This lack of normal maturation represents a new way of understanding the role of the BRCA1 gene, she said.

"Our understanding of tumor suppressor genes has been that they put the brakes on cell growth," Kuperwasser said. "This shows they also play an important role in normal maturation and differentiation of cells." (Differentiation is a process by which cells mature.)

"Now we can think of cancers as two different puzzles — there's the DNA damage that we know can cause cancer, but there's also the normal process of differentiation, and the regulation of that differentiation process," she said.

Future treatments

Women with BRCA1 mutations face an 80-percent chance of developing breast cancer in their lives, and many of them develop the basal subtype. Often, basal subtype cancers are particularly devastating, because they are impervious to treatments with hormone therapies.

"There's a very limited arsenal for treating basal subtype cancers," Kuperwasser said. The finding suggests scientists may want to consider therapies for basal breast cancer that target the genes involved in the differentiation of these cells.

"Even if we could convert basal cancers to luminal, hormone-responsive breast cancer, we could treat it," she said.

Further, the study shows that researchers should consider treating women with BRCA1 mutations before they develop breast cancer, she said. Therapies could be designed to coax their cells to differentiate — to get them out of their immature state — before cancer arises, she said.

"If we could normalize their breast tissue, could we lower their incidence [of breast cancer]?" she said.

Researchers may also want to study the 20 percent of women with BRCA1 mutations who don't develop breast cancer.

"What's going on in those cases, what specific mutations might be different and other factors that are involved, we don't really know,"

Tourbillon Black Hole - luxury watch as a mysterious object

Inside a black hole matter, space and time are virtually absent in our understanding of them. And therefore quite surprising desire designer Fischer Thierry do watch Tourbillon Black Hole is in the form of this mysterious object.

The space theme seems to be one of the most popular design in order to watch. We have already talked about the gorgeous moon watch from the company Sarpaneva. Now here we want to provide watch Tourbillon Black Hole from designer Thierry Fischer, visual beat some of the most unusual objects in the universe, namely, the black hole.

There is no more beautiful form than the form at the starry sky. But residents of the cities in order to admire the infinity of space, we have to go outside the settlement - urban lighting almost interrupts the light from the stars.

But watch Tourbillon Black Hole will help urban residents admire the stars, even in the daytime. Because they are made in the form of the sky - with spinning spheres and a black hole in the center of the dial.

Minute and hour the arrows on the described watch, of course, no. Instead they came up with Thierry Fischer rolling elements which interface with movable stars. On the hour written digits from 1 to 12, and on a minute shows the star.
Well, all this is not spinning around the Earth, not around Solntstsa and around the black hole. And is this cosmic beauty is not above the human head and on his wrist.

UNO 24 - сoncept of wrist watches

Concept of wrist watches UNO 24 has already received awards from Red Dot for outstanding product design award and Good Design Award. The idea belongs to the concept of Klaus Botta Botta Design. Watch face is split into two halves - the day and night.

The dial is divided into 24 hours and is not quite usual. Each section of the halves (day and night) corresponds to the course, which is at the moment the sun. For example, in the morning the arrow is horizontal, the day it is exactly in the middle (like the sun at the zenith), and the evening descends into the horizon.

The art of hypnosis. Wonderful watch Kinetic Effect Clock

In view of these amazing watch, invented by the Romanian student Florin Busuioc, reminiscent of a great audio speaker: the dial background is composed of six triangles. Neither Roman nor Arab figures, as well as the shooter, it is not: only minimalist rectangles, denoting watch, minutes and seconds, slowly creeping over the edge.

But six triangles - not simple. In a modification of these hours, they look bulky and moving. This is achieved by backlighting: something like a projection show. This technique moving watch are capable of becoming the fourth subject of the famous trinity of flowing water, flames-paydays - a subject on which you can watch forever.

Another modification of the Kinetic Effect Clock - multi-colored. She is hypnotizes play of the three primary colors - red, blue and yellow. And the speed of color "layers "of the dial corresponds to the speed of the shooter - second, minute and hour.

Wrist Watch Phosphor Reveal with Swarovski crystals

American brand of Phosphor in the past has always been associated with the Watch E Ink, but this time the company was surprised by his fans, bringing out a new series called Reveal. The surface of the watch is decorated with precious stones, Swarovski. Like anything exclusive, since this kind of crystal we have seen in the case of many Watch. However, the petite shiny crystals are assigned the leading role ...

Phosphor Reveal the world's first mechanical digital watch, using technology for Micro-Magnetic Mechanical DigitalTM (M3D), whereby the crystals are automatically arranged in a certain sequence to form a digital display.

Wristwatch made in 6 different styles, 4 of which are designed for women and only 2 for men. The price for Phosphor Reveal starts from $ 199.

Olivier Demangel - futuristic watches - Konect USB watch

The author is a concept watch Solaris, Olivier Demangel introduced another interesting concept of wristwatch, which among other things, are a kind of docking station for USB-Stick. New product called Konect and looks terrific. watch should please geekers, fans of science fiction, and just modern people.

Thanks to a flash drive that connects to the watch, you can listen to music. On the bracelet are buttons to control the player and volume. watch can synchronize with Bluetooth-headset, concept of which, incidentally, also designed Olivier Demangel.

The Video Surveillance Clock Sees All

In this day and age, we have the ability to know everything that’s going on in our lives, even when you’re not there. With the advent of the surveillance camera, we have become privy to whats happening in our streets and shops, or even what our kids are up to while they’re at pre-school. Parking lots, airports, the grocery store, somebody is always watching us. It got me to wondering, whats going on in my house when I’m not home.

Not that I don’t trust my husband, but I know I’m not the only one who wonders whats going on when I’m not looking, so in order to “catch” my husband telling people on the phone how wonderful I am, or walking around the house muttering to himself how much he misses me while hugging my pillow (hey, it’s my story, I’ll tell it the way I want to!) I’m thinking about the Video Surveillance Clock.This small (2 3/4″ Diam. x 3/4″ D ) analog clock has a built-in, motion-activated video surveillance camera that records both audio and video and takes photographs too, it’s just perfect for checking out the action in a room or office.

The image sensor captures 720 x 480 resolution video in a 62º angle from nine feet away while its sensitive microphone picks up sound from 16′ away. It can also take photographs at 1,280 x 960 resolution.

Included is a 4 GB microSD card that will store up to six hours of AVI video or 52,000 JPG images, it also supports up to an 8 GB microSD card. You can download all the heartwarming content you want to your computer and its rechargeable lithium battery is recharged via USB port and included cable. Compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP, and Mac. At the very least I’ll find out how the cat keeps turning on the water in the kitchen.

Recycled Apple Powerbook Clock

What we watch is not only shown on the pages of Hi-News: and arrows, and without hands, in the form of cubes. Now it's time to make a gift to fans of the products Apple. These watch Recycled Apple Powerbook Clock is made of non-working laptop Powerbook.

As a basis took a bygone world in a 15-inch model of Apple Powerbook. Incidentally, the mouse from the same company made the weights. Looks really interesting and fun. Order Recycled Apple Powerbook Clock can be in the online Etsy shop for $ 79.