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[One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-21-02 12:17
Caffeine, Chocolate Enlisted to Battle Cancer
Updated 10:34 AM ET August 21, 2002
LONDON (Reuters) - Coffee and chocolate could form the basis of new drugs to treat cancer, heart disease and inflammation, British scientists said on Wednesday.
Scientists at University College London have found that caffeine and a related molecule called theophylline can block an enzyme which is crucial for cell growth.
This means modified forms of caffeine could one day be used to stop uncontrolled cell growth in cancer or *****prevent blood clots that cause heart attack and stroke.******* (emphasis added by me)
"Alongside possible advances in cancer treatment, this research suggests that caffeine type drugs could be used to treat heart disease and inflammatory illnesses," Professor Peter Shepherd and his colleagues said in a statement.
But the researchers said chocolate and coffee were not cures for cancer and warned people against overdosing on caffeine.
"The message to the general public is not to overdose on chocolate or coffee. Caffeine has well-known side effects that make it inappropriate for drug use," Shepherd said.
The researchers used genetically engineered insect cells to produce an enzyme called p110 delta, which is crucial for cell growth. Their report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry said caffeine and theophylline blocked the enzyme's function.
P110 delta is found mostly in white blood cells, so it could be particularly useful in treating cancers like leukemia and for inhibiting white blood cells that cause inflammation, Shepherd told Reuters.
Theophylline has been used for years as an asthma drug, but nobody really knew how it worked, he said.
The enzyme is one of a group of molecules known as PI 3-kinases, which has become a focus of interest for major pharmaceutical companies.
"Many drug companies around the world are looking for inhibitors of these molecules at the moment," said Shepherd. "This one was sitting there under their noses all the time."
An Australian company called Kinacia has begun human studies with a molecule that blocks another enzyme in the PI 3-kinase family. It is hoping to develop anti-clotting medicines that lack the side effects of drugs like aspirin.
Dr. Shaun Jackson, Kinacia's founder and principal scientist, said the new findings would speed the development of PI 3-kinase blockers.
"What it tells us is that we can modify the structure of caffeine and come up with more potent inhibitors that could ultimately become new therapies. It's exciting in that respect," he said.
http://dailynews.attbi.com/cgi-bin/n...ritaincancerdc
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[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 08-21-02 12:31
I must admit... I am an addict... an Earl Grey Tea addict (yes with caffine). I LOVE it.. It is my only vise in the world and I am not giving it up no matter what! So let the good news keep coming I will be happy when I can toss good med. lit into the debate of my tea drinking!
So let me sip my tea and wish you a good Day!
Lisa
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[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-21-02 12:42
Dear Lisa
They make decaf Earl Grey... I know, I drink it all the time. Um, we have too many weird things in common, Lisa --have you noticed that? Were we separated at birth?
S
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[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Mary Sharp (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 08-21-02 23:07
Lets see "Earl Grey Black" Do we have an Captin Picard fans here!
Patrick Stewart has the greatest voice " Make it so number 1" !
Oh yeah I like the tea too!
Mary S.
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[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-21-02 23:17
Um.... I like Patrick Steward more (I liked Earl Grey before ST:TNG was on the air, btw!) in fact, ST:TNG is on right now so I'm going to go see if I've only seen this episode once, twice, or more... later
S
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[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Mary Sharp (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 08-21-02 23:23
I though he did quite well in Moby Dick and A Christmas Carol. Anyone who can go from Shakespeare to X-Men rocks!
I even have a limited edition medallion that has his autograph and his pretty face on it!
Mary S.
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[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-22-02 00:05
ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm so jealous!!
I'd seen this evening's ST:TNG a few times, so I got my peek at ole Patrick and came back to check on the board. mm mm good.
(i'm so bad --grin)
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-21-02 12:17
Caffeine, Chocolate Enlisted to Battle Cancer
Updated 10:34 AM ET August 21, 2002
LONDON (Reuters) - Coffee and chocolate could form the basis of new drugs to treat cancer, heart disease and inflammation, British scientists said on Wednesday.
Scientists at University College London have found that caffeine and a related molecule called theophylline can block an enzyme which is crucial for cell growth.
This means modified forms of caffeine could one day be used to stop uncontrolled cell growth in cancer or *****prevent blood clots that cause heart attack and stroke.******* (emphasis added by me)
"Alongside possible advances in cancer treatment, this research suggests that caffeine type drugs could be used to treat heart disease and inflammatory illnesses," Professor Peter Shepherd and his colleagues said in a statement.
But the researchers said chocolate and coffee were not cures for cancer and warned people against overdosing on caffeine.
"The message to the general public is not to overdose on chocolate or coffee. Caffeine has well-known side effects that make it inappropriate for drug use," Shepherd said.
The researchers used genetically engineered insect cells to produce an enzyme called p110 delta, which is crucial for cell growth. Their report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry said caffeine and theophylline blocked the enzyme's function.
P110 delta is found mostly in white blood cells, so it could be particularly useful in treating cancers like leukemia and for inhibiting white blood cells that cause inflammation, Shepherd told Reuters.
Theophylline has been used for years as an asthma drug, but nobody really knew how it worked, he said.
The enzyme is one of a group of molecules known as PI 3-kinases, which has become a focus of interest for major pharmaceutical companies.
"Many drug companies around the world are looking for inhibitors of these molecules at the moment," said Shepherd. "This one was sitting there under their noses all the time."
An Australian company called Kinacia has begun human studies with a molecule that blocks another enzyme in the PI 3-kinase family. It is hoping to develop anti-clotting medicines that lack the side effects of drugs like aspirin.
Dr. Shaun Jackson, Kinacia's founder and principal scientist, said the new findings would speed the development of PI 3-kinase blockers.
"What it tells us is that we can modify the structure of caffeine and come up with more potent inhibitors that could ultimately become new therapies. It's exciting in that respect," he said.
http://dailynews.attbi.com/cgi-bin/n...ritaincancerdc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 08-21-02 12:31
I must admit... I am an addict... an Earl Grey Tea addict (yes with caffine). I LOVE it.. It is my only vise in the world and I am not giving it up no matter what! So let the good news keep coming I will be happy when I can toss good med. lit into the debate of my tea drinking!
So let me sip my tea and wish you a good Day!
Lisa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-21-02 12:42
Dear Lisa
They make decaf Earl Grey... I know, I drink it all the time. Um, we have too many weird things in common, Lisa --have you noticed that? Were we separated at birth?
S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Mary Sharp (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 08-21-02 23:07
Lets see "Earl Grey Black" Do we have an Captin Picard fans here!
Patrick Stewart has the greatest voice " Make it so number 1" !
Oh yeah I like the tea too!
Mary S.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-21-02 23:17
Um.... I like Patrick Steward more (I liked Earl Grey before ST:TNG was on the air, btw!) in fact, ST:TNG is on right now so I'm going to go see if I've only seen this episode once, twice, or more... later
S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Mary Sharp (---.proxy.aol.com)
Date: 08-21-02 23:23
I though he did quite well in Moby Dick and A Christmas Carol. Anyone who can go from Shakespeare to X-Men rocks!
I even have a limited edition medallion that has his autograph and his pretty face on it!
Mary S.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: One day, caffeine will be good for us...]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 08-22-02 00:05
ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm so jealous!!
I'd seen this evening's ST:TNG a few times, so I got my peek at ole Patrick and came back to check on the board. mm mm good.
(i'm so bad --grin)