Message Number: FHL8493 | New FHL Archives Search

From: Sukie Crandall
Date: 2009-03-23 19:11:01 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] 2 press releases that may have implications for ferret health
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>

The first is a series of dog studies. Although certainly not dogs=20
ferrets are mustelids, the most recent branch (close in time to the=20
procyonids) on the Canid tree in the order Carnivora.

A number of malignant cells pull up nutrients better than non-
malignant cells. The types of at least some of those nutrients vary=20
among malignancy types so at times giving vitamins can be exactly the=20
wrong thing to do when a malignancy is present -- yet another reason=20
that veterinary oncologists are so important for consultation.

The second involves ulcers. Helicobacter is now known to be the major=20
cause of the most common form of human stomach ulceration, but did you=20
know that work largely derived from the work on ulcers in ferrets, who=20
get a different species of Helicobacter, done in the Comparative=20
Medicine department of MIT? Now at times we learn more about treating=20
ferret ulcers from advances in treating human ones. Given how hard=20
and unpleasant it can be to knock down Helicobacter in ferrets giving=20
a yogurt based treatment -- if it does not have risk factors such as=20
Xylitol -- could be a huge win. Imagine a future where people say, "I=20
don't know why people say it was hard to control this in the past!". =

Being largely predigested yogurt also tends to not upset the stomachs=20
of most ferrets, though there are exceptions. Also, some ferrets who=20
don't tolerate eggs or chicken may not be able to use it.

The contacts on the articles are the PRESS contacts.


> Public release date: 23-Mar-2009
>
>
> Contact: Michael Bernstein
> m_bernstein@acs.org
> 202-872-6042
> American Chemical Society
> Tales of the 'Trojan horse drug' and the 'miracle dogs'
>
> SALT LAKE CITY, March 23, 2009 =97 Diagnosed with an extremely=20
> aggressive form of cancer called anal sac adenocarcinoma, Oscar's=20
> future seemed bleak. Bedridden and unresponsive to chemotherapy or=20
> radiation, he would be lucky to survive three months. But thanks to=20
> an innovative new drug treatment, Oscar's cancer receded and he was=20
> walking again within two weeks.
>
> Oscar's recovery was extraordinary enough, but his case was unusual=20
> for another reason. Oscar is a Bichon Frise, who scientists=20
> reporting here today at the 237th National Meeting of the American=20
> Chemical Society call "the Miracle Dog." Joseph A. Bauer, Ph.D., and=20
> colleagues described promising results with a drug called=20
> nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl) in battling cancer in Oscar and three=20
> other canines without any negative side effects. While it gives=20
> profound hope to dog owners, NO-Cbl also points to a powerful new=20
> cancer treatment for humans =97 one that infiltrates cancer cells like =

> a biological Trojan horse.
>
> "We are one of the few research groups that is offering to treat=20
> dogs with cancer that otherwise have no hope," Bauer said. "With no=20
> other options available, most people in this situation opt to=20
> euthanize so that their pets don't go through the pain of disease=20
> and trauma of surgery."
>
> About six million dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year in the=20
> United States. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI),=20
> pets with cancer provide a win-win opportunity for cancer=20
> researchers. Scientists can study new cancer treatments in animals=20
> other than lab mice. And pets get access to new treatments that=20
> provide hope and in instances like NO-Cbl, additional time.
>
> Bauer put it this way: "The beauty of using a dog or a cat to test a=20
> cancer drug is two-fold. First, the animal can get the benefit of=20
> the most up-to-date drug in cancer medicine. Second, the NCI gets=20
> data on pets that are exposed to the same environmental factors=20
> their owners are. They breathe the same polluted air and drink the=20
> same polluted water that you and I do every day. If you can find an=20
> agent to treat cancer that occurs in a dog with success, there is a=20
> higher likelihood that you can take that to the human population and=20
> have a much higher response rate than with mice."
>
> Although NO-Cbl has been used in only a few dogs, daily treatments=20
> have led to promising results in each case. "In all four dogs, there=20
> has been a significant reduction in tumor size without any toxic=20
> side effects or discomfort," says Bauer.
>
> Oscar was the first success story. Since then, Bauer has treated two=20
> other dogs. A six-year old golden retriever named Buddy was unable=20
> to walk due to a spinal tumor pinching essential nerves leading to=20
> his right hind leg. After nine months of daily NO-Cbl treatment,=20
> Buddy's tumor shrank by 40 percent and he was going on two mile=20
> walks. A 13-year-old female Giant Schnauzer with inoperable thyroid=20
> carcinoma also showed tumor reductions of 77 percent in less than 10=20
> weeks.
>
> "Our case studies demonstrate anti-tumor efficacy with limited=20
> toxicity to normal tissues," Bauer added. "NO-Cbl sensitizes=20
> multidrug-resistant cancer cells to the antitumor effects of several=20
> different drugs, so it may be valuable when utilized in combination=20
> regimes," he added.
>
> The drug targets cancer cells with "biological Trojan horse=20
> technology." Cells have receptors for vitamin B12 on their outer=20
> surface. The receptors serve as docking ports where molecules of the=20
> vitamin, essential for cells to divide and multiply, attach and then=20
> enter the cell. In order to divide at their abnormally rapid pace,=20
> cancer cells grow extra B12 receptors =97 100 times more than normal=20
> cancer cells. Scientists have been trying since the 1950s to exploit=20
> that vulnerability and make B12-based drugs that attach to the=20
> receptors, sneak into the cell, and deliver a knock-out dose of=20
> medication.
>
> Bauer and his colleagues from the Cleveland Clinic attached nitric=20
> oxide (NO) molecules to vitamin B12. NO kills cancer cells. The B12=20
> acts as the Trojan horse, easily slipping into cancer cells. The=20
> subsequent release of toxic NO kills the cancer cells from within.
>
> The team's goal is to successfully treat 10 dogs with NO-Cbl and=20
> slingshot the drug into human use as soon as possible. Because of=20
> the genetic similarity between dogs and humans, Bauer says his=20
> approach should have a much better chance of getting through the=20
> FDA's strict drug approval chain.
>
> But Bauer stresses he wants to get the NO-Cbl dog treatment=20
> approved, as well. "I'm committed to the animals, and my goal would=20
> be to do a dual clinical trial, Phase One human and Phase One dog,"=20
> says Bauer.
>
> Oscar is still alive and well. Today, Bauer is treating another=20
> Golden Retriever named Haley with a spinal tumor.
>
> "This is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my=20
> life," says Bauer, the owner of a two-year old Beagle. "It gets=20
> boring working in the lab, but to see the fruits of your labor in a=20
> positive outcome like this and to know you're responsible in some=20
> small way, that's pretty cool."
>
>
> ###
>
> The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered=20
> by the U.S. Congress. With more than 154,000 members, ACS is the=20
> world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing=20
> access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases,=20
> peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices=20
> are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
>

> Public release date: 22-Mar-2009
> [ Print Article | E-mail Article | Close Window ]
>
> Contact: Michael Bernstein
> m_bernstein@acs.org
> 202-872-6042
> American Chemical Society
> Clinical trial backs use of special yogurt to fight stomach ulcer=20
> bacteria
>
> SALT LAKE CITY, March 22, 2009 =97 Results of the first human clinical =

> studies confirm that a new yogurt fights the bacteria that cause=20
> gastritis and stomach ulcers with what researchers describe as=20
> almost vaccine-like effects, scientists in Japan will report here=20
> today at the 237th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
>
> Researchers have long known that yogurt, a fermented milk product=20
> containing live bacteria, is a healthy source of calcium, protein,=20
> and other nutrients. Some brands of yogurt are now made with=20
> "probiotics" =97 certain types of bacteria =97 intended to improve=20
> health. The new yogurt represents a unique approach to fighting=20
> stomach ulcers, which affect 25 million people in the United States=20
> alone, and is part of a growing "functional food" market that now=20
> generates $60 billion in sales annually.
>
> "With this new yogurt, people can now enjoy the taste of yogurt=20
> while preventing or eliminating the bacteria that cause stomach=20
> ulcers," says study coordinator Hajime Hatta, Ph.D., a chemist at=20
> Kyoto Women's University in Kyoto, Japan.
>
> The new yogurt is already on store shelves in Japan, Korea, and=20
> Taiwan. The study opens the door to possible arrival of the product=20
> in the U.S., the researchers suggest.
>
> A type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) or over-
> use of aspirin and or other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs,=20
> causes most stomach ulcers. H. pylori ulcers can be effectively=20
> treated and eliminated with antibiotics and acid suppressants.=20
> However, that simple regimen is unavailable to millions of poverty-
> stricken people in developing countries who are infected with H.=20
> pylori. New research also links childhood H. pylori infection to=20
> malnutrition, growth impairment and other health problems. As a=20
> result, scientists have been seeking more economical and convenient=20
> ways of dealing with these bacteria.
>
> In the new study, Hatta and colleagues point out that H. pylori=20
> seems to rely on a protein called urease to attach to and infect the=20
> stomach lining. In an effort thwart that protein, or antigen, Hatta=20
> turned to classic vaccine-making technology. They injected chickens=20
> with urease and allowed the chickens' immune systems to produce an=20
> antibody to the protein. The researchers then harvested the=20
> antibody, called IgY-urease, from chicken eggs. Hatta and colleagues=20
> theorized that yogurt containing the antibody may help prevent the=20
> bacteria from adhering to the stomach lining.
>
> To test their theory, the scientists recruited 42 people who tested=20
> positive for H. pylori. The volunteers consumed two cups daily of=20
> either plain yogurt or yogurt containing the antibody for four=20
> weeks. Levels of urea, a byproduct of urease, decreased=20
> significantly in the antibody group when compared with the control=20
> group, indicating reduced bacterial activity, the researchers say.
>
> "The results indicate that the suppression of H. pylori infection in=20
> humans could be achieved by drinking yogurt fortified with urease=20
> antibody," Hatta states. The antibody was eventually destroyed by=20
> stomach acid, but not before having its beneficial effect.
>
> Although the yogurt appears less effective than antibiotics for=20
> reducing levels ofH. pylori, it is a lot easier to take than=20
> medicine and can be eaten daily as part of regular dietary routine,=20
> Hatta says. The antibody does not affect the yogurt's overall taste=20
> and does not cause any apparent adverse side effects, he notes.
>
> But anti-ulcer yogurt is not for everyone, Hatta cautions. He notes=20
> that people who are allergic to milk or eggs should avoid the=20
> product. Although the yogurt contains egg yolk, which tends to have=20
> lower allergen levels than egg white, an allergy risk still exists,=20
> he adds.
>
>
> ###
>
> Pharma Food International Company, Ltd. a Japanese firm that does=20
> research and development on the functional food ingredients,=20
> including the anti-ulcer yogurt, provided partial funding for the=20
> study.
>
> The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered=20
> by the U.S. Congress. With more than 154,000 members, ACS is the=20
> world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing=20
> access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases,=20
> peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices=20
> are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
>
>



Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html





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