Dilon Technologies, Inc., the leader in molecular breast imaging, announced today that they have formed an alliance with Terason Ultrasound to offer a

BSGI is a molecular breast imaging technique that can see lesions independent of tissue density and discover very early stage cancers, particularly for women with high risk factors or that present with questionable mammograms. With BSGI, metabolic activity is assessed and cancerous cells generally display as "hot spots."

Terason is the innovator and world leader in integrating patented microsystem technology with an Apple MacBook Pro PC. The Terason t3000(TM) Ultrasound System offers premium imaging performance with the portability and functionality of a laptop. When used as a complement to the Dilon 6800 Gamma Camera, physicians are able to move from BSGI to ultrasound without leaving the exam room.

Bob Moussa, President and CEO of Dilon Technologies said, "We are proud to partner with Terason to complement BSGI with ultrasound when appropriate. Through innovative products and partnerships such as this, Dilon continues to expand its offerings to be the best in patient care and cancer detection."

The Terason t3000 offers best-in-class image quality; ease of use with a dual user interface; and an integrated information management and communications protocol in one system. For quick on-the-spot, accurate scanning in a wide array of clinical applications, transducers quickly connect to the system allowing technicians to perform an ultrasound exam at the point of patient care. Terason's patented high-density, beam-forming architecture provides a superior performance cost-effective ultrasound solution.

The ultrasound system is built upon an industry respected combination of the Apple PC coupled with Windows Operating System to provide seamless networking capabilities, compatibility with various applications, standard connections, and software updates. The system includes DICOM, Wireless, Integrated CD/DVD, and USB capability. The ergonomically designed slide out dual-user interface is extremely easy to use. The Terason t3000(TM) Ultrasound System is a powerful ultrasound designed to work smarter, enhance workflow, and promote efficiency and diagnostic confidence.

"BSGI has proven to be an important adjunct to mammography and ultrasound in the diagnosis of breast cancer. We are excited to be in a partnership with Dilon as we both continue to offer important advances in care," said Alice Chiang, Ph.D., Terason's CEO.

A rich and unexpected payoff

"The nature of these new genes is not obvious and we wouldn't have guessed their relationship to cancer if we hadn't followed this approach," says Lowe. "They may now allow us to make headway into poorly understood areas of cancer."

The newly identified tumor suppressor genes affect a wide array of cellular activities, including maintenance of cell structure, cellular metabolism, cell proliferation and control of the levels of various tumor growth-enhancing proteins in the cell's nucleus. In one instance, the team's strategy also uncovered not genes in isolation but an entire network of genes that go awry in liver cancer. "Given that the cancer puzzle involves multiple genes in various combinations, we need to find all the hits that make the cell tip over the edge," says Lowe, explaining one advantage of his team's broad strategy.

Some of the genes identified might also lead to new strategies for cancer therapy. For example, some of the newly discovered tumor suppressor genes "code" for proteins that are secreted, which indicates that their ability to prevent cancer is dependent on their presence outside the cell. Reversing the loss of such proteins - by replenishing their levels via injections - is an easier fix than having to correct a defect in the genome via gene therapy.

In other words, the CSHL team's new strategy now makes it possible to rapidly filter from genomic information those genes that specifically impact cancer development in living animals, and thus focus follow-up studies on those that might be most clinically useful.

Pinpointing Tumor Suppressor Genes

Tumor suppressors are a crucial component of intracellular signaling networks that protect against uncontrolled cell proliferation. The benefits of such genes can be lost when DNA undergoes alterations, including mutations or deletions of entire stretches of chromosomes. A highly efficient genome-sequencing technique developed several years ago in the Wigler laboratory has made it possible to scan the genome of cancerous cells for, among other things, deleted portions of chromosomes where tumor suppressors are likely to reside.

Dr. Powers performed a genomic analysis of human liver cancer samples that provided a basis for the work of the combined teams. Powers' lab scanned the genomes of liver cancers from more than 100 patients to compile a list of deletions of chromosomal regions. These regions were hypothesized to be the location of most of the missing tumor suppressor genes. A comparison of this list with the genome sequence of a normal human cell revealed the identity of approximately 300 genes within the deleted chromosomal segments.

Chromosomal deletions aren't limited to cancer-related genes alone; any number of "passenger" or unrelated neighboring genes can inadvertently also be lost. The team therefore had to pinpoint the tumor suppressors among the 300 genes. "Genomic analysis of human tumors is important," Powers observed," but combining it with functional screening in mouse models is a notable step forward."

The usual route of characterizing a gene's function is to mutate it in mouse embryos and then create lines of mice that can then be examined for the mutation's effects. Lowe's group bypassed this step, which is time-consuming, by engineering mutations into the genome of adult mouse cells and then re-injecting these cells into adult mice. The team used a method honed by Dr. Hannon of introducing stable mutations into mouse cells via RNA interference, or RNAi, a technique in which small RNA molecules are introduced into cells to shut off specific genes.

RNA sequences that corresponded to all the 300 or so deleted genes were obtained from an RNAi "library" compiled by the Hannon lab. Lowe's team introduced these RNAi tools (known as "short-hairpin RNAs, or shRNAs) into progenitor cells that develop into mature liver cells, albeit ones engineered to over-produce a cancer gene product called Myc.

In cells with these Myc mutations, an additional "trigger" such as the shutting off of a tumor suppressor gene via RNAi would be sufficient to cause cancer. The engineered cells that carried a Myc mutation and an shRNA were injected into mice. Dramatically, those that received cells in which a tumor suppressor gene had been "silenced" by an shRNA developed tumors within a month.

The scientists homed in on the identity of the silenced tumor suppressors by simply isolating and analyzing the genetic material from the tumors. Their strategy identified 13 new tumor suppressor genes, most of which had not been linked to cancer before.

Medical notes

A comprehensive guide to clinical conditions

Our Eyes

Our eyes are said to be the windows of our soul and in turn they are also our own little window to the world. It’s through our eyes that we see the beauty of the world: the colors, the shape, and the words written in books or even in warning signs. That’s why we have to take care of them all the time. Many even bank on their jobs with their eyes, so their eyes will have to be taken cared above all things. Before something could happen to your eyes, here are some common conditions that could happen to your eye and their possible prevention.

Cataracts – This is probably the most common of all serious eye diseases. Cataract is generally a clouding of the clear part of the eye making the person unable to see clearly. The reasons for this condition are usually associated with old age. But there are also other causes of cataracts that afflict millions everyday; although very rarely, some are born with the disease. Poor nutrition could also be associated with the disease, especially the lack of Vitamin A. Some could be the side effects of drugs and one of the known culprits is steroids.

Glaucoma – To put it simply, glaucoma targets your optic nerve which connects the eyes to the brain and will render you blind in no time. This is a common and the scariest eye condition since it doesn’t really show symptoms to anyone. It’s being dubbed as a “silent thief in the night” by some eye doctors because there’s no way of telling someone has glaucoma from the naked eye. Although there is no specific symptom, it could be safely said that most of those experiencing this condition are those who are more than 50 years old. It could also be attributed to heredity. Steroids and high eye pressure is also one of the reasons for glaucoma.

Macular Degeneration – This type of eye condition refers to the macula of the eye. In this condition the person will usually have a different image compared to normal persons. The reason for this is because of the increased pressure of blood vessel that directly affects the eye. This disease is quite easy to detect as usually only one eye will be affected. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to remove. It will require a surgical operation if it’s too late.

Detached Retina - Located at the back of the eye, retina is considered as the cover of the eye and the extension of the brain. When fluids go to the eye, the retina will basically be one of the things that will be affected. When that happens, it will lose its ability to attach itself to the back of the eye. Usually, detached retina is a complication from other diseases and it’s also hereditary. The common symptoms of this condition are white flashes in the darkness, and dark spots in the presence of light. As soon as you notice these symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

How much people tip

Using the chart on the left, for example, you can compare how many people tip from 11-15% as opposed to over 20%. You can also compare the tipping habits of men vs. the tipping habits of women.

What is 'safe sex'?

Safe sex means sexual activities which you can do even if one person is infected with HIV, and they definitely won't pass it on to the other person. Loads of activities are completely safe. You can kiss, cuddle, massage and rub each other's bodies. But if you have any cuts or sores on your skin, make sure they are covered with plasters (band-aids). Nothing you do on your own can cause you to get HIV - you can't infect yourself by masturbation.