Scientists at Louisiana State University report that infection with a common virus may be a contributing factor to the increase in obesity rates across the United States and other countries.

The researchers shows that infection with human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36) changes adult stem cells obtained from fat tissue into fat cells. Stem cells not exposed to the virus were unchanged. The study also reported identification of a specific gene in the virus that appears to be involved in promoting this effect.

According to Magdelena Pasarica, M.D., Ph.D., "We're not saying that a virus is the only cause of obesity, but this study provides stronger evidence that some obesity cases may involve viral infections."

A German biotech company has announced positive results from a genetically engineered herpes virus that is designed to kill cancer cells. It not only kills the cancer cells but leaves healthy tissue unharmed. Results from clinical trials has showed promise.

Being injected with a virus might seem strange but researchers believe that viruses could one day become a valuable addition to conventional cancer treatments.

The results have shown in animal testing and limited human testing the ability to kill colorectal and liver cancer cells.

Could virus payloads one day be able to attack cancer cells and rid the body of colorectal and liver cancer? Sounds like science fiction to me, bu the virus that causes herpes simplex may be engineered to do just that one day.

New genetic engineering developments have used the herpes virus so that it actually grows inside cancer cells -- which kills them in the process. The engineered virus has shown to be safe on normal human tissue as well.

The virus, as it is being designed, won't replicate inside normal cells (only cancer cells), which makes it a perfect attack weapon in the fight against cancer. That is, if genetic engineering becomes accepted in the cancer treatment field.

There is a new test that can identify potentially serious problems much earlier than the standard Pap smear, according to a recent large Danish study.

Think about this:

A new HPV test effectively checks women 40 and older for the virus that causes cervical cancer. The women who carry the virus are at significant risk for the disease and can truly benefit from this test. Women younger than 40 can still contract the virus but it tends to come and go and isn't as likely to lead to cancer. These under-40 women are sill better off receiving the standard Pap test, say researchers.

Source: Good Housekeeping, May 2007

Albuquerque, New Mexico is on the verge of becoming the latest state to require sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against the HPV virus. Currently only Texas requires the vaccine, other states are in the process of considering having the vaccine become mandatory.

Federal regulators have approved the vaccine, made by Merck & Co, but the issue of making it a requirement for girls has been surrounded by controversy. The federal government approved Gardasil, a three-dose vaccine that protects against the human papilloma virus, or HPV, in June 2006 for females ages nine to twenty six. The vaccine protects against the HPV strains that cause cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers.

Some states want the drug to be free to all girls who want it and other states are considering making the cervical vaccine mandatory for girls entering six grade unless their parents sign a form refusing it.

More of The Cancer Blog's coverage of this issue can be found here:

Merck stops cervical cancer vaccine campaign

Texas first to mandate cervical cancer vaccine

Cervical cancer vaccine discount pursued for poor nations

New Hampshire first to immunize young girls

Girls should see gynecologist in early teens

Thirteen year old girl is the first in Britain to have the new cervical cancer vaccine

Vaccine for cervical cancer to be administered to sixth graders

Concerns raised about new cervical cancer vaccine

Cervical cancer vaccine available for college students

Cancer vaccines virginity and sex: a battle first for acceptance

Women In Government applaud FDA approval of cervical cancer vaccine

First cervical cancer vaccine approved

Merck, maker of the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil, is backing off its lobbying campaign following pressure from medical groups and parents who believe the vaccine should not be mandated as a school attendance requirement for adolescent girls.

The public outcry that caused Merck to announce its stop order on Tuesday stems from the fact that the vaccine protects against the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. School-mandated vaccines are typically for diseases spread through casual contact, such as measles and mumps.

Merck's medical director for vaccines, Dr. Richard M. Haupt says, "We're concerned that our role in supporting school requirements is a distraction from that goal, and as such have suspended our lobbying efforts," adding that the company will continue providing information about the vaccine upon request.

Gardasil, launched in June and the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, has inspired controversy since day one. There's the cost -- $360 for three required shots -- and all sorts of insurance concerns and conservative groups who worry the vaccine encourages premarital sex and interferes with parental rights. Even those in support of the vaccine -- like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practitioners -- question Merck's quick push to market this drug, especially in light of the company's withdrawn painkiller Vioxx.

"I believe that their timing was a little bit premature so soon after (Gardasil's) release, before we have a picture of whether there are going to be any untoward side effects," says Dr. Anne Francis, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee.

Legislatures in 20 states have taken steps to mandate the vaccine for young girls. And with the exception of Texas governor Rick Perry's February 2 executive order requiring Texas girls entering the sixth grade in 2008 get vaccinated, nothing has been made official so far.

In a radical new approach to attacking cancer, researchers will soon attempt to kill tumors by infecting them with viruses that cause ailments like the common cold.

This virus therapy treatment -- considered the third pillar alongside chemotherapy and radiation -- could one day become standard battle against cancer.

One Belfast doctor says anything that could improve the lives of cancer patients is worth a try. And try is exactly what Leonard Seymour, Professor of Gene Therapy at Oxford University, plans to do when he begins leading trials later this year.

Seymour, who has been working with viruses that kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, will use a stealth virus masked from the body's immune system with a polymer coat that could travel through the bloodstream and reach tumors.

Two viruses are likely candidates for study in the first clinical trials -- adenovirus, cause of a cold-like virus, and vaccinia, cause of cowpox and a component in the smallpox vaccine.

Preliminary research on mice shows that virus therapy works well on tumors resistant to standard cancer drugs. But several years of trials will be necessary before the therapy can be considered for use on all cancers.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the first country in the Middle East to acquire the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil.

Comparisons of cervical cancer statistics for the years 1998 through 2005 show incidences of the disease tripling during this span of time. So acquisition of the vaccine is a true blessing for the women of this country.

"We are proud to have placed the UAE on the map with leading countries such as the US, Australia and EU by approving Gardasil, the first breakthrough vaccine that prevents the cancer," said Dr Wisam Haddadin, Franchise Manager, Gulf Region, Merck Sharp & Dohme.

Gardasil, distributed by Merck, Sharp, & Dohme, is now available in more than 33 countries for the prevention of cervical cancer, most commonly caused by HPV (human papilloma virus). About 2.3 million women are currently diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide. About 800 women die of the disease every day.

If you have ever been diagnosed with breast cancer, it is quite likely that one of the first books, if not the only book, recommended to you was Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book. The New York Times rightly refers to her book as "the bible for women with breast cancer." Her second book, Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book, was one of the first to question the widespread use of postmenopausal hormones. Dr. Love is a genuinely trusted presence and clear voice in the world of women's breast health.

An eminent pioneer in the field of breast cancer for 30 years, and considered one of the founding mothers of the breast cancer advocacy movement, her mission, and the mission of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, is to eradicate breast cancer within our lifetime and better the lives of women by generating resources and innovation for education, research, and advocacy on women's health issues.

Part of the recently redesigned Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation website is the addition of a blog. Dr. Love is blogging the San Antonio for the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium where she joins more than 8000 physicians, scientists, and breast cancer advocates in what is considered one of the most important conferences held each year regarding cancer.

On the first day, Dr. Love blogs both clinical and big picture highlights, including her take on two newsworthy study findings we posted here earlier today. The first concerns the common house mouse virus link to breast cancer and the second one regarding the dramatic decrease in breast cancer cases and the corresponding decrease in women using hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Dr. Love posted, "There was a sudden dramatic (7 percent) decrease in breast cancer in 2003 corresponding with the equally dramatic decrease in women who stopped taking HRT after the WHI study found it appeared to do more harm than good. The study found 14,000 less breast cancers in one year! In my mind this is the final proof we need that taking hormonal therapy after menopause for the prevention of the diseases of aging makes no sense."

For a trusted analysis of the conference, you can find Dr. Love blogging the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium here.

A variation of a virus that infects common household mice might be responsible for one-third of the breast cancer cases occurring in the US, according to research presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium as reported by WedMD.

The mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), is spread like a cold virus from person to person, although the researchers are not certain if this virus is spread by sneezing or food contamination, or other means of transmission.

Mt. Sinai School of Medicine's Dr. James F. Holland is quoted as saying, "In Asia, the virus plays a very small role in causing the disease. The human breast cancer virus may explain why breast cancer rates differ throughout the world." The house mouse in question is not commonly found in Asia.

For so long, we have been told that the Asian diet pyramid, when compared to the Western diet pyramid, was one of the contributing factors in higher breast cancer cases for US women, and lower breast cancer cases for Asian women. It might well bea contributing factor still, as diet is firmly established as a cause for increasing the risks of all cancers. However, we cannot ignore that the researchers found the common house mouse virus present in the breast cancer tissue samples in 30-40 percent of the women from North America, Europe, and Australia.

That virus plays a role in the development of some cancers is a known, and it brings up interesting questions as to what leads to cancer, and potentially some explanations for the incidence of breast cancer for women who practice what is traditionally considered a healthy lifestyle and have none of the risk factors. Cancer is complex. As time goes on, I believe we are all going to sit back and be surprised at some of the causes for cancer as they are discovered.

Can sex cause breast cancer and will the cervical cancer vaccine offer protection against breast cancer? The human papilloma virus (HPV) known to increase cervical cancer risk might also be responsible for increasing breast cancer risk, according to a small study conducted by University of New South Wales researchers. HPV was discovered in the DNA of breast cancer tumors in almost half of the 50 women who participated in the study.

Researchers went on to indicate that women affected by HPV were approximately eight years younger at the time of breast cancer diagnosis than women who were not affected by HPV. They went on to speculate that HPV is not only spread through sexual activity but can be spread while bathing as the virus can be transferred from the genital area to the breasts.

Professor James Lawson of the University of New South Wales explained that "We know that the virus explodes out of the cell and is spread by touch, so it's fairly obvious that it could be spread by sexual activity to the breast, you could also argue that it would be spread by washing and bathing."

Because the study was a small one, Australia's National Breast Cancer Centre director Dr. Helen Zorbas is hesitant to accept the study as conclusive in showing a link between HPV and breast cancer. "There are a lot of hypotheses into what may cause breast cancer and it's important that we do research to try to investigate them. But a study of 50 cases is very small."

Heavy head. Heavy body. Sore throat. Sore gums. Swollen lymph nodes. Fever blister. Hurts to chew. Hurts to swallow. Hurts to recall last time symptoms appeared. During chemotherapy.

Drugs attacking cells. Body weak. Blood counts plummeting. Body crashing. Headache. Fever. Sore throat. Sore gums. Trip to hospital. For five days. For antibiotics. For opinions. For constant monitoring. For daily shots to rebuild blood.

Phone call to dentist who knows my burden. Of worry. And fear. And anxiety. That never really goes away. Always reappears. A virus, he says. All of it. The throat. The gums. The lymph nodes. The fever blister. Nothing more. Should last five to seven days. Don't worry. Relax. Call if it gets worse.

Feeling better. Feeling emotional. Because people are so kind. Like my dentist. Who eased my mind. Soothed my soul.

Time to march forward. For myself. For today.

A thirteen year old London girl has become the first in the country to receive the cervical cancer vaccine. The vaccine, Gardasil, launched in Britain last week, protects against the main viruses that cause cervical cancer. Gardasil targets the human papilloma viruses (HPV), which can be transmitted through sex.

Hollie Anderson's mother, Lisa, had the vaccine given to her daughter privately after seeing her own mother battle against cancer. She did this because the government has not yet issued a guidance on which groups will be routinely immunized. Mothers are taking their daughters to private clinics instead to get the vaccination. Dr. George Kassianos, the Royal College of General Practioners' immunization spokesman said: "This vaccine is available on prescription today, but patients should wait for the Department of Health to give us guidance. Everyone agrees that this is a great leap forward. I would ask that department to fast track a decision".

There are 2,800 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in Britain every year. About 1,000 women will die of the disease. Mrs. Anderson said "When I found out from our doctor that these injections were becoming available it wasn't a difficult decision to make" I asked Hollie and she said she wanted it. it was her decision. Afterwards she said 'Thank you mum, I know you're protecting me against a disease'.

Malignant glioma is the most common primary brain tumor. The outlook for patients with malignant glioma is poor. Median survival for patients with grade III glioma is three to five years and less than one year for the most aggressive form of malignant glioma called glioblastoma multiforme.

The virus or reovirus that the researchers are focusing on is a common virus in humans that inhabits the lungs and intestines. The researchers added that this virus is something that most humans have been exposed to by adulthood but demonstrates no illness or negative effects on us.

When the virus is exposed to the malignant glioma cells it appears to infect and kill the tumor cells. Dr. James M. Markert, M.D., professor and director of the division of neurosurgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and lead investigator of the trial explains "Healthy, non-cancerous cells in our bodies have the ability to prevent the reovirus from replicating, so that even if we are infected with the virus we do not usually exhibit significant symptoms but brain tumor cells do not have that protection, due to a mutation in their DNA. The reovirus replicates, destroying the tumor cell, and the replicated virus goes in search of new tumor cells to infect". So not only will the main tumor be destroyed but the virus could potentially be effective against glioma cells that have begun to spread away from the primary tumor to other parts of the brain.

The phase one clinical trial will enroll fifteen patients that have recurrent malignant glioma. The patients will have a brain surgery procedure that infuses the reovirus through two catheters that are placed on the tumor mass.

The main purpose of this study is to determine whether the virus is safe to administer to humans. It has shown in previous studies to be well tolerated and not have any negative side effects. This research sounds very exciting to me since this disease is very hard to treat. I know too well, as my uncle was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died just over a year from diagnoses before he turned forty. This was in 1987. The prognosis since that time really hasn't changed for malignant glioma. I hope this is something that can give the patients diagnosed much more hope of a longer survival.

Late last March fans of rock legend and Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler became concerned over speculation that Tyler had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even though the remaining Rockin' The Joint show dates were cancelled, everyone connected to Tyler assured the public the rumors were false. Steven Tyler did not have cancer. He was suffering from strained vocal cords and needed a rest.

At the time, bassist Tom Hamilton explained the cancelled shows by saying, "You know Steven. Anything worth doing, to him, is worth overdoing," in reference to the fact that the band had been touring more now than it did 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, several months later it was announced that Hamilton had been diagnosed with cancer.

While the rumors had quieted concerning Tyler's health, now and then something new would come to our attention that made us wonder if he was okay. A reader wrote in that he had seen Tyler at the oncology clinic at a hospital he was visiting. We kept that under our hat.

Last night, Tyler appeared on Access Hollywood and for the first time, publicly discussed his health. No, he was not diagnosed with throat cancer -- but he had faced a serious health crisis and decided to speak about it. Tyler said he had been fighting a secret battle with a silent killer -- Hep C. Diagnosed three years ago, he was told by his doctor, Deepak Chopra's brother, that it was time he sought treatment. Tyler agreed to undergo a year of chemotherapy with interferon. He stated it nearly killed him but managed to stay with it and complete treatment. Tyler had Hep C for many years, and was asymptomatic, which is typical.

During the interview, Tyler said, "Hepatitis C is the one that, of all the people in this room, at least three have it and don't know it." He would like to raise awareness about Hep C and mentioned he might appear on Oprah for that purpose. "It's one of those things people don't speak about it, but it is treatable."

Almost 4 million Americans, or 1.8 percent of the U.S. population, have been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV); it is the most prevalent cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. 80 percent of those with Hep C have no symptoms. Chronic hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

If you missed the television Access Hollywood interview with Steven Tyler, the video segment of the program is available online here.