Evidence Based Research | Patient Resources

Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system dysfunctions and attacks host tissues. Although the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease has not been elucidated, there are several factors that have been associated with the disorder. Factors include genetic predisposition, nutrient deficiencies, use of certain medications affecting thyroid function, and environmental factors including exposure to radiation, heavy metals, and chemical contaminants. Thyroid disorde...

T cells are the immune system's SWAT team. Their job is to constantly patrol the blood, lymphatic system, tissues, and organs. If they come across cells that are contaminated with or damaged by pathogens, they eliminate them. They can also recognise and destroy cancer cells. The problem, though, is that the tumour cells find ways of escaping this line of defence. Researchers around the world are working to prevent these evasive manoeuvres and harness T cells for targeted immunotherapies a...

Researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences are hoping to catch stomach cancer before it develops in at-risk patients. In a paper published in Gastroenterology, researchers identified a genetic variation that could help identify when patients with Helicobacter pylori are more likely to develop stomach cancer. The National Cancer Institute cites infection with H. pylori as the primary identified cause of certain types of stomach cancer. H. pylori is a bacterium that grows in the ...

A recent study suggests that high-fat diets and a synthetic material found in unregulated performance enhancers activated a cell nuclear receptor which contributes to the progression of pancreatic cancer. The study, published in the prestigious peer-reviewed paper Nature Communication  was led by Imad Shureiqi, MD, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. According to the study, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a severe form of cancer that is ...

Prophylactic use of a green tea constituent significantly reduced the incidence and severity of radiation-induced dermatitis (RID) in breast cancer patients in a randomised trial, researchers say. The incidence of grade 2 or worse RID was significantly lower in patients treated with the green tea constituent - epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or EGCG - than in the placebo group (50.5% vs 72.2%;P=0.008), Dr. Hanxi Zhao and colleagues from the Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute in China reporte...