PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 20-Oct-2014 Contact: Pete Farley peter.farley@ucsf.edu 415-502-6397 University of California - San Francisco @ucsf An international research collaboration led by UC San Francisco researchers has identified a genetic variant common in Latina women that protects against breast cancer. The variant, a difference in just one of the three billion "letters" in the human genome known as a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), originates from indigenous Americans and confers significant protection from breast cancer, particularly the more aggressive estrogen receptornegative forms of the disease, which generally have a worse prognosis. "The effect is quite significant," said Elad Ziv, MD, professor of medicine and senior author of the study. "If you have one copy of this variant, which is the case for approximately 20% (the range being 10 to 25 percent) of U.S. Latinas, you are about 40 percent less likely to have breast cancer. If you have two copies, which occurs in approximately 1% of the US Latina population, the reduction in risk is on the order of 80 percent." Published in the October 20, 2014 issue of Nature Communications, the new study showed that women who carry the variant have breast tissue that appears less dense on mammograms. High "mammographic … Continue reading →

Tigard, OR (PRWEB) October 20, 2014 Local veterinary surgeon, Dr. Tim McCarthy is seeking candidates to participate in an investigational study of donor stem cells for dogs with osteoarthritis. Dr. McCarthy has lectured nationally in stem cell therapy and has performed clinical stem cell therapy for 7 years. The ultimate goal of this study is to determine if a single injection of donor stem cells into one or two arthritically affected joints can help reduce pain and inflammation in the treated joints. Candidates for the current investigational study must be older than nine months, weigh more than five and a half pounds, have osteoarthritis of only one or two leg joints, have had pain or lameness for at least three months, and must not have cancer. Joints that will be included in the study and injected under anesthesia include hips, stifles, shoulders, and elbows. Dogs that may be considered must be in good health and undergo a diagnostic work up before qualifying for the study. Dr. McCarthy and his team coordinate directly with your veterinarian to provide the most advanced veterinary care available. Cascade Veterinary Referral Center is a locally owned, state-of-the-art veterinary hospital staffed by a highly-skilled team of … Continue reading →