Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have discovered how two cancer-promoting genes enhance a tumor’s capacity to grow and survive under conditions where normal cells die. The knowledge, they say, may offer new treatments that starve cancer cells of a key nutrient - sugar. However, the scientists caution that research does not suggest that altering dietary sugar will make any difference in the growth and development of cancer.

The Daily Mail reveals today that "Malnutrition killed more than 240 patients on NHS wards in 2007" and that "the number of men and women starving to death in hospitals has risen by 16 per cent since Labour came to power."

When it comes to keeping brains alive, it seems nature has deemed that females are more valuable then males. As reported in this weeks' JBC, researchers found that nutrient deprivation of neurons produced sex-dependent effects.

A slow, chronic starvation of the brain as we age appears to be one of the major triggers of a biochemical process that causes some forms of Alzheimer's disease.

A fat-derived protein known for its effects on the liver and might also serve as an energy-conserving signal to the brain during periods of starvation, suggests a new study in the July issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis defends against stress, starvation and illnesses.
A new study shows "stunned" adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol secretion among alcoholic patients, reflecting changes in the HPA axis.