The brain is thought to be a sterile environment, free from germs. But unexpected deposits of bacteria have been found inside brain tumors, apparently affecting how the cancers grow and behave, a new study says.   “This work opens a new dimension in our understanding of brain tumor biology,” senior researcher Dr. Jennifer Wargo, a professor of surgical oncology and genomic medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said in a news release. “By mapping how microbial elements influence the brain tumor microenvironment, we may be able to identify new therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients facing these devastating diseases,” Wargo said. For the new study, researchers analyzed 243 brain tissue samples from 221 patients. The samples included 168 from brain tumors and 75 from healthy brain tissue. Using detailed imaging, genetic sequencing and bacterial culturing, researchers unveiled the first evidence of bacteria found within brain tumors, researchers said. The bacteria were found inside both primary brain cancers as well as brain tumors that resulted from a cancer that started elsewhere in the body, results show. Bacteria had previously been found in GI cancers like colon cancer, but there’s been debate about whether such germs are present in tumors found elsewhere in the body. These bacteria appeared to be influencing the cancer’s behavior, potentially helping tumors grow and avoid detection…  read on >  read on >

The brain is thought to be a sterile environment, free from germs. But unexpected deposits of bacteria have been found inside brain tumors, apparently affecting how the cancers grow and behave, a new study says.   “This work opens a new dimension in our understanding of brain tumor biology,” senior researcher Dr. Jennifer Wargo, a professor of surgical oncology and genomic medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said in a news release. “By mapping how microbial elements influence the brain tumor microenvironment, we may be able to identify new therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients facing these devastating diseases,” Wargo said. For the new study, researchers analyzed 243 brain tissue samples from 221 patients. The samples included 168 from brain tumors and 75 from healthy brain tissue. Using detailed imaging, genetic sequencing and bacterial culturing, researchers unveiled the first evidence of bacteria found within brain tumors, researchers said. The bacteria were found inside both primary brain cancers as well as brain tumors that resulted from a cancer that started elsewhere in the body, results show. Bacteria had previously been found in GI cancers like colon cancer, but there’s been debate about whether such germs are present in tumors found elsewhere in the body. These bacteria appeared to be influencing the cancer’s behavior, potentially helping tumors grow and avoid detection…  read on >  read on >

Listening to your favorite singers may do more than lift your mood — it could also protect your brain. A new study from Australian researchers found that older adults who regularly listened to music had a 39% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who didn’t make music a part of their daily lives. The research, published recently as part of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons, followed more than 10,000 adults aged 70 and older for about a decade to explore different lifestyle factors linked to healthy aging. “Music was one of the areas we were interested in,” senior researcher Joanne Ryan, head of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia unit at Monash University, told The Washington Post. Ryan added that they “found that in that time period, they performed better, consistently better, on the tasks of memory and also on a global cognitive function test.” Of the 10,893 participants, about 7,000 said they listened to music most days, and those frequent listeners had the greatest reduction in dementia risk. The study did not specify what type of music was most beneficial. Ryan emphasized that the study can’t prove that listening to music directly prevents dementia, but the results were strong enough to suggest a possible link. She noted music has been shown to boost mood and stimulate multiple areas of the brain.…  read on >  read on >

Listening to your favorite singers may do more than lift your mood — it could also protect your brain. A new study from Australian researchers found that older adults who regularly listened to music had a 39% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who didn’t make music a part of their daily lives. The research, published recently as part of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons, followed more than 10,000 adults aged 70 and older for about a decade to explore different lifestyle factors linked to healthy aging. “Music was one of the areas we were interested in,” senior researcher Joanne Ryan, head of the Biological Neuropsychiatry and Dementia unit at Monash University, told The Washington Post. Ryan added that they “found that in that time period, they performed better, consistently better, on the tasks of memory and also on a global cognitive function test.” Of the 10,893 participants, about 7,000 said they listened to music most days, and those frequent listeners had the greatest reduction in dementia risk. The study did not specify what type of music was most beneficial. Ryan emphasized that the study can’t prove that listening to music directly prevents dementia, but the results were strong enough to suggest a possible link. She noted music has been shown to boost mood and stimulate multiple areas of the brain.…  read on >  read on >