Earlier quoted context omitted.
What are we talking about?
genetic engineering and the validity of people's objections to it.
I have no objections to genetic engineering but I think it is necessary to set limits. It's only my opinion.
Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
151–160 of 188 posts
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#152Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd be careful calling the immune approach easy. Triggering a systemic immune response can also kill you very quickly.
Considering that chemotherapy is basically feeding poison to your organism in the hope that cancer cells (which are more active) will ingest it in higher quantity, I'd say that we have a pretty high tolerance threshold in term of side-effects while we are looking for an alternative.
As I understand it, most chemotherapy targets only dividing cells. In adult humans there are relatively few of these: cancer cells (which you want to kill), bone marrow (produces blood cells, so you have to monitor blood cell counts during chemo), and reproductive organs (produce gametes, so you may want to freeze sperm/eggs before chemo).
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#153Writing this from a squeaky recliner set beside my wife’s bed in the oncology department of a local research hospital. Three weeks ago she had a radical hysterectomy and partial lymphadenectomy to treat stage IIIc ovarian cancer, and we’re back to try to aid her in her recovery to prepare for chemotherapy. Chemo should start next week, but we are hoping to also participate in a clinical trial for atezolizumab. This i…
Squeeze her hand for a stranger. Every person who has lost someone to cancer, and everyone who has survived it, and all of the people who watched that fight- all of us have her back and stand with her. She's fighting one of the hardest battles put to a person, and she has our respect and awe. I saw my friend at his weakest, and also when he was stronger than anyone I've ever known. It's been years but still, I'm cryi…
I don't normally respond to messages like this, but this one touched me. Nearly a decade ago I had to battle a Sarcoma in my leg. It changed the entire course of my life, but has made me stronger as a result. It is an experience I don't wish on anyone, and remembering the impact that it had on my family chokes me up a bit.
Your comment made me cry.
"Squeeze her hand for a stranger."
OP, I will keep your wife in my thoughts.
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#154"Mice genetically engineered to spontaneously develop breast cancers in all 10 of their mammary pads also responded to the treatment."
Woha, I had no idea that we can genetically engineer animals to develop cancer. That is impressive, and a little scary...
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#155Earlier quoted context omitted.
Drug companies don't pick up treatments that are in the public domain. No patent, no pay.
There's plenty of drugs that are made by multiple companies. It might not make sense for a very specific drug which sees low use, but I think it's viable to produce a drug that might be beneficial to virtually anyone even if you don't have exclusivity.
Those are all old drugs whose patents have expired. Drugs start off being patented and exclusive first.
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#156Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks so much for this heartfelt comment. The personification of cancer as an enemy didn't really click with me until my family was directly threatened by it. Reading through the drugs in her chemo cocktail, I come across bevacizumab. A little bit of googling and: A cancer needs a good blood supply to provide itself with food and oxygen and to remove waste products. When it has reached 1 to 2mm across, a tumour need…
> This thing isn't just some dumb pathogen floating around that just DoSes your body. It's digging tunnels and cutting phone lines. It has strategy. The cancers that haven't mutated to emit VEGF don't survive to grow and kill you. It's natural selection, not intelligence.
Of course, but it doesn’t feel that way.
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#157Hey as long as Big Pharma can add their own useless ingredients and nonsense pretty packaging to extort as much money as they can out of patented cancer vaccine flavors, we'll never have to worry about those pesky natural cures that can't be patented and aren't as profitable
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#158I hate these "XXX found to eliminate cancer in mice" news blurbs. I really want there to be an easy, effective, and inexpensive solution to one of the worst medical conditions imaginable; but they make these kind of announcements 3-4 times a year and 99/100 times they don't pan out because humans are not mice... and medicine is hard.
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#159Hey as long as Big Pharma can add their own useless ingredients and nonsense pretty packaging to extort as much money as they can out of patented cancer vaccine flavors, we'll never have to worry about those pesky natural cures that can't be patented and aren't as profitable
What natural cancer cure would you suggest? Maybe tumeric, or fasting, or acupuncture?
Re: Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
#160I hate these "XXX found to eliminate cancer in mice" news blurbs. I really want there to be an easy, effective, and inexpensive solution to one of the worst medical conditions imaginable; but they make these kind of announcements 3-4 times a year and 99/100 times they don't pan out because humans are not mice... and medicine is hard.
I'm curious as to why you think that lacking impact is due to dissimilarities between humans and test subjects.
My best guess would have been that a lack of incentives for parties with the power to realize such advancements are overweighing.