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Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

cam.ac.uk

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Re: Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

#11

The abstract of the published findings[1] says, "We show that despite the presence of antitumor T cells, immunotherapeutic antibodies are ineffective in a murine pancreatic cancer model recapitulating the human disease." And the word "murine" here means "mouse," as the journal article makes more clear than the press release kindly submitted here. The press release uses neither the word "murine" nor the word "mouse,"…

I call this "science by press release". I don't blame universities for using these publication opportunities to call attention to their work, but it would be nice if there was a mechanism to ensure scientific accuracy in them. I can't see how to incentivize it, and regulation seems heavy handed.

Re: Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

#12
post #11

The abstract of the published findings[1] says, "We show that despite the presence of antitumor T cells, immunotherapeutic antibodies are ineffective in a murine pancreatic cancer model recapitulating the human disease." And the word "murine" here means "mouse," as the journal article makes more clear than the press release kindly submitted here. The press release uses neither the word "murine" nor the word "mouse,"…

I call this "science by press release". I don't blame universities for using these publication opportunities to call attention to their work, but it would be nice if there was a mechanism to ensure scientific accuracy in them. I can't see how to incentivize it, and regulation seems heavy handed.

ensure scientific accuracy in them

That phrase strikes me as almost redundant. Since ensuring accuracy is what "science" is supposed to be about.

Re: Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

#13
post #12
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I call this "science by press release". I don't blame universities for using these publication opportunities to call attention to their work, but it would be nice if there was a mechanism to ensure scientific accuracy in them. I can't see how to incentivize it, and regulation seems heavy handed.

ensure scientific accuracy in them That phrase strikes me as almost redundant. Since ensuring accuracy is what "science" is supposed to be about.

well, that's part of it. When science hits PR, some of the accuracy gets dropped because it makes the story less sexy.

Re: Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

#14
post #2

My father was just recently diagnosed with melanoma which is also a solid state cancer. It is in its very advanced stages so his prognosis is poor but if this would of happened just a few years ago he would have no choices for treatments. But now with these new immunotherapies we are starting to uncover new ways to treat these very advance cancers and they are becoming more effective with each new uncovering.

Best wishes to your family——dealing with this diagnosis in my family as well.

Re: Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

#16
This is an interesting find. And unlike new weapons in the war on virii and bacteria, there's no way for evolution to "win" this: a cancer cell that evolved a better defense would almost surely wind up killing its host before it could reproduce.

Re: Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

#17
post #12
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I call this "science by press release". I don't blame universities for using these publication opportunities to call attention to their work, but it would be nice if there was a mechanism to ensure scientific accuracy in them. I can't see how to incentivize it, and regulation seems heavy handed.

ensure scientific accuracy in them That phrase strikes me as almost redundant. Since ensuring accuracy is what "science" is supposed to be about.

He is talking about ensuring scientific accuracy in the press release. Press releases are not about accuracy and have never been. They are about rallying support for a particular business decision, and there is nothing wrong or immoral about that.

Re: Researchers have identified how the ‘wall’ around cancer tumours functions

#19
post #17
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ensure scientific accuracy in them That phrase strikes me as almost redundant. Since ensuring accuracy is what "science" is supposed to be about.

He is talking about ensuring scientific accuracy in the press release . Press releases are not about accuracy and have never been. They are about rallying support for a particular business decision, and there is nothing wrong or immoral about that.

You're addressing a point I didn't make. I was talking about language, not morality.
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