Yowza. New cancer drug shows wide promise

[RandomGuy]

This could be one of the most effective treatments for cancer yet found.


Accidental fungus leads to promising cancer drug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A drug developed using nanotechnology and a fungus that contaminated a lab experiment may be broadly effective against a range of cancers, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday.

...

The drug, called lodamin, was improved in one of the last experiments overseen by Dr. Judah Folkman, a cancer researcher who died in January. Folkman pioneered the idea of angiogenesis therapy -- starving tumors by preventing them from growing blood supplies.

Tests in mice showed it worked against a range of tumors, including breast cancer, neuroblastoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, brain tumors known as glioblastomas and uterine tumors.

It helped stop so-called primary tumors and also prevented their spread, Ofra Benny of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School and colleagues reported.

(end of copied part, full article can be read below)

Link to full article (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080629/ts_nm/cancer_nanoparticles_dc)

Seems to be especially effective versus cancers in the liver.

[tp2021]

Holy Shit! isn't scientific research awesome (most of the time)?

[0201rinckwater]

I find it ironic that it was found by accident.

[resistanze]

I find it ironic that it was found by accident.
Like 50% of all medical breakthroughs.

[RandomGuy]

I find it ironic that it was found by accident.

That is pretty much how Penicillin were discovered as well.

Some bread mold accidentally infected a little bacteria culture (petri dish) a guy was attempting to study and killed all the bacteria. The researcher, a guy named Fleming, put two and two together, and literally saved hundreds of millions of people.

[Evan]

That is pretty much how Penicillin were discovered as well.

Some bread mold accidentally infected a little bacteria culture (petri dish) a guy was attempting to study and killed all the bacteria. The researcher, a guy named Fleming, put two and two together, and literally saved hundreds of millions of people.

Thanks 3rd grade science teacher.

[BacktoBasics]

yeah but can it produce oil?

[ShoogarBear]

Damn, Judah Folkman died?

[cornbread]

They tested it mice. I'm calling PETA.

[Slydragon]

Nice just when they are about to turn on the Atom smasher. Ironic, Don't you think.

[0201rinckwater]

Nice just when they are about to turn on the Atom smasher. Ironic, Don't you think.

I just hope one if them gives me superpowers

[Anti.Hero]

Nice just when they are about to turn on the Atom smasher. Ironic, Don't you think.

hahahaha


great post

[AlamoSpursFan]

They will never release a cure for anything as long as there is money in the treatment.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

They will never release a cure for anything as long as there is money in the treatment.
word

[boutons_]

serendipity, accident, and coming from nature (rather than synthetic) are very common.

The more they throw natural stuff at cancer and other diseases, they more they find works.

Here's how BigPharma works the money for a natural drug: they take the natural molecules, change them, maybe even enhance them, slightly and patent it, to be sold by prescription only at insanely inflated prices.

The original, non-prescription, cheaper natural stuff hits the market as a supplement. BigPharma gets their FDA goons to shut it down because the natural stuff acts like their patented drug. ie, the natural stuff gets re-defined as controlled substance. This is exactly what the process is right now about Red Rice Yeast, which contains natural lovostatin for cholesterol reduction.

[RandomGuy]

yeah but can it produce oil?

Not exactly, but:

They are studying ways to take the CO2 emissions from coal power plants, and use that to feed algae in huge arrays of tanks to produce oil.

[RandomGuy]

Here's how BigPharma works the money for a natural drug: they take the natural molecules, change them, maybe even enhance them, slightly and patent it, to be sold by prescription only at insanely inflated prices.

Not really.

Once you factor in the RD costs, Pharmaceutical companies aren't really that much more profitable than other companies.

Remember that those "insanely high profits" have to cover the costs of all the failed research for the 99 other drugs that didn't pan out.

[CubanMustGo]

Not really.

Once you factor in the RD costs, Pharmaceutical companies aren't really that much more profitable than other companies.

Remember that those "insanely high profits" have to cover the costs of all the failed research for the 99 other drugs that didn't pan out.

So I'm not wearing tinfoil hats like some, but explain why Big Pharma charges so much more for drugs in the US than other places. My wife's meds are a third as much in Canada as they are here, and that's not an isolated case. I don't mind covering costs, but why should the US consumer be the one footing the bulk of the bill for research used worldwide?

[tp2021]

They will never release a cure for anything as long as there is money in the treatment.

Chris Rock?