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Scientists Develop Cancer-Killing Protein

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    Scientists Develop Cancer-Killing Protein

    Well this is good news..


    Scientists Develop Cancer-Killing Protein

    Scientists Develop Cancer-Killing Protein

    Michael King (r) Cornell professor of biomedical engineering an d the study’s senior author, works with students i n lab.
    Some 90 percent of people who die from cancer do so, say experts, because the disease has metastasized, or spread. Researchers say they believe they can dramatically reduce the mortality rate with a protein combination that kills cancer cells on contact.

    Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are often effective at treating people with a solid tumor, but once the cancer has spread and formed tiny tumors at distant sites, chances for a successful recovery are dismal.

    Now researchers at Cornell University in New York have isolated a protein that goes by the acronym of TRAIL that causes metastasizing cancer cells to implode on contact.

    The biomedical engineers led by Mike King have attached TRAIL to immune system white blood cells so it circulates throughout the body, ready to destroy.

    “And so now, in the blood flow, all of your white blood cells become essentially cancer-killing machines. And whenever they bump into a cancer cell that makes its way in the circulation, that cancer cell will go on to die within a few hours," said King.

    King says TRAIL leaves healthy cells alone.

    The protein complex triggers apoptosis, or cellular suicide, in cancer cells. Apoptosis is what keeps normal cells from growing out of control.

    In initial experiments with TRAIL, King says researchers injected the protein complex into saline but it was only 60 percent effective at killing cancer cells. Researchers say the reason was that there were no immune cells for the suicide protein to latch on to.

    When investigators, however, injected TRAIL into the circulating blood of mice with cancer, the therapy was nearly 100 percent effective in causing the metastasized cells to kill themselves.

    “We believe the fluid forces, the pressures and forces of blood flow help give the signals to the cancer cells. So basically the fluid flow pushes the cells together, the cancer cell and the altered white cell," said King.

    Cancer also commonly spreads through the lymphatic system, which transports clear, colorless fluid containing white blood cells throughout the body. King says bioengineers are also working on a targeted treatment to kill cancer cells that have made their way into lymphatic fluid.

    An article describing an experimental treatment for cancer metastasis is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
    "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". Mark Twain

    #2
    I would really like this to work and come online sooner rather than later.
    While you're waiting, read the free novel we sent you. It's a Spanish story about a guy named 'Manual.'

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      #3
      Researchers say they believe they can dramatically reduce the mortality rate with a protein combination that kills cancer cells on contact.



      On a more positive note, there's an interesting article about the use of fever therapy to treat cancer. Preview link here. Apparently, it causes the immune system to act more aggressively against cancer cells.
      Down with racism. Long live miscegenation!

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        #4
        Does sound good, and probably a relatively cheap treatment - hang in there!

        Comment


          #5
          I'm going to say it again. Consider food related and alternative medicine. My friends mum beat cancer this way. If in your case, combined with the chemo, it buys more time it could a great thing if in the mean time one of these things comes onilne as you put it.
          Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
            I'm going to say it again. Consider food related and alternative medicine. My friends mum beat cancer this way. If in your case, combined with the chemo, it buys more time it could a great thing if in the mean time one of these things comes onilne as you put it.
            It didn't help Steve Jobs did it?
            Let us not forget EU open doors immigration benefits IT contractors more than anyone

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              #7
              Originally posted by DodgyAgent View Post
              It didn't help Steve Jobs did it?
              Not really that helpful a comment was that?

              There are loads of cases of it helping people, and I am fortunate enough to know and be able to ratify one of those cases as being genuine. Regardless of what alternative therapies Steve Jobs took, it doesn't debunk it all now does it.

              I also think Steve Jobs had an extremely aggressive form of pancreatic cancer and did well to last as long as he did, probably because of the top notch care he was receiving, in no small part to his enormous wealth I'm sure.
              Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by DodgyAgent View Post
                It didn't help Steve Jobs did it?
                ...or Barry Sheene
                How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
                  No Regardless of what alternative therapies Steve Jobs took, it doesn't debunk it all now does it.
                  Yes it does actually

                  Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
                  I also think Steve Jobs had an extremely aggressive form of pancreatic cancer and did well to last as long as he did, probably because of the top notch care he was receiving, in no small part to his enormous wealth I'm sure.
                  More spouting of bollox - have a read.. the doctors were quite upset with Jobs as his cancer was quite treatable in the early stages
                  How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
                    I'm going to say it again. Consider food related and alternative medicine. My friends mum beat cancer this way. If in your case, combined with the chemo, it buys more time it could a great thing if in the mean time one of these things comes onilne as you put it.
                    This is anecdotal and in no way evidence based. If it were that simple (and cheap) everyone would be doing it and it would be the mainstream treatment. It's not is it?
                    Your friend's mum (happily) beat cancer by chance/chemotherapy i.e. it could have happened anyway according to the stats.

                    There is no viable alternative to (boring. conventional) medicine, by the way. Not if you believe in the scientific method.
                    +50 Xeno Geek Points
                    Come back Toolpusher, scotspine, Voodooflux. Pogle
                    As for the rest of you - DILLIGAF

                    Purveyor of fine quality smut since 2005

                    CUK Olympic University Challenge Champions 2010/2012

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