Monday, February 12, 2007

The crab

Cancer is a huge killer these days. And always has been. Surprisingly enough, a sea creature has a defensive toxin which seems to attack the enzyme which cancer cells need to divide, but normal (non cancerous) cells can take it or leave it.
The whole article is here.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=62435

I doubt this is the final word on the subject. If I were a biologist, I would wonder how a toxin which only seems to attack cancer cells provides any protection from predators. And I would wonder if all cancers can be cured this way. Maybe some are not affected. And I would wonder if this is actually too good to be true...maybe this stuff will stunt your growth, or cause you to break out in hives. I dunno.

And as a taxpayer, I would like to know why this was discovered in 1991, and is only NOW undergoing trials.

6 comments:

. said...

I think its important to look at the benefit of the cure vs the side effects of the drug.

In the case of cancer, there's a lot I'd be willing to accept. If the side affect stunted growth or gave you hives... it sure outweighs having cancer!

In fact, that's a lot better than most drugs we have nowadays. I love when a drug commercial comes on and you get this huge "MAY CAUSE" side effect list things that's even worse than the original symptoms! Brought to us by the people who coined the term "anal leakage".

Anonymous said...

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19325874.700-cheap-safe-drug-kills-most-cancers.html

Check it out.

oregoncelticlady said...

No tellin with the government!

STAG said...

Once reawakened by DCA, mitochondria order the abnormal cancer cells in a tumour to die”

Interesting drug. wonder if it causes every other cell to "wake up and die".
Oh wait, they do that already! Damn! I KNEW I wouldn't get out of this life alive!

STAG said...

Thanks Shayne for the link.

Frustrated Writer said...

Coming from a free market society, I would think the funeral home industry would hope the crabs crap out. Good question though, why are they just now looking into it?