Scientists Invent Particles That Will Let You Live Without Breathing

[David Munch]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

wasn't there some news earlier about a cure for cancer found in a university? in fact, it's been floating around for a few years. i'm not sure whether it's true or not, but it's not been widely known because the drug companies wouldn't make any money off it..

It is not possible to make a wonder drug against cancer. Cancer can be caused by mutations in thousands of genes, requirering different treatments, making it impossible, short of creating a mixture that works in thousands of different ways at the same time - or cutting them away.

A basic molecular biology understanding will show you this.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by David Munch

It is not possible to make a wonder drug against cancer.

Since he said the supposed miracle cure "wouldn't make any money" for drug companies, logically, the mystery treatment isn't pharmaceutical. The main thing I got from the post is that the world's oncologists and drug companies are engaged in a conspiracy to murder hundreds of millions of people, who the docs could save, because they can make more money than if their patients lived. I don't believe that, but it is at least consistent with the post.

Originally Posted by David Munch

A basic molecular biology understanding will show you this.

Judah Folkman, another Children's Hospital of Boston great, who died in 2008, had a much more than basic molecular biology understanding, and the logic of his pursuit of a drug, or a two-drug combination, to block tumor angiogenesis was that there is a single weak point all cancer cells possess. And John B. Watson, of DNA discovery fame, who I'm pretty sure also has a basic understanding of microbiology, has repeatedly predicted a drug cure.

Cancer cells are extremely various and disorganized, making them difficult targets. However, they also have a few commonalities, so I wouldn't make broad predictions about what is impossible for the future. We don't have to defend the honor of the world's cancer researchers by being pessimistic over their prospects. Maybe conquering cancer requires dozens of different treatments, or maybe it just requires a few, or one. Until conquered, all I can say is that oncology is not a mass murder profession.

[David Munch]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Judah Folkman, another Children's Hospital of Boston great, who died in 2008, had a much more than basic molecular biology understanding, and the logic of his pursuit of a drug, or a two-drug combination, to block tumor angiogenesis was that there is a single weak point all cancer cells possess. And John B. Watson, of DNA discovery fame, who I'm pretty sure also has a basic understanding of microbiology, has repeatedly predicted a drug cure.

Yes, a single weak point, but not *the* same weak point.

[QUOTE/]Cancer cells are extremely various and disorganized, making them difficult targets. However, they also have a few commonalities, so I wouldn't make broad predictions about what is impossible for the future. We don't have to defend the honor of the world's cancer researchers by being pessimistic over their prospects. Maybe conquering cancer requires dozens of different treatments, or maybe it just requires a few, or one. Until conquered, all I can say is that oncology is not a mass murder profession.[/QUOTE]
The problem with cancers has never been killing them, we have plenty of tools for that. The problem has always been targetting them specifically, and of course to prevent them in the first case.