Scientists Cure Cancer

[jon_hill987]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn10971-cheap-safe-drug-kills-most-cancers.html

Sadly however money is more important to some people

"The next step is to run clinical trials of DCA in people with cancer. These may have to be funded by charities, universities and governments: pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to pay because they can’t make money on unpatented medicines."

[Alice Shade]

So, in short...

Chemoterapeutical way to destroy cancer cells.

As far as I know, this had already been attempted numerous times with moderate success.

I say - wait and see. The fact that it`s cheap and in the same time supposed to be panacea from the cancer, makes me dubious.
It could be honest breakthrough... Or it can be a sham to get more funding for whatever.

[Fallen Hero]

I doubt it is a sham, why would they do something like that? It would destroy their reputation as a university in the future. Oh, and GO CANADA :P

[Alice Shade]

Not a sham in outright sense.

More of, that this cure can`t be really applied in raw form, and after being "wrapped up" to be usable, will be not better, then other chemotheraupy stuff.

[jon_hill987]

Well it was my understanding that they noticed that an existing drug, already used in humans with minimal side effects to treat other disorders just happens to also kill off cancer. The fact that is has very few side effects means it should be far better than chemo.

It isn't the same as current chemo either, in that it doesn't kill cells, it just enables them to kill themselves. This should be much better as it will not wipe out the patients immune system at the same time.

It may seem to good to be true, but I'm sure penicillin did when that was discovered.

[AaronD]

Then again, so did CFC's.

[Alice Shade]

It just seems quite weird to me, that they suddenly found a cheap stuff that lets do that.

I`m sure, that people thought of forcing cancer cells to self-destruct before, after all, that "immortality" is the main problem of cancer.

Also... It comes into controversy with my biology lesson. As far as I know, mitochondria are performing power station duties, not self-destruction.
Liposomes are the bits that destroy the cell from inside.

[Fallen Hero]

It just seems quite weird to me, that they suddenly found a cheap stuff that lets do that.

I`m sure, that people thought of forcing cancer cells to self-destruct before, after all, that "immortality" is the main problem of cancer.

Also... It comes into controversy with my biology lesson. As far as I know, mitochondria are performing power station duties, not self-destruction.
Liposomes are the bits that destroy the cell from inside.

Yes, however when the mitchondria are switched to on, they are vital to to cell. Lysosomes destroys worn down mitochondria amd I think cancerous cells have defective mitochondria at that.

Also the idea of mitochondria having something to do with cancer is not too new.

[Alice Shade]

And that is exactly why I`m not entirly buying it.

People had studied cancer for at least half century. I`m pretty sure, that someone`d think of it already, if it`s so simple...

To be honest, I think, that it could happen to be overlooked only if cure suggested now is not something that really is introduced in human body often. Something, that had never been used as such, or even researched in this regard. Which, for a medicine, is a little weird.

[Fallen Hero]

And that is exactly why I`m not entirly buying it.

People had studied cancer for at least half century. I`m pretty sure, that someone`d think of it already, if it`s so simple...

To be honest, I think, that it could happen to be overlooked only if cure suggested now is not something that really is introduced in human body often. Something, that had never been used as such, or even researched in this regard. Which, for a medicine, is a little weird.

Not when accepted theories over the formation of cancer do not allow for it's use to make sense.

[Alice Shade]

I`m pretty sure, that every substance, that can induce self-destruction of cells would be extensively tested for cancer-cure possibilities, regardless of the current theory on cancer formation.

On a side note, I`m pretty sure, that something that can induce cellular self-destruction is also a pretty darn dangerous poison.

[jon_hill987]

It can't make healthy cells self-destruct, the body is supposed to kill off any cells that stop working properly, from what they are saying this is broken in cancer cells and the drug fixes it so the body can do it's job.

[Alice Shade]

Well, as I said... Wait, and see.

Either noone really researched this stuff they offer for cure - which would be weird, since it`s already used as medicine, either there are some hidden caveats, that are not yet disclosed, I think.

[GeoffBoulton]

Apparently, Capsaicin (the stuff in Chillies that makes them hot) does the same job. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't but I'll stick you my volcano strength curries just in case it's doing me some good too ;)

[jon_hill987]

Look up cancer rates in Mexico compared to the rest of the world, should give you an idea if it is true.