Eideard

Scientists say they “serendipitously” discovered that a drug used to treat a type of cancer quickly reversed Alzheimer’s disease in mice.

“It’s really exciting,” said Maria Carrillo, senior director for medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer’s Association. “They saw very positive and robust behavior effects in the mice.”

In the study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine gave mice mega-doses of bexarotene, a drug used to treat a type of skin cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Within 72 hours, the mice showed dramatic improvements in memory and more than 50% of amyloid plaque — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — had been removed from the brain.

Gary Landreth, the lead researcher at Case Western, cautioned that even though his results were impressive in mice, it may turn out not to work in people. “I want to say as loudly and clearly as possible that this was a study in mice, not in humans,” he said. “We’ve fixed Alzheimer’s in mice lots of times, so we need to move forward expeditiously but cautiously.”

Mice — and humans — with Alzheimer’s have high levels of a substance called amyloid beta in their brain. Pathology tests on the mice showed bexarotene lowered the levels of amyloid beta and raised the levels of apolipoprotein E, which helps keep amyloid beta levels low.

Landreth said he hopes to try the drug out in healthy humans within two months, to see if it has the same effect.

Those participating in the trial would be given the standard dose that cancer patients are usually given.

I get to note this sort of occurrence more often than you’d think. One of the benefits of consistent, detailed scientific methodology in research is that tests sometimes appear with beneficial side effects. Part of the overwhelming conservatism of proper science. You note everything. You don’t throw anything away.

It’s only the nutballs and their magic saviors and solutions who pop up into the news stream with a magic cure they cooked up in the garage and tested on a neighborhood cat – if at all.

Cancer rates among police officers who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York have tripled, according to new figures.

Of the 12,000 who attended the scene of the atrocity at the World Trade Center 10 years ago, 297 have been diagnosed with cancer, almost triple the incidence before the attack.

A report said that 56 who have been diagnosed had since died.

Residents of lower Manhattan have long claimed that the dust and ash clouds triggered by the long-burning fires at the site of the twin towers were toxic.

Figures released by the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association appear to bear out the theory, with cancer rates among NYPD officers who attended the disaster running at 16 a year compared to six before the attacks. The average age they were forced to leave the force due to their ill-health was 44.

Lung cancer was the most common form of the disease among officers, although there were more rare varieties including cancers of the bile duct, tongue and nasal passages…

Under the Zadroga Act, named for Detective James Zadroga who died of a respiratory disease after taking part in the recovery operation, sick 9/11 workers are entitled to health screening and financial benefits. New York’s City Hall has always refused to release cancer rates among the NYPD, saying that the information was private…

Frank Tramontao, research director at the PBA, said: “It is our sincere opinion that the City of New York has done nothing to facilitate any cancer study and has been actively working to prevent a comprehensive examination of the issue.”

What is it about American bureaucrats that requires they be blind and deaf to disease inflicted on men and women who have dedicated their energies to aiding this nation?

I know for a fact this nation isn’t exclusively populated by know-nothings who fear science. I’m not as certain about the fear of responsibility.

President Fernandez’ supporters reacting to the good news
Daylife/Reuters Pictures used by permission

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez never had cancer despite being diagnosed with the disease last month and having her thyroid gland removed on January 4…

The government announced just after Christmas that the recently re-elected leader had thyroid cancer. The operation to remove the gland went well, but when it was later analyzed it turned out to have never contained cancerous cells, said spokesman Alfredo Scoccimaro…

Fernandez was originally diagnosed with papillary carcinoma.

Buenos Aires-based thyroid cancer expert Eduardo Faure, who is not on the president’s medical team, said a small number of such cases turn out to be “false positives,” meaning that no cancer is present. “The cells may originally appear to be cancer but in 2 percent of cases, after the operation, when a more thorough examination can be performed, it turns out they are not,” the doctor said in an interview.

“This result was always within the realm of possibility. It does not mean that the original diagnosis was mistaken.”

Several hundred Fernandez supporters had camped out near the hospital where she was treated, carrying banners that said “Strength Cristina.” A cheer went up from the crowd when Scoccimaro made the announcement…

Vice President Amado Boudou, the former economy minister and a loyal Fernandez ally, assumed the presidency this week during Fernandez’s scheduled 20-day leave of absence.

OK – I was ready to bust some chops in the medical profession over this one. The fact is – this result is always within the realm of possibility.

One of those checkups led me to a bit of skin surgery for something that looked more advanced than pre-cancerous – and the drill was to remove it altogether – and check it afterwards more thoroughly. It came out non-cancerous and I was happy. Happy also to have had the walk-in surgery.

A top human rights group in Bangladesh has praised a bride who disowned her husband within minutes of their wedding because he demanded a dowry. Sultana Kamal of the Ask rights group said that Farzana Yasmin had taken a “principled and brave stand against the gross injustice of dowry payments”…

Giving or receiving dowries is a criminal offence in Bangladesh but is still widely practised…

Ms Yasmin’s decision to divorce her husband within minutes of their wedding in the conservative southern district of Barguna has sent shockwaves through the country, with supporters and opponents of her action fiercely arguing their cases on Facebook.

The “10-minute bride” told the BBC that she wanted other “dowry-oppressed women” in Bangladesh to be inspired by her actions, which correspondents say appear to be without precedent.

“The dowry has become a cancer of our society. I have read this in newspapers and always wondered why people should put up with it,” the masters graduate told the BBC’s Shakeel Anwar. “When I found myself getting caught up with this, I thought I have to protest.

“I know I cannot change the fate of thousands of other similarly oppressed women in the country but at least I have taken a stand.”

Ms Yasmin – who has fled her home village to take refuge with friends and family in Dhaka – denounced her husband as she was about to be taken to her wedding car at the end of her marriage celebrations.

She told the BBC that he and his family wanted to delay her departure until they had received “gifts”, including a TV and a fridge.

“My older sister reacted: ‘We are going to give you our girl only, nothing else was promised’,” she said…

She says that she is now filing for divorce.

You go, girl! Kudos for confronting one of history’s most backwards traditions.

February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011

Her new dream is time off for good behavior

The good news is she doesn’t have cancer.

The bad news is she faces criminal charges.

The Horizon City Police Department has filed criminal charges against a young woman who raised the sympathy of a community along with thousands of dollars in donations by claiming she was dying from cancer.

Police officials said Tuesday that a three-month investigation found that Angie Gomez, 18, had no record of having leukemia, as she claimed while allegedly collecting about $17,000 in donations.

Gomez is accused of theft by deception over $1,500, a state jail felony. The case has been sent to the district attorney’s office as a non-arrest, meaning she has not been taken into custody.

“There is nothing to indicate she had cancer. There is no medical records, no doctors,” Detective Liliana Medina said. The investigation determined there were no other suspects in the case, Medina said.

Gomez had an infectious smile, a positive outlook and a tragic tale. Gomez was a senior at Horizon High School when her story unfolded earlier this year. She graduated in June.

Gomez told a tale of having leukemia as a child and was now fighting a fatal resurgence of the cancer. She told classmates that doctors in January had given her six months to live. Classmates and teachers at Horizon High School rallied around her and held fundraisers…

The kind of fraud that perpetuates myths about charities commonly being frauds.

We’re all cynical enough. I’d be the last to claim otherwise – though I claim to be an optimist and a cynic. Point is – throw the book at someone who hustles people for their good will and kind hearts.

After 14 years as Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs resigned his post on Wednesday and was replaced by Tim Cook, who previously was the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Jobs, in turn, was elected as chairman of Apple’s board of directors.

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come,” Jobs said in a letter addressed “to the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community.”

“I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role,” Jobs wrote. “I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.”

“In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration,” board member and Genentech chairman Art Levinson said in an Apple press release. “Steve’s extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world’s most innovative and valuable technology company. Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team.”

Jobs had been on a medical leave of absence since January 2011. He continued to hold the CEO title while Cook oversaw the day-to-day operations of the company. At the time, Jobs told Apple employees he was taking a leave from his day-to-day duties to “focus on my health.”

The full text of his letter of resignation and the board of directors’ statement are here.

It’s been six years since I bought my first Apple computer. The shiny new Mini had just been introduced and offered me an affordable way to experiment with Apple’s OS X operating system Like any longtime geek, I had spares of monitor, keyboard, etc. to hook up.

I credit Steve Jobs for what he did to make that change so easy for me. As someone who’s spent a long and varied career involved with commerce around the planet, I also appreciate the cultural and social boundaries he’s set aside in the process of building Apple into one of the most successful firms on the planet.

Six years ago, researchers at the University of Birmingham discovered that more than half of the cancers of white blood cells they looked at responded in the test tube to the growth-suppressing properties of psychotropic drugs, including amphetamine derivatives such as ecstasy and weight-loss pills, and antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac). Building on this previous work, the researchers have now discovered a modified form of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, they claim has 100 times more cancer-busting properties than the designer drug itself.

Although the scientists discovered the cancer-fighting properties of MDMA six years ago, the team realized that producing a usable clinical compound would present serious problems; largely because the dose of MDMA required to treat a cancerous tumor would also kill the patient. They therefore set about breaking down the actions of the drug to isolate its cancer-killing properties from its general toxicity.

Working in collaboration with researchers from Western Australia who produced the new compounds for them, the University of Birmingham scientists found specially modified forms of ecstasy that had their ability to attack and destroy cancerous cells boosted by a factor of 100. More importantly, they believe they now understand the mechanism behind this.

“Together, we were looking at structures of compounds that were more effective. They started to look more lipophilic, that is, they were attracted to the lipids that make up cell walls,” explains Professor John Gordon, from the University of Birmingham’s School of Immunology and Infection. “This would make them more ‘soapy’ so they would end up getting into the cancer cells more easily and possibly even start dissolving them. By knowing this we can theoretically make even more potent analogues of MDMA and eventually reach a point where we will have in our drug cabinet the most potent form we could.”

Although the researchers don’t want to give people false hope, they believe their research has the potential to in the future provide an improvement in cancer treatments for cancers like lymphoma, many types of which remain hard to treat. The team is now looking to develop pre-clinical studies.

Bravo!

What me worry?

A Roman Catholic bishop in Ohio has called on supporters of a breast cancer foundation to suspend donations because the charity may, in the future, turn to stem-cell research in its fight against the disease.

Said Bishop Leonard P Blair of Toledo, Ohio: “While we want to do everything possible to support the search for a cure, sadly the landscape of medical research today is sometimes marred by the erroneous belief that research is not bound by moral norms rooted in faith and reason, as reflected in the teaching of the church.

According to this report, the charity at the centre of a controversy sparked by this posturing blockhead is the Susan G Komen for the Cure…He…noted the foundation does not exclude the possibility of funding research that uses embryonic stem cells. While acknowledging that Komen does not currently fund research using embryonic stem cells, he said Its policy does not exclude that possibility…

The man is an ideological turd. If he consistently lived up to an iota of his reasoning then he must be picketing the Pentagon on a daily basis. Oh?

Mary Westphal, Executive Director of Komen’s Northwest Ohio Affiliate, and board chairman Angie Ash said here that they were “extremely disappointed” in the bishop’s decision. They said the bishop and other diocesan leaders had not called or met with local Komen officials before the decision’s announcement and gave no opportunity to discuss his concerns.

In modern theology [I know - probably mutually exclusive], you learn the term “pelvic theology.” This describes purportedly celibate priests, bishops, cardinals and popes god-given right to order women how to deal with their bodies. Women haven’t the right to do so on their own. So say the divinely inspired.

Thanks, Mr. Fusion

Xie Sanxiu, a poor migrant textile worker, was showered with money and sympathy after internet users heard how she had been forced to withdraw her daughter from Guangzhou Children’s Hospital because of a lack of funds.

The case became an online cause célèbre after a chat room user calling himself “Rich Son of Guangzhou” taunted the desperate mother, offering to pay her money for her daughter’s treatment for retinoblastoma, a form of eye-cancer, if she would humiliate herself…

“If you can kneel and crawl on the road for a thousand metres, I will immediately give you 20,000 yuan.”

Mrs Xie performed the shaming walk, with her sick child wrapped in a blanket in her arms, telling local journalists: “Regardless of wind or rain, I must go. As long as I can save my baby, I’m willing to do anything. I hope ‘Rich Son of Guangzhou’ you will honour your promise…”

Sympathy turned to anger, however, after investigations showed that “Rich Son of Guangzhou” didn’t really exist, but was an alias of Shi Jinquan, a content moderator for Tianya.cn, one of China’s best-known discussion forums that had hosted the original plea for help from Mrs Xie.

Mr Shi was fired from his job for the subterfuge, after it emerged that he had coached Mrs Xie in how to reply to questions from media and public, and even advised her to start her ‘walk’ from outside the offices of the leading local newspaper.

The story has sparked an ethical debate in China about whether the online moderator’s noble ends justified his duplicitous means, but Mr Shi remained unrepentant. “You can say the means were not noble and people are angry, but I’m only trying to help,” he told state broadcaster China Central Television.

Mrs Xie said that she had gone along with the plan out of desperation after managing to raise just 400 yuan (£38) after months of begging for online donations…”I’m not a great mother, as the media reported. I’m just a poor mother, a mother who told lies. I was just trying to save my daughter.

The public reaction veered from anger at the deception, to equal anger that a mother should be driven to such lengths to get treatment for her child.

Most recent reports from China describe continued and growing support for Mrs. Xie – and contempt for Shi.

I think he should come to the West and get a job on Fleet Street or Madison Avenue. Lying, misleading is an honorable profession among the dishonorable.