Slashdot Mirror
A Protein That Terminates 70% Of Common Cancers
Orne writes "BBC News reports here that researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis have located 'a protein CUGBP2 (that) interacted with the mRNA for Cox-2 in eight types of human cancer cells.' Cox-2 (which is already known to affect inflammation in arthritis sufferers) is involved in growing blood vessels to feed cancer cells, leading to their uncontrolled growth. Raising CUGBP2 to normal levels puts the cancer's 'death' cycle back on track."
You're probably right, although I doubt it will be 20 years. But, if it upsets you that it won't be useful to today's cancer patients, maybe they should just stop their work and give up? After all, nothing good can come from research.
Honestly, what is the deal with the extreme negativity and cynicism from the Slashdot crowd?
After some of the things that have made front page lately I'd think that a way to stabilize 70% of cancers would make it. It's no flying car, but hey, it's nice.
while I agree with you that medical companies have probably gone a bit far with overcharging I really don't see why the medical industry should be that different from other industries.
If they put billions into research and don't get paid for it then they won't do research.
Think of it not as "poor people don't get this cause we patented it"
instead think of it as "rich people pay exhorbitant amounts of money for new treatments so that eventually poor people can have them".