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Killing Cancer With a Virus

just___giver writes "The U.S. National Cancer Institute has just decided to fund multiple human clinical studies to test the reovirus. This naturally occuring virus has a remarkable ability to infect and kill cancer cells, without affecting normal, healthy cells. Here is a before and after picture of a terminal patient with an actively growing neck tumour that had failed to respond to conventional treatments. This tumour was eliminated with only a single injection of the Reovirus. Researchers at Oncolytics Biotech have shown that the Reovirus can kill many types of cancer, including breast, prostate, pancreatic and brain tumours. Human clinical trial results indicate that there are no safety concerns and that the reovirus shrinks and even eliminates tumours injected with this virus. Numerous other third party studies show that the reovirus should be an important discovery in the treatment of 2/3 of all human cancers."

23 of 662 comments (clear)

  1. Beat me to it. by Jade+E.+2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Damnit, I wanted to cure cancer. Oh, well, I guess I'll just move on to the next thing on my list, stopping aging.

    1. Re:Beat me to it. by Rorschach1 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, you're halfway there already. Regular slashdot use is shown to completely halt maturity!

    2. Re:Beat me to it. by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 4, Funny

      Regular slashdot use is shown to completely halt maturity!
      IS NOT!!!
      Oops, gotta go. Mom needs the phone.

      --

  2. Never create what you can't control. by Perl-Pusher · · Score: 0, Funny
    Numerous other third party studies show that the reovirus should be an important discovery in the treatment of 2/3 of all human cancers."

    Until it mutates into a deadly pathogen!

  3. Poor FARK.com by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They aren't going to be able to use headlines like this anymore on their stories:

    Scientific study concludes that eating a lot of fast food and sitting in front of the TV makes you fat. Still no cure for cancer.

  4. Oh great- by IWantMoreSpamPlease · · Score: 3, Funny

    I just finished deleting all those viruses off a client's network, and *now* you tell me they can be used for good? ..oh wait

    --
    So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
  5. SMOKE THEM IF YOU GOT THEM! by tjstork · · Score: 3, Funny


    Hah, here I was thinking I'd have to quit. Now, I'll just get a shot and knock the tumor right out.

    --
    This is my sig.
  6. ..."non-pathogenic virus"... by burgburgburg · · Score: 0, Funny
    "It is a non-pathogenic virus, meaning that it is not usually associated with any illness."

    Sure, that's what it WANTS us to think. Friendly, helpful virus. Easy to get along with virus. "I'll help save 2/3 of all cancer victims" virus.

    Then when we're licking reovirus lollipops and gulping down reovirus power shakes, that's when it reveals it's true agenda: World domination.

    I, for one, do NOT welcome our new reovirus overlords. Who's with me?

  7. Well... by Prince_Ali · · Score: 3, Funny

    When you cure cancer you can release the cure under the GPL, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

    1. Re:Well... by Smidge204 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wait, is that a "Viral GPL" joke?... It is, isn't it!? :)

      =Smidge=

  8. Calgary builds Cure for Cancer by infolib · · Score: 0, Funny

    +1 happy citizen in all canadian cities.

    --
    Any sufficiently advanced libertarian utopia is indistinguishable from government.
  9. Re:Okay, lets try it then... by G27+Radio · · Score: 4, Funny

    The virus is found naturally in shallow pools of water

    Ah, that could present a problem right there. The pharmaceutical industry industry has invested a lot of money in R&D for patentable anti-cancer drugs. If it turns out that there is a naturally occuring substance that aids some cancer patients they'll probably lobby to have it outlawed.

    Coming soon: The War on Naturally-Occuring Pool-Dwelling Viruses; sponsored by your favorite big-time pharmaceutical companies.

    Am I overreacting? Yeah, probably.

  10. Re:Not only a cure for cancer... by cmpalmer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Great, the R.J. Reynold's organ farm!!

    "Smoke up! We'll grow more!"

    --
    -- stream of did I lock the front door consciousness
  11. Think George Carlin.. by XeroRIAA · · Score: 3, Funny

    "I never get colds, I never get infections, I don't gett'em! You know why? Cause I got a good strong immune system!.... When I was young, we swam in the Hudson River, and at the time, it was filled with raw sewage. We swam in raw sewage.. you know, to COOL OFF!

    And at that time, the big fear was polio.. No one in my neighborhood ever got polio.. EVER! You know why?! BECAUSE WE SWAM IN RAW SEWAGE! The polio never had a prayer, we we're tempered in liquid shit!"

    - George Carlin

    Ahh yes.. once again science proves truth in comedy. :)

  12. Re:Clarify by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 4, Funny

    4. Where does the reovirus come from? Reovirus is found naturally in shallow pools of water, lakes or streams or in the sewage system.

    And people used to LAUGH at me when I would swim around in raw sewage!!! Who's laughing now, huh?!?

  13. Re:Copyrighted virus ? by cosmo7 · · Score: 2, Funny

    How can you exactly copyright this virus if it occurs in nature ?

    I agree; copyrighting natural phenomena is outrageous. This is what patents are for.

  14. This treatment brought to you in part by... by Sparr0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The Umbrella Corporation.

  15. Re:good... by wawannem · · Score: 3, Funny

    if you notice anything weird at all, especially anything hard, [emphasis mine]

    Oh man, my doctor doesn't want two appointments a day with me to discuss what happens every time I think of Natalie Portman...

  16. Re:good... by lexsco · · Score: 2, Funny
    Not sure if testicular cancer is in the same vein, but you made me remember a Slashdot submission linking to a study that indicated males maturbating (or having sex) at least 5 times a week were 33% less likely to develop prostate cancer.

    Or maybe it was 66%. I forget.

    No, it was frequent masterbating caused memory loss in 66% of men :)
  17. WOO HOO! LIGHT EM UP BOYS! by ShortedOut · · Score: 2, Funny

    [lights up a cigarette]

    It's about time!

    I can hear Phillip Morris (Or whatever their name is now) cheering.

  18. Re:good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bastard. One minute I am reading Slashdot, no big deal. The next I am going OMFG better check for testicular cancer. Then it dawns on me, somewhere out there CrackHappy is probably wacking off to hundreds (thousands?) of nerds checking their balls for cancer.

    Eek!

  19. Re:good... by Psychotext · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ummm... I might be mistaken here, but that list of names at the top looks like it has been populated with columbian drug barons.

    Hmm.

    --
    People that believe in their opinions don't post AC.
  20. Re:Waitasec, they're SOCIALISTS in Canada.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    *picks up cluestick*

    *begins inscribing on the side of it*

    Despite the Crown (and I suppose 'The People') ultimately controlling the natural resources around here, that doesn't exactly mean that there's no profit motive in Canada. Capitalism lives, just with higher taxes.

    *WHACK*