Slashdot Mirror
Fighting Cancer With The Common Cold?
Roland Piquepaille writes "After 30 years of work, Saint Louis University researchers have genetically engineered a common cold virus to fight cancerous cells while leaving unaffected healthy ones. They received a patent for this research and clinical tests on humans will start soon, according to this news release. Dr. William Wold, chair of the department of molecular microbiology and immunology, received the patent No. 6,627,190 for his work. Preclinical testing has already been done so clinical trials should start soon. We can only hope they will be successful. This overview contains many more details and references about this potential cure for all kinds of cancer. [Note: this is a very different project from the one mentioned by a previous
Slashdot post.]"
Comment removed based on user account deletion
It's great that this is possible, but I'm not sure it should be patented. What ever happened to research for the good of mankind, and academic recognition?
I know medical research is expensive and all, and inventors/researchers need protection from having their ideas stolen, but what it means is that the technology can be held to ransom by the patent holder. "Yes we can save you, but it'll cost you $5000 a week for the rest of your life, etc."
Forget thrust, drag, lift and weight. Airplanes fly because of money.
Y'know, if I was smart enough to work out how to help people fight cancer, the last thing on my mind would be how to patent the technique. I'd want to help as many people as possible.
All of the news thus far looks to come right off of the press release put out by the pharmaceutical company funding the initial front. I have no doubt this is wonderful information for the relevant shareholders/venture capitalists.
But what about his work leading up to this? I don't read the microbiology journals (not that I would understand them), but I'll bet someone around here does. Is anything relevant to this project peer-reviewed? Have any of his methods been reproduced? Is there anything published relating to this project?
I don't want to sound too skeptical here, but this could be a seriously exciting discovery if 25% of the PR release were to be realized. But until I see some proof (and not a patent award, thanks), I'm going to assume this "scientific discovery" is another turkey-intestines into fuel story.
"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." -Voltaire
[Note: this is a very different project from the one mentioned by a previous Slashdot post.]
How ironic that story submitters are now feeling the need to add flameproofing like this to their submissions, in fear of the duplicate article police.
It's a question of priorities...before cancer or the common cold could be cured we first had to concentrate biomedical effort on making a pill that gives old farts a rock hard meatpipe. Now that that's out of the way, we can concentrate on curing viral infections, hereditary diseases, cancer, etc.
If you look at the historical records, you will see a marked jump in the percent of people who die of cancer after the introduction of antibiotics.
Hmm, wonder if that's because people are suddenly *not* dying of cholera, tuberculosus, or the plague?
Food does the same thing. In times of famine and wars (for that matter) very few people die of cancer.
Wow, in times of famine, people don't die from cancer? Too bad they're all busy dying of starvation, they could've lived forever!
Too bad you had to lead off with such bizarre statements, since I find myself nodding to just about everything else (including the critique of the overuse of anti-biotics, and that getting the sniffles once in awhile is a good thing).
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
Once you've actually *done* something, then feel free to stand up and take your bows... they will indeed be well deserved, but these types of promises for the future do nothing to help the people who are dying of cancer right now, many of whom may not even live to see the development of such a cure.
So instead of wasting time making press releases about the "promise" of a cure for cancer, just shut your yap and *CURE* people... Your Nobel Prize in medicine awaits.
(Sorry... do I sound a tad bitter?)
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
...or the research would not have taken place until 20 years later.
The whole idea of patents is to protect the person who comes up with an idea. If Dr. William Wold wants to allow the world to use this idea, he will truly benefit humanity. If not, then it is his prerogative not to (Yes, he is allowed to make money).
He shouldn't be forced to share his design so other companies can take the idea and make cheap spinoffs. Where would the incentive to innovate and share ideas come from for those who innovate for profit? (I know, Linus Torvolds Freely gave away Linux, but not everybody has the same mentality.)
If you dont like that, come up with your own unique way to kill cancer and freely share it with everybody.