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Possible Breakthroughs in Cancer and AIDS Research

FortKnox writes "Two possible medical breakthroughs have come to light in recent days. In Australia, it was discovered that pineapple extract can stimulate the body to attack cancer cells. And in Japan, Kumamoto University researchers have developed a drug that will block cells from the AIDS virus, thus making something akin to an AIDS vaccine." From the Australian news: "One of the molecules, CCZ, stimulates the body's immune system to target and kill cancer cells, the other, CCS, blocks a protein called Ras, which is defective in 30 percent of all cancers. QIMR researcher Tracey Mynott said her team had set out to find why the enzyme-rich bromelaine crush had such strong effects on biological material."

10 of 403 comments (clear)

  1. Still no cure for cancer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Still no cure for can...er, never mind. Well, the people over at FARK must be really disappointed. They'll have to come up with a new tagline!

  2. Enzyme-rich bromelaine crush? by Ossifer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Never tried it, but I do like Orange Crush...

  3. Re:Vindicated! by RapmasterT · · Score: 5, Funny
    dammit! I only drink cloudy beers.

    I guess it's going to be a long weekend of explaing WTF is up with the pinapples slices in my hefeweizen.

  4. Pineapple! by Evil+W1zard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Time to go buy some stock in Dole!

    Oh I can see it now... Healthy, Tasty Pineapple Flavored Cigarettes that have no Surgeon General's Warning.

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    News Reporters Make Tasty Polar Bear Treats!
  5. Great, one more thing for Spam to pimp. by doublem · · Score: 5, Funny

    Herbal Pineapple extract Spam in 5... 4... 3...

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    "Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
  6. Re:Cures and money. by team99parody · · Score: 5, Funny
    "You really think drug companies care about your health?"

    Would it even be legal for them to do so if they wanted to?

    Wouldn't that violate their fiduciary responsibilities to their shareholders? It'd be like microsoft killing off their upgrade revenue by releasing a secure OS.

  7. I love "almost no side effects"... by JargonScott · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's such a great cover. I wonder what the "almost no" side effects are, like "all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light".

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    Nuke Gay Whales for Jesus.
  8. Re:Cures and money. by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 4, Funny


    I was wondering when someone would work in the obligatory Slashdot M$ slam...well done!

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  9. Re:old news by The_Mystic_For_Real · · Score: 4, Funny

    The news isn't the breakthrough, the news is that science is being done in Australia. No more 'Gator Studies' majors there anymore I guess.

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    Thank you.

  10. Re:Vindicated! by RapmasterT · · Score: 5, Funny
    Actually pinapple has another effect, that of making your bodily secretions smell/taste better. That is an old date trick....
    Considering at what point of the evening this "date trick" would become relevant, I've never understood why I should give a rat.

    My reaction to the statement "eewweee it tasts yucky" is usually "why are you still here"?