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The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org
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Scientists close to developing cancer-killing pill which exploits flaw in disease's DNA
By Daily Mail Reporter
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1323481/Cancer-killing-pill-exploits-flaw-diseases-DNA-close-development.html
Last updated at 9:10 AM on 25th October 2010
Treatment breakthrough: Scientists have discovered a flaw in the DNA of some cancers
British scientists claim they are just ten years away from developing the world's first cancer killing pill - after discovering a flaw in the disease's DNA.
Experts have found a mutation in some cancer cells which means the disease cannot repair its own damaged genetic structure.
Scientists believe this so-called 'Achilles heel' can be exploited using gene therapy drugs in the form of pills or injections to attack the cancer's DNA.
The discovery of certain cancers' inability to repair their own cells is being hailed as a breakthrough which could mean the end of painful chemotherapy treatments.
The findings, led by Professor Ghulam Mufti, a leukaemia specialist at Kings College London, will be aired on BBC2's Horizon programme tonight.
Prof Mufti said effective drugs were being developed by grouping cancers by the pattern of their genetic activity, rather than where they occurred in the body.
He said researchers were edging closer to finding a cure for cancer by studying the DNA of tumours.
The technique was made possible ten years ago when scientists first mapped all three-billion 'letters' that comprise the complete human genetic sequence.
He said: 'One thing is for sure. Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, the advances have been absolutely phenomenal.
'Therefore, I'm pretty sure that over a period of time, say over the next decade, we will be able to identify the right treatment regime for a particular patient.
'As time goes on, it's probably going to be the case that the majority of cancers will have some kind of targeted therapy.'
A drug undergoing medical trials at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre in London works by attacking the cancer cells' inability to repair their own damaged genetic structure.
Project leader Professor Alan Ashworth said: 'Some tumour cells can't repair their DNA properly.
'They actually don't care about repairing it. They just carry on growing fast.
'So, we've worked out a way of trying to exploit that to treat cancer.'
The drug, which has no side effects, inhibits the ability of cells to repair naturally occurring defects in their DNA.
At a low concentration, healthy cells are strong enough to survive the treatment while at the same time the cancer cells that are bad at repairing their genetic make-up are destroyed.
Scan: A drug undergoing medical trials in London works by attacking the breast cancer cells' inability to repair their own damaged genetic structure (file picture)
Prof Ashworth added: 'At this concentration, all the mutant cells are killed but the normal cells are not really touched.
'So, potentially that translates into much more powerful treatments but much fewer side-effects as well because we're not killing normal cells.'
The breakthrough could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of cancer patients.
Prof Ashworth said: 'We are in the 21st century, we've got the human genome sequence, and we're still treating cancer with medieval treatments.
'We cut it out with a big knife or we burn it with radiation or we poison it with chemotherapy.
'Chemotherapy really just works by killing cells that are growing fast. There is nothing clever about it at all.
'What we're trying to do is use the genome information to develop new ways of treating the cancer itself, the genetic defects of the cancer, not the normal cells.'
Scientists at the Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire, which was at the forefront of the Human Genome Project, is also using super-computers to identify the differences in the DNA of cancerous and healthy cells from the same patient.
Institute director Professor Mike Stratton said the research meant it might soon be possible to treat and even create drugs which can prevent cancer completely.
Tonight's programme also features a medical trial of a drug to cure cystic fibrosis using a similar method of gene therapy, which could be available on the NHS in just five years.
It works by replacing the faulty gene that causes cystic fibrosis with a healthy manmade version, which is suspended in a fatty liquid and inhaled via a nebuliser.
Professor Eric Alton, of the Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium and Imperial College London, said the research would be completed by the end of 2012.
He said: 'Around that time we should get a feeling of whether that trial, for the first time in the world, has shown if patients can actually get better clinically.
'If this first trial looks good then I think we can move it quite rapidly into the NHS.
'If everything goes fantastically by the end of 2012, I think within two or three years we might be able to put it into regular treatment.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1323481/Cancer-killing-pill-exploits-flaw-diseases-DNA-close-development.html#ixzz13ZaUAOTn~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I
agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe
it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or
do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our
philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian
fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader
was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the
weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic,
anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or
religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It
just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common
sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to
understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it
is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very
clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed
and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin
their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change
to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for
medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be
absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews,
antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies
or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love
and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher
Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death
your right to say it".
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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