Some incredible stuff I just read on some cancer research

[Jstas]

http://www.livescience.com/health/080521-stem-cells.html

Essentially, they think that stem cells cause cancer. Well at least they can cause cancer.

What is amazing about that is if we understand what triggers the mutated genes in the stem cells to turn in to cancer, we know enough about genetics to be able to understand how to turn them off or even convert them back in to healthy cells.

The idea of that has many other implications but the stride in research that it represents is like landing on the moon.

I'm excited to see where it leads.

[bobman1235]

First off, I feel like we get a lot of these "oh my God!" moments in cancer research but then we never hear anything else about them. It would be nice to hear followups on these kinds of stories so even if they don't pan out we can know why rather than kind of being disillusioned by the number of stories that don't pan out.


And two, on a kind of morbid note... I'm always curious what kind of effect on world population we would have if we cured any of the huge diseases. Cancer kills MILLIONS of people a year; ditto for AIDS or heart disease. Say we had a cure for any or all of those.... it feels like the population would be even more unsustainable than it is now, and disease would be the least of our problems.

[Airplay355]

A lot of times when they say they have found a gene that causes cancer or they have found a gene that contributes to cancer they actually only found a marker.

Cancer is causes by multiple gene malfunctions anyway, there's not one single cancer gene. Even if we were able to cure the genetic causes of cancer there are still plenty of environmental factors which can cause cancer regardless of your genetic makeup.

[sucks2beme]

Research is about 98% BS.
Not to belittle their work, but the process tends to force people who do the
research to do a hard sell on their work to continue funding. If they
don't, the money tree dies off. I have gotten old and jaded. Too many
studies are proved wrong after one of these big announcements.
Just my luck now, I'll die of cancer!

[fatchowmein]

I've had a few friends die of cancer. This is good news even if it doesn't lead to an immediate Bayer Cancer pill. Every inch of light we shed is a step in the right direction.