Popular Science Liver Cancer Cure
Posted Aug 30, 2010
Back in 2003 I had my own dealings with a liver related disease and was searching for answers. I wrote a book about my personal redemption, but during my research for a cure, I came across an article in Technology Review magazine (which BTW we carry offline ) about a new medical technology called RNA interference that would change the way we treat all disease and cancer.
I knew back then that this technology was going to be something that will probably change the world as we know it. My hopes are still high after reading the article “An Rx for Every Disease” found in the September 2010 issue of Popular Science magazine.
Also called RNAi, this technique is done by delivering small snippets of RNA into the strands of RNA or DNA of viruses and/or cells to turn off certain undesirable functions like out of control replication. It was originally discovered in the early 1990’s in work done on plants. This latest article caught my eye because it named the same company that I recognized from the Technology Review article that I found seven years ago.
My original excitement was watered down when the company had mentioned that it had not yet found a plausible delivery system into the body. And then there was the unknown of what other problems might arise by altering DNA like that, especially in cells you don’t want to be affected.
However, my zeal for RNAi has been rejuvenated by this recent article because it mentions that the research has matured to the point of small scale human testing with positive results. According to the article the new drug ALN-VSP has been administered to patients who desperately needed a last resort treatment for liver cancer and were not responding to chemo or radiation. The research was showing that it was stopping 62% of the blood flow to the tumors in ALL of the participating patients.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Just think if this same technique could be used to stop deadly viruses from replicating like HIV. The only hurdle to overcome would be delivery to the infection, but once solved…medicine will become the next revolution.
You can read the whole article online here. It's interesting the way Popular Science covers this possible liver cancer cure. For an ongoing source of scientific breakthroughs and a positive view of your future, subscribe to Popular Science magazine.