Forgotten Ulcer Drug Energizes Stem Cells 37
Soychemist writes "When cancer patients get a heavy dose of chemotherapy and radiation, it can destroy their bone marrow. Umbilical cords contain stem cells that can regenerate the immune systems of young patients, but usually there are not enough of them to heal an adult. Len Zon, a doctor at Children's Hospital in Boston surmised that there must be a chemical that can make the cord blood stem cells divide, so that there will be enough of them to treat adult patients. He tested 2,500 chemicals on zebrafish embryos, and found one that does the trick. It was once on its way to becoming an ulcer medication, and now doctors are testing it on cord blood units that will be given to leukemia patients."
Oh the Shocking Crazy Medicine News (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't know how this works! I mean, I know patents get handed out for most anything but is this guy patenting something that's well known in Nigeria (I heard a lot of Indian medicinal researchers are busting their asses to publish a herbal book so that this doesn't happen--prior art and all)? If he's the professor of Biology at an American university I certainly hope this isn't a scam
A confusingly exciting time in medicine. Too bad big pharma is pure evil.
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Patens do not really say something about the efficacy of it. So it in most probability does not work. The fact that it is from a second tier university also does not inspire confidence. There are also a lot of patents that are granted but will be removed on re-evaluation.
Too bad big pharma is pure evil.
I doubt that it is fair to say that âoebig pharma is evilâ. A lot of people work on it to improve peopleâ(TM)s lives. Of course there are people making money out of it â"
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Making money isn't wrong; but many very efficient ways of doing so definitely are.
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This problem is not just confined the ARVs â" there is a huge need
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it also wouldn't make sense for him to create his own company and hold the patents with the intent of doing something if it is a scam.
I've heard patenting crap is a great way to run a scam. As in, "here are my patents, investors" or "buy my patented invention". The general populace associates patents with legitimacy.
What's the drug? (Score:3, Interesting)
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maybe they forgot?
Re:What's the drug? (Score:4, Interesting)
Right now I guess they do not know which one helped, just that it was one of them did.
Re:What's the drug? (Score:5, Informative)
The drug is prostaglandin e2 (PGE2). The list you are referring to is mostly a list of drugs that will be administered in addition to untreated cells (placebo group) or PGE2-treated cells (study group) to prevent graft vs host disease and otherwise manage the patient. These people are sick and need a lot of other drugs.
the important question (Score:2)
What are we going to do with all those zebra fish?
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Use them with other studies. The girlfriend uses them a TON in looking for transgenics and gene identification. Their eyes, among other things, make great models for spotting mutations, etc.
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Aspartame (Score:5, Informative)
Aspartame was originally an ulcer drug.
Re:Aspartame (Score:5, Funny)
Sweet.
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Clinical Trial Link (Score:5, Informative)
The "drug" is prostaglandin e2 (PGE2), and the link for the clinical trial (from TFA) is here [clinicaltrials.gov]. This is a Phase I clinical trial, which means it's all about safety. (There are secondary endpoints that are related to efficacy.)
I said "drug" because PGE2 is a fatty acid derivative that naturally occurs in the body. The patient won't be exposed to a meaningful amount of PGE2, as it is used to make the cord blood stem cells divide.
What's interesting and exciting is that while it's not that different from current treatments, it will require fewer source cells per patient allowing for more people to be treated. Furthermore, the stem cells implanted into the patient will not be genetically modified, unlike a lot of the stem cells currently derived from adult tissues. So the patient has no drug exposure and no modified cells. If it works, it'll be pretty cool.
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No it's not called "prostaglandin e2". Prostaglandin e2, also known as dinoprostone, is already marketed under the names "Cervidil", "Prostin E2" and "Propess".
Drugs that are still on trial don't have names, only numbers.
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Drugs can be on trial and named. Like dinoprostone, which is marketed for one application, but is in a clinical trial for another application. Happens all the time.
Prostaglandin e2 is a perfectly valid name for that particular molecule, as is dinoprostone, 16, 16 dimethyl-prostaglandin E2, Cervidil... all perfectly valid things to call the compound in question. Each name just uses a different naming convention.
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Furthermore, the stem cells implanted into the patient will not be genetically modified, unlike a lot of the stem cells currently derived from adult tissues.
I am usually all in favour of scientific advancement, and I believe that stem cells and bioengineering have a lot of offer that could improve the human condition. HOWEVER; seeing as I have played Prototype non-stop since it was released I am now renouncing science (genetic engineering especially) and moving to a secret underground bunker in the Himalayas.
lab bench (Score:2)
Man, I'm not usually one to complain but that is one cluttered bio safety hood. Sterile technique is hard enough without trying to do 3 different things at once.
Must be an Editor that can Promote Make Better (Score:2)
"there must be a chemical that can promote make the cord blood stem cells divide"
Honestly? How did this story get accepted? (Score:2)
Forgotten Ulcer Drug Energizes Stem Cells (Score:2)
So that they can keep going and going...