Drug 'attacks cancer stem cells'

[IDemo]

Source: BBC News

A compound that appears to target the master cells which help breast cancers grow and spread has been discovered by US scientists.

In tests in mice, salinomycin killed breast cancer stem cells far more effectively than some existing drugs, and slowed tumour growth.

The drug, a farm antibiotic, has yet to be tested in humans, the journal Cell reports.

But UK experts warned a human version could be some years away.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8201376.stm

[PA Democrat]

1. This research is happening in Great Britain which has a national health care plan.

Proving once again, that medical research DOES and will CONTINUE to occur outside of a for-profit system.

[IDemo]

2. This is from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research team

The source was BBC, with comments by a British stem cell biologist.

[PA Democrat]

4. Oops. I need a cup of coffee.

:blush:

[comtec]

5. MIT which gets ASSLOADS of GOVERNMENT money for research

so yes, it's still a government funded research program!

[PA Democrat]

7. Yes. For-profit pharmaceuticals fund only about HALF of the R&D

on new drugs in the US. The rest is either funded by the government or by private groups such as non-profits.

On top of that, a LOT of the "research" done by the pharmaceuticals is for the development of copycat drugs, not anything that will change the landscape of effective disease treatment.

[TZ]

8. Not quite true

Actually private Pharma companies do ALOT of work with non-profit government research labs..A lot of the novel research going on could not exist without the support of Pharmas. How do I know? Because when I was working at NIH on experimental malaria vaccines Merck was a partner in helping develop and manufacturing them.
And I work for a LARGE biotech that is researching novel monoclonal antibodies for different immune disorders. No copycats here.
Just because you don't hear about it in the media doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
I really get tired of the prejudice and ignorance about the biopharmas. Alot happens here that no one reports about. You mainly only hear about the bad eggs (of which there are a few I admit)

[PA Democrat]

10. I am talking about the funding of the R & D. And actually, when you add in the tax credits the

pharmaceutical industry receives to offset R & D costs, taxpayers are footing more than 80% of the bill according to one recent study:

http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/10127?badlink=1

Gov't should use power to make drugs affordable

<snip>

During the recent heated arguments about AIDS drug access and Medicare prescription drug bills, a few facts have emerged that would shock any reasonable American taxpayer: that while so many persons struggle for access to medicines, 85 percent of the basic and clinical research for drugs on our market today was funded by taxpayers. And yet the industry reaping the benefits for our high drug costs -- making three times the profit of the Fortune 500 average -- spends only 11 percent of its revenue on Research and Development (R&D) and 27 percent on marketing, according to Families USA.

Those who are ill with treatable diseases are charged twice in the prescription drug game -- once by the IRS, and a second time by the pharmacy. But there's a way to regulate the pharmaceutical industry that offers hope to the elderly and those who cannot afford vital medicines.

[Soylent Brice]

3. K&R

[Joanne98]

6. Will socialism cure cancer?

[Autonomy]

9. self delete