Wonderful news!

[peggy]

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_med_gene_therapy_leukemia

This is truly wonderful news! I just thought, in this climate of government-as-enemy, some good news about something our tax dollars goes to would be nice.
Private pharma would never take the time or funding to meander around with trying this and trying that. But that is exactly how discoveries are made!

Woot! Woot! for leukemia patients! And more exciting exploration for other cancers as well.

I just love good news like this!

[Mrs-M]

I love good news like this too, Peggy! It gives hope. Thank you for posting.

[freein05]

I saw the report last night. It sounds very promising. Big pharma would not spend any money on it. The government and a woman in PA financed it. Her daughter in-law had died of breast cancer and now she personally funds cancer research projects.

Big Pharma is now very interested in financing the research. Remember Big Pharma has no interest in finding a cure they make their money on selling drugs!

[morris_rl]

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_med_gene_therapy_leukemia

This is truly wonderful news! I just thought, in this climate of government-as-enemy, some good news about something our tax dollars goes to would be nice.
Private pharma would never take the time or funding to meander around with trying this and trying that. But that is exactly how discoveries are made!

Woot! Woot! for leukemia patients! And more exciting exploration for other cancers as well.

I just love good news like this!

It is indeed wonderful news!!

That said, government funding was denied because the approach was too unorthodox. The study was actually privately funded by the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy. See:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44090512/ns/health-cancer/

------

Both the National Cancer Institute and several pharmaceutical companies declined to pay for the research. Neither applicants nor funders discuss the reasons an application is turned down. But good guesses are the general shortage of funds and the concept tried in this experiment was too novel and, thus, too risky for consideration.

The researchers did manage to get a grant from the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, a charity founded by Barbara and Edward Netter after their daughter-in-law died of cancer. The money was enough to finance the trials on the first three patients.

------

http://www.acgtfoundation.org/


Best,


Rodger
Unitarian Jihad Name - "Brother Railgun of Quiet Reflection"

[peggy]

Thank you for that clarification, Brother. A big Woot! Woot! for the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy. I'm glad someone recognized the wisdom of trusting really really smart guys/gals with an 'unconventional' idea. May their 'blind faith' help us all see the light.