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New Cancer Treatment
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New Cancer Treatments Cancer is when some cells in the body start, mutate and start growing uncontrollably. These mutated cells can then spread and affect any part of the body. Some cancers can be prevented by avoiding smoking, reducing sunlight and eating healthily. Many cancers can be cured by surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Cancer is the second biggest cause of death in the western world. We are getting closer to understanding this dreadful disease and providing effective treatments. In the space of 10 years, the survival rate for some cancers has increased by up to 30%. Scientists have identified a compound from Blushwood (a native of Queensland rainforest) which has destroyed tumours in dogs, cats and horses with no side-effects. Dr. Victoria Gordon, of EcoBiotics says the extract called 'EBC-46' will hopefully soon be trialled on humans. Monash University scientists led by Associate Professor Jun-Ping Liu and Dr. He Li have identified a protein fragment (or peptide) that blocks the enzyme telomerase which makes cancer cells multiply. When the peptide is injected into animals, it halves the size of the tumours in one week. Associate Professor Lawrence Abraham from the University of Western Australia is researching a protein marker called 'CD30' which tells abnormal cells in Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to die. But in a type of lymphoma, there are very high levels of CD30, so the abnormal cells should be dying, but aren't. His research has shown that the high level of CD30 makes the abnormal cells sticky and he thinks this adhesion is what causes the lymphoma – the healthy cells become sticky and they stick around in the lymph nodes and become cancerous. If this is the case, learning how to 'unstick' the cells will possibly stop the growth of this cancer. There are 100's more examples of amazing research being done by fabulous people around the world. We just need to keep throwing funding at research and ensuring we have the best medical researchers working towards a cure. You can be part of this - there's not a person reading this who hasn't known someone with cancer. Do this for them! Get a team together for your local 'Relay for Life' event. Click HERE to be taken to the Hills District 'Relay for Life' page for more information about this fun and VERY important event (the research on peptides is done because of funding from the Cancer Council, which raises it's money via the Relay for Life). Or just search for your local Relay for Life...they're worldwide! You don't even have to walk to contribute to cutting-edge world research. Just scroll down the lists of teams till you find us;
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