Interesting Links for 13-8-2011

[andrewducker]

• The government's new police advisor is actually giving sensible advice. Huzzah!
  (tags: police crime society riots uk)
• Firefox to prevent third-parties installing add-ons without your permission.
  (tags: firefox security AndAboutTimeToo)
• Looters return stuff to Games Workshop
  (tags: games roleplaying riots uk satire funny)
• New leukemia treatment exceeds wildest expectations
  (tags: cancer medicine)
• The Best Examples Of Mocking Religion On Facebook
  (tags: Funny religion facebook)

Comments

Leukemia cure

[ami-bender.livejournal.com]

My wife has read the original article on the leukaemia treatment, and she says its interesting and has enormous potential, but its not as major a breakthrough as its hyped to be.
From my understanding of what she has said, the main reason is that it works by getting T cells to destroy B cells. In essence this will kill your immune system.
Its also VERY dangerous to try and activate T cells as we don't understand the immune system well enough to control them, and if you activate the T cells too much it can cause a cytokine storm which can kill you. An example is that new drug experiment a few years ago in London that went horribly wrong and caused several healthy people to get organ failure and loose various body parts.
The potential for this kind of technique is enormous as you could use it to fight cancers.

Re: Leukemia cure

[andrewducker]

Thank you, good to know.

It did sound like the kind of thing that could do enormous damage if we weren't lucky.

Re: Leukemia cure

[ami-bender.livejournal.com]

Exactly
Sarah says that they could have made a breakthrough that will cure cancer in 10 years, or they could of just gotten lucky with the 3 patients. Until I get evidence otherwise, I am going with luck.