Have researchers found a cure for cancer?

Researchers found a "dream drug" that may revolutionize the medical world. 

Cancer has been probably the most feared disease among those who are are affected by it. Throughout history, millions of dollars have been spent on research trying to find a cure for this fatal illness yet results have lacked success. When one is diagnosed words such as "hopeless" and "death" race through their minds. However, researchers may have found a new drug that can bring promise to that hopeless patient. Supposedly a one of a kind drug for the treatment of cancer has been discovered that will kill every type of cancer tumor. 

Up until a few months ago, there have been four standard methods of treatment: surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and biological therapy. The main objective of these treatments is to remove the cancerous cells without harming the rest of the body. Yet this can be challenging at times because even if only one cancerous cell remains after treatment, it has the potential to cause a new tumor. Treating cancer may seem like a daunting task. Fortunately with advancements in medicine and surgery many new ways of treating cancer have been developed. These developments include this dream drug that will destroy tumors and end the growth of the cancerous cells in one's body. 

Mice with cancer cells have been cured using this drug, but will the results be as effective on humans?

This drug is so special because it blocks a protein called CD47 that basically completely destroys the body’s immune system.  Even though the protein is produced in healthy blood cells, researchers have found out that cancer cells produce an unreasonable amount of this protein that ultimately tricks the immune system into not destroying harmful cells. Knowing this information, researchers built an antibody that blocks CD47 so that the body’s immune system can continue to attack dangerous cells. However, researchers have not tested this new antibody on an actual human yet. Stanford University have distributed this dream drug on mice with human breast, ovary, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate tumors transplanted into them. Each outcome has been positive; the antibody forced the mice’s immune system to kill the cancer cells. Scientists’ at Weissman of the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California have showed that “even after the tumor has taken hold, the antibody can either cure the tumor or slow its growth and prevent metastasis.” The only side effect found for the treatment so far was that healthy cells were subjected to short-term attacks by the mice’s immune system. However, this small effect is nothing compared to the damage done to the cancer cells. Researchers have received a grant of $20 million to move there testing from mice to humans. This drug makes you wonder what the future can bring. Above Dr. Robert Andrew's gave his opinion on this drug. Andrews seems skeptical that the results will not be as successful on humans as it has proved on mice, yet he agrees that this could be the future of science and medicine and that it will ultimately save millions of lives one day. After conducting an interview with a random person on the street, it seems that many people agree that this drug will be successful in many years to come.

Although faith of finding a cure is in sight, many scientists are not too optimistic...

There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign. However when the tumor does spread to other parts of the body only to destroy healthy tissue, the process of metastasis occurs. The result of this process results in a serious condition that is very hard to treat. This dream drug may be able to stop tumors from spreading, or tumors from emerging at all; though there are reasons many researchers and scientists are doubtful that this drug will work. Despite decades of heavily funded and widely proclaimed cancer research, cancer has been the leading cause of death in developed countries and the second leading cause of death in developing countries; the five-year survival rates for most cancers have not changed since 1972; the rates of some cancers have increased; and one in eight deaths in the world are due to cancer. Cancer causes more deaths than AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.

With advancements in technology, we are on the right track to cure cancer. 

The current options for treating cancer were built upon success from the past. The progress made in the past century has cleared the path for continued achievement. In 1892, the first mastectomy for breast cancer was performed. In 1900, Thor Stenbeck was able to cure a patients skin cancer using small doses of radiation therapy. In 1979, the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer, p53, was discovered. Today in 2013, scientists are coming together with technology gurus to design a mobile phone game to speed up cancer cures. These amazing achievements bring confidence to cancer patients that there will one day be a cure for cancer with the right advancements in technology.

Springboo

listen to ‘Springboo’ on Audioboo

Jonathan on his first Maryland day!

And she said to himboo

listen to ‘And she said to himboo’ on Audioboo

Fraternity step team!

Expert questions

Dr. Robert Andrews discusses whether he thinks there will be a difference in the results of testing this "dream drug" on humans rather than mice. He continued to speak about how long it will take for this drug to be finalized.

Background of Drug that can cure Cancer

listen to 'Interview 1' on Audioboo

listen to ‘Interview 2’ on Audioboo

The ongoing war with cancer that millions of people struggle against every day may be coming to an end very shortly. 

Researchers may have found a drug that has killed every kind of cancer tumor it has come into contact with.  This drug is so special because it blocks a protein called CD47 that basically completely destroys the body’s immune system.  Even though the protein is produced in healthy blood cells, researchers have found out that cancer cells produce an unreasonable amount of this protein that ultimately tricks the immune system into not destroying harmful cells. Knowing this information, researchers built an antibody that blocks CD47 so that the body’s immune system can continue to attack dangerous cells. However, researchers have not tested this new antibody on an actual human yet. Stanford University have distributed this dream drug on mice with human breast, ovary, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate tumors transplanted into them. Each outcome has been positive; the antibody forced the mice’s immune system to kill the cancer cells. Scientists’ at Weissman of the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California have showed that “even after the tumor has taken hold, the antibody can either cure the tumor or slow its growth and prevent metastasis.” This drug is the future of science and medicine; it can save millions of lives. The only side effect found for the treatment so far was that healthy cells were subjected to short-term attacks by the mice’s immune system. However, this small effect is nothing compared to the damage done to the cancer cells. Researchers have received a grant of $20 million to move there testing from mice to humans. This drug makes you wonder what the future can bring.

Expert questions

Will there be any drastic differences on the outcome of testing this drug on humans instead of mice? If so, what kind of differences? Positive? Negative?

Is Stanford University the only medical school testing this drug? Is this a well-known outbreak in the medical world?

GPS...Navigation Tool or Stalker?

GPS technology enables to be tracked, mapped and watched. 

GPS allows missing persons to be located faster and more efficiently as opposed to searching for them blindly. Animal tracking collars can be used on both wild and domestic animals. This enables scientists to study migratory patterns of birds, so we can understand more about the animal world, and even see indications of changes in the ecosystem. GPS prevents the possibility of getting lost on the way to a destination. Even people with lousy sense of direction are able to follow Google Maps and get to the place they need to be. For the business world, vehicle tracking allows companies, especially those who are involved in outbound logistics, to track the movement of their transportation vehicles resulting in more on time delivery and therefore creating more efficiency within the company. Law enforcement utilizes this technology as well. Convicted criminals on parole are strapped with GPS bracelets so their movements can be monitored, which improves overall civilian safety. Emergency response is faster than ever. When a distressed caller is unable to describe the location of the accident or problem, the phone’s position can be triangulated and help can arrive quickly.

 

There are many abuses of GPS technology, and they are prevalent in the U.S.

Even though GPS proves to be extremely helpful, it’s technology is abused and can be detrimental to society in many ways. Invasion of privacy is a huge issue. Being tracked down by an unknown person for the purposes of stalking, blackmail, and even murder is more possible than ever with the availability of GPS. Identity theft is another problem. Countries have implemented RIFD chips in their citizens’ passports for the purpose of security to be tightened up. Hackers can break the encryption codes on the chips and obtain all personal information about anyone with a passport.  Another hacker problem is swapping a products price for a lower one.  They can tamper with prices for a cheap and illegal bargain. Finally, one of the most possible and potential abuses of the GPS: If worse comes to worst, the government itself could potentially use the captured information from different tracking devices. It could monitor every movement, business decision, and purchase a person has ever made and could do so at any distance. Clearly, there are dangers that come with such advanced technology.

The military and government utilize GPS for missions and timekeeping.

For the military, GPS allows soldiers to find objectives, even in the dark or in unfamiliar territory, and to coordinate troops and supply movement. The military also utilizes this technology for target tracking, missile and projectile guidance, and rescue missions. Another use of GPS is timekeeping. GPS time is theoretically accurate to about 14 nanoseconds. Most clocks are set to Coordinated Universal Time, but satellites are in sync with GPS time.

 

There are pros and cons to GPS, but it is essential to society.

Since GPS can be used for so many things, it is one of the most aiding technologies today. But because of its incredible sophistication, it can be used for actions and crimes that are detrimental to society. Some of the benefits that this technology provides have become essential to the functioning of our modern society, which makes us weigh the pros and cons, but regardless of the outcome, GPS will remain and progress.  

Digital Media is Moving Toward a More Democratic Life

 Between 'freedom of speech' and the widening of the general political stances, digital media will only become more and more open and diversified.
There is very little regulation on the public restricting users from posting and publishing things to the audience. This little restriction allows everyone to share media to the public. Realistically, this cannot be stopped.

There is already a commercialized demographic in the digital media field. This discipline is found on Twitter, Facebook, and other websites and applications. This area of digital media will also move towards a less strict/more lenient era, such that they will be able to get away with a more open perspective in the media. 

When you think about it, the media is kind of centrally controlled by the security of each aspect of the media. The internet is secure by each website's security, anti-spam detectors, and web terrorist security. 

As much as corporate America will log on to the internet and buy digital media spots, it will be filled with the people that enjoy the digital media for the leisure aspect of it. 

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2167518/Worldwide-Social-Media-Usage-Trends-in-2012

There is a powerful and uncontrollable increase in digital media users.

According to the first paragraph in the following link, “there will be a massive 1.43 billion social network users in 2012, representing a 19.2 percent increase over 2011 figures.” This shows a powerful and uncontrollable increase in digital media users.

This increasing trend proves of a democratic media because of the unstoppable force of these increasing followers. Having said that, these followers will not and cannot be turned away from everything this currently democratic nation has to offer. This nation stands for everything the internet stands for.

 This versatile and diversified field of media contains virtual places such as neopets and a pseudo-real platforms like Facebook. These two websites portray the different examples that this question poses. Facebook is a powerhouse conglomerate that has been buying out companies and vertically integrating with different mediums. On the other hand, neopets has been ‘chewed’ up by one of these daddys of the interweb.

There is no possible way that the government or any regulator can restrict a company from acquiring and merging with littler companies, or same-sized company for that matter. This type of action would be immoral and totally against the Bill of Rights of the United States of America. 

To conclude my point that the media will moving towards a more democratic and open interface, I would like to explain and describe the following infograph:

In the following picture, there is an abstract timeline of what the media bubble/cloud provides to the public. It starts out with basic tastes such as music and mail, and turns into mass messaging and notes. Then it turns into a world where you can find find a partner and it becomes your daily routine.

This is what the world has turned into because of the media, I really don’t think that there could possibly be any regulation or rules against a way of a non-violent and non-distractive way of life.