Sunday, December 19, 2021

A -DISCOVERY, AND A PUZZLEMENT


 Linda, showing off her cast, the resuly of a nasty skiing accident'

Apparently immunotherapy does not work very well as a weapon against ovarian cancer.  According to this article, emerging from research performed at the Wistar Institute, a prominent biomedical facility located in Philadelphia, this is because OVCA protects itself against the immune system by means of the activities of several rogue genes, which the Wistar people identify.  It is hoped that this discovery will lead to more effective therapies.

To me, it is a puzzle how genetic defects like these can avoid being eliminated from the gene pool by normal evolutionary processes.  After all, to my perhaps primitive way of thinking evolution will preserve and propagate mutations that confer a survival advantage.  How can a genetic change that contributes to the death of its host be beneficial?  Maybe these genes help get a woman past puberty and reproduction age, and then go bad?  Beats me.  But I am thankful for the scientists who come up with these facts and conundrums.  We will beat the SOB yet!

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211130/Study-identifies-two-genes-that-play-key-role-in-protecting-ovarian-cancer-from-the-immune-system.aspx

 

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