Linda on the Oregon Coast, 2007
This is not the picture I wanted to show, but this is all the damned computer would allow me to show.
but it's a good picture nontheless
Carolyn, where are you when I need you?
This is not the picture I wanted to show, but this is all the damned computer would allow me to show.
but it's a good picture nontheless
Carolyn, where are you when I need you?
Okay, so no
more Mr. Nice Guy. Heretofore I have suggested
that you might want to read things – the NCI Cancer Bulletin, a New York Times article,
something in the New Yorker or the Wall Street Journal, even the Stanford Alumni
Magazine. I have tried to be subtle, but
persuasive, leading you to believe that you would actually ENJOY the article in
question. I’m glad I don’t know my
success ratio. So now, no more persuasion. GO IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY and
read pp. 76-77 of the 9/8-14 Economist! It contains an easily assimilated description
of the ENCODE project – see my comment under ANOTHER SILVER BULLET TARNISHED, published on 9/6/12.
ENCODE may be
one of the biggest breakthroughs in 21st century medical
research. Moreover, the article is fun
to read. Well, you can wait a few days
to go to the library, but remember – this will be on the test!
I just
returned to Bellingham from a day-long conference, designed to elicit advice on
our new series of research proposals from a panel of experts drawn from all
over the country. It was very
interesting and, encouragingly, I understood quite a bit of what was said. I will write about it later, as soon as my brain
heals. I probably shouldn’t relate this,
but during a break I made a back-of-the-envelope estimate of salary monies
spent on this day-long meeting. It roughly $(n X 103), where n has a range from 2 to 3. I am confident that we got our money’s
worth.
ReplyDeleteAnd while you’re in the library, check out page A4 of the Wall Street Journal for Friday, 9/21. It contains an article about a $3 billion/10 year program by the M.D. Anderson Cancer-Center in Houston, Texas. In keeping with Texas’s reputation for space science and guns, it is called Moon Shots. The source of the funding apparently includes private donations, research grants, revenue from additional cancer patients (?), and patents from prospective discoveries. Let’s hope.
If I get this correctly, the main thrust of the research at M.D. Anderson will involve genome mapping of cancer patients to discover which gene or genes are misfiring, then using targeted drug therapy to keep them in line. My guess is that lots of these targeted drugs remain to be developed, but I know that targeted therapy is a big deal in cancer research right now. Let’s hope that the FDA cooperates.
By the way - just to spoil your weekend - 575,000 Americans will die of cancer this year.
I'm right here, Myrl. I took that picture so I'm glad it was the one you could attach. That trip took place post-whipple surgery and pre-cancer. We had so much fun! We discovered outlet stores and with her recent weight loss, she happily filled many shopping bags. Thanks for those good memories.
ReplyDeleteI've made note of the Economist article and will check it out. I'm way behind understanding everything compared to some of you. The Joyce science gene isn't as strong in me, but I appreciate your clear explanations and passion for this work.