Accidental fungus leads to promising cancer drug

[Guest guest]

Thought this was interesting due to the fact that several members

have come down with tumors and/or cancer after their exposure. Also

treating what we (many) believe is a fungus (cancer) with another

fungus.

Accidental fungus leads to promising cancer drug

Sun Jun 29, 2008

Reuters-USA*

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN29361547

WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - A drug developed using

nanotechnology and a fungus that contaminated a lab experiment may

be broadly effective against a range of cancers, U.S. researchers

reported on Sunday.

The drug, called lodamin, was improved in one of the last

experiments overseen by Dr. Judah Folkman, a cancer researcher who

died in January. Folkman pioneered the idea of angiogenesis therapy -

- starving tumors by preventing them from growing blood supplies.

Lodamin is an angiogenesis inhibitor that Folkman's team has been

working to perfect for 20 years. Writing in the journal Nature

Biotechnology, his colleagues say they developed a formulation that

works as a pill, without side-effects.

They have licensed it to SynDevRx, Inc, a privately held Cambridge,

Massachusetts biotechnology company that has recruited several

prominent cancer experts to its board.

Tests in mice showed it worked against a range of tumors, including

breast cancer, neuroblastoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, brain

tumors known as glioblastomas and uterine tumors.

It helped stop so-called primary tumors and also prevented their

spread, Ofra Benny of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical

School and colleagues reported.

" Using the oral route of administration, it first reaches the liver,

making it especially efficient in preventing the development of

liver metastasis in mice, " they wrote in their report. " Liver

metastasis is very common in many tumor types and is often

associated with a poor prognosis and survival rate, " they added.

'ALMOST CLEAN' LIVERS

" When I looked at the livers of the mice, the treated group was

almost clean, " Benny said in a statement. " In the control group you

couldn't recognize the livers -- they were a mass of tumors. "

The drug was known experimentally as TNP-470, and was originally

isolated from a fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus fresenius.

Harvards's Ingber discovered the fungus by accident while

trying to grow endothelial cells -- the cells that line blood

vessels. The mold affected the cells in a way known to prevent the

growth of tiny blood vessels known as capillaries.

Ingber and Folkman developed TNP-470 with the help of Takeda

Chemical Industries (4502.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)

in Japan in 1990.

But the drug affected the brain, causing depression, dizziness and

other side-effects. It also did not stay in the body long and

required constant infusions. The lab dropped it.

Efforts to improve it did not work well. Then Benny and colleagues

tried nanotechnology, attaching two " pom-pom " -shaped polymers to TNP-

470, protecting it from stomach acid.

In mice, the altered drug, now named lodamin, went straight to tumor

cells and helped suppress melanoma and lung cancer, with no apparent

side effects, Benny said.

All untreated mice had fluid in the abdominal cavity, and enlarged

livers covered with tumors. Mice treated with lodamin had normal-

looking livers and spleens, the researchers said.

Twenty days after being injected with cancer cells, four out of

seven untreated mice had died, while all treated mice were still

alive, Benny's team reported.

" I had never expected such a strong effect on these aggressive tumor

models, " she said. The researchers believe lodamin may also be

useful in other diseases marked by abnormal blood vessel growth,

such as age-related macular degeneration. (Editing by Todd Eastham)

[Guest guest]

>

> Thought this was interesting due to the fact that several members

> have come down with tumors and/or cancer after their exposure. Also

> treating what we (many) believe is a fungus (cancer) with another

> fungus.

>

> Accidental fungus leads to promising cancer drug

> Sun Jun 29, 2008

> Reuters-USA*

>

> http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN29361547

>

> WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - A drug developed using

> nanotechnology and a fungus that contaminated a lab experiment may

> be broadly effective against a range of cancers, U.S. researchers

> reported on Sunday.

>

> The drug, called lodamin, was improved in one of the last

> experiments overseen by Dr. Judah Folkman, a cancer researcher who

> died in January. Folkman pioneered the idea of angiogenesis therapy -

> - starving tumors by preventing them from growing blood supplies.

>

> Lodamin is an angiogenesis inhibitor that Folkman's team has been

> working to perfect for 20 years. Writing in the journal Nature

> Biotechnology, his colleagues say they developed a formulation that

> works as a pill, without side-effects.

>

> They have licensed it to SynDevRx, Inc, a privately held Cambridge,

> Massachusetts biotechnology company that has recruited several

> prominent cancer experts to its board.

>

> Tests in mice showed it worked against a range of tumors, including

> breast cancer, neuroblastoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, brain

> tumors known as glioblastomas and uterine tumors.

>

> It helped stop so-called primary tumors and also prevented their

> spread, Ofra Benny of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical

> School and colleagues reported.

>

> " Using the oral route of administration, it first reaches the liver,

> making it especially efficient in preventing the development of

> liver metastasis in mice, " they wrote in their report. " Liver

> metastasis is very common in many tumor types and is often

> associated with a poor prognosis and survival rate, " they added.

>

> 'ALMOST CLEAN' LIVERS

>

> " When I looked at the livers of the mice, the treated group was

> almost clean, " Benny said in a statement. " In the control group you

> couldn't recognize the livers -- they were a mass of tumors. "

>

> The drug was known experimentally as TNP-470, and was originally

> isolated from a fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus fresenius.

>

> Harvards's Ingber discovered the fungus by accident while

> trying to grow endothelial cells -- the cells that line blood

> vessels. The mold affected the cells in a way known to prevent the

> growth of tiny blood vessels known as capillaries.

>

> Ingber and Folkman developed TNP-470 with the help of Takeda

> Chemical Industries (4502.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)

> in Japan in 1990.

>

> But the drug affected the brain, causing depression, dizziness and

> other side-effects. It also did not stay in the body long and

> required constant infusions. The lab dropped it.

>

> Efforts to improve it did not work well. Then Benny and colleagues

> tried nanotechnology, attaching two " pom-pom " -shaped polymers to TNP-

> 470, protecting it from stomach acid.

>

> In mice, the altered drug, now named lodamin, went straight to tumor

> cells and helped suppress melanoma and lung cancer, with no apparent

> side effects, Benny said.

>

> All untreated mice had fluid in the abdominal cavity, and enlarged

> livers covered with tumors. Mice treated with lodamin had normal-

> looking livers and spleens, the researchers said.

>

> Twenty days after being injected with cancer cells, four out of

> seven untreated mice had died, while all treated mice were still

> alive, Benny's team reported.

>

> " I had never expected such a strong effect on these aggressive tumor

> models, " she said. The researchers believe lodamin may also be

> useful in other diseases marked by abnormal blood vessel growth,

> such as age-related macular degeneration. (Editing by Todd Eastham)

>

Just extracted a pound of the stuff from one floor joist in my

apartment. Ill donate!

[Guest guest]

I am intrigued by this whole thing. I saw the article and almost sent

it (KC must be sick of all the stuff I send) - it makes me wonder if

there is really already a cure for cancer and the pharma and medical

community are " hiding the ball " and feeding us all a line of crap.

Here is why. I was first exposed to aspergillus fumigatus...this is

supposed to cause cancer. Then, more recently, actinomyces vulgaris

which according to one doc, was " mis-named " as a fungi member, but is

a bacterium. Now, they take this " bacterium that looks like it has

fungal properties " (I am not a scientist.)and make chemotherapy drugs

from it. I don't understand how this process works. Does it mean

that since I was infected with this stuff, which has flattened me,

that it is killing cancer cells, which some docs say is a fungus?

Or does it mean that I am doubly cursed?

P.S. The Federal Rules of Evidence are really hard. Learning them with

" Brain Fog " was no joke, and there are continually being updated, most

recently the sections on " privacy. " They tell lawyers to keep buying

the newest " rule " book, especially if they are citing federal cases

decided under the old rules. Daubert, was intended to " enlarge " the

scope of expert testimony, as long as the expert satisfied the rules

laid out for expert criteria (Rule 702, that I sent yesterday) and the

judge found the person to be qualified to assist the court.

An " expert " does not always mean a college graduate or scientist. In a

criminal trial for bank robbery, the court could theoretically use an

ex-con bank robber, because he/she was an " expert " in the field, and

knew how to rob a bank! It sounds nuts, but why would you hire a

scientist to tell you how to rob a bank? Experts come in all shapes

and sizes and their job is to teach the court what it does know, and

that includes the judge and jury. not legal advice**

-- In , " twusea2006 " <doc@...> wrote:

>

>

> >

> > Thought this was interesting due to the fact that several members

> > have come down with tumors and/or cancer after their exposure. Also

> > treating what we (many) believe is a fungus (cancer) with another

> > fungus.

> >

> > Accidental fungus leads to promising cancer drug

> > Sun Jun 29, 2008

> > Reuters-USA*

> >

> > http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN29361547

> >

> > WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - A drug developed using

> > nanotechnology and a fungus that contaminated a lab experiment may

> > be broadly effective against a range of cancers, U.S. researchers

> > reported on Sunday.

> >

> > The drug, called lodamin, was improved in one of the last

> > experiments overseen by Dr. Judah Folkman, a cancer researcher who

> > died in January. Folkman pioneered the idea of angiogenesis therapy -

> > - starving tumors by preventing them from growing blood supplies.

> >

> > Lodamin is an angiogenesis inhibitor that Folkman's team has been

> > working to perfect for 20 years. Writing in the journal Nature

> > Biotechnology, his colleagues say they developed a formulation that

> > works as a pill, without side-effects.

> >

> > They have licensed it to SynDevRx, Inc, a privately held Cambridge,

> > Massachusetts biotechnology company that has recruited several

> > prominent cancer experts to its board.

> >

> > Tests in mice showed it worked against a range of tumors, including

> > breast cancer, neuroblastoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, brain

> > tumors known as glioblastomas and uterine tumors.

> >

> > It helped stop so-called primary tumors and also prevented their

> > spread, Ofra Benny of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical

> > School and colleagues reported.

> >

> > " Using the oral route of administration, it first reaches the liver,

> > making it especially efficient in preventing the development of

> > liver metastasis in mice, " they wrote in their report. " Liver

> > metastasis is very common in many tumor types and is often

> > associated with a poor prognosis and survival rate, " they added.

> >

> > 'ALMOST CLEAN' LIVERS

> >

> > " When I looked at the livers of the mice, the treated group was

> > almost clean, " Benny said in a statement. " In the control group you

> > couldn't recognize the livers -- they were a mass of tumors. "

> >

> > The drug was known experimentally as TNP-470, and was originally

> > isolated from a fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus fresenius.

> >

> > Harvards's Ingber discovered the fungus by accident while

> > trying to grow endothelial cells -- the cells that line blood

> > vessels. The mold affected the cells in a way known to prevent the

> > growth of tiny blood vessels known as capillaries.

> >

> > Ingber and Folkman developed TNP-470 with the help of Takeda

> > Chemical Industries (4502.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)

> > in Japan in 1990.

> >

> > But the drug affected the brain, causing depression, dizziness and

> > other side-effects. It also did not stay in the body long and

> > required constant infusions. The lab dropped it.

> >

> > Efforts to improve it did not work well. Then Benny and colleagues

> > tried nanotechnology, attaching two " pom-pom " -shaped polymers to TNP-

> > 470, protecting it from stomach acid.

> >

> > In mice, the altered drug, now named lodamin, went straight to tumor

> > cells and helped suppress melanoma and lung cancer, with no apparent

> > side effects, Benny said.

> >

> > All untreated mice had fluid in the abdominal cavity, and enlarged

> > livers covered with tumors. Mice treated with lodamin had normal-

> > looking livers and spleens, the researchers said.

> >

> > Twenty days after being injected with cancer cells, four out of

> > seven untreated mice had died, while all treated mice were still

> > alive, Benny's team reported.

> >

> > " I had never expected such a strong effect on these aggressive tumor

> > models, " she said. The researchers believe lodamin may also be

> > useful in other diseases marked by abnormal blood vessel growth,

> > such as age-related macular degeneration. (Editing by Todd Eastham)

> >

> Just extracted a pound of the stuff from one floor joist in my

> apartment. Ill donate!

>

[Guest guest]

This is phenomenal news. I hope something comes of this. Clean

livers...wow, that has all kinds of benefits!!

Somehow my cynical minds says though they will find someway for it to

first be of benefit the medical community, like require patient to

first go through all the traditional chemo crap, excuse me, before

being eligible to try it, but I hope not. Perhaps new administration

will do something about medical care mess.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Thought this was interesting due to the fact that several members

> have come down with tumors and/or cancer after their exposure. Also

> treating what we (many) believe is a fungus (cancer) with another

> fungus.

>

> Accidental fungus leads to promising cancer drug

> Sun Jun 29, 2008

> Reuters-USA*

>

> http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN29361547

>