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Biotech Medicine Science

Forgotten Ulcer Drug Energizes Stem Cells 37

Posted by timothy from the hey-you-wake-up dept.
Soychemist writes "When cancer patients get a heavy dose of chemotherapy and radiation, it can destroy their bone marrow. Umbilical cords contain stem cells that can regenerate the immune systems of young patients, but usually there are not enough of them to heal an adult. Len Zon, a doctor at Children's Hospital in Boston surmised that there must be a chemical that can make the cord blood stem cells divide, so that there will be enough of them to treat adult patients. He tested 2,500 chemicals on zebrafish embryos, and found one that does the trick. It was once on its way to becoming an ulcer medication, and now doctors are testing it on cord blood units that will be given to leukemia patients."
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Forgotten Ulcer Drug Energizes Stem Cells More

Forgotten Ulcer Drug Energizes Stem Cells

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  • Oh the Shocking Crazy Medicine News (Score:5, Interesting)

    by eldavojohn ( 898314 ) * <eldavojohn@noSpAM.gmail.com> on Wednesday June 10, 2009 @02:26PM (#28282887) Journal
    You know, I read so many stories recently that just make me do a double take and question if it's a hoax/prank or what. Case in point, just today I noticed that a Nigerian professor at Jackson State University in Mississippi has been granted not a few patents [google.com] for a bitter leaf-based anti-diabetic and cancer medication which may also benefit HIV/AIDS patients [thisdayonline.com]!

    I don't know how this works! I mean, I know patents get handed out for most anything but is this guy patenting something that's well known in Nigeria (I heard a lot of Indian medicinal researchers are busting their asses to publish a herbal book so that this doesn't happen--prior art and all)? If he's the professor of Biology at an American university I certainly hope this isn't a scam ... it also wouldn't make sense for him to create his own company and hold the patents with the intent of doing something if it is a scam.

    A confusingly exciting time in medicine. Too bad big pharma is pure evil.
    • He was getting the patent for proving what was at best rumor. After all, there are people in Nigeria that think raping a virgin will cure AIDS. (Note to self, perhaps we should start a rumor that to complete the process, one must cut off one's own balls and eat them after raping the virgin.)

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by amilo100 ( 1345883 )
      Hmmm...

      Patens do not really say something about the efficacy of it. So it in most probability does not work. The fact that it is from a second tier university also does not inspire confidence. There are also a lot of patents that are granted but will be removed on re-evaluation.

      Too bad big pharma is pure evil.

      I doubt that it is fair to say that âoebig pharma is evilâ. A lot of people work on it to improve peopleâ(TM)s lives. Of course there are people making money out of it â"
      • Depends on how the incentives are structured. So long as it is "make better medicines = make more money" the results are likely to be excellent(and, indeed, we've seen considerable improvements). However, there are plenty of situations where "obfuscate evidence = make more money" or "deliberately mislead = make more money". That starts to be a huge problem.

        Making money isn't wrong; but many very efficient ways of doing so definitely are.

        • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

          by amilo100 ( 1345883 )
          One of the problems is protection. I donâ(TM)t think that AIDS has the level of research simply because some countries ignore patents. This is pretty fucked up â" developing new AIDS drugs (and doing clinical trials) is extremely expensive, and then some countries want generic manufacturers to just copy the drugs without paying any royalties. Q: What is the sane solution for pharma companies? A: Stop development of AIDS drugs.
          This problem is not just confined the ARVs â" there is a huge need

    • it also wouldn't make sense for him to create his own company and hold the patents with the intent of doing something if it is a scam.

      I've heard patenting crap is a great way to run a scam. As in, "here are my patents, investors" or "buy my patented invention". The general populace associates patents with legitimacy.

  • What's the drug? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by EkriirkE ( 1075937 ) on Wednesday June 10, 2009 @02:31PM (#28282975) Homepage
    Is the drug's name really "Forgotten Chemical"? All they say in the article is forgotten, forgotten, forgotten...

  • What are we going to do with all those zebra fish?

  • Aspartame (Score:5, Informative)

    by WilyCoder ( 736280 ) on Wednesday June 10, 2009 @03:07PM (#28283479)

    Aspartame was originally an ulcer drug.

  • Clinical Trial Link (Score:5, Informative)

    by drunken_boxer777 ( 985820 ) on Wednesday June 10, 2009 @03:19PM (#28283663)

    The "drug" is prostaglandin e2 (PGE2), and the link for the clinical trial (from TFA) is here [clinicaltrials.gov]. This is a Phase I clinical trial, which means it's all about safety. (There are secondary endpoints that are related to efficacy.)

    I said "drug" because PGE2 is a fatty acid derivative that naturally occurs in the body. The patient won't be exposed to a meaningful amount of PGE2, as it is used to make the cord blood stem cells divide.

    What's interesting and exciting is that while it's not that different from current treatments, it will require fewer source cells per patient allowing for more people to be treated. Furthermore, the stem cells implanted into the patient will not be genetically modified, unlike a lot of the stem cells currently derived from adult tissues. So the patient has no drug exposure and no modified cells. If it works, it'll be pretty cool.

    • Re: (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      No it's not called "prostaglandin e2". Prostaglandin e2, also known as dinoprostone, is already marketed under the names "Cervidil", "Prostin E2" and "Propess".

      Drugs that are still on trial don't have names, only numbers.

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by omris ( 1211900 )

        Drugs can be on trial and named. Like dinoprostone, which is marketed for one application, but is in a clinical trial for another application. Happens all the time.

        Prostaglandin e2 is a perfectly valid name for that particular molecule, as is dinoprostone, 16, 16 dimethyl-prostaglandin E2, Cervidil... all perfectly valid things to call the compound in question. Each name just uses a different naming convention.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Narpak ( 961733 )

      Furthermore, the stem cells implanted into the patient will not be genetically modified, unlike a lot of the stem cells currently derived from adult tissues.

      I am usually all in favour of scientific advancement, and I believe that stem cells and bioengineering have a lot of offer that could improve the human condition. HOWEVER; seeing as I have played Prototype non-stop since it was released I am now renouncing science (genetic engineering especially) and moving to a secret underground bunker in the Himalayas.

  • Man, I'm not usually one to complain but that is one cluttered bio safety hood. Sterile technique is hard enough without trying to do 3 different things at once.

  • "there must be a chemical that can promote make the cord blood stem cells divide"

  • It was so choppy and full of errors that I could hardly make promote read it.

  • So that they can keep going and going...

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