Posted on 02/04/2007 11:45:52 AM PST by anymouse
Carolyn
She was testing a compound called a PPAR-gamma modulator. It would never normally have been thought of as a cancer drug, or in fact a drug of any kind.My husband has stage four internal melanoma. We will try anything!!
I'm sorry to learn of your desperation. As Shakespeare put it, "Desperate ills are by desperate measures cured. Or not at all."But as to the issue raised by the article: the article does not say that the compound in question is a controlled substance. It says that it killed cancer cells but did not do readily observable injury to mice. You wouldn't know how much of it it would take to do any good, and you wouldn't know how much of it you could take without doing even worse damage to the patient than doing nothing. And you don't know if the stuff would be beneficial if injected, or if taken orally.
But if it isn't a controlled substance, it might be possible to attempt to buy some of it legally. And frankly, in the absence of extrodinary precautions in its manufacture you would expect the people who produce it to be getting some level of the stuff (however small) into their bodies. It would be interesting to know what quantities it is produced in, and how careful they are about ingesting the stuff.
I am not a doctor, and I don't even play one on TV. Your mileage may vary.
You asked about accidental discoveries.
This website describes a number of innovations that were accidental, e.g., vulcanization of rubber, post-it notes:
http://f.dominodeveloper.net/bsniego/sniegocki2.nsf/htdocs/inventions.htm
They don't mention White-out though. It was developed by a legal secratary who was also an artist. She began using white tempera paint to cover mistakes. She made millions. Her son became one of the Monkees.
Carolyn
Prayers for your husband and you also.
Thank you!
I seem to recall that. The Pharmeceutical company planted huge numbers of seedlings of an endangered yew species, and then the greenies sued to keep them from using the trees.
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