 |
 |
Hi Rita, thanks for the encouragement!! BTW, you were missed at the YPSG last week-end. Bev On Wed, 28 Oct 1998 08:58:39 EST [log in to unmask] writes: >Non-related research sometimes bears fruit, don't become too >impatient. > >For 15 years (1967-82) my husband was a staff scientist at the Fox >Chase >Cancer Center (Institute for Cancer Research in >Philadelphia).....During the >early 70's the staff scientist in the lab next door to Don's was >looking at >blood samples from various world populations, trying to identify >particles >that promoted antibody production. One of the interesting particles >from the >Australian aboriginal tribes was a strong antibody stimulant and >interestingly >this protein was also found in children with Down's syndrone who were >institutionalized...........what does all of this have to do with >cancer? Why >would an MD at one of the first four cancer centers established by the >the US >government want to spend time and money to explore an antibody in >aboriginal >tribes in Australia and institutionalized Down's Syndrone children?? >Unrelated research? Chop off his $$$? This is not what we are >looking >for............but..........two of Barry's technicians developed >hepatitis....... >common in the populations of institutionalized >individuals........and........ > >Barry Blumberg was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine (about 1976 or >1977 if >memory serves me correctly) for his discovery of the Australian >Antigen.....which is linked to Hepatitis B...........and clearly had a >tremendous impact on the health of the world. > >I would like to see a cure/cause/help with PD as much as any other >PWP, but >Barry's happenstance discovery is not an isolated twist of a basic >research >project and sometimes when we least expect it.........voila! > >We may not benefit from the "unrelated projects" funded for >PD......but we may >benefit from someone elses "unrelated dollars". > >Rita Weeks 54/9 >