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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 1997)
irsday - June 12, 1997 The Battalion D l)f mice and men \edical research, advancements stray too far within laboratory environment 'ighty Mouse may have been a cartoon .icon almost two ides ago, but today things 1 0 r I echanged. Some of the I sdcharacter’s family, I ids and enemies have be- . r iiecatalysts in the further- ijtofmedical research and jancement. While it is true itpeople would do any- ftofind a cure for AIDS has ked Inf old Opinion Editor James Francis Junior English major iminate other ailments facing the Id today, questions arise of whether search for a healthier earth and hu- obeinghas gone too much in the di- of “Mad Scientism.” llthough “healing the world” is a itcause, medical science continues loss boundaries set by nature and rality everyday. Hecently, the science field encoun- ;da new breakthrough as scientists itable to implant portions of human tin mice, in order to further research mg genetics and birth defects. InAssociated Press report from dork issued the statement, “Re- achershave put human DNA into eforyears, but not on this scale.” [experimental mice have func- lednormally throughout this re ach,with some of the specimens nially being able to pass on their usplanted DNA to their newborn iomeofthe male mice, however, reborn with small testes and they jerienced sterility, llcino Silva, a mouse genetics re adier at Cold Spring Harbor Labora- ainCold Spring Harbor, NY, mar- Itdatthe results. It's amazing that such large frag- tntsofDNA can be passed on to their [spring,’’ Silva said in the AP release. Ihesame AP report said, “The Japan- iscientists said they are already devel- (ingmice with a human chromosome lioinvestigate Down syndrome...” In older experiments, DNA taken from humans would attach itself to chromosomes within the mice. In the tests conducted by the Japanese, however, the hu man chromosomes have man aged to separate themselves. With this occurrence, scientists might be able to transplant even larger portions in the future. The Japanese scientists also have success parts generated a human ear and placed it under a mouse’s skin to see if the artificial ear could survive in a mammal’s matrix of body systems. The ear was surgically inserted onto the mouse’s back, creating an animal im age of Quasimodo. Although the scientists assured their viewing audience that the mouse felt no pain and could not tell the ear was under its skin, it can be assumed that no human wants to walk around with synthetic ad ditions either — at least additions that do not benefit the experimental host. Human-to-mouse DNA transfers are only the beginning in a long line of medical science advancements. As long as scientists and researchers keep in mind that the experiments they are conducting are to make for a healthier population across the world, there might never have to be the worry of dangerous results. Although these ‘‘mir acles of modern science" so far have not had any degenerative effects on mice, it may only be a matter of time before some scientist with a bright idea leads to world domination by a super human mouse with the intelligence of Albert Einstein. fully transplanted hu man chromosomes 2 and 22, with these spec imens passing on the spliced genes to their offspring as well. Isao Ishida, a re searcher at the Kirin Brewery Co. in Yoka- hama, Japan, said he and others wanted to “create mice that make human versions of blood proteins called antibodies.” This kind of testing would result in appropriate uses for the creation of new types of medicine. Another notable ex ample of more experi mentation on mice for the betterment of mankind was displayed in a Discovery Channel special. The show chron icled a segment about the life of a girl who had been born with a birth defect which resulted in her having one normal ear and one dwarfed ear. Scientists and re searchers working on developing synthetic human skin and body lupus Voice a ?jjJ Photograph: Robert McKay oc l tmcerning the state of i xie mical advancements: ^ When science has 11 technology to take i enext step, whether is ethical or not, they 1 forays seem to take it. Matt Beaton r environmental design major Mail Call Disney not at fault for animal troubles This letter is in response to Rob- by Ray’s June 11th column on animal abandonment: Blame the people who are re ally responsible for animal shel ter problems in the United States — irresponsible pet owners who buy pets and dump them or who don’t get their pets neutered and leave puppies and kittens in their wake. Don’t blame Disney for spineless, irresponsible people. In addition, every year these breeds win dog competitions, there is a large increase in numbers. We should not ban those shows. We should educate the public on the responsibilities of pet ownership. College students are the worst. Ask any year-round resident who lives in an apartment complex, and he or she will tell you stories of pets dumped by students whose parents won’t allow them to bring the animals home. Personal responsibility is the key. Don’t give a pet as a gift. The deci sion to buy a pet is a serious one, and it should not be done on a whim. I don’t think tobacco compa nies are responsible either. People choose to smoke — they know the consequences, but smoke anyway. The same can be said for alcohol companies. So now, we need a so lution. But like all good Americans, we simply sue the other guy for our own mistakes. Get a spine, folks. Khristy Hullett graduate student Kyle Field situation deserves discussion It is really disheartening to see fellow aggies with their own (economic) agendas and not fol lowing the heart of the student body. If there is a more unappar- ent issue involved (other than greed), please let it be known. Darin Keever class of’98 Government interference stalls medical technology IF Tj|E IMP ISNr removed, you Could die. ■ ^ Rather than uavins tie LUMP REMOVED, MAYBE I CAN PERSUADE Him 70 SW>KE nunaDE... T he acquittal of controversial oncologist Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski will bolster the efforts of alternative medi cine in spite of uneth ical and retaliatory practices of the Food and Drug Administra tion. Consequently, patients with terminal illness will now have vital ac cess to techniques without the unnecessary and arduous de lays of FDA approval. To understand the defects of the FDA approval process, it is im portant to get to know Burzynski, the brilliant Polish doctor who spent decades trying to gain ap proval for his discovery of tumor suppressors found within pro teins called antineoplastons. Burzynski first discovered these “natural cancer in hibitors” while analyzing blood samples for his Ph.D. disserta tion in 1968. Using thin-layer chromatography, he found a mysterious protein later called antineoplastons within the blood of ill patients. Next, he presented his new find ings and was awarded his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Medical Academy of Lublin, Poland. The discovery of antineo plastons solidified Burzynski’s interest in cancer research. Af ter earning a position at the Baylor College of Medicine, he continued probing the actual function of antineoplastons. At the College, the doctor deter mined antineoplastons were a part of a biochemical commu nication system which “compli ments the function of white blood cells” for the immune system and “protects cell func tion in the body.” Burzynski’s research on this matter was met with great acclaim at the 1976 meeting of the Federa tion of Associations for Experimen tal Biology convention. As the Asso ciated Press reported,“A chemical with power to change cancer cells back to normal cells... has been ex tracted from urine.” These antineo plastons, which also can be found in other body fluids, “detect cells... out of line and feed them the new [corrective] information.” Columnist General Franklin Junior history major Moreover, in 1976, Burzynski began the long procedure for FDA approval. Despite his consistent compli ance with FDA poli cies, the agency re fused to recognize the validity of his research. To strengthen his claim about the effica cy of antineoplastons, Burzynski attempted to conduct clinical trials in partnership with several independent scientists. This was met with barriers as the FDA denied the petition. Undaunted, the doctor con tinued to compile support and additional data until the FDA fi nally agreed in 1983 to allow re search to continue under the agency’s approval. After the experimental re quirement of approval was met, Burzynski sought-the partner ship of 12 major pharmaceutical companies to develop an artifi cial antineoplaston for cancer therapy. All 12 of the companies refused involvement, wary of the lengthy approval process as well as the FDA penchant for vindictive litigation. In light of these obsta- cles, Burzyns ki continued to work inde pendently with other re searchers to complete the approval re quirements of antineoplas ton, just as the FDA began the first of five frivolous grand jury investigations against him in 1988. In spite of the unethical machinations of FDA prosecu tors, four of the grand jury pro ceedings ended with acquittal — the final investigation result ing in an indictment. In 1995, Burzynski was re manded for trial on the flimsy charge “of violating interstate commerce,” by giving antineo plaston to out-of-state patients.This indictment was completely false since, as a re searcher, the doctor is within the law when he conducts studies and The efforts of many devoted scientists ... have been thwarted by an overzealous FDA ... experiments of new medication. Furthermore, this trial ended in an acquittal for Burzynski be cause of FDA misconduct and the illegitimacy of the charges. Consequently, Congressman Joe Barton of Houston, chair of the House Oversight Committee, launched a recent probe into the Burzynski matter as well as the overall FDA approval policy dur ing hearings in Nov. 1995. The efforts of many devoted scientists such as Burzynski have been thwarted by an overzealous FDA, obsessed more with power and influence than with the efficacy of new medicine and techniques. In fact, a top level official named Michael Friedman revealed in a secret Oct. 31,1991 FDA memo, “Antineoplaston are well-de fined, pure chemical moieties” which trigger decreased growth of cancerous tumors. Friedman, as an FDA insider, must be questioned in allowing the scurrilous attacks made to ward Burzynski and his re search if he believed the data to be legitimate. Furthermore, evidence of the FDA’s motive for profit emerged in a 1983 memo from the office of Dr. Grout, the FDA direc tor of Drug Bu reau. In the memo, Grout said, “I never have and nev er will approve a new drug to an individual, but only to large pharmaceutical firms with unlimited finances.” Certainly, this epic struggle continues between Burzynski and the FDA bureaucracy. The questionable tactics of the agency is demonstrated as one FDA lawyer involved in the Burzynski case stated in Reason magazine, “an angry FDA [lawyer] is willing to slit your throat.” Until needed reforms of the approval policy occur, the FDA will continue to thwart medical techniques and materi als which would otherwise save thousands of lives.