Cuban scientists have announced a new vaccine they say extends the lives of lung cancer patients by up to five months.

Scientist Gisela Gonzalez said Tuesday in Havana that the product, called CimaVax EGF, is the first registered vaccine in the world designed to battle lung cancer.

The researchers also said the vaccine is based on proteins that trigger an immune response from the patient's body and has no side effects. Development of the vaccine began in 1992.

The Cuban researchers say the drug is undergoing clinical trials in other countries and is likely to be approved next in Peru.

Will Americans be able to purchase it?
Or will they have to sneak around.
Like purchasing cigars.
The Embargo what a crock.
Hey maybe they will lift it.

A country that produces no respected scientific research suddenly comes up with a vaccine against cancer...

Why not? I'll take a dozen bottles of that snake oil.

In the 1980's the Cubans developed a vaccine for meningitis. I always thought they were known for their biomedical industry given their "have-not" status and lack of funds. I quickly used google and found a multitude of sources, if you belive the internet. Here's one from Yale, if you believe Yale.

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=3193

Cuba's always had great doctors but the government sends them over to Venezuela in exchange for oil and other goods. Still, Cuba very poor and their healthcare facilities, falling apart and disgusting.

quote:

Originally posted by JWeb:
In the 1980's the Cubans developed a vaccine for meningitis. I always thought they were known for their biomedical industry given their "have-not" status and lack of funds. I quickly used google and found a multitude of sources, if you belive the internet. Here's one from Yale, if you believe Yale.

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=3193

I heard that as well, but I know Sobek is employed by a pretty well known medical school, so I would be interested to hear why he posted what he did. Not that I doubt him, I'm just curious.

Cuba does have a huge medical school though. The Latin American School of Medicine has like 10,000 students . .

quote:

Originally posted by jms2788:

quote:

Originally posted by JWeb:
In the 1980's the Cubans developed a vaccine for meningitis. I always thought they were known for their biomedical industry given their "have-not" status and lack of funds. I quickly used google and found a multitude of sources, if you belive the internet. Here's one from Yale, if you believe Yale.

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=3193

I heard that as well, but I know Sobek is employed by a pretty well known medical school, so I would be interested to hear why he posted what he did. Not that I doubt him, I'm just curious.

Cuba does have a huge medical school though. The Latin American School of Medicine has like 10,000 students . .

You should get to work and beat them to the punch, Sobek .

Of course, I have already found a cure for cancer, but I'm just saving it for a dissertation /

This is exactly what we need to life the embargo!
And save lives of course.

I also think a million man/cigar march on Washington would help in getting rid of that stupid embargo.

Sit ins maybe?

I cannot understand why all our American friends are so upset about this embargo. As far as I can see everybody on this forum has an almost unlimited access to real Habanos at very reasonable prices.

But, the minute an embargo is over, a huge 300 mil. people market will open instantly. The CC cigars prices will shoot through the roof worldwide unless Cuban people are able to dramatically increasae production without compromising quality.

Who will benefit from it? For sure nobody on this forum or any other serious cigar enthusiast. I really think keeping embargo is one of very few things American government is doing right for all the humanity.

I am not a big fan of cigars aged for too many years. Some vitolas I actually prefer aged no more then 2-3 years. But still I keep constantly increasing my reserves (presently over 6000 cigars) to make sure I will be set for life when the embargo ends.

Pretty soon I'll be there. I hate to think that maybe I am there already...

A vaccine against lung cancer?
Well, first of all a vaccine is supposed to be a part of the causative agent (whether killed or weakened) that is introduced into the body for it to start producing antibodies against that agent. (Active artificial immunity). Cancer is not a viral disease, and though there is an established relation between viruses and some types of cancers, I don't think lung cancer (of whatever kind) is among these caused or triggered by a viral agent.

So I think the term "vaccine" wouldn't work here. Unless they are just using it a bit loosely.

Is there any place where this treatment is explained in details? Like mode of action, composition, etc..

quote:

Originally posted by Janusz:
I cannot understand why all our American friends are so upset about this embargo. As far as I can see everybody on this forum has an almost unlimited access to real Habanos at very reasonable prices.

I can only speak for myself, but it's a matter of principle. That my country, which claims to be rooted in freedom and free market values, restricts our freedoms, and harms the Cuban people in the process, is repugnant to me.

That said, as money permits, I've been buying enough cigars to get me through the initial rush of American enthusiasm when the embargo ends (and then some).

While it will be nice to be able to walk into a shop and buy singles once in awhile, I'll continue to buy boxes where I've been buying them all along.

quote:

Is there any place where this treatment is explained in details? Like mode of action, composition, etc..

Google it there are lots.

Now, they call this a vaccine . . . but if it were really a vaccine - it would be administered to PREVENT lung cancer, not to prolong life of current patients. Regardless, it's a pretty cool step - if the absence of side effects is really true.

Interesting that it's approved for trials (according to MSNBC) in the U.S. already. How'd they swing that one?

And to think - I assumed this post was a work of satire until I actually took a minute to google it.

quote:

Originally posted by LuckyBreak:
I don't think lung cancer (of whatever kind) is among these caused or triggered by a viral agent.

So I think the term "vaccine" wouldn't work here. Unless they are just using it a bit loosely.

Virus? What makes you think this has anything to do with a virus? I understand you are a med student? But honestly, you should have more a clue than this.

The vaccine has been named ClimaVax EGF. Without looking it up, I'll take a guess and assume that the target is either epidermal growth factor or the EGF receptor. EGFR is commonly overexpressed in immortal cell lines, one of which includes lung.

So in other words, they induce an immune response against a protein that is commonly overexpressed and associated with lung cancer.

I bet what they did was make some recombinant EGF or EGFR in some bacteria, mixed it with some adjuvant, and injected it into patients.

Inducing a b cell proliferation against a factor that is commonly in your body and used in all cells...sure, I bet there are no side effects.

Inducing a b cell proliferation against a factor that is commonly in your body and used in all cells...sure, I bet there are no side effects.
QUOTE


I guess for the poor souls afflicted with the
disease. That have used all conventional methods and have nothing to lose.Side effects mean nothing. What i mean to say is this is the customer base this product will generate.Who else in there right mind would take such a chance.Then on the other hand look at all the people who immunize there children with such toxic substances.

Efficacy of cancer therapy is a complicated issue, because a good deal of them are mostly for prolonging life, and not saving it. Thus, you can't just look at the end result in terms of X number more months yielded. If those X more months mean a horrible agonizing drawn out death, then that therapy is not so desirable. In fact, a good deal of terminal patients end up removing themselves from their meds at some point because they would rather accept their fate than suffer more pain.

Vaccines that target general cell signalling pathways are just not a good idea to begin with. The paradigm for vaccines has always been targeting antigen (foreign to your body). The relative safety with the typical vaccine is that your immune system targets something that is not found naturally in your body. Inducing auto-immune responses is not a good idea. Lupus is a commonly known auto immune disease and I doubt most cancer patients would like to have Lupus tacked on to their pain and suffering in order to squeeze out a few more months.

I agree but i think most of these poor people will become more or less experiments rather than cured.
Thats how scientists make progress isn't it?
Research on animals only goes so far.
If you think about it part of the reason this drug will most likely be approved for use.
They are already talking about it here in Europe i assume America will follow suit.