Gen:

My wife and I were watching PBS on Sunday night, and we saw a program that brought up CML.

The show is called "DNA", and in it, they discussed how CML, the type of leukemia you have, has been 'cured' by gene therapy.

Here is a link to the web site for the show...

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/dna/episode4/index.html

I read the adultbeat post in which you said you'd undergone chemo.

In this show, 'DNA', a doctor discovered a way to cure CML with a pill...literally.

Have you heard of this new gene therapy for CML?

Take a look at that link.

Somewhere on that site they usually provide a typed transcript of that show, which is the 4th one in the series. If you can't get the transcript, I think you can order a tape.

The next show airs on PBS KCET at 9 or 10pm on Sunday. It might be 10.

Anyway, if you've already known about this new treatment, nevermind.

If you haven't...it sure would be cool if I actually helped you for a change.

They interviewed the doctor who found the cure for CML on that show, by the way, so if you read the transcript, you can get his name. If that doesn't work, you can probably call KCET to get his name.

Gene therapy is an amazing new frontier.

Just trying to be helpful, instead of arquementative, for a change...

The Outsider

Oops...

The doctor's name is Brian Druker.

It's right there in the first paragraph!

The Outsider

Actually I have heard of Gene Therapy and it's a great discovery amongst all the other things that have been discovered.

The problem with Gene Therapy is they don't know a whole lot about it like they could if they hold of a few more years and do more studies. It's great knowing that you can take flawless DNA and provide a patient with a healthy gene to "cure" CML but what isn't focused on is supplying a patient with a gene the person never really had in a good condition before, thus "curing" that patient but you don't know of any other genes that need to be repaired other than the LM02. After time people have had the return of Leukemia before. Professionals haven't yet figured out what all gene's need to be supplied to wipe out the cancer for sure.

You can't just assume to toy with one gene and expect everything to be fine. It's like messing with an motor, you touch one thing you have to adjust something else to get it just right and who knows how many things you have to adjust to get it perfect. You take two of the same motors and I assure you one will always need more adjusting than the other. Because even though everything is the same, they're still not alike when it comes to technicalities.

I'm pretty sure that's why they put CURED in quotation marks in the title because they're not definite with the fact. It's basically a presumption.

I'd love to go for gene therapy but it's scary to me to not know so much about it, even the professionals. I rather not take the risk in developing something else or any possibility. It's dirty expensive and health insurance isn't always the best solution to situations like this. I'm gonna try Immunotherapy and see how things go from there. I'm sure they'll have me do radiation at some point. We'll see.

But thanks for pointing that out to me... I will keep my eye open more often about Gene Therapy and talk to my doctor about it to see what he has to say about it all.

Gen,

I have a phone number for you, and another link.

The link is to Brian Druker's web page.

He works in the Department of Medicine in Portland, Oregon at the Oregon Health & Science University.

Appartently, he's up for a number of awards for his work with CML. Just type in 'Brian Druker' in a google search.

Here is the phone number to the Biosciences offices at the college where he works. You'll probably get a secretary if you call who can give you his direct line...

503-494-3467- Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Office

And here is Mr. Druker's email address:

drukerb@ohsu.edu

And here is the link to his page:

http://www.ohsu.edu/pmcb/facultyresearch/druker.shtml

The PBS program 'DNA' did an in-depth, ten minute report on an older gentleman who had CML and took Mr. Druker's pill. He was completely cured of CML.

I really wish I could show you that show, that aired last Sunday night. Did you try calling KCET? They could probably get you a tape of it.

I was the one who put 'cured' in quotes, by the way.

On the show, they stated, unequivocally, that this pill of Mr. Druker's had completely cured the older gentleman.

By the way...

I believe that the gentleman who volunteered for the study by Mr. Druker probably had to sign away his rights to sue if anything went wrong. That's the way it goes with new drugs, you know.

However, it said that his CML was totally cured, he had no sides effects, and did not need chemo.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get cured with a pill?

Anyway...

Remember this...your doctor may not have heard of this treatment, so you may need to contact Mr. Druker yourself.

Since the show was on PBS, I trust they did their homework, and I know they weren't selling a product. I can't wait to watch the next 'DNA' show this Sunday night.

If you get a hold of Mr. Druker, please let me know what he says.

Hey, if all you have to do is take a pill, it might be worth a shot. Maybe you'll grow a third eye, or another leg, too, if you have a side effect. An extra eye or leg might be useful, ya know. Think of the porn possibilities...

That was just a joke. More of my dry humor, that sometimes gets misinterpreted.

By the way...this is totally unrelated...

You said one time that you live near Pismo Beach.

Can you still drive your car on the beach up there?

Someone told me you still can.

Down here in Huntington, you can't do that anymore. As a surfer, that kinda sucks, cuz I have to pay for parking.

Just wondering.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes.

I'm still praying for you, kid.

The Outsider

p.s.

Here's another link.

This one goes to a page talking about the actual pill made by Mr. Druker.

I guess the name of the drug is 'Gleevec'.

For some reason, I get an odd picture of a happy old woman with a vacuum cleaner when I think of that, but that's not important now.

Gleevec.

http://illness.altmedangel.com/cml.htm

The Outsider

You seriously do not understand how the drug for this works. it is not a true gene therapy drug. It attacks the cells that have the cancer, not using a technique to alter all your dna. It fucks with the dna/rna in the cells that are affected only and fixes them. Your a fool if you write off the possibility of this fixing you because of your own ignorance on the subject. CML is a very rare form of leukemia, thats why the drug, bulliope or some shit, was made for this form of cancer to do clinical trials on it. The FDA has already approved it. You ought to take advantage of this and call that doctor about it, I bet your doc may not even know about it.

Quote:

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Actually I have heard of Gene Therapy and it's a great discovery amongst all the other things that have been discovered.

The problem with Gene Therapy is they don't know a whole lot about it like they could if they hold of a few more years and do more studies. It's great knowing that you can take flawless DNA and provide a patient with a healthy gene to "cure" CML but what isn't focused on is supplying a patient with a gene the person never really had in a good condition before, thus "curing" that patient but you don't know of any other genes that need to be repaired other than the LM02. After time people have had the return of Leukemia before. Professionals haven't yet figured out what all gene's need to be supplied to wipe out the cancer for sure.

You can't just assume to toy with one gene and expect everything to be fine. It's like messing with an motor, you touch one thing you have to adjust something else to get it just right and who knows how many things you have to adjust to get it perfect. You take two of the same motors and I assure you one will always need more adjusting than the other. Because even though everything is the same, they're still not alike when it comes to technicalities.

I'm pretty sure that's why they put CURED in quotation marks in the title because they're not definite with the fact. It's basically a presumption.

I'd love to go for gene therapy but it's scary to me to not know so much about it, even the professionals. I rather not take the risk in developing something else or any possibility. It's dirty expensive and health insurance isn't always the best solution to situations like this. I'm gonna try Immunotherapy and see how things go from there. I'm sure they'll have me do radiation at some point. We'll see.

But thanks for pointing that out to me... I will keep my eye open more often about Gene Therapy and talk to my doctor about it to see what he has to say about it all.

---

There is the name of it. And here is a quote from that article even backing me up:
"There is now a pill to reverse CML, a type of leukemia in which an abnormal chromosome produces an enzyme that leads to the uncontrolled growth of white blood cells. The drug kills leukemia cells by targeting a specific abnormal gene contained inside the cell--without harming normal cells."

Quote:

---

p.s.

Here's another link.

This one goes to a page talking about the actual pill made by Mr. Druker.

I guess the name of the drug is 'Gleevec'.

For some reason, I get an odd picture of a happy old woman with a vacuum cleaner when I think of that, but that's not important now.

Gleevec.

http://illness.altmedangel.com/cml.htm

The Outsider

---

Hey Morter...

Did you watch that 'DNA' show too?

Are you gonna watch Sunday night? Great show.

As for Gen, I'm sure she'll look into it. At least, I hope she does. You might not know this, but she probably holds things I say suspect. I think that's odd, considering I couldn't lie even if someone put a goddamn gun to my head. But- to put it mildly, we fight a lot. However, that doesn't mean I don't like her. In fact I like her a lot. She just needs to get better so I can continue to kick her ass in our debates.

Sure would be cool if she got cured by a pill, ya know?

The Outsider