Tobacco Plants May Contain Cure for Cancer, a New Twist in Protein–Lipid Interactions

by Guest Fri May 16, 2014 10:54 am

Scientists at La Trobe University published a study this week about a protein found in the flowers of ornamental tobacco plant that targets human cancer cells and destroys them. This raises the prospect of the deepest kind of irony: tobacco grown to produce drugs used to treat cancers caused by tobacco.

Mark Hulett, Marc Kvansakul and others from the Biochemistry Department used a range of techniques to examine the structure and function of a protein called NaD1. This protein is a type of defensin, a molecule that protects the plant from fungal infections. Why it also works on mammalian cancer cells is unknown, but is probably related to similarities of their cell membranes, where the action in this story takes place.

http://www.livescience.com/45622-tobacco-plants-may-contain-cure-for-cancer-a-new-twist-in-protein-lipid-interactions.html

by Guest Fri May 16, 2014 5:21 pm

Hope it has been thoroughly tested we can't have that can we .

by eddie Fri May 16, 2014 11:27 pm

Like we have always said:
Don't rule out alternative Medicine.

by Guest Sat May 17, 2014 7:32 am

Thank goodness nobody does justdismiss things and that they never have, they always advocate everything to be tested to be sure and not go off blind faith.

by veya_victaous Sun May 18, 2014 11:07 pm

Vicar of Dibley wrote:Hope it has been thoroughly tested we can't have that can we .

A molecule found in the tobacco plant could be useful in killing cancerous cells in humans, Australian research has found.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/holy-smoke-tobacco-plant-shows-cancerfighting-potential-20140402-35xqm.html#ixzz326itf8rW

See I told you we test alternative medicine Just like we would Pharmaceutical medicine. If it works it gets funded and Becomes Real Medicine. Smile

by Guest Sun May 18, 2014 11:22 pm

Vicar of Dibley wrote:Hope it has been thoroughly tested we can't have that can we .

Why is that Dibs?..

Weeks back you and Favva were claiming many herbal medicines work for cancer...

Ironically I admit, but does it matter that it's a tobacco plant that could be a possible cure or fight against cancer?

Or should we just let folk die because of irony?..

by Ben Reilly Mon May 19, 2014 10:43 pm

I don't understand the conflict here, unless we're going to falsely pretend that the medical establishment has somehow decided that we have all the treatments we need, so every new discovery has to be labeled "alternative" medicine. That's just stupid; new medicines hit the market every day.

by Lone Wolf Tue May 20, 2014 8:28 pm

Interesting aside here...

IT seems to have bypassed the would-be "science reporters" on the livescience.com blog telling this story, that the 'ornamental' tobacco plant is actually a poisonous weed !!!

IT is not the same farmed species that commercial tobacco is harvested from from.. While it is in the same family of plants it was once grown as a garden ornamental, but has since been recognised as a poisonous and irritant plant and reclassified as a noxious weed.

INDEED, in Oz and N. America, its' more common name is 'Tobacco Weed', in recognition of it poisoning livestock and causing allergic contact reactions in humans and other animals.
And it's "bye bye, sucker !" to anyone who confuses it with skunk tobacco and attempts to smoke it.. ::=|Q::

by Lone Wolf Tue May 20, 2014 8:36 pm

eddie wrote:
Like we have always said:
Don't rule out alternative Medicine.

YOU don't half talk a load of rubbish at times, eddie...

OBVIOUSLY you have very little idea of the real meaning of "alternative" medicines..

THIS story has absolutely nothing to do with the concept of alternative methodologies. Suspect

by eddie Tue May 20, 2014 10:12 pm

Lone Wolf wrote:
eddie wrote:
Like we have always said:
Don't rule out alternative Medicine.

YOU don't half talk a load of rubbish at times, eddie...

OBVIOUSLY you have very little idea of the real meaning of "alternative" medicines..

THIS story has absolutely nothing to do with the concept of alternative methodologies.

You say rubbish I say Roo-bish Cool

by Lone Wolf Wed May 21, 2014 2:21 am

@ eddie :

UNTIL you actually recognise, appreciate and understand the differences between the terms modern, traditional, complementary, alternative and quack forms of medicine and medical practice, you are effectively "fighting with both hands tied behind your back"...

Having worked for a while as a massage therapist in the "complementary"/"traditional" fields, and taking an interest in herbalism and herbal cures, I did make myself aware of the differences between the different methodologies..

INDEED, the traditional and complementary fields have contributed many useful and still-used medicines, drugs and treatments ~ including aspirin, opiates [codeine, oxycontin, morphine], cocaine [novocaine, lignocaine], digitalis, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and 'medi-honey' among the thousands of naturally-based treatments; while massage therapy, osteopathy, acupuncture and acupressure have all been incorporated into modern physiotherapy and recovery practices.

EVEN maggots and leeches are still used in modern day hospitals. The drug research in this story simply isn't part of any "alternative medicine", but is typical potential drug testing procedures..

ON THE other hand, the great majority of the rubbish that Heavenly and VoD regularly spout on here is usually pure "quackery" and not even considered as an alternative, (as well as their proffered advice and opinions often being potentially deadly..). tongue

by eddie Wed May 21, 2014 7:47 am

Lone Wolf wrote:

@ eddie :

UNTIL you actually recognise, appreciate and understand the differences between the terms modern, traditional, complementary, alternative and quack forms of medicine and medical practice, you are effectively "fighting with both hands tied behind your back"...

Having worked for a while as a massage therapist in the "complementary"/"traditional" fields, and taking an interest in herbalism and herbal cures, I did make myself aware of the differences between the different methodologies..

INDEED, the traditional and complementary fields have contributed many useful and still-used medicines, drugs and treatments ~ including aspirin, opiates [codeine, oxycontin, morphine], cocaine [novocaine, lignocaine], digitalis, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and 'medi-honey' among the thousands of naturally-based treatments; while massage therapy, osteopathy, acupuncture and acupressure have all been incorporated into modern physiotherapy and recovery practices.

EVEN maggots and leeches are still used in modern day hospitals. The drug research in this story simply isn't part of any "alternative medicine", but is typical potential drug testing procedures..

ON THE other hand, the great majority of the rubbish that Heavenly and VoD regularly spout on here is usually pure "quackery" and not even considered as an alternative, (as well as their proffered advice and opinions often being potentially deadly..).

I concede your points about different terms and words Bee, I'll give you that.
My point still remains though that I don't always favour traditional pharma medicines.

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