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Rapid Response: The Israeli Cure for All Cancers? And a Postscript on Opioids

By Michael Jorrin, "Doc Gumshoe", February 25, 2019

What set me off on this rant was the very first comment on the piece that posted on January 31st, “Looking Backward – And a Peek in the Other Direction.”   Here’s the comment:

“Thanks, Doc.

Hope you will comment on the news out of Israel this week:
https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/A-cure-for-cancer-Israeli-scientists-say-they-think-they-found-one-578939

Naturally, I looked, and what I found was an article from the Jerusalem Post,  entitled “A Cure for Cancer?   Israeli Scientists May Have Found One.”   The article quotes Dan Aridor of Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies Ltd (AEBi) as follows:

“We believe we will offer in a year’s time a complete cure for cancer.   Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market.   Our solution will be both generic and personal. “

My immediate response was:

“I’ve never heard of that particular one, but a cure for every cancer is exceedingly unlikely. A tiny bit of digging came up with this, published in Forbes:

‘As someone with 10 years of molecular biology and medical experience, I strongly suspect the Israeli scientists…are completely misrepresenting their supposed discovery. But I want so, so badly for it to be true,’ said John Jiao. ‘To my knowledge, there has never been a single published paper which discovered any one protein (peptide) that exists in a large plurality of all cancers, let alone every single one. Of the common ones, they all exist in normal cells as well. So, the idea that these scientists have somehow, without anyone else developing anything remotely close, come up with a cancer cure-all that is not only totally effective but also has no side effects? This looks, sounds, smells and feels like snake oil.’

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but thanks for the well-meant hint.”

The snake-oil invective came from the person quoted in Forbes, not from your mild-mannered friend Doc Gumshoe.   I would not go that far, at least not yet – not before attempting to figure out just what AEBi is trying to do and what they’ve got at this point.

To begin with, they call their treatment Mu Ta To, for multi-target toxin, and characterize it as a cancer antibiotic, “a disruption technology of the highest order.”

Aridor and their CEO, Dr Han Morad, go on as follows:

“The potentially game-changing anti-cancer drug is based on SoAP technology, which belongs to the phage display group of technologies. It involves the introduction of DNA coding for a protein, such as an antibody, into a bacteriophage – a virus that infects bacteria. That protein is then displayed on the surface of the phage. Researchers can use these protein-displaying phages to screen for interactions with other proteins, DNA sequences and small molecules.”

What exactly are SoAP technology and the phage display group of technologies?
Phage display is a well-established technique used to identify molecular entities that may have useful pharmacological activity.   This method of quickly sorting through a large number of potential anti-cancer agents, screening them for specificity, selectivity, and potency, is currently a favored tool in the field of oncology.   

As for SoAP technology, that seems to be what AEBi call their own method of using phage display.   Here’s what they say about it on their website:

  1. “SoAP allows AEBi to develop drugs to many illnesses, among them cancer, and is expected to transform the drug discovery R & D phase by significantly reducing the attrition rate of new drug candidates.
  2. This breakthrough technology generates very specific lead compounds with greater functionality and improved pharmacological properties.
  3. Such lead compounds will allow more effective drugs and fewer side effects.   The need for such technology is acute and pressing for many reasons.
  4. The sole external requirement in the screening process is a defined target (usually an illness-related protein).”

And that’s all!   So, what we have so far is that AEBi has (perhaps!) an improvement, or at least a variation, on an established way of getting a quick reading on whether a particular molecule, usually a peptide, has potential cancer-attacking properties.   

Using this screening technique, AEBi claims that it has put together a combination of cancer-targeting peptides plus a specific strong cancer toxin.   In Dr Morad’s words:

“By using at least three targeting peptides on the same structure with a strong toxin, we made sure that the treatment will not be affected by mutations.   Cancer cells can mutate in such a way that targeted receptors are dropped by the cancer. The probability of having multiple mutations that would modify all targeted receptors decreases dramatically with the number of targets used.   Instead of attacking receptors one at a time, we attack receptors three at a time. Not even cancer can mutate three receptors at a time.”

This sounds reasonable enough when directed at a particular form of cancer.   Three agents, each taking aim at a different receptor on the cancer cell, linked with a powerful chemotherapy agent of the old kind, a toxin, could certainly be effective against a specific cancer.   But why would the agents that precisely target receptors on a lung cancer cell also work on different cancer cells? The toxin might work on a several different kinds of cancer – poison is poison.   But cancer cells are all quite different, and targeted therapies work on only one fairly narrowly-defined type of cancer.   So how in the world is that going to lead to “a complete cure for cancer”?

What else do we know?

Thus far, AEBi has tested their universal cancer drug on mice which have been inoculated with “human cancer.”   What type of cancer, they do not say. In fact, none of their research has been published anywhere. Questioned about this, Dan Aridor, Chairman of AEBi, answered that “they could not afford to publish.”   Sorry, but this is rubbish. Medical journals do not charge fees for publishing original research. The fact that AEBi has gone this far – even though, in reality, a single mouse study is not very far – without publishing any data at all and without peer review, is certainly cause for skepticism.    

According to AEBi, their mouse study was successful.   Does that mean that their agent is likely to be successful in humans?   Based on the success rate in humans of agents that have been effective in mice, the answer isn’t even “maybe.”   The answer is, “it’s a really long shot.”

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And in those words we have a hint about what AEBi might really be up to.   Another clue comes from the second comment to that last piece. After the first commenter suggested that I look into the Israeli cure for cancer, the very next commenter said:

“Interesting article out of Israel – any way for Americans to invest in this company?”

When the Jerusalem Post piece came out, there was apparently a good deal of internet comment – some skeptical, some evincing signs of open-mouthed wonderment, and some “wait and see.”   Lots of people were of one mind with John Jiao when he said “I so very badly want it to be true.” And probably lots of people thought that, yes, this complete cure for cancer is a long shot, but sometimes a long shot is worth a small wager.   

And remember that making a bet on the stock market is not like making a bet on a horse race.   It’s more like making a bet on who will win a beauty contest. It’s not who you think is the most beautiful, it’s who you think the judges will think is the most beautiful.   If enough people think that the Israeli cure for cancer is a possible winner and plunk down their money on AEBi stock, the stock will rise, and if you also plunk a bit of your own money on their stock, your stake will rise along with it.   If the long shot hits the gold, you could win really big. But in the meantime, as long as there aren’t too many skeptics (like Doc Gumshoe) letting air out of the balloon, the ride could be profitable. You could get out before the balloon deflates.  (I need to add here that hopping on for a short ride on a venture with the expectation that you can bail before it tanks is by no means a recommended investment strategy.)

But that, I think, is what AEBi is figuring.   They may or may not have an effective drug, at least for one type of cancer.   But in the meantime, they’ll attract a lot of investors and get rich themselves.

On the other hand, is it possible that when AEBi talks about “a complete cure for cancer” what they really mean is that using phage display and their SoAP technology they will quickly develop a large number of distinct drugs which as a group will constitute a complete cure for all cancers?   And that they will have it ready in a year’s time? Identifying the receptors and developing agents that target all those receptors, testing the agents, running clinical trials, and getting those new drugs to patients…. Sounds like many, many years of hard work. No, I think they really want people to believe that they are going to come up with a single drug that will cure every cancer – and come along for the ride.

Why is it that Doc Gumshoe, along with anyone who knows anything about how cancer grows and spreads, thinks that it’s somewhere between exceedingly unlikely and outright impossible for one drug to cure all cancers?   

Cancer is not a single disease, but a group of diseases with a few common features

Cancer cells grow from stem cells, just as do normal cells.   But cancer cells possess key differences from normal cells, and it is these differences that lead to the disease processes that are damaging and can be ultimately fatal to the host organism.   The most important might be that normal cells have a built in characteristic called apoptosis, or programmed cell death.   Apoptosis is an important survival trait for the host organism.  Healthy human cells grow and divide as needed to maintain necessary function.   When these normal cells are damaged or can no longer perform their function, they die, and new cells replace them.   In a healthy organism, most cells are young and healthy, and apoptosis keeps them that way.

Programmed cell death does not take place in cancer cells.   Thus, cancer cells grow and divide unchecked. They can form solid tumors, which occupy space, crowding out and damaging normal cells, and causing severe pain.   They steal nutrients that would normally sustain the healthy cells, and in that way damage the organism. And they can travel to other parts of the body, establish new colonies there, and attack the host organism on another front.   This process is termed metastasis.

The cause of the changes that result in the formation of cancer cells has traditionally been thought to be random errors in the transcription of genetic material in stem cell division, such as mutations, which can result in the loss of the genes that suppress tumors, or in the over-expression of the genes that promote cancer cell growth, termed oncogenes.   The frequency of stem cell divisions in different organ systems and tissue types in the body is highly correlated with the incidence of cancer in those locations.  Every time a stem cell divides, there is a chance that a mistake will occur, such that the “offspring” cells are not exact copies of the “parent” cell. These inaccurate cell divisions are essentially random mutations, and the great majority of these mutations will be meaningless – the new cells will simply die or fail to replicate.   In a few cases, the mutations will be beneficial, conferring some evolutionary advantage to the host, and these mutations may become part of the species genome. But in some cases, the mutation will lead to cancerous cells, which continue to replicate and increase in number.

Characterizing the mutations as “random errors” does not mean that they occur spontaneously with no cause.   The radiation that we are all constantly exposed to can lead to mutations, as can a huge number of external substances that enter our bodies – in what we eat, drink, breathe, and absorb through our skins.   The mutations themselves are nonetheless random – the external cause, whatever it is, just messes up the way the genetic material is transcribed. However, because the mutations take place as the stem cells are beginning the process of becoming mature cells in various parts of our bodies, the cancer cells themselves are individually different.   Let’s say a stem cell is maturing, on the way to becoming a lung cell. When a mutation occurs, triggered by an exterior cause such as tobacco smoke, the stem cell goes on to become a lung cancer cell – not just a miscellaneous cancer cell, but specifically a lung cancer cell. Even within the lung cancer category, there are several subtypes – small cell and non-small cell lung cancers, and within the non-small cell category there are more subtypes: adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and large cell carcinomas.   And treatment works best when it is targeted to the specific subtype of cancer.

Cancer cells have some characteristics in common.   We’ve mentioned the absence of apoptosis, which is basically what makes them cancer cells.   But they also have the characteristic of being greedier than normal cells. These common characteristics have made it possible to develop some drugs that are effective against a broader range of cancers, although by no means effective against all cancers.   Those common characteristics, and the types of drugs that address those characteristics, are described below.

Inhibiting cancer cells from promoting vascularization

Cancer cells need nutrients to survive, and they get them by inducing the growth of blood vessels (angiogenesis) to deliver those nutrients to the growing cancer cells.   They accomplish this by releasing vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, in amounts far greater than normal cells. A drug that targets angiogenesis through the release of VEGF is bevacizumab (Avastin, from Genentech/Roche).   It binds to the VEGF molecule in such a way that VEGF cannot interact with its receptor on endothelial cells. Avastin is FDA-approved for a number of cancers, including colon, kidney, brain, and lung cancer; however, the FDA recently recommended that it no longer be used to treat breast cancer.  Nevertheless, Genentech/Roche are not giving up on Avastin for breast cancer. Currently, 2,427 clinical trials are under way with Avastin, including 212 in patients with several forms of breast cancer at various stages; most of these are in combination with other drugs. Several other VEGF inhibitors are also on the market.   These include pazopanib (Votrient, from Novartis); sunitinib (Sutent, from Pfizer); cabozantinib (Cabometyx, from Exelixis; and sorafenib (Nexavar, from Bayer).

In one form of breast cancer that is especially difficult to treat, tumor growth is fostered by another type of growth factor, termed HER2, which stands for human epidermal growth factor type 2.   In turn, release of HER2 is triggered by tyrosine kinase in another of its cancer-related roles. Some drugs have been developed specifically to target tyrosine kinase in HER2 breast cancer, including lapatinib (Tykerb, GlaxoSmith Kline) and trastuzumab (Herceptin, Genentech/Roche).

Inhibiting cancer cell replication

All cells, whether cancer cells or healthy normal cells, reproduce by splitting, or mitosis.   As noted above, the crucial difference is that normal cells have a built-in program that eventually kills them off – apoptosis, which serves the valuable function of making way for new cells, so that most of the cell population in our bodies consists of young and healthy cells.   Cancer cells, not being subject to apoptosis, will go on reproducing endlessly, growing and spreading – that is, unless something prevents them from doing so. A number of drugs can inhibit this process, and these have demonstrated great clinical benefit in some cancers. Many of these drugs were initially derived from a substance found in the bark of the Pacific yew tree, called taxol.   These include paclitaxel (Taxol, Bristol-Myers Squibb), docetaxel (Taxotere, Sanofi-Aventis), another formulation of paclitaxel (Abraxane, Celgene). Capecitabine (Xeloda, Genentech/Roche) also prevents cell replication, but by inhibiting DNA synthesis.

Another mechanism through which cell replication may be inhibited is targeting telomerase in cancer cells.   (We mentioned telomeres in the discussion of the Mediterranean diet, which has been found to protect telomeres and thus extend the lifetime of healthy cells.)   Telomerase is an enzyme that protects telomeres, which are the ends of genes, so targeting telomerase is a way of attacking cancer cell replication.

An agent that has shown some promise in that approach is imetelstat, from the biotech company Geron, which did much of the basic research into the role telomerases play in cancer. The 2009 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two Geron collaborators, Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider, along with Jack W. Szostak for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the discovery of the enzyme telomerase.   

Several natural substances are being studied for their possible effects as inhibitors of telomerase in cancer cells.   These include curcumin, quercetin (found in many fruits including apples, grapes, berries, and citrus fruits), tannic acid, and berberine (from the roots of a number of plants).   At this point, there is no clinical evidence for the effectiveness of these natural substances in preventing cancer cell replication.

Some drugs in the class called tyrosine kinase inhibitors also inhibit cancer cell replication.   Tyrosine kinase is an enzyme which can play a number of roles, including stimulating the growth of new blood vessels, but is also active in cell replication.   In healthy cells, tyrosine kinase activates a kind of “on-off” switch that makes it possible for cells to reproduce, but in cancer cells, tyrosine kinase turns the switch on and keeps it on, so that cells just keep reproducing without cease.   Imatinib (Gleevec, Novartis) is a cancer-cell specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor which is used to treat one form of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and also gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). CML median 5-year survival has nearly doubled since the approval of imatinib, from about 31% to about 59% currently, and median survival in patients with GIST is also currently about 5 years.

Killing cancer cells with oncolytic viruses

The curious fact that some viruses preferentially attack cancer cells has been observed since early in the 20th century, and research into the possibility of putting this into therapeutic use began about 50 years ago, but only now are the first oncolytic virus-based treatment attaining approval.   BioVex, a small biotech outfit, developed a drug called OncoVex, based on the herpes simplex virus, for the treatment of melanomas. In 2011, Amgen made a deal with BioVex worth in total about $1.1 billion for development of the drug, talimogene laherparepvec, initially called T-Vec, which Amgen has renamed Imlygic.   Clinical trials with Imlygic have been highly promising. The virus-based drug is injected directly into melanomas which are deemed to be not appropriate for treatment by surgery. One of the most impressive findings in the clinical trials with Imlygic is the relatively high durable response rate, meaning that melanomas treated with this agent tend not to recur, unlike melanomas treated by other means, which do tend to recur.   Imlygic, along with some other oncolytic viruses, launches a two-pronged attack on cancer cells – not only does the virus lyse (destroy) cancer cells directly, but it prompts the patient’s immune system to attack the cancer cells as well. Imlygic received FDA approval in October of 2015 – the first FDA-approved drug based on an oncolytic virus.

A Canadian firm, Oncolytics Biotech, has an agent, Reolysin (pelareopep), based on one of the reoviruses, which is now in Phase 3 trials against head and neck cancers and is being studied in lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers.    Reolysin has received FDA fast track designation in metastatic breast cancer on May 8, 2017. And an Australian biotech, Viralytics Ltd, has a couple of agents in clinical trials, based on the Coxsackie virus, against ovarian, lung, gastric, and pancreatic cancers.    An advantage of some of these agents is that they don’t have to be injected into the tumor cell, but can be given intravenously.

Other oncolytic viruses currently under investigation include a recombinant adenovirus to target bladder, breast, ovarian, colon, and prostate cancers, from Cold Genesys, Inc, in California.   Another California outfit, Genelux, is looking at attenuated vaccinia viruses, which have shown effectiveness in head and neck tumors and advanced solid tumors. (The vaccinia virus is used to vaccinate people against smallpox.)

All of these viruses have to be modified in some form so that they target cancer cells only and limit their potential for causing disease in the patient.   A challenge for the developers of virus-based therapies will be to convince patients that it is safe to be treated by a pathogen which would otherwise make them sick.

But is it possible, all the same, that AEBi might be on to something?

Remotely possible, yes.   Perhaps there is yet one more shared characteristic of cancer cells in addition to their lack of apoptosis, permitting them to divide and spread without limit, their capacity to induce the growth of blood vessels to bring them nourishment, and their attractiveness to viruses which may attack and kill them.   And perhaps AEBi, through their SoAP-modified phase display technique, has identified an agent that would target that shared characteristic. And perhaps the statement that they cannot afford to publish their research means that if they did, an unscrupulous band of rogue researchers would steal their idea and beat them to the finish line.   All of those are remotely possible. But Doc Gumshoe remains highly doubtful.

Postscript: More About the Opioid Quandary

I thought I had said quite enough on this subject after the two Doc Gumshoe posts in October of 2017, in which I discussed at considerable length the conflicting positions about the need for chronic pain management, on the one hand, and the effort to reduce the number of opioid overdoses and resulting deaths.   To restate the main points of those pieces, I pointed out the following:

  • 18 million of us in the US rely on opioids for the management of long-term pain.
  • Fewer than 8% of chronic pain patients become addicted.
  • Medical opioid prescribing is down by a third since 2011.
  • At the same time opioid overdose deaths are soaring – heroin overdoses by 500% and fentanyl overdose deaths by 600%.
  • By a huge margin, people who abuse opioids do not obtain them through a legitimate medical prescription, but through illicit means.

Despite the fairly clear evidence that the major part of the opioid abuse problem is not medical over-prescribing, but diversion and street drug peddling, the attention of the news media has largely focused on such matters as Purdue’s marketing of OxyContin and the misdeeds of the Sackler family.   Those issues are real, but the reaction of the CDC and other government agencies has, in the opinion of many specialists in pain management, resulted in policies and guidelines that have caused great harm to many persons in severe chronic pain.

A long, well-written Op Ed piece in the Times of 10 February, “When the Cure Is Worse Than the Disease,” by Maia Skalavitz, made some of those same points.   But more telling, the piece recounted the stories of several patients who had relied on opioids for the management of their extreme chronic pain, and when their opioids were withdrawn due to those guidelines, could no longer tolerate their pain, and committed suicide as their only way to free themselves from the pain that made their lives intolerable.

The Doc Gumshoe pieces mentioned above discussed the issue that physicians, as well as pharmacists, are keenly aware that they may be viewed with strong disfavor and even in some cases sanctioned for “over-prescribing” opioids, which may lead them to prescribe opioids with great reluctance, even to patients in obvious need.   The Times piece noted that 10% of physicians have stopped prescribing opioids altogether.

Another guideline-directed practice is forced opioid tapering.   An article in Pain Medicine (Darnall B., 11/20/18) says the following:

“We, the undersigned, stand as a unified community of stakeholders and key opinion leaders deeply concerned about forced opioid tapering in patients receiving long-term prescription opioid therapy for chronic pain. This is a large-scale humanitarian issue. Our specific concerns involve:

  • rapid, forced opioid tapering among outpatients;
  • mandated opioid tapers that require aggressive opioid dose reductions over a defined period, even when that period is an extended one.

Rapid forced tapering can destabilize these patients, precipitating severe opioid withdrawal accompanied by worsening pain and profound loss of function. To escape the resultant suffering, some patients may seek relief from illicit (and inherently more dangerous) sources of opioids, whereas others may become acutely suicidal. Regardless of one’s view on the advisability of high-dose opioid therapy, every thoughtful clinician recognizes rapid tapering as a genuine threat to a large number of patients who are often medically complex and vulnerable.”

The article, by the way, has 119 signatories.

The current trend in attempting to quell the opioid overdose epidemic appears to treat the drug abusers as victims who must be protected, at the expense of the many persons living with acute pain who rely on opioids as their sole remedy.   Opioid tapering, forced by decree on patients with severe pain and no real alternatives, is in no way even close to a solution to the problem of opioid abuse. Making these patients carry the brunt of the pain and distress, even to the extent of losing their lives, will have a minimal effect on the drug abusers, who will continue to get their drugs by illegal means.   There will be no diminution of overdoses and overdose deaths as a result of forced tapering.

* * * * * * *

To Gumshoe citizens who have made suggestions as to what they would like to see in these diatribes, I’m trying to keep track of them and hope to get to them before too much longer.   Best to all and keep the comments coming! Michael Jorrin (aka Doc Gumshoe)

[ed note: Michael Jorrin, who I dubbed “Doc Gumshoe” many years ago, is a long-time medical writer (not a doctor) who opines on topics in health and medicine for our readers a couple times a month. He does not typically discuss investments directly, but has agreed to our trading rules. All of his past columns and commentary can be found here.]

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catice
catice
February 25, 2019 10:03 am

Thank you for all the knowledge you’re sharing here. We are in debt to you!

👍 31
Lawrence
Member
Lawrence
February 25, 2019 10:46 am

How about the ‘Grey Salt’ biblical cure for all cancers hyped by a doctor in Tuscon?
I can’t find any salt mines in the USA that is their supplier.

frank_n_steyn
Irregular
February 25, 2019 11:39 am
Reply to  Lawrence

The “gray salt” messages sound kind of scam-like to me.

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fedup365
fedup365
June 1, 2019 4:54 pm
Reply to  Lawrence

The Grey Salt or the Biblical Cure was about Selinium as an Herbal Supplement. I have been doing a lot of Cancer researching and I have heard from a couple sources that Selinium was the Grey Salt found by Noah at the resting place of the Ark and mentioned in the Bible, etc etc

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Mike Woelfel
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Mike Woelfel
February 25, 2019 11:20 am

4 Interesting links about existing cancer cures:
First link, are over 200 testimonials and reviews on Amazon, of a South American herb (less than $10/btl) called Graviola- many have claimed late stage cancers cured.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B0015C0S5O/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_hist_5?filterByStar=five_star&pageNumber=1

Next, science about how and why cancer occurs:

http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/cesiumcarbonateforcancer.html

The third link, case study of cancer impacted using Cesium Chloride:

http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james14.htm

Lastly, an article discussing why graviola is a much better alternative to chemo:
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/graviola-fruit-for-cancer/

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Michael
Guest
Michael
February 25, 2019 11:52 am

Perhaps they do have something and perhaps they’re thinking if others think they have something they’ll be somewhat less likely to be obliterated. I’ll wait and see.

Fred Massey
Member
Fred Massey
February 25, 2019 11:53 am

That was a great discussion about the mechanism of action of the various anti cancer agents. I am a retired gyn oncologist and used many of those drugs.

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macrobody
Member
macrobody
February 25, 2019 12:01 pm

For Israel to cure cancer they have to eliminate their government first. I’m not touching anything that comes from there. #BDS
Investing should not have emotions but could use some morality.

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iltrus
Irregular
February 25, 2019 7:09 pm
Reply to  macrobody

Antisemitism/BDS is the oldest social disease in the world and unfortunately there is no cure for that “cancer”. If you are “not touching anything that comes from there” you must stop using your smart phone, your computer, voicemail, internet, as Israel is in them! If you need an MRI taken, do not! If you have a GI disease do not accept to swallow the little PILLCAM to detect the problems in your intestines; never buy generic drugs and just pay full price for brand names to avoid TEVA drugs. If you need a surgery you must have an aggressive method used instead of the “immoral” ExAblate (a non-invasive, magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery system that thermally ablates, or destroys, tumors inside your body); G-d forbid if you get multiple sclerosis, do not touch Weizmann Institute developed and Teva produced Copaxone; if you have an accident and become quadriplegic, do not ever become mobile again, just sit in your wheel chair because you would certainly not use ReWalk Exoskeleton – a device that would enable you to walk and climb stairs. You can continue to have painful injections (for vaccinations, insulin etc) when the world will be using ViaDerm patches. People (other than cancerous BDS sufferers) will detect heart problems with EndoPAT a finger device and predict a heart attack seven years into the future (as in Mayo Clinic). BabySense by HiSense will continue to save babies from crib-death, but you should not use the “immoral” technology. If you suffer COPD, do not touch Deep Breeze. Emergency Bandage developed by IDF stops hemorrhage from wounds, that saves lives of military personnel of NATO and other countries and saved the life of Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot in 2011. From now on do not use any disk-on-key to store your data either.If you use Microsoft NT or XP operating systems you must stop. Do not use any cyber security systems and definitely do not text (SMS). The chips in all your electronic devices and wireless technology must be a taboo for you, and you should use cell phones that are as big and heavy as a brick and never have an e-reader (Kindle) or the technology that enables you to e-print directly from your computer. Don’t play 3D games on Xbox (and not on Playstation3). Of course also the flash storage in iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air and Samsung is not for you.Never ask a question at Answers.com. If you are lost, do not use Waze either. If you are in trouble in a place where no helicopter can land, do not pray for a flying vehicle to land there to rescue you. You may try to convince people to join your BDS in the thousands of African villages where they now have fresh water, solar power, electricity, schools and clinics as well as the ability to grow produce thanks to drip irrigation technology. I think they would not be very welcoming. If you live to have a driverless car, make sure it does not have Mobileye advanced driver-assistance system built in. Do not eat cherry tomatoes and if you happen to be buying world famed Swiss chocolates, make sure to read the label, as they import those “immoral” chocolates from Israel. If you like to watch the TV series Homeland, In Treatment, Traffic Light etc. you cannot as they are originally Israeli series. For self defense, do not learn Krav Maga, and please do not fly as every element of flight and airport security is fashioned by Israel. Recently the problem of drones that shut down an airport in UK for many days,stranding thousands of passengers was resolved by Israel. In all disaster areas from Japan to Mexico, and from Haiti to Indonesia the only fully equipped and staffed field hospitals saving lives have been from Israel. This is just a fraction… An entire book can be (and is) written on this start-up nation, “where genius lives” (Bill Gates). Israel betters the lives of all mankind every day. You may of course choose to live with your “BDS morality” in caves instead. This site is for nice people trying to learn how to trade, to share ideas and help one another to succeed. It is not a place for political and antisemitic activism.

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hedy1234
hedy1234
February 25, 2019 7:48 pm
Reply to  iltrus

Iltrus

Thank you for responding so effectively.

👍 1691
pieter132
pieter132
February 27, 2019 2:17 pm
Reply to  iltrus

May I remind you that Israel is pretty heavy subsidised by the american tax payer for decades so they have not too much to show for appr. 35 billion dollars each year , for more then 50 years. Another reminder the greatest inventions for sure did not come out of Israel such as the dieselmotor, ottomotor, roentgen, music, science. I rest my case although I admire your desperate attempt to impress the world with the accomplishment of your state. About 70 years occupation there is nothing to be proud of too clearly. Anti-semetic is an old trick. All your brothers are semetic in middle east but you both can,t stand each other. Most of the weaponry your country uses comes from the usa. I can,t agree with seeing kids get killed on purpose by snipers that is not accepted in any country globally!

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hedy1234
hedy1234
February 27, 2019 2:45 pm
Reply to  pieter132

Pieter132

One should always strive to be accurate when attacking.

The annual aid to Israel is 3.5 billion. You were only off by a factor of 10.

In exchange for this money, the US has the only true allie in the Middle East that would go to war for/with them.

Who would you trust in this region? Iran? Saudi Arabia? Iraq? Qatar? Egypt?

This money, primarily in Military Aid, represents 2-3% of the annual Israeli budget. Not a bad investment of our money.

Consider what we get from our investment compared to other aid.

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pieter132
pieter132
February 28, 2019 9:18 pm
Reply to  hedy1234

Yes very correct I was of some but not so much. But you were not aware that Germany is forced as well to keep subsidising Israel now 67 million dollar per day. That makes roughly 7.8 billion euro per year. But that is not all they too receive 12.5 billion euro from a black budget. Not so shabby if you have an income stream like this. I would call it insane.

https://rsvdr.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/zahlungen-an-israel-ohne-ende/

Good investment and it yields a lot of destruction as we can see last 70 years.

You too were not very accurate as Israel is of course not a start up nation where genius lives. That is a huge Chutzpa as well.

I never heard that Israel went to war for the USA I think you mean the opposite. That is all becuase of the huge oil and gas reserves in the middle east.

With all your respect do you really believe Israel is a trustwording country? Israel does great business with Saudi Arabia same as the USA , weapons and oil are the major factors.

So how does Israel with no significant national resources
or industry earns it in your words this huge bnp?

Not to forget many military hardware Israel could never paid by themself as their economy could never support that.

Anyway this is not a site for politics so I will not respond to any of this anymore. For you it will be better to contact Aipac for how to improve more effective promotion.

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shelschien
shelschien
February 25, 2019 11:41 pm
Reply to  macrobody

This is the second time, I believe, you have made antisemitic remarks. The last time I complained to Travis. Maybe this time he will do something about your hateful ignorant verbosity.

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jprovi218
Member
February 26, 2019 1:34 pm
Reply to  macrobody

What a “dick” thing to say…..Motley Fool may be looking for a subscriber of your caliper..

NormS
Guest
NormS
February 27, 2019 1:42 am
Reply to  macrobody

Clearly Akismet is not doing its job of keeping spam at bay.

Portman, Barnard
Member
Portman, Barnard
February 27, 2019 5:45 pm
Reply to  macrobody

Take your politics to the New York Times we are discussing investing .You might get a list of all of the medical items developed in Israel and refuse all of them it would keep you out of these pages .

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BARRY SHAW
Member
BARRY SHAW
March 6, 2019 12:19 pm
Reply to  macrobody

Stupid remark.
If you’re going to boycott Israel, do it properly.
If you don’t want to touch anything that comes from Israel through away your phone, laptop, computer, etc.
Check your medications. They are likely to include Israeli products also.
Don’t use Waze when you are driving and avoid all future driverless vehicles.
When your health breaks down due to your inability to communicate with people and your avoidance of Israeli-based medications, insist of the medical team at your hospital that they don’t use any Israeli innovations during your surgery.
It’s time for you to avoid idiotic statements against my country, the only true liberal democracy in a region plagued by violent and malevolent actors supported by people like you.

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Curt
Member
Curt
February 25, 2019 1:37 pm

Thank you for this excellent explanatory article.

Curt
Member
Curt
February 25, 2019 1:39 pm

Thank you for an excellent informative article.

Tom M
Member
Tom M
February 25, 2019 1:43 pm

Big Pharma will squash any cure for cancer. They depend on people getting cancer to keep the money flowing. Big Pharma owns the FDA, medical schools, doctors and Congress with the use of thousands of lobbyists. It would be nice to see something like this, but I doubt it will gain traction. If I ever get cancer, I will seek every outside source (other than the mostly useless stuff Big Pharma offers) and go outside the regular controlled medical scam system. I believe there are dozens of cures available for many types of cancers, but they are keep in the dark and out of the mainstream, simply becuase they won’t generate $billions in profits. You have to do some real digging and keep an open mind.

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LongOnLife
February 28, 2019 8:06 am
Reply to  Tom M

Any “cure” for any potentially fatal disease would be a tremendous blockbuster for the company that develops it. It is the holy grail that so many investors are seeking when they invest in biotech. Big Pharma does indeed employ more lobbyists than any other business sector and they do it for self interest, which boils down to making more money for investors. That is what we demand of them. Executives must act in the best interests of their investors or risk being sued and Big Pharma execs have a lot to lose. So to think that a company would turn their back on a potential blockbuster drug so that another company or group of healthcare providers can make more money treating the sick is laughable. In order for this to make any logical sense, some healthcare conglomerate would have to own the whole show; the drugs, the hospitals, the doctors, the medical devices, etc. I know of no such conglomerate and I doubt anyone can point to an example. Modern medical science offers the best chance for cure of fatal disease and there are numerous examples to point to. A recent one is Gilead the company who made many fortunes for investors in their development and marketing of drugs that cure Hepatitis C. I won’t delve into the argument of who actually developed the molecules that work as it involved many people and small firms outside of Gilead but the point is that they recognized the “cure”, purchased the rights to it and got it through the trials and to market. Why? To make money for their investors and executives. Your view of the healthcare industry, Tom M, is flawed and one has to wonder what you are doing commenting on Doc Gumshoe’s articles when you state clearly that you believe the investments he writes about involve “scams”. I certainly hope you never get seriously ill Tom, as your options outside the “regular controlled medical scam system” will surely lead to a shorter life than what modern medical science has to offer you.

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Dave H
Member
Dave H
February 25, 2019 2:36 pm

The Israeli Cure for All Cancers sound similar to the Rigva virotherapy. Doc Gumshoe I am interested in your thoughts on Rigva. Details at https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/virotherapy/?utm_campaign=ttac-daily-content&utm_medium=email&utm_source=all-actives-ttac&utm_content=virotherapy&utm_term=&mpweb=144-7650363-743993310

fabian
fabian
February 25, 2019 6:00 pm

Excellent and informative. Thanks.

J(Y)D
Guest
February 25, 2019 8:34 pm

Doc, 1st off thanks for the information. When you have a chance would you comment on the research of Dr. James Kirkland of the Mayo clinic in purging of body of senescent cells. The new treatment called “DQ” includes a drug called dasatnib and another called qyercetin. A recent study showed the drug combination began clearing out the cells within 30 minutes, and within 24 hours all senescent cells were gone! Seeing as senescent cells are implicated in more than 20 major illnesses this seems significant.
Thanks. again.

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bstew
bstew
February 26, 2019 10:30 pm
Reply to  J(Y)D

Quercetin is a natural plant flavonoid. A good source is onions. Recent research has not found it to be a useful senolytic by itself. It does seem to work synergistically with the drug dasatinib. Senolytics is a great new field.

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Marcella Rice
Irregular
February 25, 2019 9:45 pm

This is in the first paragraph: …” Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last duration of a few weeks…” Last a duration of a few weeks??? And then one has cancer again, I presume.

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deboruth
February 26, 2019 1:18 pm

Thank you for again sharing your thoughts on opioids. The tv program Sixty Minutes this past Sunday offered up one of the worst ever pieces of anti-patient propaganda. It featured only two sources, both committed anti-pain patient professional “experts.” One was Andrew Kolodny, BFF of former CDC director Tom Frieden. The latter, after doing nothing for eight years to lessen Americans’ burden of morbidity and mortality, launched a last hurrah of anti-patient pain medicine proscriptions that lay behind the unwarranted deprivation Doc describes. The goal was to supply Frieden and Kolodny with Foundation and other grant money on which to live happily ever after once Obama’s ill-founded appointment to CDC had expired. It worked. The two loaf in the glow of public opinion while pain patients suffer and suicide.

billyb
Guest
billyb
February 26, 2019 10:16 pm

Doc G, I’d like your take on TLTFF’s successful Phase 1 NMIBC (non-muscle invasive bladder cancer) trial on BCG resistant bladder cancer. Looks like instead of fighting cancer from the outside in, it induces apoptosis from the inside out by using laser light to stimulate special photosensitizing compounds which cancer cells have selectively uptaked. They’d like to use the technique on other kinds of cancers, too.

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Larry Wulker
Guest
Larry Wulker
February 27, 2019 1:43 pm

Doc G, I was looking at a penny stock Actinium Pharmaceuticals and while looking at the report the word chimerism came up. I was un-familiar with the word but the little research I am doing is fascinating. If I am interpreting correctly, I think they are trying to use a drug they are working on as a treatment for AML. Would you lend some insight on what is going on and a more detailed explanation of chimerism.

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dan yariv weisbuch
Member
dan yariv weisbuch
March 2, 2019 12:47 pm

Travis, hi!
Excellent work and i appreciate Gumshoe intellectual efforts.
in the background, some fake news edited by by non professionals. the classic ‘the stupid throws a stone in a fountain, 100 sages cant find it’ there are so many false assumptions to wet the appetite of stupid billionaires that is a piece of hard work to get rid of inexactitudes. the ceo and his company needs new money to burn in R&D and they use the old tricks of marketing. my advice in these type of action even if it is panacea universalis: wait for FDA approval.
As example i offer you the story of OPKO ($OPK). study and learn .and is much more simple ….

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starman
Member
starman
March 3, 2019 11:35 pm
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dale1965
dale1965
March 12, 2019 12:42 pm

what about keatruda an immune therapy drug

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