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Finding the cure in biotechnology"There is an excitement out there, an expectation, that we are but a little ways away from stopping cancer in its tracks, from curing diabetes, and from preventing afflictions such as Alzheimer's, AIDS, and malaria." DNA how the biotech revolution is changing the way we fight disease by Frank H. Stephenson When I pray the daily rosary, I offer an intention for each decade of the rosary. 1. For the residents/patents and staff at Holy Spirit and at our hospitals. For those who are ill or dying. May God's Abiding Presence be with them.2. For Pope Benedict and Bishop Nickless. May God's Abiding Presence be with them. May God bless them with Abundant Graces they lead us in the ways of faith. May they do so in a spirit of service, humility and compassion. 3. For world peace. May nations bent on war destroy their weapons, let their soldiers go home and let the people on whose lands the wars are fought finally live in peace and freedom. May terrorists destroy their bombs and weapons and quit victimizing people, especially the innocent. 4. For those in purgatory. May their time of purification be over soon so they can enter the Kingdom where there's no more suffering, tears, pain or sorrow, only everlasting joy in God's Presence. 5. For advancements in Gene therapy and for increased understanding of the Gene Map. If you have an incurable disease, there is a book DNA how the biotech revolution is changing the way we fight disease by Frank H. Stephenson which is worth your reading. According to Stephenson, efforts to understand the nature of disease, down to its component molecular foundation, have reached an unprecedented intensity. "There is an excitement out there, an expectation, that we are but a little ways away from stopping cancer in its tracks, from curing diabetes, and from preventing afflictions such as Alzheimer's, AIDS, and malaria," he says. "There is the sense that each gene we discover, each molecular pathway we elucidate brings us closer to cures." (Emphasis mine) The book advertises that "With a gift for making the complexities of genetics and biochemistry understandable to the average reader, Stephenson offers a fascinating tour of the mechanisms of our body and the therapeutic techniques that are gaining in sophistication and effectiveness every year." Folks, this is still pretty heavy reading for the "average reader." Still, I look forward to seeing cures from heart disease to AIDS and cancer, after experts help us understand how the tools of biotechnology will be used to combat our most common afflictions. Stephenson examines a wide variety of health threats and illnesses: HIV infection, the many forms of cancer, asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and obesity. He says that each is discussed in terms of its root cause and treatment in plain, jargon-free language that not only educates but also entertains. Frank H. Stephenson, Ph.D. (Pacifica, CA), has worked in the biotechnology industry for many years. |