Could this new mRNA vaccine end cancer?

In the UK alone cancer accounts for 24% of all deaths.[1] Which means you, gentle reader have a close to one in four chance of going that way. You might hope that someone might do something about it. Today we bring you news that somebody has, via the industrious Luke Andrews of the Daily Mail [2] But before then, a tiny apology.

Because in reporting this we have no desire to disparage the heroic efforts of scientists, doctors, fund raisers and honest-to-God patients who have already done so much to ameliorate and already effect cures for this terrible disease. Luke’s story could be a game changer-but only because it comes at the ned of an enormous process of scholarship and research. That said, it is truly exciting. Firstly, because it tries to use the new mRNA vaccines which came of age during the COVID 19 pandemic. Secondl, because it offers a hope, however tentative at this stage, of a universal vaccine. Luke explains matters really well,. with all the links you need to the source journals, so we’ll leave you to him. Upbeat to say the least.

Vaccines are a contentious subject. We have talked about cancer vaccines here before(LSS 24 5 21 et al) and are aware of the mixed reactions we get. We suspect that not all anti-vaxxers are bad people: among them you will will find the stubborn types who refuse to accept any information coming down from above on whatever subject. Grit in the wheels of the machine; but one day you just might need them. But we in what might be called the empirically based community have our uses too.(we invented the computer you’re reading this on) it’s time for a dialogue, instead of hissing and growling at each other like so many cats and dogs. The patients deserve that.

[1]https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/mortality

[2]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14919401/immune-hack-vaccine-mrna.html

#mRNA #cancer #vaccine #medicine #health

24 Deadly Diseases that could land on our shores

Of all the ways to go, Ebola Fever is one we’d prefer to avoid. First, your temperature shoots up to an unhealthy 39 C. This is followed by agonising bowel cramps and uncontrolled bloody diarrhoea. Finally the patient starts vomiting blood. Death, which usually follows in 80-90% of such cases, may begin to seem a mercy. Readers with long memories may recall an epidemic of this disease in Africa between 2013 and 2016. Fortunately it was contained, due the efforts of public health officials and brave, skilful medical professionals. Who managed-just- to confine the death rate to 11 323 unfortunate souls. It doesn’t bear thinking about what might have happened had they failed. But according to Professor Harper, a pandemic caused by a similar disease broke the back of the Roman Empire and effectively ended the civilised world[1]

Now a report by the UK Health Security Agency[2] [3] lists Ebola as one of a group of 24 deadly diseases which could land on the shores of this sceptr’d isle at almost any time. As most readers will recall, Ebola is part of the Filoviridae family(an honour shared by the mortiferous Marburg virus) But travelling companions include the Flavoviridae (dengue, zika) Coronaviridae and all sorts of bacteria including the ones for bubonic plague and anthrax. Kat Lay of the Guardian has a nice quick take on the story. And its proximal causes, most of which come down to climate change and habitat destruction.

And our take? It’s good to have some sort of professional public health body that can at least take note of, and warn about, these sorts of things. But the poor old UKHSA has been starved of funds, largely to finance tax cuts to pay for the purchase of Bright Shiny New Things. The production of which leads to climate change, habitat destruction, and…………….you get the picture. If today’s seems a bit of a UK-centric blog, so be it. We are a pretty representative average sort of country, and you face the same threats that we do. If these diseases are appearing on our threat list. they’ll be coming up on yours soon. They have the same ultimate causes.

[1] Kyle Harper The Fate of Rome Princeton UP 2017

[2]https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/25/uk-experts-urge-prioritising-research-into-24-types-of-deadly-pathogen-families

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-highlights-pathogens-of-greatest-risk-to-public-health

#pandemic #virus #bacteria #epidemic #climate change #global warming

The Next Pandemic: Not if, but when

Wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East. Falling stock markets. Huge new tariffs on trade. Another season of fires and floods as the Northern Hemisphere warms up to summer. Yes, this is all pretty bad………but we think there is something much worse lurking in the background. This blog was born among the incalculable human and economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemic back in long-ago 2020. We think another one is on the way. More to the point, our opinion is shared by some much better informed and cleverer people. So we thought we would bring you their thoughts.

Writing for the Conversation [1] the erudite Professor Anthony Staines takes a long cool look at the public health scene. Despite what you might have thought COVID-19 hasn’t really gone away: it’s still killing between 500 and 1000 people a week. Measles is on the uptick as well, especially in countries where vaccination is falling out of fashion. Bird flu is now crossing over both to humans and livestock herds. But the Professor still puts his money on some as yet unkownn virus, or one that is currently flying under the radar.

The prestigious Chatham House Institute[2] serves up a complimentary view as to what this might be. Bird flu is still a strong candidate. But they have a worrying take on the Ebola virus: could some new variant of this be Professor Staines’ unknown candidate? Above all Chatham riff on the mapping studies which might give us some clue. as to where the disease will be triggered. They point to run away urbanisation, deforestation and habitat destruction as key enablers, unleashing new organisms onto populations with no effective resistance at all.

The LSS board has no particular wish to die of Ebola: it’s a horrible way to go. And if it happened to any of you, dear readers, why, we would have lost a friend. Of course we need to respond to what is immediate and tangible, like the price of eggs. But it might be worth pointing out to our leaders that they need to think long term as well.

[1]https://theconversation.com/five-years-after-the-pandemic-the-world-is-poorly-prepared-for-another-one-249906?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20fro

[2]https://www.chathamhouse.org/2022/02/next-pandemic-when-could-it-be

#pandemic #virus #ebola #deforestation #bird flu #vaccination

Vaccine Doubts, Rational Fears

One of the curses of being an LSS reader is that we tend to see how everything is connected. The current dismays in politics, international affairs, popular perceptions of science and economics all merge into each other, meaning we cannot escape. Not even into the quiet groves and ivory towers of Académe. Not even for a moment.

Proof of this came from our reading of an excellent article in The Conversation from the learned Professor Sven Bōlte,[1] who has been investigating the depressing reasons that people, including the President-Elect of the United States of America still obdurately refuse to let go of: the idea that vaccines cause Autism. Because every one of the reasons he cites can also be cited to explain the decay of democracy. Let’s look at a few, and you’ll see what we mean

Unawareness of Evidence

“Reliably and accurately communicating research results to the public is difficult,” states Sven, “Popular media is typically superficial and often primarily interested in controversy that generates public attention.”

For research results read political issues Remember the £350 million on the side of the bus in the UK Referendum campaign? Quod erat demonstrandum

Challenges Understanding Science (shouldn’t that be “to understanding”?-ed)

“Science is complicated and in medicine there are rarely absolute truths. The public, however, might expect clear consensus or have difficulty grasping the precise nuance of the science and its findings”.

For science read economics or law. Yes they do struggle a bit with nuance, don’t they?

Doubts of science

“The human need for immediate and simple explanations for complex issues fuels misbelief”.

The word “research” does not mean sitting on the internet for 30 minutes and pasting up your favourite clicks.

Invisible success of vaccine programmes.

“Vaccination programmes are among the most cost-effective public health interventions available and have averted deaths and long-term disease on a global level in the last decades.

They take it all for granted when it works. Like everything else we’ve given them since The Enlightenment. You know. Soap, Schools. Scooters. Computers. Machines upon which to play their popular musical ditties. A certain entitlement has crept in; and a price must always be paid for that.

We could go on, and you may read the whole article for yourself, gentle reader, by clicking on the link. Does all the above suggest the bulk of humanity lacks the cognitive ability to live in a post industrial world? Or are they just festering with resentment because we stopped them from smoking and burning witches? We await your thoughts.

[1]https://theconversation.com/why-do-false-claims-that-vaccines-cause-autism-refuse-to-die-here-are-nine-reasons-246360?

#autism #vaccines #science #medicine #evidence #conspiracy #reason #emotion

hMPV: Shock Horror, or small pandemic, few hurt?

As all journalists know, there are two types of story. One is “HUGE SOMETHING SHOCK HORROR” the other is “small thing happens, Few hurt or injured” Which do you think catches more clicks/sells more papers/hooks more viewers? So it is with a certain caution that we approach the current media froth around the new hMPV virus that is clearly occupying the thoughts of so many members of the Daily Mail newsroom.

hMPV (human metapneumovirus) is a pretty standard seeming single strand RNA virus of the respiratory syncytial group.[1] It is one of many that surge in late winter in the northern hemisphere after people have been living close together for long weeks in the warm, but with regular trips out into the cold. It can be dangerous, there’s no doubt about it, especially to vulnerable groups such as young children the elderly and those with respiratory conditions. As it is not in our interests for any of our readers to die or lose family members, we urge you to take the sensible precautions enjoined by medical authorities.

What is interesting is the way it’s being reported, especially in western media. The two stories our researchers have put up, both from the Mail are actually pretty representative of all western media, regardless of political, social, racial, sartorial and gender affiliation. [2][3] The westerners are anxious for China to share more information and data on the current outbreak. The Chinese, with long memories of western interference, have their own concerns. Everyone recalls the bitter trading of accusations, suspicions and mistrusts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and are all about as calm and rational as a pair of nestling blackbirds in May.

And our thoughts ?Call us naive, but we long for a world where scientific and medical questions are treated as such, and the maximum co-operation is effected. Let the boys with their toys worry about things like who has most battleships later. Unfortunately it seems to be a human cognitive weakness to elide any possible phenomenon into a weapon to bash the enemy. We are not experts, but we suspect their may be bigger existential threats than this virus. Perhaps a more advanced species will one day make better distinctions.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_metapneumovirus

[2]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14254567/symptoms-HMPV-mystery-illness-surging-China-UK.html

[3]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14258029/china-details-hpmv-outbreak-UK-experts.html

#hmpv #virus #pandemic #china #west

An apology to Dr Joseph Ladapo,and all our readers: now, will our staff please come in from the car park?

Croydon Tram by Peter Trimming is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

Today we published a blog which discussed the controversies around Dr Joseph Ladapo, [1]the Surgeon General of the State of Florida. We hope that the report was fair to both sides. Unfortunately, we committed one unforgiveable error. We got the name of poor Dr Ladapo slightly wrong, spelling it, for the most part, as Dr Lapado. We hope this oversight, this careless Spoonerism, will not cause unnecessary distress or anguish to Dr Ladapo, and undertake to be more careful in future. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there.

Upon learning of this very understandable error, nearly all the staff have walked out. They now occupy a position roughly between the car park and George Street. Moreover some reckless spirits among them have raised vulgar and garish placards, bearing simplistic slogans like: NO MORE MISTAKES AT LSS WE WANT TO WORK FOR A REPUTABLE BOSS and even PAY RISE NOW . This has excited unfavourable and ribald comments from passers by and has brought the company’s reputation even lower in Croydon. And it wasn’t very high after the Christmas Party.

Okay we’re sorry. It was the Board that got it wrong, not any of you lot. We know we’re paid a lot more than most of you, but that is the market rate for Company Directors. Obviously it’s very different to that for an average worker in ,say, IT, HR, telephone sales, or even comparable professions like nurses, teachers and delivery drivers. And the reason people like us get a lot more is because of the heavy burden of responsibilities we carry as the Directorial Classes. And this would be the same if we worked in, let’s see, a water company, the :Post Office or in a large Private bank, for example. And it’s because of all that work that mistakes creep in, like the one we made today. But look, you’ve made your point. Maybe we can look at new drinks machines and new chairs and tables. Maybe more money could be found to fix that leak in the third floor kitchen. But please come in. Please come back to work. We promise not to do it again. And be kinder and more considerate in the next pay round. Please?

THE EDITORIAL BOARD

[1]https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/03/florida-measles-outbreak-preventable