An open letter to members of D’Wild West (A The Site Fights Team) was sent in October 2000, which is below. After seven years the UD grid accomplished its goals and remains silent as of Friday April 27, 2007.

The research centered on proteins that were been determined to be a possible target for cancer therapy. Through a process called “virtual screening”, special analysis software identified molecules that interacted with these proteins, and determined which of the molecular candidates had a high likelihood of being developed into a drug. The process is similar to finding the right key to open a special lock — by looking at millions upon millions of molecular keys.

Participants in the Cancer Research Project were sent a ligand library over the Internet. Their PC analyzed the molecules using a docking software called LigandFit by Accelrys. The LigandFit software analyzed the molecular data by using a three-dimensional model to attempt to interact with a protein binding site. When a ligand docked successfully with a protein, the resulting interaction was scored and the interactions that generated the highest scores were recorded and filed for further evaluation.

We need a better answer. Over five decades of cancer research effort in drug discovery and development have yielded more than 40 drugs for the treatment of cancers. These anti-cancer drugs are extending the lives of many people with cancer, but often at great cost. The side effects commonly associated with cancer therapy often may seem as bad as the disease itself. Side effects can be so severe that they limit the dosages patients can receive. And half of all cancer patients fail to respond to the therapies currently available.

Despite these shortcomings, these therapies are still quite costly — a considerable amount of money is spent on treating cancer. Treatment of cancers account for over 6% of all health care costs. The National Institutes of Health estimate cancer is responsible for $37 billion for direct medical costs, and $11 billion in lost productivity due to illness. The discovery of new drugs represents the best hope to fight both the rising medical costs and the suffering associated with current cancer therapies.

There could hardly be a scourge more worth fighting — the high mortality rate, the suffering experienced by patients, and the high costs of treatment make fighting this disease a research priority.

Even with extensive pre-screening, the whittled-down number of molecules to review for this project is estimated at over two hundred million for each protein — a daunting number. Analyzing this quantity of anything requires an enormous amount of computational power. And when the numbers are this big, even supercomputing is limited. A super computer has a peak capacity. That is, if a workload is three times the capacity of the computer, the jobs must be “queued up” and attacked consecutively. A project like this one might take so much time that a researcher wouldn’t even embark on it — he or she wouldn’t see the end result in their lifetime. However, with distributed computing, thousands or even millions of individual computers can each work on different molecules simultaneously, and the time to results can be significantly lessened.

Diana Campbell’s Letter

I have had Stage IV Breast Cancer (metastases to the bones) since Sept. 2000, and was first diagnosed as Stage IIIB in January, 1992. The past decade has been a roller coaster ride and if you, a family member or friend has cancer, then you know what I’m talking about.

I began researching Stage IV Breast Cancer in the summer of 1999 when an X-ray during a checkup showed a suspicious sliver on a back rib. Many months later, this sliver was a huge tumor, but it had previously biopsied negative. I had a feeling something was not right so I began researching. I found there was not as much info on Stage IV as there was on Breast Cancer prevention and awareness as well as early stage, primary diagnosis and treatment.

So I created this website and the associated Survivor webring, email lists, research project and stores. My goal was to provide the information here that we all want to know at this Stage — mostly associated with what we can do to prolong our lives. I am in the process of updating and adding but I hope this site will be of some help to you. Please join the UD grid too as this project will help speed cancer research and possibly help me and others too very shortly as we cope with stage IV breast cancer.

Diana Campbell

Diana passed away on February 19, 2003

Within a month of joining Diana’s team in December 2000 I found that cancer had vested itself in my frailer human body too.

The initial team which Diana formed began to dwindle as cancer took its ugly toll. Wishing always remember my dear friend and make a contribution, my resources were transferred to the AS! team-CureNow. AS! is now exploring forming another team with broader appeal beyond the very small awards community and will be making a decision in the very near future. I will certainly join and a new team graphic with a link will be updated in this space.

To keep the memory of Diana alive there are now various Internet-based grid computing schemas available, thanks to the pioneering work of Oxford University and United Devices.

The World Community Grid software uses the idle time of Internet-connected computers and applies this computing power toward the advancement of humanity.

The agent works like a screen saver, only using a computer’s resources when it would otherwise be idle and relinquishing the resources back to the users when they start using the computers again. The agent can also be run like an application, always running in the background unless specifically disabled/paused.

While many public computing grids such as SETI@home or Folding@home have been devoted to a single project, the World Community Grid offers multiple humanitarian projects under a single umbrella. Projects are approved by an advisory board, with members from most of the major research institutions and universities, as well as the UN and WHO.

Within the grid, users may join teams that have been created by organizations, groups, or individuals. Teams allow for a heightened sense of community identity and attempts to inspire competitiveness.

World Community Grid also differs from other grid projects by offering support for more than one grid infrastructure. The open source BOINC client is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac; the proprietary Grid MP from United Devices Inc. is only available for Windows.

History

The United Devices Smallpox Research Grid Project was sponsored by IBM and other Research Participants to accelerate the discovery of a smallpox cure. The Smallpox study employed computational chemistry on a massive distributed computing grid to analyze candidates for a medical therapy to fight the smallpox virus.

The project allowed scientists to screen 35 million potential drug molecules against several smallpox proteins to identify good candidates for developing into smallpox treatments. In the first 72 hours, 100,000 results were returned and 44 strong treatment candidates were identified at the completion of the project.

Based on the success of the Smallpox study, IBM announced on November 16, 2004 the creation of World Community Grid with the goal of creating a technical environment where other humanitarian research could be processed.

World Community Grid initially only supported Windows, using the proprietary grid technology from United Devices which powers grid.org projects. Strong demand for Linux support led to the open source BOINC grid technology which powers the Seti@home and Climateprediction (among others) being added. Mac OS X support is now also included.

As of March 24, 2007, the World Community Grid had nearly 272,000 members with over 550,000 registered work stations. It had a total process run time equivalent to about 82,000 years and about 80 million results have been sent. The World Community Grid updates these statistics several times a day, making the information available through a dedicated statistics page.

apex-ethics.com/ APEX

Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, cancer prevention, treatment of cancer

Related posts

• Yoga for Prevention of Breast Cancer (0)
• The Fight Against Breast Cancer: Going Green (0)
• More Evidence That Green Tea Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk (0)
• How To Make Life Easier For All Who Suffer From Breast Cancer (0)
• Exercise And Breast Cancer (0)

Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, cancer prevention, treatment of cancer

Mesothelioma Attorney Finding a mesothelioma attorney through directories may be helpful for initial screening. As far as choosing one is concerned, it comes to make your decisions based on hard facts of life that if you or one of your family member is the victim of mesothelioma, the attorney must have a proven track record of bringing justice to your already sullen situation; after all, an attorney is an attorney.

A mesothelioma attorney specializes in wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits connected to asbestos exposure. They do this by targeting the companies that can be held accountable for asbestos exposure, which almost certainly is the cause of mesothelioma.

Choosing a Mesothelioma Attorney Choosing a mesothelioma attorney is not a small deal, especially looking at the number of failed lawsuits and the bombastic lawyers. To this end, consumer guides may help a lot. In addition to their reputations, you will need to figure out how to deal with intricate financial aspects of selecting a mesothelioma lawyer. Anyways, the crux of the matter is about choosing the most suitable mesothelioma attorney for you.

Ask Mesothelioma Attorney a Few Questions Ask a few questions to the attorney so that you can evaluate him or her more, but take care not to intimidate her or him. Here are the questions.

What is the attorney’s personal experience with regard to standing for mesothelioma patients?Is he or she really intends to take up your case or is planning to transfer to another for a commission? How is the lawyer intending to involve you in the process of decision making A typical mesothelioma lawyer has more often than not succeeded in getting an award of $1 million, got 40% of this amount in fees. As if, that wasn’t enough, many a lawyer advertises on the TV, however, be advised that let a TV commercial be not the reason to hire a mesothelioma lawyer. You must keep this one fact upper most in your mind before you finally engage a lawyer’s service. So, now it is obvious why mesothelioma attorneys are very eager to take up mesothelioma cases.

Attorney Reputable mesothelioma attorneys understand that each case is ridden with unique complexities and pay personalized attention to pursue with their huge experience and knowledge of mesothelioma related issues and asbestos industry. Attorney for mesothelioma, being an advocate of long standing reputation would have handled complex cases of torts involving MTBE and TCE water and radiation contamination, and many more, upon whose experience he can draw.

Stay away from attorneys that transfer your case to another law firm and receive commission in exchange. Larger firms, by contrast, may assign a junior or a paralegal staff to handle your case. The truth beckons that you are entitled to and in need of a reputed and an experienced mesothelioma attorney having a proven track record in mesothelioma cases to represent you.

In principle, a healthgenie.org/Mesothelioma/mesotheliomaTY.html” target=”_blank mesothelioma attorney should guarantee that there will not be any cost to you till the award of compensation and should ensure your family gets protection.

Alevoor Rajagopal advises on issues that concern us all. He is an expert in matters of healthgenie.org/ health care whcih he writes on. He raises his voice for fair practices in carbargain.biz/insurance/carinsurance.html car insurance deals.

Tags: mesothelioma

Related posts

• Your Household May Be The Cause of Mesothelioma Cancer (0)
• Where to Find Asbestos Attorneys (0)
• What You Need To Learn About Mesothelioma (0)
• What to Do When You Find Out You Have Mesothelioma (0)
• What Is The Function Of Mesothelium In The Body? (0)

Tags: mesothelioma

In recent years, much research has been done on ways to prevent breast cancer and other disease. Much of the research has focused on green tea, which has been shown in many studies to have cancer preventing qualities. So much research has been done, in fact, that Japan’s medical community now calls green tea a known cancer preventative, and other medical communities are expected to follow suit.

One recent study, however, suggests that herbal teas may be effective in preventing breast cancer, too. The UK Tea Council reported on a study conducted on over 4000 French women with no history of cancer. The women were studied over a 6 year period, and received a mammogram and other cancer screening tests every two years during the period. In addition, the women were evaluated based on the particular beverages they consumed, including herbal tea, regular tea, coffee, fruit juices and wine.

By the end of the six year period, 95 of the participants had developed breast cancer. However, the study could not find any link between any of the beverages consumed and an increased risk of breast cancer. Surprisingly, however, they did find that the women that consumed herbal teas had a slightly lower risk of developing breast cancer than those women who consumed other beverages.

Herbal tea, of course, is not really tea at all. Rather herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are really infusions of one or more herbs. They are made with hot water and taken like tea, hence the name; but true herbal teas contain no leaves from the Camilla sinensis plant, the tea tree. However, herbal teas can have many useful purposes, and are used to treat many discomforts naturally.

Just as they are thought to have discovered traditional tea, it is believed that the Chinese discovered herbal teas, too. Herbs were widely used in ancient medicines, and the Chinese, were the first to combine the healing properties of herbs with the enjoyment of tea. Brewing a tea from the correct combination of herbs may simply have been the easiest way to administer the medicine.

Herbal teas were not widely used in the Western world until the last 20 years, though Asian cultures have continued to use them in conjunction with modern medicine. However, in the last few years, herbs have become popular in the rest of the world for relaxation and as alternative medical treatments.

Statistics show that today consumers spend about $120 million on herbal teas at major supermarkets, and that figure is growing at a rate of about 10% per year. So, you can see that herbal teas make up a significant portion of the beverages consumed in the Western world. Most people who drink herbal teas buy commercially produced loose teas or tea bags. And, this is considered the safest way to consume herbal teas. Making your own brew from plants you’ve picked in the wild is risky, at best.

If you’re taking prescription medication, be sure to consult with your doctor before making herbal teas part of your regular routine. Some herbs have been known to have interactions with medications. But, as long as your doctor approves, there’s no reason to avoid herbal teas, whether for health protection or just for pleasure.

There are dozens of different types of herbal teas available. In fact, one of the pieces of information not noted in the study mentioned above was what kind of herbal teas the study participants drank. But, if you’re interested in trying them, here are some of the most popular varieties.

Rooibos - This is an herbal tea whose base is the South African Rooibos herb –it’s often referred to as red tea. You’ll find this tea delicious and sweet on its own, but it can also be found flavored with other fruits.

Yerba Mate Herbal Tea – This tea is made from the South American herb Yerba Mate. It is very healthy; full of anti-oxidants and vitamins and is said to give energy.

Chamomile – This is a traditional herbal tea made from the chamomile plant. Chamomile has been used for centuries to induce sleep and relieve upset stomachs.

Ginger Tea – Spicy ginger has been used for centuries to make tea. It’s delicious and also highly regarded as a treatment for nausea. Ginger tea is an especially good natural treatment for morning sickness.

Lavender Tea – Tea made from the lavender plant has been used for many years to help calm the soul and induce sleep. A weak brew of lavender can be used to calm a colicky baby, too.

Herbal teas can be a wonderful addition to your diet. They can be used to treat minor ailments and provide a feeling of calm. And, now that there’s evidence that herbal teas may help prevent breast cancer, they can become part of your regular health protecting routine.

Protecting yourself from cancer includes living an overall healthy lifestyle. This includes getting regular exercise, eating a diet that is low in saturated fat and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and not smoking.

Be sure to include the most potent anti-oxidants in your diet too, like those found in blueberries, artichokes, pomegranates and green tea. Following these guidelines and adding a cup or two of herbal tea, as well, can help you protect your health for years to come.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current

Tags: breast cancer, healing

Related posts

• When Oncologists Said Elevated Platelets Count After Chemotherapy Was Good! (0)
• Treatments May Fuel Cancer’s Spread? (0)
• The Breast Cancer Roller Coaster Ride (0)
• Suspected Colorectal Cancer - No Medical Intervention Please! (0)
• Stage Two Colorectal Cancer Turned Terminal After Chemotherapy (0)

Tags: breast cancer, healing

Uterine fibroid tumors or leiomyomas are among the most common tumors among women. In fact, it is apparent in 25-50% of women, says American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Uterine fibroid tumors are typically non-cancerous; however, there is still the need to be aware of these tumors and some dangers it may bring to your health.

To give you better understanding of these tumors, here are answers to frequently asked questions on uterine fibroid tumors:

What are uterine fibroid tumors?

Uterine fibroid tumors, medically known as uterine leiomyomata or simply myoma, are growths consisting of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissues usually found within the wall of the uterus. Some grow below the lining of the uterus; some grow between the muscles of the uterus, while some grow towards the exterior part of the uterus. Uterine fibroid tumors may grow in clusters or as a single nodule and may vary in size.

What are the causes of uterine fibroid tumors?

Scientific researches have not yet finally identified the causes of uterine fibroid tumors. It has been theorized though that uterine fibroid tumors result from hormonal, genetic and environmental factors, which may be present in combinations in every case.

Are uterine fibroid tumors cancerous?

Though considered as tumors, uterine fibroid tumors are mostly benign, which means that in most instances, they are not as dangerous as cancerous tumors. Cases of uterine fibroid tumors turning into cancer is very rare, however, it is possible. Although having uterine fibroid tumors is generally not dangerous (it also has nothing to do with cancer of the uterus), it is uneasy to live with; hence, women opt to have their uterine fibroid tumors removed.

Who gets uterine fibroid tumors?

In most instances, uterine fibroid tumors develop in women of childbearing age, usually those in the 30s and 40s. However, researches show that women who have previously given birth are less likely to develop uterine fibroid tumors. In addition, it has been found out that overweight women and young African women are more prone to developing uterine fibroid tumors. The reasons for these are not yet known, however, these facts have been prevalently observed.

What are the symptoms indicating presence of uterine fibroid tumors?

In many instances, uterine fibroid tumors do not cause symptoms, but some women having these benign tumors say they experience pain and heavy bleeding during menstrual periods while some experience bleeding in between their menstrual period. She also urinates more often (due to the pressure of the fibroids to the bladder) and feels full in the lower part of the abdomen.

Some women also experience pain in the lower back and pain during intercourse. Other signs of uterine fibroid tumors include miscarriage, complications during pregnancy and infertility.

How are uterine fibroid tumors detected?

Uterine fibroid tumors are detected through pelvic examination. This lets your doctor check your vagina, ovaries and uterus. Imaging tests such as ultrasound, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), x-rays, and CT scan can also help the doctor detect presence of uterine fibroid tumors in your uterus.

Is treatment necessary?

Treatment of the uterine fibroid tumors is not necessary however since symptoms can be severe on some women, they prefer to have their fibroids treated. The main treatment for uterine fibroid tumors is uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). This is a modestly invasive procedure wherein a small tube is inserted into an artery towards the uterine artery. This allows the interventional radiologist to bring in small plastic beads into the artery supplying blood to the uterine fibroid tumors. In this way, blood flow to the uterine fibroid tumor is blocked causing it to shrink; hence, symptoms are relieved.

Jeanette Pollock is a freelance author and website owner of ovariancancerdomain.com ovariancancerdomain.com. Visit Jeanette’s site to learn more about ovariancancerdomain.com/2006/07/04/uterine-fibroid-tumors/ uterine fibroid tumors.

Tags: uterine fibroid tumor

Related posts

• No related posts.

Tags: uterine fibroid tumor