news.bbc.co.uk — The dye in your blue jeans could soon be used to kill cancer cells, say scientists. The common dye found in blue jeans and ballpoint pens is called phthalocyanine and is a light-activated, or photosensitive, agent with cell-destroying properties.
Oct 27, 2006 View in Crawl 4
narayanOct 27, 2006
TFA: "Healthy cells will also internalize the drug-coated nanoparticles, but unlike cancer cells they will excrete the phthalocyanine."Thus allowing the healthy cells to not be damaged and killing off cancerous cells.
thedrunkmonkeyOct 27, 2006
Honestly, it is the media that tends to hype things.1) A scientist makes a discovery2) The scientist thinks up possible applications for and implications of the discovery. He or she thinks up unfeasible ways the discovery could be used to cure cancer.3) The scientist publishes a paper in a scientific journal4) A journalist/reporter/"senior scientific correspondent" reads the journal, misunderstands it, sees "cancer", puts out breaking news about new cancer cure to gain readers or television ratings and thus a promotion for himself (or herself)5) Link to article posted on Digg6) People disappointed by lack of cures despite so much progress7) More people become cynical about science
coolsilverOct 27, 2006
Neat!
etruscanOct 28, 2006
*Another* potential cure is better than no potential cure. Keep them coming, until one of them makes cancer a thing of the past.
koosebaneOct 28, 2006
My underwear habits are currently unavailable for unauthorized users.Usually, a c**ktail or three and a pair of double D's is all it takes for instant access.
idbashJul 28, 2009
Actually this one will prolly have a shot... it will be expensive enough to actually be desirable... Those gold particles cost a lot more in bricks. A lot of money to be made with this solution.