This afternoon, while I was in the kitchen making an apple pie, Stefano was in my study updating my computer. At one point he came downstairs, looking both crestfallen and upset. He told me that he had installed a new poochywoochy inside my computer, which meant he’d had to unplug it, of course. Well, when he plugged it back in and turned it on, he heard a crackling poofy noise and saw that the transformer had burned out. Argh! To make a long story short, we hope that no harm was done to my computer, and that fixing the problem will just be a matter of changing the dead transformer (I will go buy a new one at some point tomorrow)…In the meantime, I won’t have access to my computer, my research or my e-mail. Eh.

Of course, before taking my computer apart, Stefano made a backup, so I won’t lose anything.  But this slight setback means that I won’t be able to publish my almost-finished post concerning a fascinating thingy I came across the other day. Oh well…

Anyway, I will still be able to go online (on Facebook, e.g.)…but little else. Incidentally, I am writing this post on our laptop, which is driving me crazy because the screen is small, and the text doesn’t fit properly, so it’s very difficult to see what I am typing, let alone correct anything…

Whatever you do today, steer clear of poochywoochies!

Thanks to Hanna, a dear blog reader/friend, I read the lovely tribute paid to Janet Battaile, a longtime New York Times editor, who died yesterday, more than ten years after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Here is the link: http://goo.gl/f5J9H 

The tribute mentions that, after her diagnosis, Janet pursued “experimental treatments” instead of having chemotherapy, but provides no further details. How bloody frustrating…Hanna and I wondered what those treatments might have been…So I read a few of Janet’s articles and thought the answer might possibly be thalidomide (we are talking 2001, here)…but there is no way of knowing for sure…

At any rate, please make sure you read her love letter to her husband (incidentally, this piece of writing made me appreciate my Stefano even more than I already do…my Stefano is a “spectacular wife,” too!!! :-)): http://goo.gl/y2Hgc

And finally, here’s to swigging, guzzling, and gulping life!!!

Consumer Lab (“a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition”) published a new report on curcumin brands just a couple of days ago, on February 16th. As you can imagine, I was very eager to read it. Or to read more about it…

Many many thanks to a blog reader who sent me an absolutely fascinating link this morning: http://goo.gl/5rcGR How in the world did I miss this? Hmmm. Well, I did… Luckily, I have some very dedicated blog readers who send me all sorts of interesting things (including some hilarious stuff…) to keep me on my toes! 🙂 

Anyway, the link will take you to a paper that was presented at the December 2010 ASH conference. Cardamonin is extracted from a lovely plant called Alpinia katsumadai (see photo), which belongs to the ginger family (hmmm, quelle surprise…NOT!) and is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. 

Cardamonin affects both the STAT3 and NF-kappaB pathways, which, as we know, are crucial for myeloma cell survival and proliferation. It also enhances the anti-MM activity of some conventional drugs used in the treatment of multiple myeloma: vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, bortezomib and thalidomide. Well, well…

But it also strongly induced cell apoptosis…That means that it killed myeloma cells…all by itself…Yaaaaaay!

Right before the “Conclusions,” you can read about all the things that cardamonin inhibits in myeloma cells. In addition to the two above-mentioned pathways, it also has a strong effect against COX2, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, survivin, VEGF (angiogenesis) etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. Wow. It’s like reading about the effect of curcumin on myeloma cells…amazing…

Oh, I just read in PubMed that cardamonin also has antiviral activity. In fact, it STRONGLY inhibits the H1N1 virus, see: http://goo.gl/Bxpvp Well, I definitely need to do more research on this compound…when I have a bit more time…Still, from the little I have read this morning, it all sounds very promising, so much so that I hope this new substance receives a lot of attention! Hmmm, I wonder if it is commercially available? I mean, if it is used in traditional Chinese medicine, it must be…okay, need to check that, too.

But now I have to rush off. Take care, everyone…especially you, Paula!

A blog reader/FB friend posted the link to a hilarious article on my Facebook wall (watch the video…): http://goo.gl/vOQMY I won’t spoil it for you by saying what happens, though…

I also came across another video, which adds more details to this story: http://goo.gl/jXYh5

Enjoy! 🙂

Yes, I had my blood tests done yesterday…And I have called this my “flu with high fever” experiment (for details, see my January 31st post: http://margaret.healthblogs.org/2011/01/31/high-fevers/)…

Now, I always watch the blood extraction procedure with interest, mainly because I am always amazed at the amount of the dark red stuff that is taken out of my arm. Sometimes, though, watching blood being drawn from your arm may not be such a good idea. Yesterday, you see, an odd thing happened…

The nurse, a man in his 50s (therefore, I presume, not someone who was new at drawing blood!), inserted the needle into my arm and began pulling the plunger. But no blood (or anything else, for that matter!!!) flowed into the barrel of the syringe. He pulled…and pulled again. Nothing happened. So he began poking around inside my vein, I mean, seriously poking!, which startled me and felt a bit uncomfortable, to boot. Trying to make light of this unfortunate occurrence, I finally asked him: “Uhm, do you think there is any blood at all in there?” He didn’t think that was funny…and continued poking…

He finally managed to get my blood flowing into the barrel. It probably was only a matter of seconds, but it seemed like ages. I also noticed that my blood was entering the barrel verrrry slowly. Now, since this has never happened before, I wonder if I should be worried…

Naaah, the nurse was probably just having a bad day…Still, how weird…

I won’t have my test results until the middle of next month. Sigh. I really don’t know what to expect, since I still have a bit of a productive cough, which means that my total IgGs are almost certainly going to be sky high. However, in view of the fact that ten days ago I had a high fever that lasted for five full days, then a low-grade fever for two or three days, it will be interesting to see if my monoclonal component was affected in any way…

Well, I will be giving you the news, good or bad!, at some point after the middle of March.

Fingers crossed…!!! 🙂

This morning I read a Science Daily article on yesterday’s bit of news re. the new type of curcumin that is able to cross the blood brain barrier: http://goo.gl/8Ichl Compared to the BBC article, the SD one describes more in detail what happens during a stroke and how this new form of curcumin is able to help, by repairing stroke damage at the molecular level that feed and support the all-important brain cells, neurons…The article is easy to read, so please go have a look…

Wow, this is soooo exciting…

Hey Paula, get well soon! Thinking of you! 🙂

I just got the link to this recent BBC article from a MMA list friend (thanks!) and thought I would post it: http://goo.gl/WUd0U I just wish they didn’t have to test on rabbits or any other animals, for that matter…ugh.

Please note that the curcumin used in this study is a modified version called CNB-001, which is able to pass the blood brain barrier, at least in rabbits…Very interesting…Oh drat, those poor rabbits…Okay, think of something else, Margaret!

A MMA list member recently posted an item from the CancerCare bulletin titled “the latest in multiple myeloma research,” which lists a series of different conventional drugs and their anti-myeloma activity. I went down the list, did a wee bit of research and made a discovery…not a very startling one, come to think of it…but anyway, here goes:

1. Monoclonal antibodies. Often compared to guided missiles, monoclonal antibodies zero in on cancer cells whose surfaces have a “target molecule.” For example, the combination of lenalidomide with a monoclonal antibody called elotuzumab holds promise in treating multiple myeloma that comes back after traditional treatments.
2. Growth blockers. These drugs are designed to block the growth of myeloma cells by depriving them of substances they need, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). When tumor cells spread through the body, they release VEGF to create new blood vessels. These blood vessels supply oxygen, minerals, and other nutrients to feed the tumor.
3. Proteasome inhibitors. Bortezomib was the first in its class of proteasome inhibitors. Another promising drug, called carfilzomib, appears to work the same way as bortezomib.
4. Immunomodulators. A new form of the drug thalidomide is showing promise in people whose multiple myeloma has returned after previous treatment. Called pomalidomide (Actimid), this medication stops the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors. It also boosts the immune system and may kill cancer cells directly.
5. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. This class of drugs works by killing cancer cells or stopping their growth. Two HDAC inhibitors, vorinostat (Zolinza) and panobinostat, have been combined with bortezomib. This combination has been shown to be effective in many people whose tumors resist treatment with bortezomib alone.
6. Akt inhibitors. These drugs aim to disrupt cancer cell membranes and block the actions of proteins involved in cancer growth. An Akt inhibitor called perifosine holds promise as a treatment for multiple myeloma, when combined with bortezomib.
7. Heat shock protein-90 (Hsp90) inhibitors. Heat shock proteins are key players in a number of processes that cancer cells use to survive and grow. Multiple myeloma cells contain more of a heat shock protein, called Hsp90, than normal cells. Two drugs—alvespimycin and tanespimycin—block the actions of Hsp90. Research suggests that combining these drugs with bortezomib may be more effective than treatment with bortezomib alone.
8. mTOR inhibitors. This class of drugs blocks a mechanism called the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, which promotes tumor growth. Preliminary research suggests that combining lenalidomide with an mTOR inhibitor called everolimus (Afinitor) may stall the growth of multiple myeloma.
9. Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors. CDK inhibitors, such as the drug flavopiridol, block proteins that promote the growth of multiple myeloma cells.
10. Telomerase inhibitors. One drug, known as imetelstat, blocks an important enzyme found to be active in myeloma cells. This enzyme allows cancer cells to resist chemotherapy.
11. RANK ligand inhibitors. This new class of drugs works differently from other types of drugs that treat bone complications. They are designed to block a factor in bone development known as RANK ligand. RANK ligand stimulates cells that break bone down. By blocking RANK ligand, RANK ligand inhibitors may increase bone density and strength. Denosumab (Xgeva) is being tested in people with multiple myeloma for the treatment of bone complications. The FDA has recently approved denosumab to help prevent bone fractures and bone pain in non-myeloma patients whose cancer has spread (metastasized) and damaged the bone.

Now, with the exception of item #1 (=monoclonal antibodies), the myeloma targets mentioned in the remaining 10 items on this list are inhibited, all of them!!!!!, by something that many of us already take….a non-toxic something that inhibits VEGF, HDAC, mTOR, Akt, blablabla…all the way down to RANKL, the final item. Can you guess what the “something” might be? 🙂

And there is more.

Just this morning I read a newly published “Blood” abstract (yes, I am finally able to read an abstract without falling asleep… 😉 ): http://goo.gl/MMFMp It mentions a new myeloma target (I think I’ve seen this one before, but I don’t have the energy to check right now…) called “glycogen synthetase kinase-3 beta” (GSK3beta).

Well, the above-mentioned, not-so-mysterious-after-all substance happens to inhibit GSK3beta, too. Have you guessed yet? 😉

This is bloody ridiculous. And frustrating. I mean, how much more proof will we need to provide before our official myeloma organizations begin taking notice of non-toxic, anti-myeloma substances…substances that can target myeloma via multiple pathways, which is the only way a cure for myeloma will ever be found???

Let me give you this image: if you hit a tumor with only one missile, its chances of surviving the strike are high, very high indeed. But if you hit the tumor in different areas and with many different types of missiles, you stand a good chance of annihilating it…

It all boils down to plain common sense…

So I ask my question once again: how much more proof do we need in order for some money to be poured into non-toxic research? I am sick and tired of hearing about denosumab (see my posts on this topic) and conventional treatments that are really, or potentially, toxic…really sick and tired…

Basta, I say!!!

I still have a bit of a cough, but the main problem right now is that I get tired easily (exhausted, more like it). I do a simple household task, such as the washing up, then have to lie down for a couple of hours. Well, okay, I exaggerate…but not much!

But this feeling of extreme weakness is not just physical. It has affected my brain, too. Yesterday I tried to do some research, but I couldn’t even get through one little abstract…uffa. As a result, I have been reading only easy stuff, such as this lovely three-part article on herbs and spices: http://goo.gl/IQeuG (Part 2: http://goo.gl/B9ElO; Part 3: http://goo.gl/vCStp).

The big question for me today is: should I go back to work tomorrow or wait a few more days? Hmmm…Well, for now I am going back to bed to watch the second episode of the British TV period drama series “Downton Abbey,” which is really good…so far, anyway…