Calif. HS student devises possible cancer cure

[jjenny]

What a great story! And GOOD FOR HER!

I'm going to make a point of following this girl and her research. I'm afraid I'm cynical enough to believe the cure for cancer is being purposely squashed because cancer treatment is such big business.

Curing someone with nanoparticles isn't going to be cheap, so I fail to see why it couldn't be a part of "big business" (assuming it ever actually works in humans). It will involve imaging equipment, lasers, radio waves, nanoparticles, so it's not like somebody gets a cheap pill and they are cured.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I have a BIL with stage 4 colon cancer.
Money??? Nah, not important.

We don't necessarily need a "cheap" cure. We need ANY cure.

I applaud this young lady.

Any advance is a great advance.

 

[Emma Peel]

just noting, Cupertino is also home to apple computer.

lots of tech in town. :yes:

it just goes to show you ... science, youth, government funded or big pharma funded scientific research ... saving lives ... how very inspirational ...


cute human interest story but ... why would the reporter not at least describe the type of cancer her research worked on?

Here research seems to be refining a more efficient, less destructive cancer-medicine delivery system that also helps visualize tumors that would otherwise be missed.

Hopefully we'll keep hearing about more successes & more about her research.

Guessing that because there are so many types of cancer. There's not one magic bullet for them all ... but ... if we can improve how we deliver all theses magic bullets to cancer patients - that's a wonderful advancement in cancer treatment.

 

[josie1986]

I have a BIL with stage 4 colon cancer.
Money??? Nah, not important.

We don't necessarily need a "cheap" cure. We need ANY cure.

I applaud this young lady.

Any advance is a great advance.

couldnt agee more.....u cant put a price on the life of a loved one or anyone for that matter.


way to go angela!!

 

[katydid23]

just noting, Cupertino is also home to apple computer.

lots of tech in town. :yes:

it just goes to show you ... science, youth, government funded or big pharma funded scientific research ... saving lives ... how very inspirational ...


cute human interest story but ... why would the reporter not at least describe the type of cancer her research worked on?

Here research seems to be refining a more efficient, less destructive cancer-medicine delivery system that also helps visualize tumors that would otherwise be missed.

Hopefully we'll keep hearing about more successes & more about her research.

Guessing that because there are so many types of cancer. There's not one magic bullet for them all ... but ... if we can improve how we deliver all theses magic bullets to cancer patients - that's a wonderful advancement in cancer treatment.

Homestead High School, in the Cupertino School District. That was my alma mater and Jobs and Wozniak both attended there. Woz was our techie who came around to fix the overhead projector in science class. They were both in the Electronics Club.

 

[ThoughtFox]

Their research doesn't have anything to do with their sports program. But this is an example of how the press releases of a cancer discovery (or whatever else) are normally done. Research team led by so and so discovered this and this. A lot of people normally work on these type of projects, not just one person. It's team work.

You seem to wish that an "adult" was taking credit for this instead of the young girl. :waitasec:

I realize that college professors often do mentor students so they can steal their ideas, but why that would be better is beyond me.

I like to give credit where credit is due - young minds often have the best ideas, and Bravo to her!!!!!!!!!!

Plus, "hope" is always helpful when talking about an incurable disease. This gives me hope, so it's all good.

 

[jjenny]

You seem to wish that an "adult" was taking credit for this instead of the young girl. :waitasec:

I realize that college professors often do mentor students so they can steal their ideas, but why that would be better is beyond me.

I like to give credit where credit is due - young minds often have the best ideas, and Bravo to her!!!!!!!!!!

Plus, "hope" is always helpful when talking about an incurable disease. This gives me hope, so it's all good.

Really? You think high school students are so full of ideas that professors train those students just so they can still those ideas? It's silly.

 

[badhorsie]

I fail to understand why some are determined to p*&s on this girl's parade. Not nice at all IMO

 

[Emma Peel]

Really? You think high school students are so full of ideas that professors train those students just so they can still those ideas? It's silly.

With respect, the last thing this is is "silly".

One more time. From the competition website:

http://inr.synapticdigital.com/Siemens/Competition2011/

"Angela created a nanoparticle that is like a Swiss army knife of cancer treatment," said competition judge Dr. Tejal Desai, Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco. "She showed great creativity and initiative in designing a nanoparticle system that can be triggered to release drugs at the site of the tumor while also allowing for non-invasive imaging. Her work is an important step in developing new approaches to the therapeutic targeting of tumors via nanotechnology."

Clearly, this wonderfully bright young lady would agree that she hasn't exactly devised a "possible cure for cancer". (Rather - it's an ingeneous application of a treatment system, yet to be tested in non-mice subjects ...)

The reporter picked an unfortunately inaccurate, however hopeful headline...

However, this high schooler did think-up, design, test and document significant laboratory success with a medicine and imaging delivery treatment system in mice. I'm sure she gave her research mentor all credit deserved, and vice-versa.

The overstatements are the media's. For Pete's sake, the reporter (see video) wouldn't even let the young scientist attempt to explain her research in laymen's terms.

She won a full scholarship to Stanford BECAUSE her work is exceptional among all high school students who conduct research and submit their research for scholarship consideration. And yes, high school kids are often that smart - when in the right environment (school & home) - and when they have a passion for studying their science.

Anyway, it's great story. A science scholarship story. But ... not exactly a cure for cancer story.

If you read the article linked about, you'll also see the details on the other scholarship winners - also researchers.

Lots of opportunities exist for students (particularly students in research/college towns) to join research staffs in summer voluteer lab work, etc. The students only have to search on line for these opportunities. Many of these kids know they want to do research in college and start in high school to build their resumes and get into the best programs they can and win the most scholarship money they can.

I just think it's terrific that young people can and do contribute the way they do - and it's too bad we don't get to see more kids like this in ours news stories, instead of what we do get for news (groan) - because there's easily 1000 fascinating high school stories like this all over the country.

:cow:

 

[Dave AHFB]

Please do not feed the trolls.

 

[hollyblue]

Hope she stays in research because she's inquisitive and loves to learn...along with a young, open mind. She should get recognition just for that! You go Angela!!!!