Re: Interview with researcher. (lurkers and other timid souls, don't be
alarmed by the tone of this, researchers and clinicians whack each other
like this all the time, and more so when they tread irresponsibly and
deserve it) RNAi is a research tool for now, and Dr Bowman's paper is at
best an interesting observation in molecular biology. What does bother me is
the leaps to which early research is taken towards a bona fide therapy. What
irks me to no end is when it is researchers make an unqualified and
irresponsible leap themselves. Which Dr. Bowman's clearly did in his
interview by suggesting feeding in syrup etc. The paper itself is clear on
what it is, its limitation and potential, so Dr. Bowman has absolutely no
business carrying it further outside of that at this time. On the radio
interview he calls it an applied piece of work and absolutely practical. I
know what media relations is all about in these areas, but this carries it
way too far. I recall a virologist speaking at a meeting in Niagara Falls,
noting that interleukin 2 had some effect on some obscure virus of bees, and
then suggesting that perhaps IL2 could be an appropriate therapy drenched in
the hives. Pulleeeeaze! No doubt Chiron Inc would be thrilled to deliver
tanker truck loads of the stuff.
I do agree with Randy that sequencing the genome is valuable. This if
nothing else, MIGHT permit identification of useful therapeutic targets.
Even then, such findings are still miles away from indentifying an
appropriately interacting agent, and still miles away from making that a
viable therapeutant. If the drug agent was a nucleotide sequence, they then
would have to be made in a commercially feasible method, and these things
generally requires a complex cultural, expression, isolation and
purification system - these aren't brewed up in a vat and siphoned into a
bottle for sale. RNAi resurfaced as big news 6 to 10 years ago, the issue
in drug development has been delivery, in addition to safety and just about
everything else, as others have pointed out in this list.
Not slamming research, just irresponsible media relations
Greg Hawkins
Everton ON
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