February 15, 2013

Of Mice and Men. Again


The New York Times reports in a recent Science section report that,

"Mice Fall Short as Test Subjects for Humans’ Deadly Ills"


 No kidding! Really?


Here is a part of what the Times says:
The study’s findings do not mean that mice are useless models for all human diseases. But, its authors said, they do raise troubling questions about diseases like the ones in the study that involve the immune system, including cancer and heart disease.

That immune system bit - I would think T1D falls right in there.


I use to post reports with the tag Mice because they seed so promising. Then I came to realize that Mice get cure all the time. It isn't quite like you can spit on one of these special non obese diabetic mice and it is suddenly cured but it sure sometimes seem that way. I stopped posting about mice.



Research in mice is valuable, I am sure that a lot of good basic science happens there.

Still if you are newly diagnosed T1D family and you read theses stories read and remember this Times article. Hope is a magic thing and I want you to be hopeful. Hopeful and confident that your child can grow and be successful pursuing his or her individual dreams in a long happy useful life. T1 Diabetes doesn't prevent any of that. Just remember that stories about mice and diabetes are a long way from being stories about THE cure.

If you want to read about cure progress I suggest reading Josh Levy's blogs. One is about studies with people and another is about studies with mice. Here's my two bits on his blogs.
http://cureresearch4type1diabetes.blogspot.com/2011/12/two-essays-on-progress.html
http://t1dcuredinmice.blogspot.com

Be informed, Be hopeful and take what your read on the internet (even here) with a little skepticism.



Also see:

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/02/07/1222878110
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/science/testing-of-some-deadly-diseases-on-mice-mislead-report-says.html
http://www.ydmv.net/search?q=Mice

3 comments :

  1. Thanks for sharing. Great points. So easy to get your hopes up when your a newly diagnosed family.

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  2. Type1 will never be cured. It is a profitable lifetime disease for Big Pharma, Big Med, life insurance co. and College grant programs

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  3. Thanks for the thoughts Anonymous.

    I hear that.

    I think Josh Levy's comments were interesting, the boil down to of there s a lot of money in it some can snatch that away form big pharm. with a cure.

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