Anti-Worm Drug Holds Promise For Cancer Patients

An drug commonly used to eliminate parasites in dogs and cats has emerged as an unlikely but promising candidate to treat a variety of cancers in humans.  Researchers are optimistic that Fenbendazole, a staple of veterinary practice, eventually will be approved for cancer therapy.

Mounting research on mice has shown that the anti-worm treatment, one of a class of drugs called benzimidazoles, inhibits cancer tumor growth by killing diseased cells.  In addition, Fenbendazole blocks the intake of glucose in cancer cells, depriving them of their primary fuel.

Early animal studies have demonstrated Fenbendazole and its cousin Mebendazole could be effective in treatment therapy for a host of cancers, including prostate, lung, lymphoma, glioblastoma and brain tumors.  Oncologists would have a new weapon in their arsenal in the battle against cancer.

Researchers stumbled upon the the discovery by accident.  In 2014, a Johns Hopkins team was attempting to grow tumors in laboratory mice.  In one set of mice, they were stumped because it was the only group that showed no tumors.  They realized that group had been dewormed in advance.

As researchers dug deeper into the drug, they found that it had been previously reported Fenbendazole has anti-cancer properties.  Word spread about the discovery and soon researchers in various labs were conducting their own experiments with the anti-worm drug.

A 2018 study published in Nature further set the cancer world buzzing.  An article reported that researchers concluded there was evidence that Fenbendazole may be effective in the elimination of cancer cells.  As it turns out, the use of similar drugs was nothing new in the cancer field.

In the early 90's, a drug called Lemaziole was shown as a complementary treatment for colon cancer, which also restored a depressed immune system.  That means this class of drugs could be used in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation treatments to wipe out the disease.

Various articles have appeared in newspapers and other publications over the years offering testimonies of cancer patients who have claimed to use Fenbendazole or another similar drug with successful results.  However, this anecdotal evidence is no substitute for clinical research. 

The good news is that Fenbendazole has already been used in clinical trials and has been deemed safe for human consumption.  Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, there are no known serious side effects.  However, doctors still are wary about the effects of long-term use.

But that hasn't deterred researchers.  Bin Chen, a faculty member in Pediatrics in the Institute for Computational Health Sciences at University of California-San Francisco, conducted experiments in mice and expressed cautious optimism about the drug's effectiveness in killing cancerous liver tissue.

"We found these disease genes were reversed after six weeks of treatment in a patient-derived tissue in the mouse model," he was quoted on the UCSF website.  Chen said his team reviewed more than 1,000 current drugs before discovering deworming pills were effective.

Chen was able to evaluate that large a number of drugs quickly, using data tools to screen and identify candidates that would target genes in cancerous liver tissues.  He cross-referenced data on genes and common drugs to find the proverbial needle in the haystack.

Chen is at the forefront of a growing field of researchers looking at approved drugs to repurpose them in treating cancer patients. If successful, this will drastically reduce the millions of dollars spent on years of research and speed up the drug's time to market. 

The next step is for human trials, known as Phase I studies.  The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins has begun recruiting patients for research to determine the safety and side effects of large doses of Mebendazole to treat progressive pediatric brain tumors.

Mebendazole has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for parasitic infections in humans and has a long track record of human use.  The drug is frequently used in countries with tropical climates at high doses for rare parasitic infections of the brain.

The trial's primary objective will be to determine the maximum tolerated dose of oral Mebendazole in patients with either recurrent or progressive pediatric brain tumors, according to information posted by the National Cancer Institute.

The research will also gauge the safety, tolerance and toxicity of the drug in patients.  Another focus will be determining the overall survival rate of patients treated with escalated dosages of Mebendazole.

As is the case with most drug trials, the study will require at least two years.  The estimated study completion date is June, 2022.  However, an advantage is the anti-parasitic drug is widely available, so if it proves effective, large quantities can be immediately distributed to patients.

Sadly, too often potentially promising developments on the cancer front are dashed in trials that fail to produce evidence to support the optimism.  This time the hope is that the research outcome leads to the implementation of a new treatment to arrest cancer and save lives.

American Firms Unholy Alliance With China

The recent dustup over an NBA tweet and China is just the latest example of the Communist country's unapologetic censorship of free speech.  American companies discovered long ago the cost of doing business in China requires kowtowing to the regime's demands or risk banishment. 

In this latest incident, the general manager for the Houston Rockets took to social media to express his support for the courageous protesters in Hong Kong.  After China's official condemnation, NBA commissioner Adam Silver reprimanded the GM and apologized to the regime's government.

Silver with the support of wealthy NBA owners put profits over principle.  The NBA has lucrative television contracts for its games to be aired in China.  The league has long viewed China as its future with billions of potential viewers who buy league's jerseys and other merchandise.  

The NBA is not the only entertainment industry to bow to Chinese pressure.  China banned movies from Sony and Disney in 1997 after the two studios released films about Tibet.  Both entertainment giants groveled before the Communists to earn the right to distribute future films in China.

Chinese bullying of American firms has been a staple of its government.  However, it has grown more bellicose under the autocratic rule of President Xi Jinping.  The Communist ruler has made it clear that he will curtail freedom of speech even in America as a price for access to China's market.  

Since President Nixon's historic 1972 visit to China, globalists have advocated American investment in the Asian nation as a way to open up the Communist regime to democratic changes.  This theory has been discredited by decades of Chinese trampling of basic human rights of its citizens.

Under China's leader Xi Jinping, the regime has become increasingly insular, more hostile to democratic principles, militarily threatening and an economic behemoth with world domination as its goal.  No serious economist or politician can claim trade has loosened China's oppressive policies.

In spite of growing Chinese antagonism, American companies' investment in the Communist country continues unabated.  In 2018, U.S. businesses invested $116.52 billion in China, according to Statista, a global research firm.  That is a ten-fold hike from $11.4 billion almost two decades ago in 2000.

Meanwhile, the trade deficit with China has ballooned as the regime ships more goods and equipment to the U.S., while the Communists buy fewer American products.  This trade imbalance has resulted in the elimination or displacement of 3.2 million U.S. jobs, estimates the Economic Policy Institute.

Some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley--Apple, Google and Facebook--are heavily invested in China. All have caved at one time to demands from the government to alter its applications to placate the Communists, including deleting information about the recent Hong Kong protests.

Their conduct rankles many Americans, who view their behavior as hypocritical.  These same companies have been openly critical of objections by Congress and interest groups about their content.  The trio huff they will not cower to attempts to restrict free speech on their platforms.

The high-tech industry and other American firms--GE, Intel, Walmart, Starbucks, Boeing, GM--are complicit in the regime's dynamic global economic growth by spending lavishly on Chinese facilities and hiring local workers.  Meanwhile, China continues to steal American technology.

Beijing has made no secret of its ambition to become the global leader in key emerging industries, including information technology, alternative energy, biotechnology, alternative-fuel cars and high-end equipment manufacturing.  The regime will back Chinese firms with generous state funding. 

China's subsidy of these sectors will put American firms at a competitive disadvantage.  If you doubt China's ability to overtake America, you haven't been paying attention.  In 2011, Apple was the dominant smartphone in China.  Today, the top three brands, all Chinese, own a 71% market share.

China's long range plan is for its home-grown industries to be become not only the country's market leaders, but to supplant American brands worldwide.  Recent research by groups such as McKinsey document that Chinese consumers are increasingly showing a preference for China-made goods.

To secure its economic superiority, China has launched a multi-trillion-dollar project to revive the ancient "Silk Road," which could redefine global trade and signal the tipping point for a new Asian century.  The scope of the project is typical of the country's audacious economic dreams.

The regime already has invested billions in new infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, ports and maritime corridors that will span more than 60 countries and 4.4 billion people, covering up to 40 percent of the global GDP.  The plan includes linking Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

This unprecedented scale of the project should worry American firms.  China's aim is to end dependence on American goods, innovation and technology.  While it extends its economic power, China's blueprint includes exporting its brand of Communism worldwide.

American businesses may one day be forced to abandon the Chinese market, either because of dwindling profits or because the government decides to limit foreign investment.  China has employed this tactic in decades past.  There is no certainty it will not do it again.

The NBA, businesses, movie studios and others that appease China in the name of profits may rue the day they ignored the Communist nation's geopolitical and economic aspirations.  Not only will their profits be harmed, but they will have lost something more valuable: the American public's trust.  

The Billionaire Behind Impeachment Impetus

California billionaire Tom Steyer is spearheading an under the radar campaign to intimidate Democrats to impeach President Trump.  A political action committee, Need to Impeach, bankrolled primarily by Steyer has a multi-million dollar war chest and an expansive staff at its disposal.

Steyer, one of the Democratic Party's most prodigious contributors, is a former hedge fund manager who sold his share in 2012. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.6 billion.  Since 2014, Steyer has shelled out more than $100 million to Democrat candidates.

Less than six months after Trump was sworn in as president, Steyer called for the impeachment of the nation's chief executive. From that day in June of 2017, the Californian has used his fortune to build a formidable cache to underwrite a nationwide grassroots campaign to remove the president.

According to the non-partisan group OpenSecrets.org, Steyer has written checks totaling nearly $50 million to underwrite the impeachment effort.  In fairness, there is nothing illegal about the activities of his organization.  However, Steyer's tactics are worrying some Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi.

Steyer's committee has used negative advertising, petitions, rallies, protests and door-to-door canvassing to target House Democrats reluctant to sign on to impeachment. Even before the Mueller report, the Steyer forces were ganging up on key House Democrats to support impeachment.

Under the banner of Need to Impeach, Steyer unleashed negative ads targeting Democrat Jerry Nadler of New York, the diminutive Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee after he announced that he advocated a "wait and see" impeachment approach before the special prosecutor issued his findings.

Elijah Cummings of Maryland is another Democrat who found himself in the Steyer crosshairs as chair of the House Oversight Committee. The negative ads failed to impress Cummings.  "He ought to spend his money on something else," Cummings said after the Streyer-backed attack.

In another political assault, the organization zeroed in on Virginia Democrat Don Beyer. The Steyer troops choose Beyer's district for one of its town halls to "call out" the Democrat for his lack of support for impeachment,  Beyer relented under pressure and signed on to impeachment soon after.

As these developments were happening, Speaker of the House Pelosi found herself languishing in a boiling political caldron.  Early on, Ms. Pelosi sidestepped the issue, rebuffing party progressives who were spoiling for a formal impeachment vote.

Then a spokesman for the impeachment outfit let it be known that his group was considering funding pro-impeachment Democrat candidates in the primaries, unless incumbents give their full throated support to ridding Washington of President Trump.  That well-timed leak scared fence sitters.

One of the names mentioned was Speaker Pelosi, one of the party's most influential fund raisers. Surely it is coincidental, but after months of tap dancing around the subject Pelosi surrendered to the growing cacophony from her caucus to become a focal point for impeachment.

Steyer is unapologetic for the bare knuckled political campaign.  "There's a gigantic cost to not listening to your constituents," Steyer said in an interview with Politico. "There's a gigantic cost to thumbing your nose at democracy."  Democrats dodge impeachment at their own peril.

To underscore his boss' intentions, Need to Impeach strategist Kevin Mack claims the organization had virtually unlimited resources to spend in key districts.  The group has already committed $40 million to the impeachment effort, according to Mack.

The PAC is not the only forum for Steyer to preach removing Mr. Trump.  The 62-year-old is running for president in the Democratic Party primary.  He has made it clear that he will spend up to $100 million of his own money to win the nomination.

His candidacy has brought impeachment to center stage, making it a litmus test for his opponents. Those who don't support forcibly throwing out the president will earn Steyer's scorn.  That could spell doom for the eventual nominee, if Steyer withholds financial support.

The Californian has already spent an estimated $19 million for advertising over the airwaves for his candidacy.  In addition, his campaign has purchased at least $10 million on digital platforms since he entered the race in July.  His spending far eclipses that of his opponents.

His high rolling spending has not impressed some Democrat candidates.  New Jersey Senator Cory Booker told supporters that Steyer's "ability to spend millions of his personal wealth has helped him gain in the polls like no one else."  One poll shows support for Steyer has reached eight percent.

Don't be fooled: Rep Adam Schiff and Rep. Nadler are just puppets in the impeachment sideshow. The puppet master is Tom Steyer.  Even if his Quixotic presidential campaign flops, the billionaire will remain the political energy behind the political operation to overturn the 2016 election.

Tailgating: Expand A Great American Tradition

This is the season for tailgating, which for some fans is the only reason to attend a football game.  Smoke from grills wafting through a parking lot.  Adult beverages flowing from kegs and cans. Food piled on card tables and in the back of pickups and in motor homes.  It's an American tradition.

As soon as the last football game is played in bone chilling weather, tailgating goes into hibernation until next season.  It seems like an eternity for die hard fans.  Why can't tailgating last all year?  There is no law that sanctions tailgating only at football games.  This calls for some creative thinking.

A perfect occasion for tailgating would be right after your colonoscopy.  You emerge woozy from your procedure and waddle into the parking lot on the arm of your spouse.  Cheers erupt from people in flimsy paper gowns, their bottoms exposed.  It's a celebration like none other.

After fasting and gulping foul liquids, you are ready for food.  Your fellow colonoscopy victims wrap you in blankets and hand you a plate filled with breakfast tacos.  Someone begins a chant: "C-O-L-O-N! C-O-L-O-N! Go Colon Go!"  Suddenly, you have forgotten the previous day's noxious prep.

A week passes and you arrive for your dental appointment for a cleaning.  The parking lot is packed with cheering people carrying festive signs such as, "My Dentist Is Long In The Tooth!"  You cautiously approach a dental hygienist handing out blue plumes of cotton candy.

"Should I eat this before my cleaning?" you ask skeptically.  She grins, "Of course, that will make it more fun to scrape, chisel and scrub brush your teeth."  As you move toward the dental office, someone presses a bag of corn nuts in your hand.  "Chew these before your cleaning," she cackles.

As you gaze around, you see booths offering chewy caramel candies, popcorn, chocolate blueberries and red wine.  You graze along with the other dental patients until your teeth look like the bottom of a sewer drain.  Your dental cleaning takes four hours and the cost is double the normal fee.

A month later your arrive a the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew your driver's license.  Instead of the usual line snaking around the building, you see hundreds of people milling around pickup trucks, campers and recreational vehicles.  A band is marching and playing the DMV Fight Song:

"We'll do our best,
So you'll fail the test,
And treat you badly,
so you'll leave sadly!"

State troopers are offering massages in the RV's.  The pickups are stuffed with kegs of beer.  Campers are crammed with people watching television.  You gulp liquid refreshment and celebrate. After waiting five hours, you enter the DMV office and flunk the test because of your blood alcohol level.

Next day you chauffeur your spouse to the Symphony Hall for a performance of Beethoven's Ninth in C Minor. The usual stuffy crowd sheds their suit coats and fur wraps to huddle around grills with lobster tails sizzling over a fire.  There's a sushi bar and a caviar tent in the parking lot.

A tuba player and violinist are belting out tunes from your college alma mater. Some symphony patrons are wearing jerseys with the name of their favorite wind instrument.  There is a giant television showing replays of last year's award winning performance of a Mozart concerto.

The well coiffed crowd, humming with excitement, enters the Symphony Hall in a rowdy mood.  As the orchestra begins its first piece the audience starts the wave.  The conductor drops his baton.  A few patrons begin bellowing, "We Want Mozart." The orchestra storms off the stage in protest.

Actually, all this daydreaming about tailgating sparks an idea.  Given the number of birthdays I have celebrated, perhaps, it is time I start making plans for a tailgate party for my funeral.  Pardon me if it sounds a bit macabre, but what better way to celebrate a rabid sports fan's final game?

Picture this: Outside the funeral home my friends (both of them) and my creditors (2,000) are grilling my favorite food group, barbecue.  Huge vats of potato salad and coleslaw are strategically located in the parking lot.  Baked beans are forbidden out of respect for the deceased.

A putting green and a driving range have been installed in the cemetery.  People are whacking golf balls off headstones on graves. There are contests for hitting the ball closest to my burial plot.  The prize is a truckload of all the used golf balls I found in the woods during searches for my own ProV1.

As a tribute to my love for college football, there are goal posts leading into the funeral home.  Admission is granted only to those who can kick a field goal from 15 yards.  Pom poms and face paint are distributed to attendees.  Cheerleaders lead everyone in a rendition of "Amazing Grace."

Tailgating extends well into the evening.  Everyone agrees it is the most enjoyable send off they have ever attended.  Some predict tailgate funerals will become an overnight sensation.  No sense in limiting merriment to the football season when other opportunities abound for tailgating.