ALS Cause and Protein-Folding Prediction - Thoughts on Two Impressive Scientific Discoveries

Mr. Stolyarov briefly discusses two recent groundbreaking scientific findings and the philosophical implications and promises of these discoveries.

(1) The cause of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease) was discovered by Dr. Teepu Siddique, a neuroscientist with Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, and researchers Han-Xiang Deng and Wenjie Chen.
Reference: * "Cause of ALS is found, Northwestern team says" - William Mullen, Chicago Tribune - August 22, 2011 - http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-08-22/news/ct-met-northwestern-als-br...
(2) Using the computer game Foldit, the protein structure of a retroviral protease of the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus has been discovered. The Mason-Pfizer virus is an AIDS-like disease in monkeys.
References: * "Public Solves Protein Structure" - Jef Akst, The Scientist - September 18, 2011: http://the-scientist.com/2011/09/18/public-solves-protein-structure/
* "Online gamers crack AIDS enzyme puzzle" - AFP - September 19, 2011: http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/online-gamers-crack-aids-enzyme-puzzl...

Other references:
* Rosetta@home website: http://boinc.bakerlab.org/
* Foldit website: http://fold.it/
* "Running from Death #10: Refuting Clendinen, Brooks, and Lawler on Death" - by G. Stolyarov II - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=510PMgx5ik8
* "The Good Short Life" by Dudley Clendinen - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/opinion/sunday/10als.html?pagewanted=all
(Let us hope that Mr. Clendinen and others like him will rethink their plans regarding how to approach their ALS.)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• science
• biology
• als
• lou
• gehrig
• disease
• amyotrophic
• lateral
• sclerosis
• discovery
• cause
• protein
• folding
• rosetta
• foldit
• aids
• retroviral
• protease
• distributed
• computing
• computer
• game
• test
• advance
• progress
• diseases
• cure
• research
• philosophy
• ideas
• commentary
• dudley
• clendinen
• david
• baker
• washington
• life
• extension

[RAINBOWLIZY333]

Unfortunately, ALS patients are caught between that famous rock and some hard place.

The mainstream medical community has offered up little in the way of treatments or cures.

For those anchored to that hard place, the FDA appears to be little more than the guard dog for government agencies –pandering to the big pharmaceutical companies and ignoring any possible treatments coming from the outside of various research ventures.

[GStolyarovII]

@RAINBOWLIZY333 Yes, and it is tremendously saddening how many lives are lost because of the FDA’s effects in holding back medical progress. The FDA’s activity results not in greater safety, but protectionism for established interests.

[RAINBOWLIZY333]

Mr. Stolyarov,

I wholly agree with you on FDA encumbrances to test possible new drugs.

And also share your enthusiam on the new scientific positive breakthroughs and discoveries to help halt and/or defeat devastating neurogenerative diseases that are still a mystery to mankind.

Finding a cure begins with awareness of ALS (aka: Lou Gehrig's Disease)

LETS DODGE THE BULLET AND BEAT ALS !!!

[GStolyarovII]

@RAINBOWLIZY333 Indeed -- and thank you!

[TheUTubeRebel]

is it just me, or did you not blink once during the whole video....?

[GStolyarovII]

@TheUTubeRebel Look at the video around 6:35 to 6:38.

[RAINBOWLIZY333]

ALS the most devastating of all the neurological disorders and it can strike anyone, anytime, regardless of race, financial status, or ethnic background.

They may know the cause, but a decade to know the cure effective treatment to slow, stop or halt ALS. The only known drug is Riluzole, which only slows the progress of the disease by suppressing for a couple of mothns or so, it sucks up excess toxic glutamate levels in the neurons that are wasting away, but it only delays the inevitable.