Originally published June 4 2008
Millions of Dollars Wasted on Useless Cancer Research, Dozens of Studies Invalidated
by David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Millions of dollars in research money have been wasted on scientifically useless experiments, according to a report by the BBC. At the heart of the problem is the failure of many scientists to make sure that they are performing laboratory tests on the correct cell lines. For approximately £180 ($370) per sample, scientists can verify their cell lines -- but this practice is still far from universal.
Recently, researcher Chris Tselepis and colleagues discovered that a cell line known as TE7 was not, in fact, the variety of cancer that it had been widely assumed to be. The cell line had been used in major tests for 20 years before the discovery.
"I'm sure there's many other laboratories U.K. and worldwide-based that essentially base lots of their conclusions on one cell line and in that case, this mistaken identity has a massive impact on conclusions that people draw from such studies," Tselepis said.
Geoff Pilkington of the University of Portsmouth discovered that the supposedly human brain tumor cells his team was studying had been contaminated by rodent cells, and were scientifically worthless.
"Whole programs of research had to be redone using verified human brain tumor cells," he said. "It's hugely expensive and it's incredibly frustrating."
The impact of using the wrong cell line extends far beyond the invalidated studies. Studies on the wrong cell line can still be published in reputable scientific journals, and then become part of the accepted body of scientific knowledge. This leads to later studies and medical knowledge being based on false premises.
For this reason, many researchers are encouraging publications, foundations and governments to withhold publication or grants except for researchers who have verified their cell lines.
Some foundations, such as Cancer Research U.K., already enforce such regulations for their grants. But others, such as the Medical Research Council, the largest source of public medical research funding in the United Kingdom, have refused to do so.
"Cancer research is all but useless anyway," added consumer health advocate Mike Adams, "because we already have the cures for cancer. Genuine cancer cures are already found in vitamin D, exercise and anti-cancer foods and herbs. But orthodox medicine refuses to acknowledge those cures, thereby denying tens of millions of cancer patients the answers they desperate need to reverse their cancer and live healthy lives."
Adams also added, "Funded by dishonest, criminally-operated drug companies, the cancer industry is a commercially-driven empire that actually promotes the continuation of cancer and the discrediting of known cancer cures. In my book, that makes it a criminal empire, and that empire is lead by the American Cancer Society, an organization that I consider to be an operation run much like the mobs of the 1920's."
Adams is the author of Natural Health Solutions and the Conspiracy to Keep You From Knowing About Them.
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