Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/04/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Javier-- No contradiction here. Normal individuals don't "catch" cancer from other people with cancer because their immune systems destroy any cancer cells that might be passed, even if by a blood transfusion (because the immune system is triggered by foreign cell-surface proteins [HLA antigens] that tend to be much different between random individuals, and which are indeed specified by the cell's DNA). The unfortunate recipients in this tragic case weren't "normal"--the transplanted cancer went wild because their immune systems had been actively suppressed to keep them from rejecting the transplanted organs--and so weren't able to reject the transplanted cancer cells either. I'd hope that the immune systems of the surviving recipients, with the immunosuppressive drugs discontinued, would be able to eradicate the lymphoma. --howard (hematologist-oncologist by day, dangerously delusional amateur Leicaman by night) On Apr 2, 2008, at 12:36 AM, Javier Perez wrote: > > Sorry for the OT > > For years I had speculated that cancer could be spread from person > to person. > But everyone I spoke to said the cancer would be killed off by the > new host > because it would have foreign DNA. > > Well according to this article the thing can be spread through organ > transplants! > http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/01/eveningnews/ > main3987994.shtml > _________________________________________________________________ > Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live > Messenger. > http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_042008 > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information