Time to do this to cancer?
It is exciting, learning about this newly discovered protein that disrupts cancer expansion:
Using mice, it was also discovered that the COMMD1-deficient cells were more invasive when implanted. The researchers then generated mouse melanoma cells that produced an overabundance of COMMD1, and injected those cells back into healthy mice. The number of metastatic lung tumors that resulted was greatly reduced when the cells expressed greater levels of COMMD1.
but then I feel bummed because they are so cautious:
The next step, Dr. Burstein said, will be to investigate what changes in the tumor environment may be responsible for reducing levels of COMMD1 in cancer cells.
I would suggest, instead, that the next step be to directly raise levels of this protein in some dying humans, just like they did the mice. Risky? Yes. Would they have had volunteers? Thousands.
Why don’t they do this? I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. I suspect it is because they are bound by the Hippocratic oath, and/or lawyers. Perhaps that oath needs modified to “Do no harm, unless the informed patient agrees”.
I see no reason, other than timidity, for advances like above to not be capitalized on in months, not decades.