Thread: Okay, please don't kill me for my ignorance, but I have a theory about cancer...

Okay, so I've not taken Biology or Chemistry yet, so this is probably impossible in real life (or else it would have been tried already). Please don't kill me or flame me for my ignorance, I'm just trying to get feedback on my idea.

My idea is basically this: We could take samples of at least 2000 people’s cancer tissues, and sequence the DNA from that. Then we could sequence the DNA of the same peoples’ healthy tissues and compare the two sequences in each case. Then we could compare the differences among all of the comparisons and see what the common variable is. One we find what causes cancer, we can create an artificial protein to destroy it. Then the protein is administered in a saline solution into the site of the cancer, which should kill it.

Like I said, it's probably either impossible or impractical.... Or it would have been tried already. I'm just trying to share my ideas though. Please don't hate on me for my comparative ignorance to the rest of you.

This issue is that there are several causes. In the case of rapid and out of control growth, part of the problem is a fault that shuts down the regulation of cell life cycle, growth and reproduction. You cannot just "destroy bad DNA" because that DNA would need to be replaced, but also, it's not just DNA at work but many different proteins involved in the regulatory process that also would need to be corrected. So, it's quite a bit more complex than simply injecting a protein.
Keep asking questions! No one learns by not wondering about things...

Originally Posted by Ari Berry

My idea is basically this: We could take samples of at least 2000 people’s cancer tissues, and sequence the DNA from that. Then we could sequence the DNA of the same peoples’ healthy tissues and compare the two sequences in each case. Then we could compare the differences among all of the comparisons and see what the common variable is. One we find what causes cancer, we can create an artificial protein to destroy it. Then the protein is administered in a saline solution into the site of the cancer, which should kill it.

I admire your optimism, but you must keep in mind that cancer is a term for a group of highly diverse diseases.
Interventions that are successful for one type may not be useful for others (as member Neverfly has pointed out).

For example, Imatinib is used to treat CML, a certain type of leukemia.
(cf. Imatinib - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
On the other hand, Nelfinavir (HIV protease inhibitor) is proposed to be a chemotherapeutic agent against HER2+ breast cancer.
(cf. HIV drug shows efficacy in treating mouse models of HER2+ breast cancer, study suggests)
Another example is SMIP004, which interferes with the functioning of mitochondria in prostate cancer cells.
(cf. Potent compound kills prostate cancer cells)


Be sure to check this out, I am sure that it is relevant to your idea:
New plan of attack in cancer fight: Two-drug combination, under certain circumstances, can eliminate disease

Things like this are already done. For example: Identifying Abnormally Activated Genes To Predict Cancer Virulence and Oncogene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Awesome theories! Although I'm not an expert in this field of science, these ideas are amazingly well thought-out and I'm hoping to help you research it sometime this week. Skype me when you find out more!

Originally Posted by Krystine L. Buckmaster

Awesome theories! Although I'm not an expert in this field of science, these ideas are amazingly well thought-out and I'm hoping to help you research it sometime this week. Skype me when you find out more!

At 19, I would hope you refrain from "expert claim" to any field of science! Still, I admire your "pluck" as does everyone else. jocular

For my beloved nephew who followed an aggressive form of treatment for his pancreatic cancer. Towards the last efforts, he had testing done to show what type by his blood work cancer treatment would work the best for him.

However the radiation treatment killed him first.

My point being that they are now sometimes matching your DNA to what type of chemo you need, but many companies won't pay for it.

Ari Berry - no-one will kill you for that because what you are displaying is not ignorance. Its a well thought out idea based on the knowledge you have and you are asking the plausibility of it. Ignorance is when people refuse to accept the idea they have wont work or isn't the solution to life, the universe and everything. And sometimes.....just sometimes...its the lack of detailed knowledge that enables people to come up with a "why don't you just do this" solution that really works. Its always worth giving it a shot.

I think you will find everyone here amenable to your ideas and questions :-)

Obviously I'm not an expert in any area of science. Haha, I suppose what I meant to say was that this area of science isn't the one I generally study.