Friday, July 17, 2009

From Einstein to Feinstein

Even though Einstein did not work directly in the creation of the nuclear bomb, his breakthroughs in physics made the nuclear power a possibility. As a result of having contributed to the development of atomic weapons, Einstein grew to regret his contributions in that field.

Now it seems, a scientist by a similar name, may have found a cure for deadly radiation sickness. The implications are profound and go as far as enable doctors to treat cancer patients more effectively with higher level of radiation and a higher level of safety at the same time.

The experiment's results were dramatic: 70% of the monkeys that did not receive the cure died, while the ones that survived suffered from the various maladies associated with lethal nuclear radiation. However, the group that did receive the anti-radiation shot saw almost all monkeys survive, most of them without any side-effects. The tests showed that injecting the medication between 24 hours before the exposure to 72 hours following the exposure achieves similar results.

Another test on humans, who were given the drug without being exposed to radiation, showed that the medication does not have side-effects and is safe. Prof. Gudkov's company now needs to expand the safety tests, a process expected to be completed by mid-2010 via a shortened test track approved for bio-defense drugs. Should experiments continue at the current rate, the medication is estimated to be approved for use by the FDA within a year or two.

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