Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jim Willie CB who wrote (48460)	6/7/2004 4:24:02 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Kerry Asks Veterans To Help Him 'Restore America's Respect' truthout.org

To: Jim Willie CB who wrote (48460)	6/7/2004 4:41:02 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

GM to invest over $3 billion in China seattlepi.nwsource.com

To: Jim Willie CB who wrote (48460)	6/8/2004 5:45:20 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Gold's New Mission - to Cure And Save Lives Sunday Times (Johannesburg) NEWS June 6, 2004 Posted to the web June 6, 2004 By Hilton Shone Johannesburg Richard Bowen is on a mission. His aim is to develop gold-based drugs that could revolutionise the treatment of a variety of diseases, including cancer, HIV/Aids and malaria. Bowen, who holds a doctorate in biological and medicinal chemistry, is head of the biomedical division of Project Autek at Mintek, the technology and research parastatal. Autek is a joint venture between Mintek and the three main gold miners - Harmony, AngloGold Ashanti, and Gold Fields - to investigate industrial applications for gold. The three focus areas are catalysis, materials and biomedicine. "The aim of Autek Biomed is to facilitate, initiate and undertake projects and development that will lead to the further exploitation of SA resources, including its precious metals," says Bowen. "We are now not only focused on the development of new compounds, but also on drug delivery systems, and enhancing the potency of South Africa's plant extracts by inclusion with metals. "Given South Africa's biodiversity, beneficiation of natural products is a national imperative," he adds. Moreover, the Mining Charter - an adjunct to the recently enacted Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act - requires mining companies to facilitate further beneficiation of their products from current levels. Autek Biomed will go a long way in satisfying this requirement, and could provide an additional source of demand for gold, which at the moment is mainly consumed by jewellery manufacturers. While catalysis-based applications for gold typically recycle the metal, mass consumption of gold-based drugs would be a source of constant fresh demand. Platinum's properties as an anti-cancer agent were discovered in the 1950s and the metal has been used in drugs for decades, Bowen says. But new approaches are needed to overcome the two over-riding problems in cancer chemotherapy - the common occurrence of drug-resistant tumour cells and the fact that most anti-cancer drugs are non-selective; they kill both tumour cells and normal tissues. "What we have found is that certain gold-based compounds can be selective because they target the mitochondria, or energy system, of a cell, which is different in cancerous and healthy cells," Bowen says. "Current anti-cancer drugs target cells' DNA [which carries the genetic information necessary for the organisation and functioning], and both healthy and malignant cells are destroyed in the process." According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, about 6.2 million people died of the disease in 2000, including more than 31 000 South Africans. Bowen says results of initial tests in laboratory conditions are encouraging. "Ultimately we would want to apply for a patent on any drugs we might develop, and licence the drugs to a company or develop them ourselves." Research is also being conducted into gold-based drugs for the treatment of malaria and HIV/Aids. "With the development of these programmes, South Africa will develop capacity by being integrated into the global community," Bowen says. allafrica.com