Highly recommended video--do not miss the second half

[Lani]

I wanted to add some input on Chinese hamster ovaries, having heard a funny talk by Ronald Levy, MD who invented Rituxin, pretty much the first monoclonal antibody before Herceptin(it is for lymphoma)

I remembered there was a podcast of one of his lectures, and this one contains an inspirational, uplifting talk by an 18 year survivor on the monoclonal antibody whose development he is credited with.

He is a humble, inspiring type--I will withhold info on the survivor (who is a prolific writer, so many of you may have read her books)

Video is 51 minutes (I am sure some may have trouble some lingo in the first half (apparently it is from a Grand Rounds presentation, but don't give up!)

[Lani]

http://med.stanford.edu/medcast/2007/antibody_levy.html

[CLTann]

Lani,

Again, you did this group a great favor in presenting this video. It is inspirational as well as informative. Only wish the subject matter is more close to home for us. Thank you.

[Lani]

ovaries have been hijacked for production of "vitamin H" (herceptin)

I believe Rituxan is also made from Chinese hamster ovaries now. It was only in the early days when they tried to make a different monoclonal antibody for EACH INDIVIDUAL PATIENT that they were using mice.

There are other interesting implications from this historical review on the development of monoclonal antibodies which perhaps extrapolate to her2+ breast cancer

[StephN]

My Parental Controls that I have set as my little neices are some times on my computer WON'T let me see the mouse! It puts a big black box over it that disappears when the next slide comes up in the lecture!!

I guess that is living proof that the controls work if "nude mouse" kicks it in ...

Otherwise it is highly interesting how many complete responses that woman got from the same targeted therapy. Makes me wonder how many possible micromet reoccurrances I have had over the 5 yrs 10 mos of Herceptin only??

Also, I like that my use of VITAMIN H for Herceptin is catching on. I first used that at my cancer center in Jan 2002 when discussing my attitude towards my new drug cocktail with my chaplain. I said that I could not think of it as something scathing or harmful; it needed to be in the vitamin/supplement class so I would feel very friendly towards it entering my body so often for the REST OF MY LIFE!