[rael-science] Algae extract to treat cervix cancer : a new study started‏

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The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org
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selected by Marc Rivard, MD and raelian bishop

Carrageenan

Laboratory evidence suggests that Carrageenan (an inexpensive gelling
agent that is non-toxic and safe in animals and humans) is a potent
HPV infection inhibitor. Inhibition occurred against all high and low
oncogenic risk HPV types. Recently, carrageenan was shown to inhibit
genital transmission of HPV in mice and in monkeys. Other than
vaccination, which confers partial protection and whose immunity
benefits may wane, there is no other intervention against HPV
infection. Furthermore, screening generates very high costs to society
because of the need to manage and treat all precancerous lesions that
are found and the fertility problems that occur post-treatment. As a
primary prevention approach, a carrageenan-based strategy would
minimize these negative public health consequences of screening.
Carrageenan has the desirable properties of efficacy and safety that
could make it one of the most effective strategies against genital HPV
infection and associated diseases.


Scientific basis for studying Carrageenan

Carrageenan is an anionic polymer that is naturally derived from three
species of red algae. It has a long history of human use and has been
employed extensively in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics
industries as stabilizer and emulsifier. Three major chains of
Carrageenans exist: iota, lambda and kappa. All act as extremely
potent HPV inhibitors. The principal mechanism by which Carrageenan
blocks HPV infection is via the direct binding of Carrageenan to the
viral capsid thus blocking its attachment to cell-surface Heparan
Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPG) acting as cell receptors. This blockage
seems to last long enough to allow natural inactivation of the
pathogens by the normal innate defences within the genital tract. In
addition to blocking the initial interaction between HPV virions and
HSPGs, laboratory studies show that Carrageenan also exerts a second
HSPG-independent inhibitory effect via occlusion of virion surfaces
involved in binding to cellular proteins involved in the infectious
process; or alternately, by interference with the development of
needed conformational changes within the virion. Additionally, in
vitro studies have shown that HPV capsids bind to sperm cells at two
distinct sites along the sperm head, suggesting that this may promote
dispersal and mucosal penetration of HPV in the female genital tract.
Carrageenan also blocks this binding. The existence of more than one
inhibition mechanism increases the likelihood that Carrageenan might
ultimately be effective as a topical microbicide against HPVs.


About the CATCH Study

The main objectives of this study are:

To evaluate the effectiveness of Carrageenan in preventing new HPV
infections, in young sexually active women.
To evaluate the effectiveness of Carrageenan in accelerating
clearance of existing HPV infections, in young sexually active women.

CATCH is a randomized controlled trial consisting of an intervention
group and a control group.

Intervention: Treatment with Carrageenan-containing vaginal gel,
self-applied every other day (whether or not participants have
intercourse) for the first month and prior to each act of vaginal
intercourse during the entire study period.

Control: Treatment with placebo vaginal gel that does not contain
Carrageenan (applied as described above).

About HPV

Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, is a virus that infects the skin
and genital area. More than 120 types of HPV have been identified.
Some infect the skin and can produce warts, some infect the genital
area and can produce genital warts, and some infect the genital area
and can lead to cancer of the cervix, the opening of the uterus. HPV
can also cause cancers of the vagina or vulva (women), anus, mouth and
throat.

Most sexually active women will acquire HPV infection over a lifetime.
Cervical HPV infection is detected in 5%-40% of asymptomatic women of
reproductive age. The vast majority of these infections will clear
shortly on their own. A substantial increase in risk of high-grade
cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (cervical pre-cancer) exists for
women with long-term persistent infection with oncogenic HPV types.
The most common oncogenic HPV types are 16 and 18.

Currently, vaccination is the primary method of preventing HPV
infection. However, it only targets up to 4 HPV types and it only
prevents infection among individuals who have never been exposed.




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WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its
full capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not
mean that I agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL"
means that I believe it is important for the people of this planet to
know about what people think or do, even when what they think or do is
completely stupid and against our philosophy. When I selected articles
in the past about stupid Christian fundamentalists in America praying
for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader was stupid enough to believe
that I was supporting praying to change the weather. So, when I select
articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish, racist,
revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or religion, or any
other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It just
means that it is important for all human beings to know about them.
Common sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good
enough to understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug
decriminalization, it is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment,
which in this case was very clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs,
as it is stupid to throw depressed and sad people (as only depressed and
sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin their life with a criminal
record. That does not mean that there is any change to the Message which
says clearly that we must not use any drug except for medical purposes.
The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be absolute.
That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews,
anti-Semites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your
enemies or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight
them. With love and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence
of the French philosopher Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you
say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

-- 
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.

There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history, 
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.

On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.

Rael
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