What is Better Than a Cuban Cigar? A Cuban Lung Cancer Vaccine!
Posted: May 18, 2015
Updated: May 18, 2015
With Obama starting to relinquish on restrictions regarding Cuba, citizens of the US will soon be able to access lung cancer vaccines.
“The blockade,” or “el bloqueo,” as Cubans call it, was imposed in 1960, at first restricting exports to Cuba. Then it was extended to all exports. Now, however, it seems like President Obama would like the citizens of the US to benefit from something from Cuba that is on the healthy side. Instead of cigars and rum literally coveted by Americans, they will probably gain access to something much better: a lung cancer vaccine. Although Cuba suffered from the economic restrictions, the two Castros (Fidel and Raul) put emphasis on the research of biotechnology and immunology.
• US plans to lifts embargo on Cuba
• Lung cancer vaccine to be tested by FDA
• Could be developed for use on other organs
The institution bringing medical innovations to life was established after a major dengue-fever outbreak, affecting approximately 350,000 Cubans. Named the Biological Front, it has had many successful cases of developing solutions for illnesses. The fabrication of interferon, a protein whose purpose is to signal our bodies to start defending itself against viruses and bacteria was also created thanks to this organization. They also produced vaccines for Meningitis B and Hepatitis B. According to online gambling news in Cuba, researchers worked on the vaccine for more than two decades before the government decided to start distributing it.
Cuban citizens can receive the vaccine for free
Considering the price per piece of the vaccine costs only USD 1, the government won’t pile up any debts because of it. When the Cuban Ministry of Health made the lung cancer vaccine available to the public for free, it was highly needed: Wired reports that the fourth cause of death in Cuba is lung cancer. Considering that the country is famous for cigars, this is not a surprising statistic. The Center for Molecular Immunology created Cilmavax and patients with only a few months to live got an extra four to six months to spend with their loved ones. Although at this stage it is not a cure, it is a good start. Because of its potential, medical institutions in Europe and Japan started to introduce clinical trials to test (and maybe develop) it.
Climavax’s main function is to slow down the growth of cancerous cells. It attacks the protein cells that a tumor produces and which then go on to disseminate in the blood flow. As a result, a large increase in cell growth is observed, which usually leads to cancer. Mobile betting sites report that with the usage of Climavax, lung cancer is less prone to metastasize and that symptoms can become more manageable. Hopes are high in other countries regarding the usage of the vaccine: scientists expect that once tested, it can be used for more organs affected by cancer.
There might be another solution, too: Racotumomab
The other vaccine targets lipids that are located in tumor cells. Thomas Rothstein, the scientist working with this serum, said the following: “Investigators from around the world are trying to crack the nut of cancer,” Rothstein says. “The Cubans are thinking in ways that are novel and clever.” Ultimately, they have to be innovative, since they do not have the means or the equipment that researchers in the US or Europe do. Maybe with the embargo lifted, the genius of Cuban researchers can be combined with sufficient financial support to provide a viable fix for one of the most dreaded illnesses.
However, before any collaboration can happen, the entire embargo needs to be lifted. Right now, the negotiations are mostly regarding the access to medical equipment and machinery needed for research. The power of the executive branch was applied by President Obama to start lifting restrictions in this area. Gambling news predicts that once the restrictions are gone, the Food and Drug Association will quickly start working to accept Climavax. No matter which researchers come up with the solution, it will be like humanity won the jackpot on an online internet casino; in most countries, cancer is the most feared cause of death.