As someone who works (sits) on the sidelines of medical research, I am witnessing a resurgence of therapies that leverage ideas whose past efficacy is being reexamined and revived with a modern twist. Paramount among them is the entire category of Immuno Oncology - which basically uses the body’s own defense systems to seek and destroy types of cancers. Scientists seeking to unlock the mysteries of combating cancer, and working with the emerging empowerment of the understanding of our DNA, are able to better identify what starts some cancers, what propagates some cancers, and what destroys some cancers.
Consider this rather simplified example. Certain types of cancers have learned to trick the body by hiding behind healthy cells. When natural destroyers come around to attack any foreign bodies in the system (ie: infection and/or cancer), they bypass the lurking cancer cells thinking they are supposed to be there. New research now understands this mechanism and can send in reinforcements (chemo therapies), that unmask these hidden predators and kills the cancer where it seeks to flourish undetected.
Yet another miracle of modern medicine is the particular chemo treatment that I took in the beginning (in larger doses) and now take as maintenance (in tiny daily doses). The core of this medication (Revlimid) is thalidomide. This name may sound familiar. In the 1950s and the early 1960s, thalidomide was used to treat morning sickness during pregnancy. But it was found to cause severe birth defects. Now, decades later, thalidomide is being used to treat a skin condition and specifically multiple myeloma. The production, distribution and handling of Revlimid is rigorously regulated, but just think about how this former scourge has become a modern-day savior.
We live in a world of mind-blowing inventions, technological disruption, and out-of-the-box innovation. My success is based on looking to our past for new ideas, keeping an open mind to alternative solutions, and not being afraid to consider (research) even the most tragic mistakes as possible solutions. I'm grateful to all of those who didn't take "no" for an answer - which has brought me to a glorious . . . yesssss!
