[ExI] Stem cells reverse blindness caused by burns

BillK pharos at gmail.com
Fri Jun 25 10:01:10 UTC 2010


On 6/25/10, Ross Evans wrote:
> What really frustrates me is that we see stories like this coming out of
> basic research every day, and yet frontline treatment never seem to
> substantially advance as a result. The disconnect between what's happening
> in the lab, and begin trialled on a small scale, and what is available to
> the general population, seems to be getting larger.
>
>


There are two opposing forces at work.
1) Produce new treatments, help lots of people, make lots of money.
   (Implying that if the market or profit is small the new treatment
won't be produced).
2) Carefully test new teatments to reduce the risk of damaging or
killing people with unexpected side-effects and stop rank profiteering
from producers.

Sometimes one or the other is more significant, and it varies from
country to country.

Third world countries have major health and nutrition problems and
until they get the basics fixed, innovation comes a poor second. Even
in first world countries, there are some basic health and nutrition
issues that need fixing and would have a much greater impact on the
health of the nation than a new eye treatment (for example).


BillK



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