[ExI] Alzheimer's vaccine trial a success

[BillK]

On Thu, Jul 12, 2012 at 8:34 PM, Dan  wrote:
> This is a good point. I've heard that one problem with supplements and diet
> for the elderly is that there's usually a decline in the ability to absorb
> nutrients. So, even, say, for some reason, the same amounts of
> micronutrients had the same benefit when they made it through the digestive
> system, they might not be making it through in the first place. And, of
> course, it's unlikely the same kinds and amounts of therapy are needed at
> different ages (presuming, of course, changes have occurred*).
>
> * It's unlikely it's the mere passage of time, but specific alterations that
> take place. For different individuals, these might happen at different times
> and to different degrees and might not cluster in the same fashion.
>
>

One interesting new line of research is suggesting that cancer in the
elderly is caused by the immune system wearing out. The theory is that
cancer cells appear in the body all your life, but are usually killed
off by the immune system. The cancer disease only appears when the
immune system fails or there is a huge increase in cancer cells which
overwhelms the immune system (e.g.radiation, or asbestos, etc.).

<http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/07/us-immunotherapy-idUSBRE84604720120507>
Insight: Training immune system to fight cancer comes of age
By Bill Berkrot    NEW YORK | Mon May 7, 2012
More than 100 years after researchers first explored the potential to
harness the body's immune system to fight cancer, the field's leading
doctors see the concept finally proving itself on a large scale in the
next year or two.
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BillK