Bon voyage, David & Susan!

Bon voyage, Watson!

....perhaps not the most obvious image (for most Paris-bound tourists), but you'll know why.

Happy Birthday, Michele & Matt!

So glad you two were born today, so you could grow up to find each other and be my sister and brother-in-law.

Wishing you the best of the day and many more!

not-smiling buddha

Iraq hostage Doug meets his new team of interrogators, says he doesn't mind new Aleister Crowley look, either.






[cross-posted from DougDay.org, where "every Doug has his day"]

Happy Birthday, David!

I'm so glad you were born on this day, back in the day.

good idea

Lyndale and 28th

Family scattering today after a good time together, sad to see them go.

R.I.P. Anne Bancroft

miracle worker

supreme sickos v. anti-cancer quinonoid cannabinoids

"Federal authorities may prosecute sick people who smoke pot on doctors' orders, the Supreme Court ruled Monday...."

....meanwhile, back in the laboratory, another of today's announcements:

Derivates Of Cannabis For Anti-Cancer Treatment Win Award


Derivatives of the cannabis plant (hashish) have been shown by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ph.D. student to be effective in arresting cancerous growths in laboratory and animal tests.

For her work, Natalya Kogan was one of the winners of a Kaye Innovation Award, presented today during the 68th meeting of the Hebrew University Board of governors.

Working under the supervision of Prof. Raphael Mechoulam at the Hebrew University School of Pharmacy (in collaboration with Prof. Michael Schlesinger at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School and Prof. Ester Priel at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev), Kogan has developed new compounds – known as quinonoid cannabinoids – that parallel in their activity a group of anti-cancer drugs, the best known of which is daunomycin.

However, while daunomycin is toxic to the heart, Kogan, with Dr. Ronen Beeri and Dr. Gergana Marincheva of Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, found that the quinonoid cannabinoids are much less cardiotoxic. The development of quinonoid compounds that display anticancer activity, but are less toxic, is a major therapeutic goal. At present, Kogan is continuing to investigate the mechanism of action of these promising compounds.

All of the compounds synthesized by Kogan inhibited cancer cell growth in cell culture, and one of them was found to markedly reduce the volume of tumors in animal studies The cannabinoid quinones were found to act through a rather unique pathway of cancer cell destruction -- by specific inhibition of topoisomerase II, an enzyme that participates in cell replication. Most of the known anti-cancer drugs are less selective, acting by numerous mechanisms.

Additionally, the most active compound in the series developed by Kogan, as well as some other cannabinoids, were found by Kogan and Prof. Ruth Galilli of the Hebrew University to have anti-angiogenic properties. Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is crucial for tumor growth, and much effort has been invested by researchers in the development of compounds with anti-angiogenic activity.

Since the compounds developed by Kogan have anti-cancer properties and are more selective and potent than standard chemotherapy drugs, they have a high potential for use in new anti-cancer drugs

Kogan was born in 1980 in Cherkassy, Ukraine, and immigrated to Israel in 1995. She earned B.Pharm and M.Sc degrees at the Hebrew University School of Pharmacy and graduated with excellence.

She has received numerous prior awards: the Wolf Prize for junior investigators (2005); the Keren Kayemet prize (2005); and a Best Poster Award at the 2004 Symposium of the International Cannabinoids Research Society. Her Ph.D. work is supported by a personal award (for high grades and research achievements) from the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University.

The Kaye Innovation Awards at the Hebrew University have been awarded annuallysince 1994. Isaac Kaye of England, a prominent industrialist in the pharmaceutical industry, established the awards to encourage faculty, staff, and students of the University to develop innovative methods and inventions with good commercial potential which have benefited or will benefit the University and society.

Happy Graduation, Watson!

One phase of impressive accomplishments ends, another begins, as you remain a fine young man whose most important achievement is being yourself.

Family gathering here at the homestead, busy and fun.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

So glad you were born, so I could be, too.

in hormones we trust

News today that makes OJ remember the old joke, How do you make a hormone? Tell her, Trust me honey I'll pay you later.

Scientists Identify Hormone That Makes People Trusting