Hawk one
5th November 2009, 10:01 PM
First, a webpage that should give you a proper idea of what this disease is:
http://www.imoa.info/HSE/environmental_data/biology/molybdenum_cofactor.html
As the first entry says: "no therapy is known". And it's also very, very lethal for infants.
HOWEVER
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26307721-421,00.html
Still at an experimental stage, a possible treatment was given to a child suffering from this disease, with pretty much next to no hope left. And in only three days, they had almost entirely reversed the symptoms.
Of course, being proper medical scientists, Veldman & co. are not claiming the treatment is in any way finished. Even with the evidenced effect on mice, there are still a way to go before this will become an ordinary treatment for humans. But the potential is definitely there, which could well mean plenty of lives saved in the future.
http://www.imoa.info/HSE/environmental_data/biology/molybdenum_cofactor.html
As the first entry says: "no therapy is known". And it's also very, very lethal for infants.
HOWEVER
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26307721-421,00.html
Still at an experimental stage, a possible treatment was given to a child suffering from this disease, with pretty much next to no hope left. And in only three days, they had almost entirely reversed the symptoms.
Of course, being proper medical scientists, Veldman & co. are not claiming the treatment is in any way finished. Even with the evidenced effect on mice, there are still a way to go before this will become an ordinary treatment for humans. But the potential is definitely there, which could well mean plenty of lives saved in the future.