Live Blogging Society of Toxicology mtg
angrytoxicologist | March 18, 2008There is a animal testing karmic pass up in the exhibition hall! I'll post again when I return from my ego trip.
PS Since it's tangentally related, I'm going to use the opportunity to express some outrage at what the Chinese are saying about the Dalai Lama and doing to Tibetans. @#$@% $#%&^# $%#!
angrytoxicologist | March 18, 2008The poster sessions were largely a bust yesterday but I did come across a couple of interesting ones:
1) Definitive evidence that it was the melamine + cyuranic acid that caused toxicity in animals (by creating crystals inside the kidney). As I've noted before, neither is very toxic on it's own. Not a surprise but good to get some confirmation.
2) Ms Vitalone is a woman after my own heart. Her presentation: Natural is not always safe: A lesson from the literature on the use of herbal products. Now, doesn't that sound familiar? It was basically a compilation of what we know about adverse…
angrytoxicologist | March 17, 2008In one of the sessions today there was a fantastic talk by Dr Dolinoy. Here are my notes with some explainations where needed:
Epigenetics (this is where you affect gene expression by means other than damaging DNA, messing with transcription or translation of DNA/RNA, for instance).
If you give murine dams (mice mothers) genestein (a phytoestrogen that is part of soy) that would be equivalent to the higher end of what asians get, it effects the color of the coat after birth (a black female is crossed with a blond male). Basically this means that the genestein is affecting how the genes…
angrytoxicologist | March 17, 2008Gee, I bet you're pumped, right? I'll be doing little updates now and then if I hear anything interesting.
The opening lecture was by Dr Lee Hartwell (2001 Nobel Laureate) on science - particularly toxicology, of course - in the 21 century. There were a couple of interesting points that he made, particularly on how what we really need is better biomarkers and diagnostic tools that are subsequently validated in the clinic; not more therapeutics and devices. RIGHT ON! The drive for therapeutics and devices without better diagnosing tools is partially behind the rise in the cost of health care,…