HIV vaccine a reality!

[kandrathe]

Partially true. And you do cover yourself nicely with a well placed 'may'.:) As you said, it's a class. There are enough similarities between members of that class that diagnosis, treatment, even understanding of one can and often does contribute to the efforts against the others.

In general, as I understand it from my sister and BIL, cancers tend to hijack the RNA mechanism that instigates cell division. Usually, a cell has a comparatively lengthy growth phase, then at some point it divides. A carcinoma cell skips the growth phase, and just divides, and divides, and divides. Also, there is a mechanism in cells that tell them to stop dividing and become immortal (that is they can die, but they are set to permanent repair mode). Understanding cancer, also helps us understand aging, since many cancers are the result of transcription errors or mutations due to radiation or chemicals. In a younger person, the bodies repair mechanisms would find and kill rogue cells before they cause trouble. As we age, our endocrine systems slow down and our cell anomalies eventually kill us. Put another way... we are designed to die. If you live long enough, you will get cancer. Transcription errors due to cell division are why cancers tend to end up in the places where cells are replaced rapidly, like skin, and intestinal lining.

The cure for cancer is also the fountain of youth.