Pete's BLOG-Day 26,437. Creepy Crawly Medical Cures

Today is Saturday, April 6, 2013. My stats today: 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes on the ball and 37 minutes of walking = 2.0 miles for an April total of 14.4 miles. My weight was 160.8 pounds.

QUOTE from Martin Luther King: "I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear."

My THOUGHTS today have to do with medical cures on the horizon from creepy crawling creatures that are considered rather gross.

I love the Reader's Digest because it has so many articles that interest me and educate me. The latest edition had an article about recent medical discoveries originating from moths, frogs, scorpions and mussels. Here they are:
- MOTHS: A new FDA approved flu vaccine called FLUBLOK will be available for the upcoming flu season. This flu vaccine replicates the virus in cells derived from the armyworm moth. It will alleviate the problem for those allergic to the chicken egg produced flu vaccine.
- FROGS: The Russian brown frog produces from their skin a goo. Russian scientists extracted goo from living frogs and found 76 new chemicals with antibacterial and antifungal properties - some as powerful as prescription antibiotics. Researchers plan to collaborate with drug companies to synthetically produce these substances.
- SCORPIONS: At the U. of Washington scientists used venom from the scorpion that naturally and safely targets only cancer cells with a molecule that glows under a special light. During brain surgery doctors could inject the venom, spot glowing cancerous tissue, and the venom would leave only healthy cells behind. It may also be used to destroy cancer cells in the prostate, breast, colon and some skin cancers. Human trials are planned for the end of the year.
-MUSSELS: Chinese scientists found that mussels secrete an adhesive to attach to underwater rocks, so they created a substance with similar properties. They are using it on worn out teeth. They coated worn-out teeth with  a mussel like adhesive and discovered that the teeth rebuilt a protective layer that simulates enamel. The hope is it will lead to better products for sensitive. teeth.