So do the Sara Palins of the world still think that global warming and pollutants aren't ruining our planet and jeopardizing our life? Today it was revealed by researchers that the Gulf spill could wipe out a potential cure for malaria and treatments for cancer and other diseases by killing off marine organisms that are the basis of experimental drugs.
Evidently, the Gulf of Mexico and Florida are two main resources for sponges, sea worms, and other invertebrates that live in the oil slicks path. This is the core ocean area that researchers use for specimens in research and development for cures.
A number of modern drug treatments are based on compounds produced by marine organisms. Many of these organisms live in small, unique locales. Once killed off by something like the oil spill, their potential research contributions could be lost to medical science forever!
One of the most promising treatments threatened by the spill is a possible cure for malaria. Molecular biologists and drug discovery experts are testing compounds taken from sponges collected off the coast of Florida and other waters in the path of the spill, and the testing and research performed thus far has been successful.
The tragedy here is that the basis for these cures is only found in the Gulf or the waters around the Florida peninsula—exactly where the crude is spewing, and spreading, in the millions of gallons.
Hey "Drill baby, drill" people, how is BP going to pay for that?
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