作者：D.O.公共关系主席成员，美国环境医学学会董事会 Dr. Amy L. Dean 堪萨斯州威奇托——美国环境医学研究院今天发布了就转基因食物的意见书声明“转基因食物造成严重的健康风险”并且需要转基因食物的临时禁令。举证了许多动物研究，AAEM认为“转基因食物和不利的健康影响之间不仅仅是偶然的联系”并且“转基因食品造成了毒理、过敏和免疫活动、后代健康、新陈代谢、生理和遗传的健康等方面的健康风险”AAEM呼吁：转基因食物的临时禁令，转基因食品直接长期的安全测试和标识的执行。 医生教育他们的病人、医学协会以及公众来避免转基因食物。 医师会考虑转基因食物在他们病人疾病过程中的作用。 更多的独立的长期科学研究开始收集数据来证实转基因食物对人类健康的作用。 “许多动物实验已经证明转基因食物导致机体不同器官的破坏。利用这些证据，为了我们病人和公众的健康转基因食物的临时禁令是必要的” Amy Dean医生，公共关系主席成员，美国环境医学科学院董事会成员认为。“医生或许正在观察到对他们病人的作用，但是不要知道怎样提出正确的问题” Jennifer Armstrong医生，美国环境医学研究院院长说到，“北美所消费的最普通的食物是转基因的玉米、大豆、油菜和棉花油。”AAEM的转基因食物意见书可以在http:aaemonline.org/gmopost.html下载.AAEM是一个致力于证实对环境健康临床作用的专业人员和医生组成的国际的协会。更多的信息请参阅www.aaemonline.org。 美国环境医学研究院AAEM成立于1965年，并且是是对人类和其环境的临床表现感兴趣的专业人员和医生组成的国际的协会，研究院对于人类个体和他们环境相互作用的知识的扩展感兴趣。AAEM为由暴漏于空气、食物和水中的生物和化学元素诱导的疾病识别、治理和预防提供的研究和教育。 原文如下： http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html Genetically Modified Foods According to the World Health Organization, Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) are "organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in such a way that does not occur naturally." 1 This technology is also referred to as "genetic engineering", "biotechnology" or "recombinant DNA technology" and consists of randomly inserting genetic fragments of DNA from one organism to another, usually from a different species. For example, an artificial combination of genes that includes a gene to produce the pesticide Cry1Ab protein (commonly known as Bt toxin), originally found in Bacillus thuringiensis, is inserted in to the DNA of corn randomly. Both the location of the transferred gene sequence in the corn DNA and the consequences of the insertion differ with each insertion. The plant cells that have taken up the inserted gene are then grown in a lab using tissue culture and/or nutrient medium that allows them to develop into plants that are used to grow GM food crops. 2 Natural breeding processes have been safely utilized for the past several thousand years. In contrast, "GE crop technology abrogates natural reproductive processes, selection occurs at the single cell level, the procedure is highly mutagenic and routinely breeches genera barriers, and the technique has only been used commercially for 10 years." 3 Despite these differences, safety assessment of GM foods has been based on the idea of "substantial equivalence" such that "if a new food is found to be substantially equivalent in composition and nutritional characteristics to an existing food, it can be regarded as safe as the conventional food." 4 However, several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signaling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system. There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation as defined by Hill's Criteria in the areas of strength of association, consistency, specificity, biological gradient, and biological plausibility. 5 The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies. 2,6,7,8,9,10,11 Specificity of the association of GM foods and specific disease processes is also supported. Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation, including upregulation of cytokines associated with asthma, allergy, and inflammation. 6,11 Animal studies also show altered structure and function of the liver, including altered lipid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as cellular changes that could lead to accelerated aging and possibly lead to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). 7,8,10 Changes in the kidney, pancreas and spleen have also been documented. 6,8,10 A recent 2008 study links GM corn with infertility, showing a significant decrease in offspring over time and significantly lower litter weight in mice fed GM corn. 8 This study also found that over 400 genes were found to be expressed differently in the mice fed GM corn. These are genes known to control protein synthesis and modification, cell signaling, cholesterol synthesis, and insulin regulation. Studies also show intestinal damage in animals fed GM foods, including proliferative cell growth9 and disruption of the intestinal immune system. 6 Regarding biological gradient, one study, done by Kroghsbo, et al., has shown that rats fed transgenic Bt rice trended to a dose related response for Bt specific IgA. 11 Also, because of the mounting data, it is biologically plausible for Genetically Modified Foods to cause adverse health effects in humans. In spite of this risk, the biotechnology industry claims that GM foods can feed the world through production of higher crop yields. However, a recent report by the Union of Concerned Scientists reviewed 12 academic studies and indicates otherwise: "The several thousand field trials over the last 20 years for genes aimed at increasing operational or intrinsic yield (of crops) indicate a significant undertaking. Yet none of these field trials have resulted in increased yield in commercialized major food/feed crops, with the exception of Bt corn." 12 However, it was further stated that this increase is largely due to traditional breeding improvements. Therefore, because GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health and are without benefit, the AAEM believes that it is imperative to adopt the precautionary principle, which is one of the main regulatory tools of the European Union environmental and health policy and serves as a foundation for several international agreements. 13 The most commonly used definition is from the 1992 Rio Declaration that states: "In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation." 13 Another often used definition originated from an environmental meeting in the United States in 1998 stating: "When an activity raises threats to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken, even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context, the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof (of the safety of the activity)." 13 With the precautionary principle in mind, because GM foods have not been properly tested for human consumption, and because there is ample evidence of probable harm, the AAEM asks: Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks. Physicians to consider the possible role of GM foods in the disease processes of the patients they treat and to document any changes in patient health when changing from GM food to non-GM food. Our members, the medical community, and the independent scientific community to gather case studies potentially related to GM food consumption and health effects, begin epidemiological research to investigate the role of GM foods on human health, and conduct safe methods of determining the effect of GM foods on human health. For a moratorium on GM food, implementation of immediate long term independent safety testing, and labeling of GM foods, which is necessary for the health and safety of consumers. (This statement was reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine on May 8, 2009.) Submitted by Amy Dean, D.O. and Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. Bibliography: Genetically Modified Foods Position Paper AAEM World Health Organization. (Internet).(2002). Foods derived from modern technology: 20 questions on genetically modified foods. Available from: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/index.php Smith, JM. Genetic Roulette. Fairfield: Yes Books.2007. p.10 Freese W, Schubert D. Safety testing and regulation of genetically engineered foods. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews. Nov 2004. 21. Society of Toxicology. The safety of genetically modified foods produced through biotechnology. Toxicol. Sci. 2003; 71:2-8. Hill, AB. The environment and disease: association or causation? Proceeding of the Royal Society of Medicine 1965; 58:295-300. Finamore A, Roselli M, Britti S, et al. Intestinal and peripheral immune response to MON 810 maize ingestion in weaning and old mice. J Agric. Food Chem. 2008; 56(23):11533-11539. Malatesta M, Boraldi F, Annovi G, et al. A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean:effects on liver ageing. Histochem Cell Biol. 2008; 130:967-977. Velimirov A, Binter C, Zentek J. Biological effects of transgenic maize NK603xMON810 fed in long term reproduction studies in mice. Report-Federal Ministry of Health, Family and Youth. 2008. Ewen S, Pustzai A. Effects of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine.Lancet. 354:1353-1354. Kilic A, Aday M. A three generational study with genetically modified Bt corn in rats: biochemical and histopathological investigation. Food Chem. Toxicol. 2008; 46(3):1164-1170. Kroghsbo S, Madsen C, Poulsen M, et al. Immunotoxicological studies of genetically modified rice expression PHA-E lectin or Bt toxin in Wistar rats. Toxicology. 2008; 245:24-34. Gurain-Sherman,D. 2009. Failure to yield: evaluating the performance of genetically engineered crops. Cambridge (MA): Union of Concerned Scientists. Lofstedt R. The precautionary principle: risk, regulation and politics. Merton College, Oxford. 2002
刚看了这位天才少年JACk Andraka 的介绍，15岁，高一学生，发明了一种运用纳米技术的试纸，可以迅速检测血液中的一种称为Mesothelin的蛋白质的存在---后者据称是胰腺癌的标志。 维基百科对他的方法的介绍如下： http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Andraka Andraka cultured MIA PaCa cells, from a commercial pancreatic carcinoma cell line , which overexpress mesothelin , a biomarker for pancreatic cancer. The mesothelin was isolated, concentrated and quantified with ELISA . After optimization with the Western Blot assay, the human mesothelin-specific antibodies were mixed with single walled carbon nanotubes and used to coat strips of ordinary filter paper. This made the paper conductive. The optimal layering was determined using a scanning electron microscope . Cell media spiked with varying amounts of mesothelin was then tested against to the paper biosensor and any change in the electrical potential of the sensor strip (due to the changing conductivity of the nanotubes) was measured, before and after each application. 我就不翻译了，因为中间一堆生物名词我不懂。大概意思是，其方法是把碳纳米管与一种人的抗体混合涂在纸上，当血液中的 mesothelin 与抗体结合胀大，会把纳米管推开，导致纸的导电性减弱，通过电阻测量即可得出 mesothelin 的含量。 关于其研究过程，相关报道写道（见附件），该少年天才得到约翰霍普金斯大学一个教授的支持，后者指派了一名博士后指导其研究。 没有学过生物，操作离心机发生事故。。。测量电阻他使用的是从HOME DEPOT买的电阻表，用缝衣针作为电极。 7个月后，他取得了相关的成果。 看完这些介绍，我对美国的科技教育不得不钦佩之至。一个著名的大学研究室，能够让一名没有任何基础的初中毕业生前去进行研究，这在中国几乎是不可想象的。但看了其研究的详细介绍，我必须假定，这名天才少年使用的方法绝非原创，因为这些方法设计的知识、技术手段不是光有智力就可以学会的，需要时间。人类历史上还没有出现过这么强的天才，可以一下子掌握这么多东西。 用"nanotube detect protein "一搜，第一篇就是“ Carbon Nanotubes Form Ultrasensitive Biosensor to Detect Proteins ”。这是一篇2010年《Science Daily》（科学日报）的新闻，里面写道：【A cluster of carbon nanotubes coated with a thin layer of protein-recognizing polymer form a biosensor capable of using electrochemical signals to detect minute amounts of proteins, which could provide a crucial new diagnostic tool for the detection of a range of illnesses, a team of Boston College researchers report in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. .】大意说，科学家门通过测量纳米碳管的电性质可以检测某种蛋白质的存在，作为疾病诊断的手段。这篇报道里被采访的研究教授名叫 Dong Cai ，中国华中科学技术大学的博士。继续搜索，可以找到之后更多的相关报道，比如这篇：2012年这篇《 NANOTUBE TECHNOLOGY LEADING TO FAST, LOWER-COST MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS 》写道：【The nanotubes change their electrical resistance when a protein lands on them, and the extent of this change can be measured to determine the presence of a particular protein – such as serum and ductal protein biomarkers that may be indicators of breast cancer.】 简单的说，是通过纳米碳管的电阻来检测各种蛋白质，包括乳腺癌的生物标志。这篇文章更提到，测试费用可以降低到一美金。 由此可见，这位天才美国少年使用的方法与技术是现成的，至少2010年那位华中科技大的博士就已经发表在自然杂志上了。当然，具体到检测 Mesothelin这种蛋白质也许是天才少年的创意---我没有继续搜索。无论如何，作为一名初中生能够跟踪最新的科技并且能够灵活运用已经非常不容易了，但也不要过于神化。 当年中国的少年班大学生，很少有取得超乎常人的成就的。 http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Jack-Andraka-the-Teen-Prodigy-of-Pancreatic-Cancer-179996151.html?c=ypage=2 【Andraka wrote up an experimental protocol and e-mailed it to 200 researchers. Only Maitra responded. “It was a very unusual e-mail,” he remembers. “I often don’t get e-mails like this from postdoctoral fellows, let alone high-school freshmen.” He decided to invite Andraka to his lab. To oversee the project, he appointed a gentle postdoctoral chemist, who took the baby-sitting assignment in stride. They expected to see Andraka for perhaps a few weeks over the summer. Instead, the young scientist worked for seven months, every day after school and often on Saturdays until after midnight, subsisting on hard-boiled eggs and Twix as his mother dozed in the car in a nearby parking garage. He labored through Thanksgiving and Christmas. He spent his 15th birthday in the lab. Not having finished even freshman biology, he had a lot to learn. He called forceps “tweezers.” He had a nasty run-in with the centrifuge machine, in which a month’s worth of cell culture samples exploded, and Andraka burst into tears. But sometimes his lack of training yielded elegant solutions. For his test strips, he decided to use simple filter paper, which is absorbent enough to soak up the necessary solution of carbon nanotubes and mesothelin antibodies, and inexpensive. To measure the electrical change in a sample, he bought a $50 ohmmeter at Home Depot. He and his dad built the Plexiglas testing apparatus used to hold the strips as he reads the current. He swiped a pair of his mom’s sewing needles to use as electrodes. About 2:30 a.m. one December Sunday, Jane Andraka was jolted from her parking lot stupor by an ecstatic Jack. “He opens the door,” she remembers, “and you know how your kid has this giant smile, and that shine in their eye when something went right?” The test had detected mesothelin in artificial samples. A few weeks later, it pinpointed mesothelin in the blood of mice bearing human pancreatic tumors.】
标签: 医学
