CLINICAL TRIALS - HISTORY LESSON,THE LIMEYS

Hi all - am in the process of looking for other clinical trials for my 'condition' . Clinical trails, of course, are the research projects that test the effectiveness of new drugs/ procedures that have not yet been approved by the federal standards. In my research, I have found some fascinating history of clinical trials! Here is a piece from the website "Human Genome" http://www.genome.wellcome.ac.uk/ :


" Most people think of James Lind as the father of clinical trials, since he was the first to introduce control groups into his experiments. In this manner, he documented the fact that citrus fruits in the diet could prevent scurvy. Lind carried out trials while at sea on board the Salisbury in 1747. All scurvy patients were given the same general diet but this was supplemented with various additional items, including cider, elixir vitriol, vinegar, seawater, nutmeg and (crucially) oranges and lemons. In just six days, those patients taking citrus fruits were fit for duty.


Although the results were clear, Lind hesitated to recommend the use of oranges and lemons because they were too expensive. It was nearly 50 years before the Navy eventually made lemon juice a compulsory part of the seafarer's diet, and this was soon replaced by lime juice because it was cheaper. This is why British sailors, and later the British in general, were called 'limeys' by the Americans.



Another bit of trivia for your thinking cap!

Since 1945, the ethical impact of clinical trials has become increasingly important, resulting in strict regulation of medical experiments on human subjects. These regulations have been enshrined in documents such as the Nuremburg Codex (1947) and the Declaration of Helsinki (1964 - amended repeatedly to 2001). [clearly the inhumane experimentation during the holocaust had a huge impact on these regulations]

Clinical trials have thus evolved into a standard procedure, focusing on patient safety and requiring informed consent from all participants. There will always be a balance between medical progress and patient safety, and the regulation of clinical trials helps to ensure that this balance is acceptable.

So we have to be "willing and aware" guinea pigs!! Actually, it's the funding of clinical trials that is a huge issue. since they are limited to a variety of centers around the country, the cost can be prohibitive. I may find some through Sloan-Kettering, but again the expense, and getting to NYC could be an issue. But all avenues are worth exploring!! Trial and error, as they say!

I love trying new stuff >>>>>>>>>>>> Sal