Professor Parry Guilford a highly distinguished cancer and gene biomarker researcher based out of the University of Otago addressed the Club via Zoom from Auckland. Parry is also Chief Scientific Officer for Pacific Edge involved in diagnosis of bladder cancer. He acknowledged cancer is a primitive fundamental disease which has been around since time immemorable even back to the dinosaurs and to humans evident in 700BC. The cause of cancer is from two factors 40% environmental and 60% just bad luck. It is the growth of abnormal cells in the wrong place. The human body has 30 trillion cells . Science uses of DNA sequencing to identify damaged genes and selects drugs to target genetic faults in the wiring diagram. Tumour DNA sequencing is slowly moving to mainstream medicine. Many clinical trials continue and the next 10 years will see significant improvements where new classes of drugs and technologies will have great effect with early diagnosis. - Report contributed by Neil Lyons Dr Royden Somerville, Chancellor of the University of Otago shared his thoughts on what makes this institution so special; and the ways it must adapt to "society" in the future. |