Dear Tom C.
Some 15 years ago, there was extra cash for the Cancer Fund due to the
Terry Fox run. There was a call for cancer-related topics and I proposed one
based on the Azotobacter-crown gall model in which just like viral genes can
cause cancer, so might bacterial genes, especially for cells lyzed by immune
defences or surfactants (soaps?). I should have save the letter that they sent
in reply. Basically they were not interested in new ideas even though they had
asked. Actually the idea was probably undoable at the time. Nowadays there has
been some good work on papilloma virus in cancer genomes as detected by PCR.
Perhaps PCR could also detect bacterial genes in cancer cell genomes. Perhaps
the latter could be a small number of cancers that could be treated with
anti-bacterials.
Take care...John
