Evening star., 1932-04-04
MYSTERIOUS RAYS
| FOR CANCER STUDY
ELUDE SCIENTISTS
Possibility Considered That
"Mitogenetic" Phenomena
Are Non-ExiStent..
SUPPOSEDLY PARTICLE
OF INVISIBLE LIGHT
Further Tests to Be Made Before
Experts Pronounce Theory
Myth.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
The mysterious "mitogenetic ray
either is non-existent or is eluding
Public Health Service scientists.
An extremely delicate instrument de-
viSed especially for the purpose has
failed to record any trace of it in ex-
tensive tests. it is announced. This
is in marked contradiction to results
claimed by several European scientists
with much less sensitive recording de-
vices.
The mitogenetic ray is supposedly a
particle of invisible light emitted when
living cell divides. 1t belongs in
the category of the other short wave
length forms of invisible radiation
ultra violet light, X-rays, coSmic rays,
and the like. If its reality could be
established, the Public Health Service
Investigators believe, it might prove an
invaluable instrument for the study of
the mechanism of cancer.
Frequent Experiments.
Elaborate and repeated expert
mentS," says the Public Health Service
report, were undertaken with such
material as onion roots, onion pulp,
yeast cells, embryonic tissue and malig-
nant tissue, all of which are said to be
good radiators of this form of radiation.
Extensive experiments were also under
taken to influence Photographic plates
with the radiation. All these expert
mentS were negative"
Efforts have also been made to de-
tect their presence by biological meth
ods-that is, by their effects, if any, on
living organisms, which sometimes ap-
pear more sensitive to minute amounts
of radiation than any physical instru-
ment. Onion rootlets and yeast cells
were exposed to whatever radiation
might be coming from other organisms
Of the same kind, malignant growth It's
sue and frogs leg muscle The results
here, it is announced, leave some room
for Interpretation, but on the whole
were negative.
But the Public Health Service scien-
lists are not willing on the basis of
these negative findings to pronounce
the mitogenetic ray a myth. Further
tests will be made.
A popularity of the cells of malignant
tumors, it is explained, is that their
rate of division is accelerated and un-
controlled, while they force the rest of
the body to yield them blood supply and
nourishment. The mystery of cancer
appears largely associated with the un-
DERIVING phySico-chemical mechanism
OF cell division and its possible abnor-
malities.
Stimulates Division.
Now, according to reports from Euro
pean laboratories. mitogenetic radiation
has property Of stimulating the process
OF division in the neighboring cells. The
possibility confronted the Public Health
Service workers that cancer might be.
In part at least, a phenomenon of ab-
normal light" emission from dividing
cells. Different kinds of cells might
emit light of different wave lengths.
The device used in the experiments
was an application of an extremely
sensitive apparatus for detecting and
measuring very small quantities of
radiation-the so-called Geiger counting
tube. 1t consists essentially of photo
electric cell which, by special choice of
materials, can be made especially sensi-
tive to radiation in the ultraviolet por-
ton OF the spectrum.
Electrical impulses set up by entrance
OF radiation through the quartz window
OF this photo-electric cell can, according
to the Public Health Service report, be
amplifled in an amplifier of special
design so that they may be made
audible by means of loud speaker, or
may operate a counting device which
records numerically the impulses. In
other words, they hoped to be able to
make cancer cells talk,
1t never has been clearly established
that the results reported from the Euro
pean laboratories may not have been
results Of errors in observation. Even
If mitogenetic radiation is a reality its
effects would be so minute as to be
oareiy detectable and distinguishabie
from other radiation effects.
Studies in Progress.
Studies now are in progress at the
Public Health Service cancer laboratory.
1t is announced, on the inorganic con-
stituents Of malignant tissue and espe-
ctally on the role of potassium and
calcium on the biochemistry of cancer
A method is being developed by which
1t is hoped that the amount of calcium
sidered an important factor in biochem-
ical processes-can be determined with
greater accuracy than ever before.
Another study just announced is on
the various combinations of sugars"
found in normal Tissue cells and in
malignant groWthS
The whole program, it is explained. is
to find out how the cancer cell differs,
chemically, biologically and physically,
from a law-abiding citizen Of the body
community of cells. If real differences
can be established it may be possible to
find out the basic factors responsible
for the abnormal and lawless rate of
cell division.