Evening star., 1934-09-12
CANCER IMMUNITY
| BELIEVED TRACED.
Engine of Kidneys Found
to Function in Inverse
Ratio to Disease.
BY HOWARD w. BLAKEsLEE,
Associated Presa Science Editor.

covery of source OF probable i'm
snunity to cancer was reported to the
American Chemical Society here to-
day. 1t was advanced as possible
explanation of the fact that only about
person In 10 has cancer.
The immunizing substance Is .
chemical most abundant In the kid
neys Of both men and animals. It Ii
an engine named phosphatase. Its
regular function Is to split up the
sugars and phosphates as the body
uses them for food.
The laboratory and medical evidence
ON this enzyme was described by DR..
=. r. Schroeder and DR.. Ellice Nc
Donald Of the cancer research labora-
tories of the University of Pennsyl-
vania Graduate School of Medicine.
at was also found that in animals
that had cancer the engine phos-
phatase decreased during tumor
growth" they said.
"Its state was also altered in ami
mails that had cancer and it was only
about one-third as active as the
engine in non-cancerous animals"
Changed to Blood.
In contrast to this desertion Of the
kidney and sluggishness there during
cancer, the engine was found to have
become more active In the blood.
They said IL appeared that whatever
acttvated this engine was transferred
during cancer from the kidney to the
blood.
"In human beings with cancer"
the report went on. "a similar con-
dition was found and the phosphatase
was more active"
Phosphatase Is not the only engine
which altered its behavior during
cancer. The whole picture indicated
that Immunity or resistance to can
Ger Is associated with q greater ac-
tivity Of some engines and lessened
activity Of certain other engines"
Other Changes Cited.
Another Of these engines was
arginase, which appears in the liver.
Its regular function Is to change the
little known body chemical arginine
into urea and other substances.
When an animal had cancer, the
arginase decreased in the liver and
began concentrating in the humorous
growth. The faster the cancer grew,
the more was the arginase found
there. Also this engine was then
more active than normally.
These researches" he report said,
spoint to conclusion that the occur
renee and growth Of cancer is de-
pendent upon and Influenced by the
engines which are produced in the
various organs Of the body-and that
cancer is not . local but . systemic
disease"
New Pneumonia Treatment.
A new drug made from quintne,
which promises q new, treatment for
pneumonia, was described to the
American Chemical Society here to-
day by scientists Of the Mellon In
stitute of Pittsburgh.
This quinine derivative has been
used on animals with remarkable re-
suits. and tried out also on human
beings with effects announced today
@ very encouraging"
To get their new preparation, the
institute chemists began with opto-
chin, drug known to physicians for
many yesrA This old drug was highly
toxic to pnesln1onia germs, but Of lit
Tie uss becAuse Il also caused blind
ness.
The new drug causes no blindness.
It q more deadly to the germs than
the old one. Actually not only one,
but several 81 these modified quinine
drugs have been made. each one In
creasinsly effective against pneu-
snonia.
Can Be Taken Az Tablets.
From the medical standpoint IN
important feature is that the new
drug can be given by mouth In the
form of tablets. Once 1t y safely
Gtandardized 1t can be used without
Elaborate or expensive technique.
It is fatal to all four known types
Of pneumonia bacteria. To date 1t
has been tried only on human beings
whose physicians had given up hope.
No details were revealed except that
the results had been very encouras-
ing"
The report stated that "the final
decision win depend on the results Of
very large numbers Of experiments"
yet to be made;