Evening star., 1947-09-07
Zines S Role in Blood
Gives Hope Of Finding
Clue 10 Leukemia
By the Associated Press

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 6.-Discoyery
that zinc plays vital role in blood
cells-a finding offering possible
clues to treatment Of leukemia, a
usually fatal disease of white blood
cells-was announced today by a
research team from Harvard Uni
versity and Massachusetts Institute
of Technology.
The findings were announced to
the Fourth International Cancer
Research Congress by DR.. Bert l..
Vallee and DR.. John G. ellison II,
of Harvard Medical School and DR..
Robley D. Evans and DR.. J. E.
Nelson of M. I. r.
At the same time, DR.. Shields
Warren, a member Of the Atomic
Casualty Commission, National Re-
search Council, reported that since
the atom bomb fell on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, there have been only
four cases of Eukemia among the
survivors. This Is exactly the same
rate, about two cases per 100000
population, which is normal in the
United States, he said
Leukemia may be kind Of can
Ger. White cells Of patients with
the disease, the research team
found, contain only one-flfth to
one-tenth of the normal quantity of
zinc, the white metal used in war;
time pennies.
Started Work In 1910.
This same research team has been
working on blood studies since 1910,
and during the war developed the
method of sending whole blood
plasma abroad.
Using tracer atoms of radioactive
zinc, they found that there was rs
times as much zinc in normal white
blood cells as in normal red cells.
The tracer atoms appeared in new
ly-formed white cells soon after the
radioactive zinc was introduced into
animal or human bodies, they said.
The concentration of zinc In these
cells would reach peak, and then
fall off. This cycle corresponded to
the breakdown of old white cells and
the formation of new ones within
the bone marrow. The body used
the zinc over and over again.
Immature cells did not have the
normal zinc content. This was the
first finding, they said, of differ
ence in content of the metal be-
tween normal cells and the cancer
GUS ones. Zinc apparently plays a
role in the white cells comparable
to that OF iron in red blood cells.
Lack of iron in the red cells causes
some anemias.
Through the discovery 1t might
become possible, they said, to find
some method of treating or curing
leukemia. The exact role Of the
zinc in white blood formation still
is being studied.
DR.. Warren said that no tunors
of ovaries among women due to
bomb radiations have been de-
tected at Hiroshima or NagasakI
and there is not yet any evidence
of increased incidence OF usual types
of cancer, he said.
Longer Period Required.
It probably will take 10 to 20
years before evidence of any in
creased cancers can be determined,
and about so years before there can
be any conclusive evidence that the
radiations might cause any effects
upon inheritance. DR.. Warren
added. ..--- .--.- (
Survivors are being observed
closely as one phase of studies to
learn what might happen to work.
ers in plants using atomic energy
if they should accidentally become
exposed to radioactive elements.
DR.. Austin Brues, director of the
biology division of the Argonne Ma
tional Laboratory for Atomic Re-
search at Chicago, described animal
experiments in which cancers de-
veloped after exposure to radio
active substances.
Cancerous growths appeared some
time after the animals were ex-
posed, he said. Experimenters have
not yet been able to shorten the
period of delay before the appear
ance of the tumors. Some chemicals
have the same kind of latent period
before producing tumors in animals,
while other chemicals act much
faster.
This would indicate differences In
the sequence of events when cancer
is started by radiations, and when
it is started by chemical means, DIR.
Brues said. Attempts are being
.,..