Re: RF, mice and lymphoma

["John Moulder" <jmoulder@post.its.mcw.edu>]

> Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 13:35:46 -0400 (EDT)
> From: JMUCKERHEIDE@delphi.com

> Cancer-prone animals are immune deficient.

As a general rule, that is not true.  Most cancer-prone animals are not 
immune-deficient, and immune-deficient mice are not particularly cancer-prone 
either (except for viral-induced tumors and lymphomas).

Certainly there is no evidence that the Eu-PIM1 mice used in this RF study are 
immune deficient.

In addition, there is no reason to think that immune deficiency (or immune 
stimulation) plays a major role in most carcinogenesis.

> (When the leading scientists of the 
> age, like Bruce Ames and Don Luckey and others, make this point about 
> many studies, whether IR or chemical, they are just ignored by 
> the "regulatory science" interests.) 

The use of genetically-altered cancer-prone animals in carcinogenesis research 
is really rather new, and I'm not sure that anyone is clear how to use studies 
of these animals in risk assessment.


John Moulder (jmoulder@its.mcw.edu)
Radiation Biology Group
Medical College of Wisconsin