Israeli find could mean cure to deafness

[Fozzledick]

by JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH

An Israeli discovery on the function of tiny molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) in the inner ears of mice could lead to the cure of human deafness in adults caused by aging, disease, drugs and noise, or genetic disease in children.

The research, carried out over three years by world-renowned geneticist Prof. Karen Avraham of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and Dr. Lilach Friedman and other post-doctoral researchers in her lab, has just been released for publication in the prestigious journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America).

About one out of every two elderly people suffers from some degree of hearing disability, while one in 1,000 infants is born deaf due to mutant genes. Healthy babies are born with 15,000 sensory hair cells in each ear that allow them to hear. These hair cells are responsible for translating sounds to electrical pulses that the brain can interpret.

When these cells die off in a process called apoptosis, it results in hearing disability, and when the hair cells are all gone, profound deafness follows. Finding the mechanism in which apoptosis occurs might make it possible to prevent it.

...

Avraham, who collaborates with Palestinian researchers to help them understand and fight the high rate of genetic deafness in the offspring of Arabs who marry first cousins, concludes that if scientists can figure out how microRNAs regulate hair cells, they could be used to rescue the cells that are dying.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239633076361&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Of course, the Israel-bashers just don't want to hear it...

(OK, I've had my snark for the day:evilgrin: )

[sellitman]

1. Error: You can't recommend threads from this forum

I see your snark and raise you one.

[Voice for Peace]

2. ehh??

mice??

[Fozzledick]

3. Details from the article - similar biology

"The internal ears of mice and humans are very similar," Avraham told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
...
The study investigated both mice and zebrafish, but the model holds true for all vertebrates - including humans, she said. It's a whole new level of looking at our genome," said the TAU geneticist, who is originally from New Jersey.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. Israel bashers?

oh fuck me with a iranian stick.

it is NOT SOME DAMN hatred of israel that is the problem. it is the fucking israeli policies of death, torture and destruction that are the problem.

israel bashers, my ass.

[Fozzledick]

5. "Their words are unimportant and we do not hear them"

Sorry, but the rabid hatred, hyperbolic distortions and cynical disregard for facts I see around here appear to me to be driven by a narrow, dogmatic political agenda.

Now if I could just find an Iranian stick...

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Douglas Carpenter]

9. go peddle your RACIST BULLSHIT somewhere else!!! Not on a progressive forum!!

YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE!!

Imagine if someone said:' "You think the Jews there are going to even momentarily consider making themselves better off before they find a new enemy, a new 'other' to hate? If so, you're too naive to be permitted Internet access."

[Kurska]

11. Glad to see the king of DU is here to banish those he disagrees with from his domain.

If you think It's so bad report it, but don't attempt to unilaterally exile people from the board.

[Violet_Crumble]

20. I just alerted on it, because it is outright bigotry... n/t

[Douglas Carpenter]

45. I would encourage you think about what that poster said about Arabs as a people

Remember his comments were not directed against Arab governments or Arab political movements but Arab people as a people.

If someone came to this forum and described Jewish people - not the Israeli state or Zionist political organizations - but Jewish people as a people in terms that were clearly intended to represent Jews as subhuman savages without any natural qualities of humanity - would you think they belong on a progressive forum or progressive organization or associated in anyway with the Democratic Party?

The fact that some might believe their vile message of racist hate only makes it worse. No one would excuse neonazis because they might actually believe what they are saying. And what this poster said is just as as racist and just hateful and just dehumanizing as the ravings of crazed right-wing extremist anti-Semites.

[azurnoir]

12. The years between 1964 and 2001 must have been

so frustrating for some people here and then voila there's a group that's ok to hate and the best part is some of that group are actually darker than a brown paper bag

[notesdev]

13. "racist bullshit"?

With all due respect: go screw yourself, asshole. There's not the slightest ounce of racism in what I wrote. If you perceive such, then you need only consult a mirror to find your hated racist.

[Violet_Crumble]

21. What you said was definately bigoted...

Which is why you couldn't answer the question Douglas asked you and instead opted to erupt in a fit of mindless insults...

[notesdev]

37. No sorry, it wasn't

I made no reference to any sort of racial characteristics. The word "Arabs" is there simply to distinguish them from the non-Arabs (who they wish to destroy - odd how there's no 'racism' in that).

If you people think that's 'racist', then you spend WAY WAY too much time obsessing over this topic. WAY too much.

Had I realized I was in the Israel/Palestine Food Fight Forum before I posted on this thread, I probably would have left you all to your orgy of reciprocating recriminations and stuck with the Economy forum where all the important stuff is.

[Violet_Crumble]

46. You need to pay attention. I said yr post was bigoted, not racist...

And it definately was bigoted. Seeing you totally ignored the point Douglas made, I'll ask you. You'd not think it was bigoted if someone were to say "You think the Jews there are going to even momentarily consider making themselves better off before they find a new enemy, a new 'other' to hate? If so, you're too naive to be permitted Internet access."?

See, whether that sort of thing is said about Jews or Arabs, it's bigoted because it's taking a group of people and indulging in negative stereotypes to paint them as hatefilled people to be held in contempt. That sort of thing is done by some and aimed at Jews, Arabs, Israelis or Palestinians, and it tends to come from folk who have no problem with dehumanising entire groups of people and who haven't been to the areas they're busy making negative generalisations about.

[Douglas Carpenter]

16. if the statement had been made about any other ethnic group except Arabs

They would be banned very quickly and EVERYONE would support their banning?

What is stunning is how on a liberal/progressive forum, openly, overt racist can have absolutely no shame.

[cali]

18. actually, comments like that, and worse, are made frequently

at DU and not just about Arabs. Alas.

[Violet_Crumble]

19. And when they're made about Jews, the posters are banned...

Bigotry of the sort in post #6 is not acceptable in any way, and it's a tad sickening to watch people excuse it away by saying they've seen worse....

[cali]

23. No, they're certainly not always banned when they're made about Jews

not even close. I'm sorry to say that your assertation is completely false. If allowed I could name and link to seveval right here in DU who have made equally offensive comments about Jews and who are happily posting away. And on other forums the same thing occurs with regard to all kinds of groups. The worst, I'd say in the homophobic crap. Just the other day I alerted on a really awful homophobic post by a long time poster. That person was not tombstoned. And in LBN, there was a truly ugly anti-semitic comment that was deleted last week, but the poster was not kicked off the board.

[Violet_Crumble]

24. Okay, show me any in this forum who haven't been banned...

And when it comes to bigotry against Jews, the mods do ban those folk when they spring up, and I can recall quite a few who were banned after making bigoted comments about Jews during OCL. My understanding about DU is that bigoted comments are not allowed, and that those who make repeated bigoted comments end up banned. If I'm wrong about it and DU operates on a *this bigotry is worse than that bigotry, so we won't react as strongly to all types of bigotry* rule of thumb, then I'd lose a lot of respect for DU...

The bottom line is that the negative generalisations and bigotry against an entire group of people as exhibited in the post in this thread should never be found acceptable under any circumstances. It was an ugly comment, as well as being totally incorrect....

[cali]

25. that's not allowed and you know it.

furthermore, violet, I've seen quite a few pro-Israeli posters who were tombstoned, and rightfully for making anti-Muslim or anti-Palestinian comments. The mods aren't perfect and plenty of people who make comments defaming certain groups, remain on the board.

[Violet_Crumble]

26. Yr free to PM it to me..that is allowed,

Because during the time of OCL, I saw no-one tombstoned in this forum for making bigoted comments about Arabs or Muslims, while I saw a bunch of folk banned for making antisemitic comments. Even though there were some extreme 'contributions', among them one DUer who unfortunately polluted this forum for a few days, and advocated the killing of Palestinian civilians, and they're still posting away at DU.

[cali]

27. I'll tell you what. you pm me first with the names of those

you're referring to, and then I'll pm you.

[Violet_Crumble]

29. I just tried to, but the thing says I can't PM you...

I think you have to fiddle with the settings or something so I can send a PM to you...

[cali]

30. huh? I'll fiddle with it.

[Violet_Crumble]

36. It's working now :)

[Vegasaurus]

31. They certainly are still posting away

There are no longer even any efforts by these posters to say "Israeli politicians" or leadership.


They first started broadbrushing ALL Israelis as racist bigoted apartheid and genocide supporters.

Then it became all Zionists, including American Jewish democrats and progressives.

Then it seems that it is ok to malign all Jews, as somehow responsible for the problems in the middle east.

Sickening.

[LeftishBrit]

39. Agreed

I've come across some statements and some links to pretty vile sites with regard to Jews -though usually not in this forum. Someone once seriously recommended the Protocols of the Elders of Zion - the post was deleted, but the poster so far as I know is still 'live'. And similar broadbrush attacks on many other groups (e.g. Catholics all support paedophilia; all Pakistanis are Muslim theocratic fanatics; America would have done the world a favour by destroying the British Isles at the turn of the 19th century; and plenty more!) DU is a far more reasonable site than most I've been on; but there are always people on any site who've got their prejudices, plus the issue that I keep harping on: there are anti-establishment right-wingers who pose as (false) friends to the left.

[demosincebirth]

10. Ditto

[LeftishBrit]

41. Bit of a broadbrush statement,.,

'You think the Arabs there are going to even momentarily consider making themselves better off before they find a new enemy'

Which Arabs? This all sounds rather stereotyped to me. There aren't THE Arabs; there are lots of different Arab groups and countries. Are you referring to the Palestinians or to all Middle Eastern countries? Either way, while it's true that most Middle Eastern countries are not exactly left-wing dovish multicultural paradises, it's hardly true that they are only interested in enmities and don't want to make themselves 'better off'. Many Middle Eastern countries are doing pretty well economically.

And for that matter lots of countries outside the Middle East have conflicts and enmities!

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Idealism]

14. I am sure there are many people who will be grateful to hear of this. n/t

[azurnoir]

15. Can we then expect that Israel will be

using this break though to repair the hearing damage done to to the hearing of Palestinian children by IAF's using sonic booms?

The activists carried a symbolic cargo of 200 hearing aids and thousands of balloons for Gaza children. Halper said frequent sonic booms from Israeli aircraft over Gaza have damaged the hearing of many children. The Palestinians had asked for 9,000 hearing aids, but the group could not afford to buy that many, he added.

http://www.mklsisters.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1021&Itemid=21

Israel is deploying a terrifying new tactic against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip by letting loose deafening "sound bombs" that cause widespread fear, induce miscarriages and traumatise children.

The removal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip opened the way for the military to use air force jets to create dozens of sonic booms by breaking the sound barrier at low altitude, sending shockwaves across the territory, often at night. Palestinians liken the sound to an earthquake or huge bomb. They describe the effect as being hit by a wall of air that is painful on the ears, sometimes causing nosebleeds and "leaving you shaking inside".

The Palestinian health ministry says the sonic booms have led to miscarriages and heart problems. The United Nations has demanded an end to the tactic, saying it causes panic attacks in children. The shockwaves have also damaged buildings by cracking walls and smashing thousands of windows.

"I have never heard such a loud explosion. I thought it was right over the top of my building," said the owner, Tareq Dayyeh. "Sometimes you hear the rockets the Israelis fire but this was different. I felt like I was in the middle of a bomb. When I ran out the door I thought I might find the rest of the street was gone."

The UN Palestinian refugee agency said a majority of the patients seen at its clinics as a result of the sonic booms were under 16 and suffering from symptoms such as anxiety attacks, bedwetting, muscle spasms, temporary loss of hearing and breathing difficulties.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/nov/03/israel

[Donald Ian Rankin]

17. Note the word "could".

Sloppy science journalism annoys me nearly as much as the I/P conflict. "Miracle cure" stories like this one are two a penny; don't hold your breath for it to hit the market. It sounds like credible medical research, and - like most science - it probably deserves better reporting than it gets.

[Sezu]

40. I wonder if in another lifetime you objected to the guy who said

the earth "could," be round.

:sarcasm:

[Donald Ian Rankin]

42. No, but I probably objected to the people who said it could be flat.

N.T.

[Violet_Crumble]

22. This OP and thread is a microcosm of all that's wrong with the I/P forum...

We start with you taking a positive article that's got nothing to do with the I/P conflict, and adding that idiotic comment intended to turn the whole thread into nothing but an inflammatory flamefest. Then we get the obligatory negative generalisations of Arabs happening a few posts in, and then to top it off we get some twit raving incoherently (though by the clumsy use of the sarcasm icon, they seem to think they're being sarcastic) about Zionists in a way that no regular in this forum does. Congrats for dragging this forum just that little bit further into the gutter. You clearly have some sort of unwillingness to discuss the I/P conflict rationally, but that doesn't mean there's not other folk here who get sick of the sort of shit that happens in this thread...

[ProgressiveMuslim]

28. Does not even belong in this forum!

Looks like the minions have their marching orders to counter BDS stirrings.

[Vegasaurus]

32. What minions?

The fact is that there is constant innovation coming from Israel, products, services and technology that helps the whole world.

People won't boycott what they use everyday or that which makes their lives better.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

33. I/P isn't the forum in which to market Israeli products. Perhaps you could start one elsewhere. nt

[Vegasaurus]

34. I am not the OP

but you are quick to post everything on boycotting possible.

This is the other side of the coin, and appropriate to post here.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

35. Pathetic. nt

[Sezu]

38. It doesn't work that way in her mind I guess. I've seen this in

many other forums; good news about Israelis, Jews, Zionists is verboten.

[Fozzledick]

43. To some extent I actually agree with what you said, but probably not the way you want

As I've noted before, my more serious posts about the developing political situation tend to drop with little comment, but addressing the knee-jerk Israel-bashing directly brings out the hungry guppies for a feeding frenzy of disingenuous denial and gratuitous ad-hominum flaming that quickly degenerates into pointless quibbling over who said what when. Leads me to believe they're only interested in catapulting the propaganda. Always interesting to see complaints from the worst offenders, though.

[Violet_Crumble]

47. Nah, you didn't agree with me at all...

'Addressing the knee-jerk Israel-bashing'? Bullshit. For one thing, you took a positive article and added an inflammatory comment that was nothing but flame-bait, and secondly, as I saw you in another thread a while imply that one of the most balanced posters in this forum when it comes to the conflict itself was an *Israel-basher*, how about instead of flinging that term round like the world will end if you don't include it in every post, how about you explain what exactly an *Israel-basher* is? Here's a suggestion. If you are (and I've got strong doubts you are) interested in getting into serious and civil discussions about the conflict, there's absolutely nothing stopping you doing so. Rather than knee-jerking away and calling those you disagree with *Israel-bashers*, how about asking people what their opinions are on things that are being discussed, taking the time to read what they say and responding to what they actually say. It's called conversation, and it can be quite rewarding. Try it. You might find you take to it...

[IndianaGreen]

44. This thread should be in the Science Forum, but since it is in I/P, it deserves an I/P answer

The cure for deafness will allow Israelis to hear the cries of the Palestinians being enslaved under the IDF's jackboots.