Saturday, November 21, 2020

My medical news was fine -- Barry's not so much -- pray for us!

 Dear Reader:

 I been offline much more than usual since posting the last piece.  We really appreciate your prayers and concern.  My blood tests showed a normal level of eosinophils rather than the ominous looking highly elevated reading fr.  Our big worry is my husband's.   I am astonished that he was hospitalized for weeks, sent to physical rehab to "learn" how to do things he had done for years while in a severely weakened  condition.  Only on the day he was to be discharged they came and did medical examination that should have taken place at the beginning -- surprise, surprise -- instead of it being "arthritis", "low blood sugar", "phantom limb pain" it was lung cancer that had been aggressively advancing.  Instead of catching it in earlier stages, it had advanced to stage 4 cancer spread into the ribs,

Barry had doctored regularly with that system and was conscientious about following physician directions..  The hospital is now recommending HOSPICE care for him.  That we even know his condition now is because I had to fight in the system.  When they came in and did x-rays on him bim before his scheduled discharge, they subsequently told him he would have to come back OUT-PATIENT in  couple of weeks for a CT Scan.  I raised a fuss with the hospital staff telling them they had the equipment, he was in the hospital, transporting a bilateral above the knee amputee was difficult if not impossible given his weakened condition -- further exacerbated by the physical exercises they were having him do in the hospital.  When I reminded them that I was the attorney who had once obtained restraining orders against their system, the order was hastily rewritten and he was given the CT scan at the hospital.  Thank God!  We still would not have known the severity of his daily worsening condition had I not done so  The CT scan revealed a lung mass with spread to his rib cage and elsewhere.  They ordered an out-patient biopsy, something I also objected to, but it became inpatient as Barry weakened at home to the level that he once again had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance.  The CT scan and biopsy were advanced by two days and were done in-patient  A thoracentesis was done with removal of 1.25 litres of yellow substance removed from his lungs and it was definitely dangerously advanced stage 4 lung cancer.  

I have been completely consumed by this situation the past few weeks.  Barry has been a good and supportive husband to me over the now 39 1/2 years I have been educating people on the now not so hidden dangers of the New Age and related movements.

Pray for us!

Constance


45 comments:

Anonymous said...

May the Lord's strength and comfort and healing spread further, wider, deeper, than this cancer, and any concern and worry with it, to completely surround Barry and yourself at this time, Constance.

I admire the fighter spirit for righteousness in you more than ever!

Anonymous said...

Constance:

Please know that we are all paying for you and your husband, Barry. May God and His Angels surround you, and comfort you, and give you continued strength.

Christine Erikson (aka Justina) said...

been praying for you and Barry, glad to hear you are okay!

Brenda from Cincinnati said...

May the Lord be with you both!

Hugh from Aloha said...

Prayers for you and Barry! I tried to post you last night, but I couldn't get it to work. It seems to be fine today. I hope Barry gets home soon.

Anonymous said...

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/america-multilateralism-election-joe-biden-donald-trump-by-javier-solana-2020-10?barrier=accesspaylog

Written just prior to America's election and the aftermath.
And he (like Soros and the International Crisis Group) is connected to Dominion Voting Systems besides..

RayB said...

Constance,

I was dismayed to read of your latest troubles. May God shower you both in his tender mercies in the days ahead.

Anonymous said...

Some other people should start sweating soon, rather than worry about Giuliani's perspiration and hair dye.

What he denounced recently instead is serious. It is clear, observing with intelligence the number of votes and the TIMING with which they arrived at ungodly hours of the night, that our elections were mass manipulated to serve Harris. We’ll see how it goes. Trump will probably stay, but we will see some good to get to the settlement of Biden and possibly his prison term. This fracture in the American people's country (aggravated heavily by the election of the homo-foreigner Kenyan boy but instigated long before him) could also cause bloody consequences within the country in January 20. Maybe as you say, the Jesuits want that.

Let Powell unleash her Kraken octopus and the Supreme Court will declare Trump re-elected.



J said...

Constance, may God continue to strengthen, sustain and guide both you and Barry in the coming days.

Anonymous said...

11/3/2020 308 day of the year with 58 remaining
Trump was the 58th inauguration
Alec Baldwin who plays Trump was born in 58
Trump Predictive Programming in 1958 Western 'Trackdown'
This is an interesting one. Not coincidence these clowns use 58 and 88: RED Dragon and Dog Schidt Optics Trump 38,58,88 UHD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J95K16gkHDE

Pam L. said...

Prayers and love surround you both. God watch over you and strengthen you both.

Nancy Reyes said...

You have been in my prayers.
Hospice care would keep him comfortable at home...

Lung cancer is painful and sometimes requires huge doses of narcotics for pain control...sometimes local radiation helps local pain or the brain lesions. Chemo therapy helps sometimes, depending on the type...and dementia from brain metastases can occur.. but watch out for subtle pressure not to be treated of infections etc. Your area has been contaminated with euthanasia activists, and this includes the Catholics who used to oppose such things,alas.

But keeping someone comfortable with huge doses of narcotics and refusing extraordinary treatment is ethically permitted at least in traditional Catholicism.

Ruth Allan, Exeter UK said...

Dear Constance, you and your husband are in my prayers - may our merciful God bless and comfort you both at this time.

Reuben G. said...

Constance, my heart goes to you both and I’ll be praying for you both every day. God bless you.

Craig said...

2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.


Psalm 30:5 [Full Chapter]
...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

RayB said...


CONFIRMED: Georgia Was Stolen – Tally Shows MASSIVE Biden Vote Dumps — Lost Votes for Trump — Vote Ratios Statistically IMPOSSIBLE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_P3-Z2MV5I&feature=emb_logo

Another extremely plausible video using statistical data illustrating how this election was stolen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp0u4dw7GH4&feature=emb_logo

Craig said...

Up to five 'positive' CV-19 tests taken in a row for one person is counted as FIVE individual positives instead of just one--for a person who may not even be positive to begin with (those with antibodies, e.g.). We have a 'casedemic', not a pandemic:

COVID Counting Just As Accurate As Vote Counting

This Florida nurse exposes the #casedemic fraud perpetrated on us. She details how she, herself, can be counted as 5 different positive cases! 1 person!

Craig said...

THAT's my President!

USA: "Unfair" Paris climate accord was designed to "kill" US economy - Trump at G20

Ruptly

US President Donald Trump defended his withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, calling it 'unfair and one-sided' during his recorded speech for the G20 summit, in Washington DC on Sunday.

Anonymous said...

Why Christians Should Dump Trump

I spent years working for a conservative Christian organization. But I believe that supporting Trump damages the country—and Christianity, too.

by MATT KAUFMAN OCTOBER 25, 2020 5:34 PM

https://thebulwark.com/why-christians-should-dump-trump/


It’s well known that conservative Christians are among Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. If all you knew about me was where I’ve worked, you’d probably assume that I’m in the Trump camp too.

I spent nearly three decades with social-conservative organizations, the lion’s share at one of the most prominent evangelical groups—Focus on the Family, founded by James Dobson. As a writer and sometime-editor, I worked for Focus for more than 20 years, first as a staffer (1997-2003), then as a regular contractor. Although most of what Focus does isn’t political, what I did was: I worked for the public-policy department, mainly for its magazine, Citizen (canceled in late 2018).

So yes, I’m a conservative Christian, albeit not an evangelical like most of my former colleagues. (I’m a Missouri Synod Lutheran—different theology, but similar views on many social issues.) Yes, I strongly support pro-life, pro-religious liberty causes. Yes, the Trump administration has done some things to help those causes—appointed some judges, taken some positions in court, enacted some executive-branch policies.

But no, I don’t support Donald Trump. Never have, never will. The price is far, far too high.

The reasons why—well, where to start? More than that, where to stop? Because with Trump, it never stops. The torrential lying and gaslighting. The pathological narcissism. The pettiness, bullying, and cruelty. The Twitter tantrums and schoolyard name-calling. The corruption and abuse of public power for private interests. The assaults on institutions and standards across government and culture. The admiration and emulation of dictators. The derogation of public servants, statesmen, and heroes. The elevation of cranks, crooks, and clowns. The bizarre rants and conspiracy-mongering. The shameless appeals to the ugliest instincts. The blatant racism. The staggering ineptitude. The sheer stupidity. The . . . okay, you get the point.

Any of Trump’s vices by itself could be disqualifying for office. Trump has all of them, and on steroids. There’s just no universe where I can imagine getting behind someone like that.

I’ve got more company than you might think. I know a fair number of Christians—many of them people I’ve worked with—who are appalled by Trump. I find them without really searching. Usually we discover one another in casual conversation: Something Trump said or did will come up, and one of us can’t contain his dismay or disgust (even if it’s just a sigh or a groan), the other picks up on it, and soon we’re bonding, each of us thankful to find another kindred spirit.

One reason our numbers remain somewhat hidden is that some of us have chosen to stay low-profile. Another reason is that we don’t have high-visibility media platforms like those of the major Christian organizations. Even those of us who work for such groups are (in my experience) more common at the middle and rank-and-file levels than at the top: We’re not the ones who choose the content of the broadcasts, magazines, and websites. We’re here: We just can’t get a good idea how many of us are here.

Anonymous said...

However many there are, though, it’s safe to say we’re a minority in my circles. I certainly know more Trump supporters than opponents. I’ve had many conversations with them. Or maybe I should say I’ve had the same conversation with many of them.

Okay, I exaggerate. Not every Trump supporter I know has the same level of enthusiasm for him: Some are rah-rah, others more reluctant. The latter will concede some faults in him, even express exasperation with him. (“I wish he could just say something right,” one friend said recently.) But sooner or later, when I press my case against Trump, I always get the same answer: But the Democrats.

That’s their eternal bottom line. No matter what this president does, no matter how indefensible, the greatest dangers they see always come from the left. How can I fail to back Trump, they wonder, with those threats looming? The closer Nov. 3 comes, the more urgently some of them want to know.

Well, I see dangers on the left too. Just not only on the left. We can’t afford ideological tunnel vision. There also are dangers on the right, like a white-identity politics that’s heavy on grievance, resentment, and fear. And there are dangers that don’t fit on our standard left-right spectrum. If a president is (say) an utterly amoral, unstable, incompetent, insecure egomaniac, then he’s just got to go. Likewise if he acts like an autocrat, a thug or a criminal. Or if he’s beholden to hostile foreign powers. Or if he tramples the constitutional boundaries of his office, undermines basic norms and institutions, shreds the social fabric, poisons civil discourse, promotes tribalism and sets Americans at each other’s throats. He’s. Got. To. Go.

This is not to minimize my differences with Democrats. Those are serious and often deep. It’s a measure of Trump’s all-around awfulness that it overrides those differences for me, and does so overwhelmingly. I’ve found that “but the Democrats” arguments don’t make me feel even a slight tug in Trump’s direction. If anything, they make me feel the reverse. The prospect of Democrats in power does make me feel a more urgent need for an alternative, but one that’s everything Trump is not—decent, honorable, uplifting, ennobling. (Think Philippians 4:8.) It makes me feel a more urgent need to reject Trump and Trumpism—emphatically and publicly.

In part, this is simply a matter of moral integrity. We’ve seen a lot of Christians making a lot of excuses for Trump over the past few years. We’ve seen them twist themselves into knots to avoid facing who he clearly is. We’ve seen them jettison one long-proclaimed standard after another to let him off the hook. We’ve seen them resort to denial, downplaying, and deflection. We’ve seen them deploy and distort Scripture in Trump’s defense as they’d never dream of doing for a Democrat. (To cite the obvious example: If this had been Bill Clinton. . . .)

This is just sad. Christians who spent decades decrying America’s turn toward moral relativism are the last people who should go down this road. We know better. When we do it anyway—sacrificing our professed principles on the altar of political convenience—that changes us. It erodes our character, both individually and corporately.

Besides our own moral integrity, though, there’s another consideration that deserves more attention than it gets. Rejecting Trump is also a matter of moral credibility. This country badly needs credible conservative voices—but more than that, it badly needs credible Christian voices. It will have neither to the extent that conservatives and Christians are broadly identified with support for Trump. People won’t take us seriously. Worse, they’ll recoil against us for the same reasons they recoil against him.

Anonymous said...

https://thebulwark.com/why-christians-should-dump-trump/

Who can blame them? After all:

How are they to believe we care about children and families when Trump intentionally rips children away from migrant and refugee families?

How are they to believe we care about women when Trump brags about getting away with sexual assault and mocks the appearance of some of his accusers, claiming they’re not attractive enough for him to molest?

How are they to believe we care about fighting racism when Trump panders to it so frequently, from pushing birtherism to Charlottesville to telling his nonwhite critics to “go back where they came from”?

How are they to believe we care about the rule of law when Trump so aggressively flouts it—encouraging violent vigilantes and self-styled militias, usurping powers, blocking due process, desperately hiding his finances both from the public and from prosecutors?

How are they to believe we care about national security when Trump regularly sides with Vladimir Putin over our national security professionals?

How are they to believe we care about freedom, democracy, and human rights when Trump acts like an aspiring autocrat at home and cozies up to established autocrats abroad—even as he shows open antipathy toward our democratic allies?

How are they to believe we care about virtues of any sort—love, compassion, humility, service over self, basic decency, you name it—when Trump so persistently embodies the opposite? As one father (a Republican) put it in 2016, “Trump is everything I teach my sons not to be.” Those words have stuck with me. My Dad would have said the same thing; I can just hear him now.

That’s the kind of comprehensive revulsion Trump provokes. He repels across ideological and religious lines. But this has ideological and religious consequences. Trump’s toxicity inevitably spills over onto the people who back him and the things they believe. Millions of other people—not hard leftists or angry atheists, just regular folk—have a visceral reaction: “If that’s what it means to be a conservative, a ‘pro-lifer,’ a Christian, I want no part of it.”

This would be a good time to think about the early church. New Testament believers did what they could to protect their reputation, lest their behavior discredit their faith. They faced persecution simply for being Christians—for professing and living by their convictions. Jesus had warned them about this and blessed them for suffering on His account. But they sought to avoid alienating people for other, less commendable reasons. They were winsome to non-believers. They held their leaders to high standards, including being “well thought of by outsiders” to avoid “falling into disgrace.” They did good works partly to attract others to their faith.

Anonymous said...

https://thebulwark.com/why-christians-should-dump-trump/

As they did, so should we. By all means, hold to the convictions of our faith in a culture that’s loath to tolerate some of them. By all means, defend ourselves when our motives are attacked (as “hate” or various “phobias”) or when we face harassment (sometimes by our own government: Christian legal-defense groups seldom lack work). It’s right to stand by our principles, especially when the state seeks to force us to act against them. But it’s folly for us to act in ways that lend credence to our accusers. And in today’s context, that applies to more than just how we act in our personal lives. It also applies to the public figures we choose to support, and how they act.

Which brings us back to you-know-who. It’s not enough for us to behave well individually if we collectively support someone who behaves like Trump. How many people will believe we’re not motivated by hate and fear if we tie ourselves to someone who traffics in both—someone who invites the worst elements of society to come out and play? How many will believe we are motivated by conscience if we rally behind someone who’s devoid of one? What kind of Christian witness is that to the world?

In short, how much do our political allegiances damage the faith that we’re supposed to be spreading?

In the end, this might be the most compelling reason for Christians to reject Trump. There’s no shortage of others. Yes, he’s bad for our society in so many ways. Yes, he’s bad for the very causes some of us see as reasons to support him. Above all, though, he’s bad for the cause of Christ—in ways more destructive than an army of avowed enemies could ever be.

From a Christian’s perspective, nothing should matter more than that. And if something does—like defeating Democrats at all times, at all costs—then I fear we’re falling into the devil’s trap. In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis had some things to say about the spiritual perils of politicized Christianity—how factionalism and partisanship can skew our priorities. See for yourself in chapter 7: Like most things Lewis wrote, it’s worth the time.

I know the partisan temptation well: I’ve felt it often enough, particularly when I was a young man. And in my line of work, I also know the temptation to focus so heavily on certain issues that you lose sight of the big picture. Breaking away from those mindsets is a long-term process that takes conscious effort. But break away we must. If the Donald Trump experience doesn’t motivate us to do it, I don’t know what will.

Matt Kaufman is a writer based in Illinois. He is a former associate editor and contributing editor for Focus on the Family’s ‘Citizen’ magazine.

J said...

The author makes good points, but we need to start by sorting perception from reality. The author frequently conflates perception with reality. Leaving it conflated in that way, would make our witness compromised, by enabling mass delusions, that call evil good, and call good evil.

Witnessing to non-Christians requires perspective taking. But if their perspectives are delusional, we must not be enabling.

It is more of a conundrum and less of a clear choice than the author of the article says.

J said...

One more thing. The younger generations on both sides of the political spectrum are less Christian than previous generations were. It's not only on the Left. It's also on the Right. Both groups need Christian witness. Christians must be careful to avoid appearing -- or actually being -- hypocritical but not just to the Left. Also to the Right, especially the younger generations on the Right.

And sometimes we have no choice but to be misunderstood. We can't control what everybody will think, feel and say about us. So then we have to prioritize God's eyes above the eyes of the world.

Hutch said...

Very thankful for your medical news, Constance. Your husband has been through so much more than most of us could bare. I pray for a remission and continued strength and peace for the two of you.

J said...

More thoughts, and then I promise I am done. Buttigieg talks a lot about religion. He is going to be in Biden's cabinet, it is said. Will his way of walking his faith come in for criticism, too? Or would the author not bother, because we all really know Buttigieg can't give Christianity a bad name, since nobody really believes he's a Christian? Or maybe it's easier to criticize Trump supporters than Buttigieg? Questions that arise...

RayB said...

From the article posted by Anonymous @ 5:03 AM ....

In reference to Donald Trump: "How many will believe we are motivated by conscience if we rally behind someone who’s devoid of one?"

NOTE: Several things must be considered when reading such a biased, judgmental statement. First, the author is making the claim that Trump has no "conscience." How he is able to ascertain Trump's inner most being, he does not say. Second, his judgment is singular. The author does not apply the same judgmental application to Joe Biden, who has publicly stated his support for late term abortions, initial support for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, radical revolutions in Libya, Egypt, Yemen, etc. along with the expansion of war policies in the Middle East (including Iran & Syria), protecting the LGBT agenda by granting them "minority status," has repeatedly been found to habitually lie and commit plagiarism, etc., etc. In short, Biden has 47 years of "inside the beltway" baggage, much in the way of a record that is unconscionable, yet, the author never even mentions Biden's name !

Had the author said "our hope is ultimately only found in Christ and His Kingdom (which is spiritual) and cannot be transferred, in a trustful manner, to ANY politician," I would whole heartedly agree. However, he didn't say that. Instead, he used his forum for a hit piece on Trump which implies his support for Biden ! What a shameful, deceitful article from a "professing" Christian.

RayB said...


Several days ago, on the previous thread, I wrote that, unknown to many people, the media actually makes unconventional advertising money by providing subliminal messaging from "corporations and even nations" that have an interest in propagandizing the unsuspecting public.

Some may have thought that my post sounded "conspiratorial." Here is an article that offers proof that it is anything but that:

The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post Among Newspapers Paid Millions by Beijing-Controlled News Outlet to Publish Propaganda this Year

From the article posted below:

"China Daily, which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s State Council Information Office, its propaganda agency, has for years paid newspapers and magazines in the U.S. and other Western countries to publish advertorials designed to look like legitimate news articles."

Read the entire article here:

https://tennesseestar.com/2020/11/23/the-wall-street-journal-washington-post-among-newspapers-paid-millions-by-beijing-controlled-news-outlet-to-publish-propaganda-this-year/

Anonymous said...

Clarifying the recent news about Sidney Powell . . .

While Rudy Giuliani of Trump's legal team has used phrases like 'distanced themselves from Sidney' and 'practicing law on her own'... Lin Wood has assured people that Powell is still in the game.

The reality (and what makes more sense) is that this differentiation has more to do with contributions coming in for Trump's legal team. In other words... if Powell represents the campaign, the government regulates individual donations. If she's apart from the campaign, things are less constrained.

While Sidney is concentrating on a criminal case and the international aspects of the case (e.g. the governor of Georgia taking bribes, etc.)... the rest of Trump's legal team is concentrating on the domestic aspects of the case ~ which are more provable in court.

Sidney continues to represent 'we the people'... and they are not at odds with the rest of all of these 'moving parts'.

___________________________________________________________________________________________


https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/11/making_sense_of_the_news_about_sidney_powell.html


https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/11/michael-flynn-jr-releases-information-trump-teams-sidney-powell-statement-not-think/

RayB said...

J @ 10:00 AM ...

Your post provoked some thoughts on Buttigieg's profession of Christianity:

Buttigieg's type of "christianity" is far more popular than you might imagine, and, it's been around for centuries. In fact, it goes back to the 1st. Century. The Apostle Paul addressed this very subject in 1 Corinthians 6:

9 KNOW YE NOT THAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN? BE NOT DECEIVED: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

11 AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (block letters for emphasis)

In order to excuse their heretical lifestyle, Buttigieg types love to quote Jesus's words to the woman caught in adultery;

"Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

"She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee:"

However, they ALWAYS leave out what Jesus commanded; "go, and sin no more." See John 8: 1-11

Anonymous said...

mRNA [Micro RNA adapters could be in the vaccine, changing your genetic make up forever] lucifer[ian] \ Mark of the Beast [?]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6TjPj8IEPE


The Great Reset (The Coming Economic Crisis) - Part 1 by Keith Malcomson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0p-CvgFhBk

The Great Reset (The Coming Economic Crisis) - Part 2 by Keith Malcomson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl5PKBCuegc

Anonymous said...

"Today I bring you a couple of personal background stories to help put the puzzle pieces together: this is how the "new" RNA "vac.cine" is meant to work, why they need the enzime named after evil, and what the inoculation's purpose is, in the human body. This video will help you understand WHY they've been applying gene sequencing technology (swab tests) instead of immunology (blood tests)."

"If this is not transhumanism, then I don't know what is.
Translucient: transmitting light but causing sufficient diffusion to prevent perception of distinct images;
transmitting rays of light, without being transparent; clear"

So would you accept the false light? This is as CLEAR as it can get!
It has his name now. No place for confusion.

It took so much to record, render and upload this video!
The beast apparently has a learning disability. It still hasn't accepted the fact I don't give up easily.
After recording I noticed a really strange repetitive, robotic bird like sound in the background. No idea what this is. Certainly couldn't hear it otherwise.

May GOD set us free from this evil, and bring JUSTICE forth!

Please save your children, and do not be naive. This is NO va.xx.ine. This is
the End.


Educational video on gene expression:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG7uC...

More on the subject of transhumanism, by a christian doctor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywuCR...

My Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/daya_tom/

My photography on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/daya_tom_ph...

My photography on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DayaTomsPhot...

mRNA [Micro RNA adapters could be in the vaccine, changing your genetic make up forever] lucifer[ian] \ Mark of the Beast [?]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6TjPj8IEPE

Anonymous said...

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

https://www.tmc.edu/news/2020/07/fireflies-help-kindle-new-tests-and-treatments-for-covid-19/


Fireflies help kindle new tests and treatments for COVID-19
Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) have harnessed the enzyme luciferase to accelerate diagnostics and vaccine development.

Fireflies help kindle new tests and treatments for COVID-19

Scientists at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) have employed an unlikely partner in their quest to develop treatments for COVID-19 disease: the common firefly.

Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are insects in the Lampyridae family who use bioluminescence to attract potential mates and prey. Their conspicuous glow at twilight comes from an enzyme called luciferase, which can be isolated in the lab. Now, UTMB virologists are using the enzyme to develop faster and more accurate diagnostic tests for COVID-19 as well as to analyze potential therapies and gain a clearer understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself.

“We are very much interested in using basic research knowledge to develop systems … to support translational work, for example, diagnosing disease, vaccine development, medical countermeasures and therapeutic drugs—all those things that can be applied to the public health and human well-being,” said Pei-Yong Shi, Ph.D., professor of human genetics in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at UTMB. He is leading the research by labeling viruses with glowing tags like luciferase to study them.

Prior to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, Shi’s team had been focused on flaviviruses, including West Nile virus, Zika and dengue. His lab developed the first infectious clones of the epidemic strain of both West Nile and Zika and have established new pathways for flavivirus vaccine and drug discovery.

But as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, Shi’s lab adapted by altering research techniques to address the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

First, researchers harnessed luciferase to develop faster diagnostic testing through innovative assays—investigative procedures that measure the activity or amount of a substance. The lab can now visually confirm the presence of antibodies that can block a SARS-CoV-2 infection earlier than through previous methods.

“The great thing about luciferase, and the one that we specifically use which is nanoluciferase, is that it’s really bright,” said Coleman Baker, a fourth-year graduate student in the department of microbiology and immunology at UTMB who works in the Shi lab. “We found that these detection assays can be read earlier than most people thought. Most people would do these 24 to 48 hours after infection and we found that you can read them as early as 4 hours post-infection.”

Not only does the enhanced brightness provided by luciferase decrease turnaround time for a diagnosis, but it also helps speed up the process of vaccine development.

“For vaccine studies, you need to find out how much of a response somebody has to a potential vaccine,” Baker said. “So, instead of the traditional way—which could take days—we can get results in four hours after infection.”

Anonymous said...

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates Part 2

Shi said his team has been collaborating with leading pharmaceutical companies to help them evaluate their vaccine candidates, specifically by measuring the immune response in humans in clinical trials. His lab’s system—based on reporter viruses in which the luciferase enzyme is inserted into the virus’ genome to make it easy to follow—measures the concentration of neutralizing antibodies while also allowing for a much higher throughput. According to Xuping Xie, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at UTMB, this way of measuring the immune response is more accurate than traditional methods.

“The sensitivity and the dynamics of the assay, because of the luciferase, can really allow us to discern any small changes that the conventional way would not,” said Xie. “It’s much more sensitive, much more accurate, when you test antiviral compounds.”

The compounds to which Xie is referring are potential therapies, including antiviral drugs already on the market for non-COVID-19 viral infections.

The researchers recently tested every antiviral drug approved by the FDA for human use to see if any were effective against SARS-CoV-2.

“These assays allow us to very rapidly look at each in a very sensitive way very accurately,” Shi said. “That’s really allowed us to decide whether there is a potential so-called repurposing of these drugs for COVID-19 treatment, including remdesivir, chloroquine and others.”

The virologists also have created a system for manipulating and studying SARS-CoV-2 itself, paving the way for a deeper understanding of what happens when the virus enters the human body.

“Because of this system we created, we can study and understand the virus in ways that others cannot,” Baker said. “We have the ability to go in and make changes in the virus and see what those changes affect in the different cells that it’s infecting. So, not only have we developed these assays to look at drugs—to look at antibody responses—but we also are probing the virus itself and looking at how it interacts with the immune system.”

Even more, the team is studying the virus’ genome to analyze how it has evolved and what that means for human health—including how it affects the body and how it transmits among different populations—using techniques they developed for studying Zika and its connection to microcephaly, a neurological condition in which an infant’s head is significantly smaller than other infants of the same gender and age.

“When we manipulate the viruses, it allows us to address a lot of important questions, such as how the virus is adapting and changing over time,” Shi said. “For example, SARS-CoV-2 now has been spreading in humans for six months—has the virus changed? Do these changes affect viral transmission and disease severity? Scientists around the world have been chasing the virus to answer those exact questions.”

Shi noted that his lab is sharing innovations with scientists worldwide to help advance public health efforts as quickly as possible.

He hopes his research will light the way.

Tags | Coleman Baker, coronavirus, COVID-19, luciferase, Pei-Yong Shi, SARS-CoV-2, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, utmb, vaccine, Xuping Xie, zika

https://www.tmc.edu/news/2020/07/fireflies-help-kindle-new-tests-and-treatments-for-covid-19/#single-article-body

Anonymous said...

Global Elite’s “Great Reset” Agenda (Shocking Discoveries Revealed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xO723gH7Go

Anonymous said...

Whistleblower nurse at NYC epicenter exposes Covid fraud . . .

https://www.infowars.com/posts/interview-whistleblower-nurse-at-nyc-epicenter-exposes-covid-fraud/


Anonymous said...

BREAKING: A judge just issued a humiliating smackdown of Trump’s lawyers in court.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_get06-tgo

RayB said...

Look for a LOT MORE of this in Joe Biden/Commiela Harris's America:

From the link below:

"Phoenix, a 5 year-old, is dragged on stage by his mother to announce his trans-gender to strangers."

"Imagine if you were a kid pretending to be a dinosaur one day and all the adults suddenly started roaring at you and forcing everyone else to treat you like a dinosaur, and then your mom brought you onstage to announce to the world that you were indeed T Rex."

https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/if-this-doesnt-radicalize-you-nothing-will/

PS: Lest you think this is hyperbole, recall when Biden was asked by the "mother" of an 8 year old that was "transgendering" if he had a "right" to do that? Biden answered: "Of course ... there should be no discrimination."

RayB said...


Why I LOVE My Mask ....

https://www.citizenfreepress.com/breaking/why-i-love-my-mask-comedy-gold/

Anonymous said...

I feel bad posting and having other discussions on Constance's blog while she and her husband struggle so mightily. My mother is struggling in much the same way (while refusing to say anything about such to her children) so it's painful to hear in that regard as well.

May you find rest and comfort in the love and hope of Jesus, and others that surround you. My prayer is that you feel God's love and comfort as Barry struggles with such dire illness. Sending caring thoughts and hope for recovery during this difficult time.

x

Anonymous said...

"I feel bad posting and having other discussions on Constance's blog while she and her husband struggle"

X, Why didn't you just post with regards to Constance instead of finding a way of making it about you..again?
We all have things going on.

Your stab of conscience is for you, so keep it to yourself, if you feel so bad (or, unless it is just another one of your underhanded, ill-fitting, purposeful statements?)

Anonymous said...

11:03 AM,

You sound like a sociopath.

X mentioned the struggles of his own mum so as to show empathetic comfort to Constance.

You have cruelly dismissed X's pain and Constance's by your words and you have grievously insulted X's mother and Barry too.

Shame on you!

J said...

Maybe there are a couple of outcomes of the 2020 election to be thankful for.

1) Republicans Won Almost Every Election Where Redistricting Was At Stake

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-won-almost-every-election-where-redistricting-was-at-stake/

2) Republicans Are On Track To Take Back The House In 2022

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-2020-gains-in-the-house-set-them-up-well-for-2022/

RayB said...


Don't miss this one! Watch the TruNews team dissect why the Trump Team has officially distanced itself from Attorney Sidney Powell. This is WAY deeper than you may have ever imagined, and it involves the thoroughly demonic New World Order.

This broadcast also shows a CNN Special Report by Lou Dobbs back in 2006 that exposes the Dominion voting machine ... owned and operated by Venezuelan businessmen. Much more ... watch !

https://www.trunews.com/stream/caged-kraken-hair-dye-rudy-slams-powell-after-she-linked-cia-to-dominion

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