Dr Lawrence Williams develops Bovine Serum Albumin for Animal Testing and Guinea Hen Weed for Cancer

When I work out the cost, if the cost is US$1,000 for using animals, which excludes the chemicals you have to use, this assay is US$100. Cheap, cheap, cheap. And that's complete — including the chemicals already in the assay

Comments by Jamaican Scientist Dr Lawrence Williams on his breakthrough development of a BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin) assay to replace Animal Testing in the Jamaica Observer, Sunday April 14^th 2013

Jamaican Scientist Dr Lawrence Williams has now made it plain that can Jamaicans contribute to the body of scientific work. Dr Lawrence Williams, a researcher at the SRC (The Scientific Research Council) has revealed the publication in the West Indian Medical Journal in 2008 of a means of testing drugs without the need to kill animals using a BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin) assay as published in the article “Jamaican scientist has good news for our animals”, published April 9th, 2013, The Scientific Research Council.  

Animals worldwide, from Guinea Pigs and Rats to Monkeys can give Dr Lawrence Williams two (2) paws up! 

The Jamaica Gleaner cloned the SRC article word for word and The Jamaica Observer almost a week later reported the significance of this scientific publication in the articles  “Jamaican develops serum to save animals from lab testing”, published Monday April 8, 2013 by Keisha Hill, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner and “Scientific breakthrough?”, published Sunday, April 14, 2013 BY KIMONE THOMPSON Associate Editor — Features, The Jamaica Observer  respectively.  

Talk about copycats, SRC!

Regardless, in the process, Dr Lawrence Williams may have also set himself up for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry or possibly the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His discoveries touches on those fields, according to his research buddy German Professor of Chemistry Dr Wolfgang Kraus at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, who cautiously stated quote: “…..the academic community may decide some day about international recognition”.

Interestingly he’s already been nominated for the Nobel Prize before along with winning other prestigious awards:

1.      Nomination for the Nobel Prize (2001)

2.      The United Cultural Convention's International Peace Prize (2003)

3.      The Jamaica's Silver Musgrave Medal (2011)

4.      Nomination for the American Biographical Institute's Man of the Year designation (2010)

BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin) is a Protein derived from the blood of slaughtered cattle, the same blood albumin that’s the active transport mechanism for chemical compounds thought the body. Consequently, as it’s a Protein that chemically resembles the albumin found in humans, it’s excellent for testing the effect of new drugs on at a faction of the cost, about US$100 per assay.  In the words of Dr Lawrence Williams, quote: “There are no justifications at the cellular level why animals should be used to develop drugs for human beings. While this assay is available it should be given priority as it does not involve harming living things”.

His BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin) assay has actually been in use for the past decade at around fourteen (14) Research institutions globally, having been developed over a fourteen (14) year span and been actively developed as a replacement for expensive place of animal testing., it definitely a major breakthrough, based on frequent weekly requests for permission to use his assay technique, quote “I never thought of it as a major breakthrough at the time. I wasn't looking at it in that light until so many people started using it, instead of animals. Every week, basically, for the past six months, people have been asking if they can use it”.

That “cheaper” is what caught my eye as I was trolling the Internet using Google looking for a good replacement for Garlic in my diet and led me eventually to the SRC website.

Discoveries? There are several prior to this one, again which led me to stumbling upon this most recent developement by Dr Lawrence Williams.

Dr Lawrence Williams, the consummate Scientist, graduated from UWI (University of the West Indies in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology with a Chemistry minor and earned his PhD in Zoology in 1991 for his research into Breadfruit, has a rather interesting personal history as detailed in the article “Dr Lawrence Williams has a passion for research”, published Sunday, June 11, 2006 BY PETRE WILLIAMS Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

He also received the prestigious Alexander von Humbolt Scholarship in 2003 to do post-doctoral studies on the Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) at the Hohenheim University in Germany where he was aided in his research by professors Harold Rosner and Wolfgang Kraus. He still works at the SRC as a consultant and he possibly still lectures in Human Anatomy in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies.

Maybe he may even be lecturing over at the newly rebranded Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the West Indies,which now has a now decidedly Engineering-esque focus as surmised in my blog article entitled “UWI's Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences is now Science and Technology as SPIE funds Optics Research - Welcome to the Punch at a multi-billion dollar Optics Revolution”.

Since then he and fellow researcher Dr George Levy, a Jamaican born Doctor who's practicing Medicine in the US have made a Protein complex of the extract of the active chemical in the Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) that fights various cancers as reported in the article “Jamaican scientist lands blow in cancer fight”, published Thursday December 2, 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner and the follow-up article “Williams' cancer patent: Utmost for the highest”, published Thursday December 16, 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Dibenzyl Trisulphide (C₁₄H₁₄S₃ )  and Astilbin are the active ingredients that can be extracted via seeping powdered Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) using a fine cloth bag in Distilled Water made as described in my Geezam blog entitled “How to Make Distilled Water using a Solar Desalinator”.

Then the active compounds, which are organic an slightly soluble in Distilled Water, can then be further purified and crystallized via adding 100% pure Ethyl Alcohol and then using gentle heat from a Vacuum Water Bath to drive off the excess Ethyl Alcohol and Water. The final Green Liquor, so to speak, can be Vacuum Filtered leaving mainly Crystals of Dibenzyl Trisulphide (C₁₄H₁₄S₃ )  and Astilbin for personal use. Best stored in Dark bottle away from direct sunlight, by the way!

Or you can skip all of that and buy a 12-pack of Guinea Hen Weed Extract on Amazon for US$12.95. Either way, it’s to you health’s benefit as it’s several “Ounce[s] of Prevention”, Dr Tony Vendryes Style!

Dibenzyl Trisulphide (C₁₄H₁₄S₃ )  and Astilbin  was among thirty four (34) active phyto-chemical compounds single out in research and shown to specifically attack Cancer Cells to the exclusion of Healthy normal Cells; very rare for naturally occurring phyto-chemical compounds as noted in the article “Guinea hen weed: A powerful Jamaican herb”, published Tuesday October 18, 2011, by Dr Tony Vendryes at, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Dr Lawrence Williams shows no sign of stopping there. He’s got plans to raise a further US$20 million to develop the BSA assay and further his research into Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) main active ingredient, Dibenzyl Trisulphide (C₁₄H₁₄S₃ ) as per the most recent news in the article entitled “More success for Guinea Hen Weed”, published Sunday, April 21, 2013 BY KIMONE THOMPSON Features Editor,  The Jamaica Observer.

But a panacea for all diseases, including Ageing? To quote Dr Lawrence Williams: “The key breakthrough is that DTS can reprogramme the thymus. We think it is going to change the face of medicine. It could be a broad spectrum cure for disease”

And here was I thinking that Nanoparticles of Liposomes with Bee poison Mellitin attached was the only cure all for Cancer as described in my blog article entitled “Washington University School of Medicine Researchers use Liposomes and Melittin to kill HIV - Olympus has Fallen and given us a Panacea for every disease on planet Earth”!

Ditto too for Research into Bacterio-Phage therapy, which I believe the UWI can also undertake here in Jamaica as per my recommendation in my blog article entitled “Bacteriophage Therapy from former USSR State Georgia is a potential treatment against Super-bug Bacteria - Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters Panacea to eradicate Bacterial infections”

By itself, the Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) does a fantastic job of fighting cancer, based on known folklore. This folklore the possible source of the hypothesis and thus subsequent research by the native St. Elizabethan and former Calabar Old Boy Dr Lawrence Williams and Dr George Levy.

The Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea), also referred to as Anamu in Latin American, is also called Guinea Hen Weed, Guinea Hen Leaf, Garlic Weed or Gully Root, has several plant compounds or phyto-chemicals, namely Dibenzyl Trisulphide and Astilbin. Nuff name it have; no wonder it’s famous!

In addition, the Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) also contains a grab-bag of other active ingredients, about 20 of ‘em, mostly Favanoids, Triterpenes, Steroids, and Sulfur compounds. These phyto-chemical compounds are chemically similar to compounds found in Garlic (Allium sativum). Garlic (Allium sativum), like Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea)), is already know to be good for the prostate.

It has other traditional uses know in medical folklore and have now been further validated by science :

1.         Arthritis

2.         Digestive disorders

3.         Infections

4.         Diabetes

5.         Cancers including Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer, Leukemia

6.         Pain relief

7.         Induce abortions

8.         Alzheimer's Disease

9.         Parkinson's Disease

10.     Ageing (yes you read that right!)

This discovery in Cancer treatment using Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria Alliacea) is on the same level and of the same pedigree in the Medicinal Sciences as Jamaican pharmacologist, Professor Manley West and ophthalmologist, Dr. Albert Lockhart.

Both these Scientists used Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) to develop Canasol as noted in “Ganja-based eyedrops a hot sell”, published Sunday August 24, 2003 by Teino Evans, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner, also based on folklore involving Rastafarians having excellent Night Vision due to smoking Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa). Canasol is now a now popular eye drop remedy for Glaucoma and “Doctors develop first eye medication in the Carib”, published Sunday August 16, 2009, The Jamaica Gleaner.

So never mind the fact that this St. Elizabeth native still works at the same place, the SRC (The Scientific Research Council), lives with his parents and is not married. I like his research, especially this latest discovery and the fact he at least enjoys Volleyball, which is a favourite sport of the community I’m from; Milk River, Clarendon.

A lot of animals, from Guinea Pigs and rats to monkeys can give Dr Lawrence Williams two (2) paws up!  Who knows, maybe one day I too may get some recognition for my hair-brained idea for using GSM (Global System Mobile) Triangulation or other more advance techniques to keep track of Stray Animals in Jamaica as suggested in my blog article entitled “The Zoological Society of London and their Cat Map - How UWI's Department of Biotechnology, the JSPCA and Telecom Providers can Kick Ass 2 against Feral Cats and Dogs”.

For now, for SOS (Saving Our Skins) both humans suffering from Cancer and Disease, the Cats and Dogs (2001) give this US$100 discovery 2 Paws up!