It is an irony that is commented upon by many. Scientists are using the tobacco plant to produce a component of a cancer vaccine:

“…They are using the plants as factories for an antibody chemical specific to the cells which cause follicular B-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

These antibodies are put into a patient newly-diagnosed with the disease, to “prime” the body’s immune system to attack any cell carrying them.”

link: Tobacco ‘could help treat cancer’

While the medical research has, in theory and in clinical settings, tried to find triggers that activate the body’s auto-immune system, the success has been mixed. It would be basically a war on a cellular level. It can be seen conceptually as the body’s immune system recognizing and then attacking the “bad” cells. In this case, the body would be able to identify and attack the lymphoma cells.

If the methodology proves valid and reliable, it would be science coming full circle to a starting point. The scorned tobacco plant could be part of the treatment process.

Catherine Forsythe