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Mr. LLOYD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I saw your presentation on "60 Minutes," Dr. Jacob, and I was
very much intrigued. I just can't believe the-well, I can believe it
because you say it, but the tremendous effects it must have had on
reduction of damaged tissue. As an experienced medical man, is
there any clinical reason for that dramatic reduction of damaged
tissue?
Dr. JACOB. Yes, in the test tube, if you have cells which are
damaged by what we call osmotic stress and you add DMSO to
those damaged cells, instead of those cells going on to die, those
cells will be revitalized and return to a normal state.
It actually does more than relieve pain. DMSO is not just a
substance that reduces pain and relieves inflammation. It actually
relieves swelling and this has been demonstrated in good, basic
science studies.
Mr. LLOYD. Mr. Jones' testimony about the player with a bone
chip and a torn ligament who used this and within 7 or 8 days was
able to suit up again is really not only dramatic but it is very
difficult to believe.
Mr. Jones, I am not picking on you, but I participated, certainly
not at your level of sports, but I participated at sports. I have had
damaged ankles, shoulders, hands, and I have never experienced
anything that I could recover from that fast. I played basketball
one season and I was on crutches for 30 days with a sprained ankle
because I had torn the ligament. As a matter of fact, I would have
to say it was 1 year before I could really run again.
What you are saying is that the man was damaged far worse
than I was and it makes it very difficult for me to believe.
Dr. Jacob, would you respond to that? I realize you were not
there. Mr. Jones should respond.
Mr. JONES. Not only has that happened to Haskel, but I have had
that happen to me. About 3 weeks ago I sprained my left ankle.
You know how this happens. When I went down, everybody on the
court heard my ankle pop. I never went and had an X-ray but I
went home and put the DMSO on. Within an hour after it hap-
pened-I put it on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, went into the train-
ing room on Monday and had discoloration from the middle of the
leg all the way down to the toe. I taped it and I played basketball
on Monday.
When I am talking about Haskel and myself, it was not relative-
ly pain free but I could play. That is the name of the game in our
business.
Mr. LLOYD. Dr. Jacob?
Dr. JACOB. Jack de la Torre who is head of neurological research
at the University of Miami and Marvin Paul from Mount Sinai are
here. Jack de la Torre has done research in areas of stroke and
areas that hit the elderly. I think this is something that is most
important for the committee to hear.
Mr. LLOYD. I will not ask any more questions, but I would have
to say the gentleman from the FDA has a long hill to climb by the
time he gets here.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.
Mr. Bonker?
