Fevers might remit cancers. Got your attention?
It's February, named for the Roman god Februalia, from the Etruscan Februus, god of Malaria and source of our word "fever." From Arts & Letters Daily, this is a fascinating piece on the role of fever in the body's fight against cancer cells, the history of experimentation in this field, and the possible explanations for the observed efficacy of fever-treatments. Related issues: the biology of streptococcus pathogens, the innate vs. adaptive immune systems, and the narrow experimental approach of "magic bullet" pharmaceutical research. Also, lipopolysaccharide layers and mannan-binding lectin pathways (MBL). Cheers!
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