Roy Scheider, Actor in ‘Jaws,’ Dies at 75

I was watching the NBC nightly news yesterday when Brian Williams announced Roy Schneider died of complications of Multiple Myeloma in a hospital in Little Rock. Most people probably don't realize Brian helps raise funds for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation ( http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/ ). Also, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy ( http://myeloma.uams.edu/ ) is one of the top facilities in the United States for treating Multiple Myeloma. I was curious what the complications were and now I know...

"Roy Scheider, a stage actor with a background in the classics who became one of the leading figures in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died on Sunday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.

Mr. Scheider had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years, and died of complications from a staph infection, his wife, Brenda Siemer, said." New York Times, 2/11/08.

Microbes are out to get us in case you haven't noticed. I suspect if Roy hadn't been immunosuppressed and fallen victim to staph bacteria, he would still be with us.

However, we don't need to think of all bacteria as being bad and in need of immediate erradication. There is a growing movement toward "growing" bacteria that will help us attack cancer and harmful bacteria. This is done by splicing segments of DNA into the bacteria DNA that enables the bacteria to replicate proteins which are designed to act in the presence of other drugs to destroy cancer. You can read all about it here: http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-01/germ-could-save-your-life