August 10, 2011

'Serial Killer' T-Cells Put Cancer in Remission

Sarah Williams, Science Now


Wikimedia Commons

The patient was dying of leukemia. One hundred seventy out of every 200 cells in his bone marrow had a cancer-causing mutation, and his lymph nodes were swelling, a sign the cancer was getting worse. He'd already been on multiple courses of chemotherapy, but his disease showed few signs of improvement. Then, in July 2010, he enrolled in a clinical trial for an experimental treatment, designed to turn his own immune cells against his cancer. Months later, all signs of leukemia had vanished, his physicians report today.

Read Full Article ››

TAGGED: Gene therapy, cancer treatment, cancer, T-cells, experimental drug

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

May 16, 2012
Hijacking Cell Motility to Combat Disease
Elise Lamar, HHMI Bulletin
Multicellular organisms harbor armies of cells on the move. Most are on goodwill missions—immune cells chase bacteria, and wound-healing fibroblasts rush in to fill gaps after injuries. Others, such as metastatic ... more ››
May 14, 2012
We Lose Control of Our DNA at Age 55
Sybille Hildebrandt, ScienceNordic
Our bodies are born to die, and the decay starts to kick in after we have turned 55. This is the point at which our DNA starts to degenerate, which increases the risk of developing cancer.This is the conclusion of a... more ››
May 10, 2012
Killing Cancer by Blocking Its Recycling System
Univ. of Pennsylvania
All cells have the ability to recycle unwanted or damaged proteins and reuse the building blocks as food. But cancer cells have ramped up the system, called autophagy, and rely on it to escape damage in the face of ... more ››
May 9, 2012
1 in 6 Cancers Worldwide Caused by Infection
Katie Moisse, ABC News
Roughly one in six cancers is caused by an infection, according to a global study highlighting the power of vaccines in cancer prevention.French researchers pooled data on 27 cancers from 184 countries to calculate the fraction... more ››