New Gene Therapy Breakthough for Cancer

[Razorguns]

This is big news in the cancer war. But you may not hear it cuz news outlets are too excited about Jon Benet news:

reader's digest: 53 y/o man with skin cancer. about to die. saved and all cancer gone through manipulation of his own t-cells.

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http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hscanc0901,0,2293608.story?coll=ny-leadhealthnews-headlines

"A deadly skin cancer spreading through 53-year-old Mark Origer's upper body has disappeared thanks to the first successful gene therapy for metastatic cancer, federal researchers report Friday in the journal Science.

Two of 17 patients are now in remission. Experts say this is "proof of principle" the therapy can work. Scientists believe they can figure out why the immune therapy infusions didn't work for the others, all patients with advanced cancer who had exhausted available treatments.

"This is a pretty significant breakthrough," said Dr. Patrick Hwu, chairman of the melanoma department at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "The success among a few patients shows that it can be done, and the technique may even work for other types of tumors."

video : http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...1/cancer_treatment_060831/20060831?hub=Health

 

[Phenom78]

Interesting

 

[jackangel]

i'm pretty sure the latest updates on john mayer and jessica simpson are more important than this. priorities, holmes.

 

[cuthroat]

They had an article about this on cnn.com it has to deal with manipulating the immune system where it seeks out cancer and destroys it. Totally wiped out the cancer in 2 of 10 subjects with advanced skin cancer. About time they come up with something that works.

 

[heatherrae]

Oh, my mom just died of metastatic lung cancer that had spread everywhere, including her brain. I wonder if this treatment could have saved her?

 

[Razorguns]

it might if she had it 10 years later. sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[heatherrae]

it might if she had it 10 years later. sorry to hear about your loss.

Thanks. The doctors say that she had had cancer for 15 years and just didn't know it. That means she got lung cancer at only 43 years old.

What a breakthrough though! I hope that it really turns out to be the cure!

 

[fistfullofsteel]

wow, great news!!!!!

sorry to read about your mother heather.

 

[Lao Tzu]

Luckily new cancer treatments make headlines every few weeks nowadays, which is also probably why this didn't get much attention.

 

[bran987]

Luckily new cancer treatments make headlines every few weeks nowadays, which is also probably why this didn't get much attention.

are you saying these breakthroughs are so minor nobody pays attention or that you think we're actually making some progress?