Gene Therapy Protocol Activates Immune System In Patients With Leukemia, Study Shows

[TZ]

ScienceDaily (Feb. 15, 2008) — A research team at the Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) reports that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with a gene therapy protocol began making antibodies that reacted against their own leukemia cells.


Researchers led by Thomas J. Kipps, M.D., Ph.D., inserted a gene with the potential to activate an immune response -- a gene therapy protocol developed at UCSD -- into six patients with CLL, the most common form of adult leukemia. Several of the patients started making antibodies that reacted against their own leukemia cells. When tested in the lab, the antibodies also reacted with the leukemia cells of other patients with the disease.

The patient's own leukemia cells were modified outside of their body and given back as a vaccine," said Kipps. "The result raises hope that it may be possible to activate a patient's immune system against their own cancer."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211172550.htm


Cancer immunology is one of the most exciting fields in oncological research, IMHO.

[trotsky]

1. Fantastic news!

Cancer immunology is one of the most exciting fields in oncological research, IMHO.

One of the more promising, too, it would seem. Nature has crafted us a wonderful system to eliminate bad stuff inside our bodies. Learning how to program it, turning it on to things it should attack as well as turning it off against things it shouldn't, will lead to breakthroughs in many areas.

[dropkickpa]

2. This field makes me all giddy

These guys are coming up with some HELLA cool shit.