A Cure for Cancer ?

Worldwide in 2012 there were 14.1 million cases of cancer and 8.2 million deaths. Macmillan warns that by 2020 almost one in two people will get cancer in their lifetime. With shocking statistics like these a cure for cancer would be very welcome. And this week Scientists led by Prof Stanley Riddell from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle may have found just that.

The data remains unpublished and has not yet been reviewed, however, the details of how the study was conducted are known.

The first stage involves a sample of the patient’s blood being taken from which T-cells can be extracted. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that are involved in the immune response. In particular, the T- cells taken are known as killer T- cells, which destroy infected tissues. Then, antigen receptors are added to the patient’s T- cells which act like sensors to seek out certain cancers. These modified cells are allowed to multiply and then reintroduced back into the patient. Once inside the patient’s body, the modified T-cells seek out and destroy the cancer cells.

In one study, 94% of participants with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) saw all of their symptoms disappear completely. Patients with other blood cancers had response rates greater than 80%, and more than half experienced complete remission. Professor Riddell described these findings to be ‘unprecedented in medicine’. However, trial was not a complete success – two patients died from an extreme immune response to the treatment. Riddell commented that all other treatments had failed in these particular patients and they had only two-to-five months to live.

The availability of this treatment is still years away and although it is a hugely exciting advance, Dr Alan Worsley from Cancer Research UK pointed out this study only a ‘baby step’.

Photo: Flickr, Zappus Technology Solution