New cancer treatment reprograms immune system

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdsYLlgjxa4qMTvQxjH8CLUFtF_c_2qv6m7XsWFiLBaC44anooq471fIjUOssh17x1S4ezwlQGSbh3Kyx4slN1FoT2DPHXocg2zgpMkN0zFqdsCi6h0am6qkRQo8BXpykyl9Ztbypn2c/s1600/New+cancer+treatment+reprograms+immune+system+cancer+and+cures.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdsYLlgjxa4qMTvQxjH8CLUFtF_c_2qv6m7XsWFiLBaC44anooq471fIjUOssh17x1S4ezwlQGSbh3Kyx4slN1FoT2DPHXocg2zgpMkN0zFqdsCi6h0am6qkRQo8BXpykyl9Ztbypn2c/s200/New+cancer+treatment+reprograms+immune+system+cancer+and+cures.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A small medical study out today is generating a huge amount of excitement among cancer researchers. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For the first time, scientists have been able to successfully target cancer cells by using cells from a patient's own immune system.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports that that the small study produced what researchers call "proof of concept." </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It's a whole new way, of treating cancer.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Researchers engineered a patient's own immune cells to treat a type of blood cancer called chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> CLL affects nearly 15,000 men and women a year and more than 4,000 will die from it.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For years, researchers have been trying to figure out a way to kill cancer cells using a patient's own immune system. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On Wednesday, Dr. Carl June and his team at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine claimed a victory in that effort.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "This is a form of what I would call ultimate personal therapy. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> That's a wave of the future," June says.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> CLL is a type of blood cancer. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The only known cure is a bone marrow transplant, which is risky, and only effective in about half of patients.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In this new approach, scientists used the patient's own T-cells - white blood cells that help fight infections such as bacteria. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Scientists remove the T-cells, genetically reprogram them to attack leukemia cells, and inject them back into the patient.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Researchers treated three patients with CLL. In two, the cancer cells were completely gone six months after the immune therapy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "The clinical doctor involved in this was astonished and so were the patients that a single infusion of the cells could have such pronounced anti-tumor effects in the patients," Dr. June says.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This new treatment does have significant side-effects. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The most common is a very bad flu-like illness, but so far all 3 patients who had incurable leukemia and no other options are doing well about a year after treatment.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This form of treatment is like giving a scent to a bloodhound. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> These T-cells have been given the scent of the leukemia cells and go hunt them down. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The hope is to give T-cells the scent of colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and train them go out and kill all kinds of cancers.</div>

New cancer treatment reprograms immune system

A small medical study out today is generating a huge amount of excitement among cancer researchers.  For the first time, scientists h...

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