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Written By: Admin | Published : July 13, 2013 10:10 AM IST
Researchers say that human trials for a wonder drug that has the ability to kill all types of cancer will begin next year. The development comes after a recent ground breaking study by Dr Irv Weissman from Stanford University in US, who created an antibody that breaks down a cancer's defence mechanisms in the body. (Read:Have you joined the War On Cancer yet?)
Researchers had found in the study that a protein called CD47 tells the body not to eat the cancer, but the antibody developed by Weissman blocks CD47 and frees up immune cells called macrophages - which can then engulf the deadly cells, 'New York Post' reported. The study shows that miraculous macrophages effectively act as intelligence gatherers for the body, pointing out cancerous cells to cancer-fighting killer T cells. Researchers claim the T cells then learn to hunt down and attack the cancer.
It was completely unexpected that CD8+ T (killer T) cells would be mobilised when macrophages engulfed the cancer cells in the presence of CD47-blocking antibodies, said Diane Tseng, who works with Weissman. When macrophages present killer T cells with a patient's cancer, the T cells become attuned to the unique molecular markers on the cancer. Researchers said this turns them into a personalised cancer vaccine. (Read: How different types of cancer treatments work)
Because T cells are sensitised to attack a patient's particular cancer, the administration of CD47-blocking antibodies in a sense could act as a personalised vaccination against that cancer, Tseng said. Stanford researchers plan to start a small 10-100 person phase I clinical human trial of the cancer therapy in 2014.
What is chemotherapy?
Cancer treatment that uses drugs (anticancer drugs) to destroy cancer cells, stops them from spreading and slows their growth is called chemotherapy. Most of them are not specific to cancer cells and target all rapidly dividing cells like bone marrow cells, hair follicles, etc. Chemotherapy may be used to cure the cancer (curative), slow the growth of cancer cells to prevent the cancer from spreading, relieve symptoms of cancer (palliative) or keep the cancer from coming back (adjuvant). It is often used in with other cancer treatments.
