Article re cancer cure possible in two years

Bren-2007

Maybe we will be able to move on ... finally.  I copied this article from Nosurrenders website and thought all of you would like to read it.  I also posted the link to the information on the Wake Forest Medical School research site on the research forum. 

Cancer cure 'may be available in two years'

By Nic Fleming Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:56am BST 21/09/2007

Cancer sufferers could be cured with injections of immune cells from other people within two years, scientists say. US researchers have been given the go-ahead to give patients transfusions of "super strength" cancer-killing cells from donors. Dr Zheng Cui, of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, has shown in laboratory experiments that immune cells from some people can be almost 50 times more effective in fighting cancer than in others. Dr Cui, whose work is highlighted in this week's New Scientist magazine, has previously shown cells from mice found to be immune to cancer can be used to cure ordinary mice with tumours. The work raises the prospect of using cancer-killing immune system cells called granulocytes from donors to significantly boost a cancer patient's ability to fight their disease, and potentially cure them. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week gave Dr Cui permission to inject super-strength granulocytes into 22 patients. Dr Cui said: "Our hope is that this could be a cure. Our pre-clinical tests have been exceptionally successful. "If this is half as effective in humans as it is in mice it could be that half of patients could be cured or at least given one to two years extra of high quality life. "The technology needed to do this already exists, so if it works in humans we could save a lot of lives, and we could be doing so within two years." Dr Cui is confident patients could benefit from the technique quickly because the technology used to extract granulocytes is the same as that already used by hospitals to obtain other blood components such as plasma or platelets. Prof Gribben, a cancer immunologist at Cancer Research UK's experimental centre at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, said: "The concept of using immune system cells to kill off someone else's cancer is very, very exciting." Dr Cui, who presented his latest findings at an anti-ageing conference in Cambridge last week, extracted granulocytes from 100 people, including some with cancer. When the immune cells were mixed with cervical cancer cells, those from different individuals demonstrated vastly varying abilities to fight the cancer. Those of the strongest participants killed close to 97 per cent of the cancer cells in 24 hours, while those of the weakest killed only two per cent. The abilities of the cells of participants aged over 50 were lower than average, and those of cancer patients even lower. Dr Cui noticed that the strength of a person's immune system to combat cancer can also vary according to how stressed they are and the time of year. Initial experiments suggest it may be possible to transfer granulocytes which have demonstrated strong cancer-fighting powers into cancer sufferers. In 1999 Prof Cui and colleagues discovered a male mouse that appeared to be completely resistant to virulent cancer cells of several different types. Since then more than 2000 mice in 15 generations have been bred from the original cancer-free mouse and 40 per cent of the offspring have inherited the immunity. With the immune system, some types of cells which provide "innate immunity" are constantly on patrol for foreign invaders, while others have to firstly learn to identify a specific threat before going on the attack. Scientists developing cancer vaccines have generally attempted to stimulate responses in the immune system cells that require prior exposure. Last year Dr Cui caused shockwaves in the cancer research community when he identified granulocytes as the cells responsible for the mouse cancer immunity - because they are among those which act automatically. Prof Gribben said: "This is surprising because it goes against how we thought immune system works against cancer. It makes us think again about our preconceived notions." Prof Cui injected granulocytes from immune mice into ordinary mice, and found it was possible to give them protection from cancer. Even more excitingly he found the transfusions caused existing cancers to go into remission and to clear them completely within weeks. A single dose of the cells appeared to give many of the mice resistance to cancer for the rest of their lives. Granulocyte transfusion has previously been used to try to prevent infections in cancer patients whose immune systems have been weakened by chemotherapy. However their effectiveness has been unclear because they have mainly been given to patients in an advanced stage of disease. Prof Gribben warned the US researchers would have to be careful to avoid other immune system cells from the donor proliferating in the patient's body. He added: "If they're using live cells there is a theoretical risk of graft-versus-host disease, which can prove fatal." Dr Cui said he is working on ways to minimise this risk.

Brenda in VA

caaclark

Brenda,

Thanks for posting this.  I love reading about these exciting possibilities.

Member_of_the_Club

I'm skeptical. When I read things like cure in two years, I fear it is irresponsible. if it was true it would have been bigger news.

Bren-2007

Hi MOTC,

The Dr's research is written about on the Wake Forest Medical School research site.  I copied the link under the research forum site.  It may be too good to be true in the immediate future, but the good news is that Wake Forest/Baptist Hospital continues to forge ahead with research.  They are the premier medical facility in this part of the south. The article was published in a scientific magazine.  Just as some people have a natural immunity to certain diseases, some may have a natural immunity to certain cancers.  I don't believe it's beyond the realm of possibility that this could some day result in a treatment for some types of cancers. 

Perhaps the title of the article was irresponsible.  I believe it was published in a British scientific journal.  However, the article reported the research accurately.  A few years ago we didn't have the AI's either.  I truly hope Wake Forest/Baptist continues to make great strides in their research. 

Brenda in Southern VA 

Anonymous

I wonder if it means since we had bc if we are more susceptible to other cancers since our immunity is not as strong??

BlindedByScience

When I read the article (different source), I noted the researchers made a point to explain than some donors had granulocytes with 97% cancer-killing activity and others were as low as 2%. Huge variation.They also went on to say that ALL donor granulocytes had reduced activity in the winter. The study was done at a latitude that does not get UVB rays in the winter. My thought was that the effectiveness of the donor granulocytes is tied to Vitamin D levels which clearly vary from person to person and drop dramatically in the winter.

As Vitamin D is essential for proper immune system functioning, it is my belief (speculation) that this may be very important as a factor in each of us as a patient and the success of the therapy. 

nosurrender

My former oncolgist was a big believer in Vitamin D.

I agree with him as I have seen some of the studies.

When i am done with my tx I plan on asking my current onc about the proper amount to take. 

Anonymous

I have been talking to my friends about having their vitamin D level checked.  My friend's mom who is 90 had her's checked.  It was low and she's now on the prescription form of D.  Another friend had her's checked and her's was also low and is on the prescription.  They didn't ask the docs to do the test..the doc came up with the idea.  Another friend who has RA had her's check by her rheumy, but doesn't know the results yet.

When I see my pcp in December I'm taking him some research papers and asking him to have the gals in his office read them also.

Shirley

Anonymous

My onc said I need to be around 1200-1500 mg/units (not sure what its called) every day.  So, I take VIT D, Calcium, a multi-vitamin and my arimidex.

Calcium can only be absorbed about 500mg at a time, I take it thru the day.

Anonymous

Isn't ANYTHING possible?

When there is hope...there are possibilities.