The Leukemias are variable in cell types and virulence.
Sloan Kettering in NY announces a development on Immune treatment using genetically modified T cells.
T cells are the backbone of the cellular immunity system.
Imagine how they could genetically modify T cells extracted from the Cancer patients–amazing.
the T cell is modified to idnentify and attack a protein called CD 19.
This treatment is for Beta Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a particularly nasty leukemia with problematic cure rate and respone to chemotherapy. Lymphoblasts are the premature form of the lymphocyte, which is important in fighting viral infections, for example.
Neutrophils are the other important white blood cells. Sloan Kettering is a great place with great people.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/272921.php
Prevent Cancer? We still don’t know why, so it’s hard to prevent.
Read Tom Bethell on the cancer research failures, the only common characteristic seems to be multipleudy, which means multiples of the normal genetic set. Why do cell lines go malignant? Now that’ll make you rich and famous,
OK. But even better science would be how to stop leukemia developing in the first place. Wouldn’t it?
To quote the Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit), “Faster, please” and then on to AML.
It’s good to hear about real science every once in a while. It lifts the spirits and prevents me from permanantly sliding into a pessimistic funk.