Very exciting cancer news this past week....

CypressCynthia
CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
First, from Roswell Park (New York), researchers have begun an FDA trial with a cancer "vaccine." What they are doing (my simplified take on it) is taking immune cells from an individual cancer patient and then coating them with a cancer protein and also a protein that helps to prevent resistance (think transplant type drug). They then grow the cells by the millions and then inject them back into the cancer patient. This "vaccine" creates a super duper immune system capable of seeking out and destroying the cancer. The immune cells also have a memory, so, if a new cancer pops up, they should be able to target and attack it. Talk about science fiction sounding!

Here is the link to listen to the actual researcher discussing what they are doing:
http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/152242/37/Roswell-Park-Makes-Major-Annoucement-on-Cancer-Vaccine

Second, from Trinity College, Dublin, another immune-modifying vaccine:

"The therapy is based on a combination of molecules that manipulates the immune response to curb the regulatory arm while enhancing the protective arm, allowing the induction of specialist white blood cell called killer T cells to target and eliminate the tumours. The new vaccine approach was found to be highly effective at pre-clinical stage in treating a range of cancers in murine models." http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240922.php

The implications of these therapies are mind boggling and very promising to me. What do you think?

Comments

  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #2
    CC...
    I heard this on the news this past week....I see my oncologist in Feb.. I will be asking him about this...I would gladly enter this trial, if possible...
    As my oncologist says..."there's new things out there every day".....

    Hugs Nancy...
    PS... This isn' "old " news....wink wink!
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #3
    I firmly believe that our immune system is key....
    I read once that a researcher thought that somehow those 'nasty' cancer cells tricked the immune system into thinking they were ok...so that the national guard wasn't called in or war declared...

    I truly hope that thinking like what you are sharing will work...and that someday soon we can hear "Wow! Back in the early turn of this century, cancer treatment was so brutal and the deaths caused by it were so not necessary!"

    Thanks, Cynthia, for the info!!!!

    Dutch knuffels, Kathi
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #4
    KathiM said:

    I firmly believe that our immune system is key....
    I read once that a researcher thought that somehow those 'nasty' cancer cells tricked the immune system into thinking they were ok...so that the national guard wasn't called in or war declared...

    I truly hope that thinking like what you are sharing will work...and that someday soon we can hear "Wow! Back in the early turn of this century, cancer treatment was so brutal and the deaths caused by it were so not necessary!"

    Thanks, Cynthia, for the info!!!!

    Dutch knuffels, Kathi

    Thanks for enlightening us
    That sounds so hopeful--and really makes sense to me. Hopefully, the research will go full speed to bring all this about in the very near future.

    Thanks again for the valuable information.

    Hugs, Renee
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #5
    I agree with KathiM....
    In regards to the immune system. I think there is much promise in the research done there. It's strange, because in my memory, Roswell was the hospital where cancer patients went in their last days. Many older people in the area still think that's what Roswell is. And they avoid it at all costs. I wish they would understand the research done there and the hope for the future...

    I live 30 miles from Roswell Park Cancer Institute. They developed the PSA test for prostate cancer there. I believe that they are cutting edge and I can't wait to see how the trials go.
    I am lucky in that most of my doctors are affiliated with Roswell, or have worked/taught there in some capacity.

    Nancy, they have a website and say that anyone wanting more info. on the trials can feel free to email or call there.

    CR
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #6
    This is pretty promising
    The hard part is that is takes so long to get from this stage to actual implementation. Which is something that some scientists are fighting in Ca to try and wave the waiting period of getting new vaccines, trial to actual use. They are trying to get it to less than 6 months as those with stage 4 cancers do not have 5-10 years to wait.

    After reading http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/11/could-this-be-the-end-of-cancer.html this link last night, I went on line and found more information on how they identified the super t-cells in the mid 2000's but then it kind of stopped. But that is when a doctor/researcher at the U of Michigan was working on finding what could bind to the t-cells to allow the immune system to do its thing, but it gradually faded, most likely due to funding, and because after a period the cancer came back. But it was such a promising start with the super t-cells.

    So now with all of this coming out and the promising results of the study group from 5+ years ago, maybe they can speed up the process so that some of us with stage 4 can benefit from it. Yes, I think that this is about the most promising of all the trials so far. It is kin to the ones that have been coming out from Pennsylvania, University of Washington, Stanford and UCLA. So I am really excited, and that they have found that it works on so many solid tumors, not just melanoma, leukemia, etc. It is always promising when they find something that is hitting a broader group of cancers (especially breast, as so many men and women are affected).
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #7
    CR1954 said:

    I agree with KathiM....
    In regards to the immune system. I think there is much promise in the research done there. It's strange, because in my memory, Roswell was the hospital where cancer patients went in their last days. Many older people in the area still think that's what Roswell is. And they avoid it at all costs. I wish they would understand the research done there and the hope for the future...

    I live 30 miles from Roswell Park Cancer Institute. They developed the PSA test for prostate cancer there. I believe that they are cutting edge and I can't wait to see how the trials go.
    I am lucky in that most of my doctors are affiliated with Roswell, or have worked/taught there in some capacity.

    Nancy, they have a website and say that anyone wanting more info. on the trials can feel free to email or call there.

    CR

    my thoughts and research ... come to the
    same conclusion .. immune system. Thank you for the posting, C.C.

    Hopeful news for all.

    Vicki Sam

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