Immunotherapy as a Cure for Cancer?
For part of my research, I spent some time learning about a technique called immunotherapy, which is being tested as a means to kill tumors, etc. It has been used successfully in a few trials, but it is too early to tell whether this method will be successful. The basic idea is that a person’s own immune system is trained to kill cancer cell, rather than using something external like chemicals (chemotherapy).
Here is an article about a technique that has been extremely successful in a few prostate cancer patients at the Mayo Clinic. http://discoverysedge.mayo.edu/de09-2-kwonblute/ The first part is that they trick the immune system into sending more T cells to the area of the tumor. But tumor cells have a way of counteracting those T cells. So the second part is to counteract the tumor’s ability to suppress those T cells.
It’s still too early to tell whether this dramatic success will generalize to other patients and other types of cancers. But it’s promising, in my opinion. I think that these types of immunotherapy approaches will eventually be a cure for most types of cancer. That might take decades, but at least there’s more reason for hope.
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July 2nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Dear Steve,
I was referred to your website and your interest in immunotherapy. I don’t know if you have heard about BioBancUSA, but it would seem to be a business that you would find interesting and aligned with your belief in the future of an individuals own immune system being used to fight specific disease. There are human trials being conducted at this time using immunotherapy (autologous cells) vaccines for nose and throat cancer (high incidence in Chinese communities), pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Our premise is to store your healthy, younger immune system (before disease has taken hold) to be used later when treatment is needed for disease or trauma.
Warm regards,
Roberta Carlson