Scientists "Erase" Cancer Cells!

[3113]

Scottish scientists have made cancer tumours vanish within 10 days by sending DNA to seek and destroy the cells. The system, developed at Strathclyde and Glasgow universities, is being hailed as a breakthrough because it appears to eradicate tumours without causing harmful side-effects. A leading medical journal has described the results so far as remarkable, while Cancer Research UK said they were encouraging.

Dr Christine Dufes, a lecturer at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences and leader of the research, said: “The tumours were completely gone within 10 days. It is fantastic. When you talk about 10 days that is the time frame for curing a cold. Imagine if within 10 days you could completely make a tumour disappear.”

Researchers around the world are trying to find ways to use genes as a cancer treatment, but one problem is ensuring they attack the tumour without destroying healthy tissue. In laboratory experiments the Strathclyde research team used a plasma protein called transferrin, which carries iron through the blood, to deliver the therapeutic DNA to the right spot. Once in situ the DNA produced a protein that attacked the tumour cells.

The findings have been published in the Journal of Controlled Release, with an accompanying comment from editor Professor Kinam Park, of Purdue University, Indiana, saying other attempts to target genes at cancer cells have “seldom shown complete disappearance of tumours”....

Article from here.

 

[Boota]

If that ends up panning out that will be incredible. I've been playing two huge bi-annual cancer benefits for years now, but I will gladly find something else to play for if they can find a cure.

 

[JackLuis]

That is pretty amazing!

So science helps then?

 

[SeaCat]

I'll have to mention this to some of the Doc.'s on my unit tomorrow. I'll be interested to hear if they have heard about this and what they think.

Cat

 

[DeeZire]

Is there any way to hide this thread from Amicus? He won't be happy when he discovers that a country with socialized medicine has come up with a breakthrough cure for cancer. It will ruin his theory that says socialism impedes innovation.

 

[impressive]

Very cool! Like Boota, I'd gladly repurpose my cancer charity efforts.

 

[amicus]

http://www.tenovus-scotland.org.uk/AboutTenovus.html

The research was initially supported with a grant from charity Tenovus Scotland, which supports the work of young scientists to help their ideas get off the ground.

 

[trysail]

A word of advice: don't hold your breath— there's a long, long way to go before this claim is substantiated. By my count, this is the 6,987th time that someone has claimed to "cure" cancer.


This appears to be nothing more than another monoclonal antibody ( though the article doesn't make clear what is being delivered ). The only thing that appears novel is the use of a "plasma protein called transferrin."


There have been modest advances in cancer therapy using MABs and with angiogenesis but they hardly represent "cures."


Attempts at gene therapy have heretofore been thwarted by, among other things, difficulty in delivery and side effects. The use of modified viruses, retroviruses and plasmids has not been effective or has been accompanied by major side effects. Remember Jesse Gelsinger.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The old Chinese saw about the journey of a thousand miles beginning with a single step doesn't mention the fact that after that first one there are another million nine-hundred seventy-nine thousand to go. That's assumed. Six thousand nine hundred eighty-seven isn't even to the first rest stop. Patience, trysail, we'll get there.

 

[stephen55]

This type of thing has been going on for some time. Of the many problems that are part of treating cancers, the method of delivering an an anti-cancer agent is one of the more difficult.

The findings have been published in the Journal of Controlled Release, with an accompanying comment from editor Professor Kinam Park, of Purdue University, Indiana, saying other attempts to target genes at cancer cells have “seldom shown complete disappearance of tumours”.

The name of the journal tells you that inside the problem of delivery there are many sub-problems. Working out ways to get the anti-cancer agent to do it's job over the right period of time is a sub-problem that has it's own investigators and it's own academic journal.

Reports in the general media are often encouraging and that's fine, as long as you understand that what's being reported is just one very small part of one aspect of the very complicated overall picture.

As a internist in my neck of the woods was fond of saying (correctly), one study seldom proves or disproves anything.

That said, because treating cancers is such a large and complicated problem, all advances are encouraging.

One small caveat...The University of Glasgow, as the above internist was also fond of saying (also correctly) is one of those "Heathen Scottish Universities".