hboy007 wrote ...

"Genetically Modified 'Serial Killer' T-Cells Obliterate Tumors in Leukemia Patients

ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2011) — In a cancer treatment breakthrough 20 years in the making, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center and Perelman School of Medicine have shown sustained remissions of up to a year among a small group of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients treated with genetically engineered versions of their own T cells. The protocol, which involves removing patients' cells and modifying them in Penn's vaccine production facility, then infusing the new cells back into the patient's body following chemotherapy, provides a tumor-attack roadmap for the treatment of other cancers including those of the lung and ovaries and myeloma and melanoma."



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Just thought I'd share my excitement with you. Maybe a few have run across this article one year ago. The lentvirus import of genome sequences seems to be a hot topic in cancer research. However, at least when induced stem cells are used, the procedure had turned out to create more problems than it fixes since the forced changes in the cells cause uncontrolled mutations. As far as I can tell, the approach taken above directly targets T-cells in a controlled environment and permits testing the stuff in vitro. Maybe they let some of the t-cells multiply, sequence their genome to check for mutations and finally apply the T-cells to the patient.