A REVOLUTIONARY CANCER THERAPY!!! FIRST GENE THERAPY AGAINST LEUKEMIA!
What is gene therapy?
Gene therapy is the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acid(piece of DNA) into patient's cells to correct the effects of a disease-causing mutation. In fact it's a technique, where researchers replace a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene or inactivate a mutated gene. Nowadays, it is being tested only in some patients who are in the last 'stage' of their life, but is a promising future treatment.
A new treatment against B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) has just been aproved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA).
B-ALL is a cancer of the Bone Marrow, in which the body makes the B-cells(a type of lymphocytes) abnormal. B cells are staying immature and they multiple uncontrolable. Also B-ALL is the most common type of cancer in children!
The treatment involves a drug called 'TISAGENLECLEUCEL' or 'KYMRIAH'. The drug is costumized according to the patient's own T-cells (T- cells is another type of lymphocytes). The patient's T-cells are collected and sent to a special manufacturing center, under the appropriate conditions, where they are genetically modified to include a new gene, that codes for a protein called achimeric antigen receptor (CAR). The new gene directs the modified T-cells to target and kill leukemia cells. The modified T-cells are then infused back into the patient to kill cancer cells.
Image 5
In this picture you can see the genetically modified T-cells (in blue), attacking cancer cells(in red).
That treatment destroyed eighty-three per cent of leukemic cells in three months.
Although China has approved a gene therapy drug and two gene therapy treatments using in Europe, but this is the first to win approval from FDA.
This therapy has shown extraordinary results in patients, but the most difficult part is that the company has to be able to manufacture personalized therapies quickly enough!
Those kind of therapies is what the people needs to survive and have a great and healthy life! We are waiting more than that, we need more research but the first step was done! Congratulations!!!
Thank you for reading and I am waiting for your comments!
@redqueen7
Have a nice evening!
If you like it...
Sources:
- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-lymphocytic-leukemia/about/what-is-all.html
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365903004462
- https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/therapy/genetherapy
- http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/08/modified-t-cells-attack-leukemia-become-first-gene-therapy-approved-united-states
- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/08/30/547293551/fda-approves-first-gene-therapy-treatment-for-cancer
Have you heard of CancerSEEK? It is a new single test that can detect up to 5 to 8 types of cancer and it's specificity is approximately 99%. There is indeed a revolution. Much appreciation to those scientist working tiresless to get us all fit.
Your post is very educative too, that's a good news for people.
I'll upvote your post unfortunately I'm still a minnow lol
Thank you very much @loxside! It doesn't matter that you are a minnow. Every vote and every comment is welcome! I am glad that you like my post and i am also happy because i did't know about this test and you make me to read, to learn about it! This is what i expect from steemit!
I guess that is a blood test, because the last years, they found that cancer cells are travelling through the blood! Do you know if they already use it as clinical test? I am going to search for that. Thank you for your information! I love the exchange of this kind of information!
You are welcome. I think the test has been proved to be 99% accurate but for now waiting for approval for public use. The good thing about this test is that it is cheaper than conventional cancer test.
Thanks for the compliments
Very interesting...thank you!
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This is pretty amazing and revolutionary.
A suggestion though, Use Free for reuse images. (pixabay, creative commons(Wikipedia) ). :)
Yes...thank you for your comment!
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I have been following you @redqueen7, I am interested being here to improve my acknowledge about medical treat and treating the diseases. Thank you, hopefully you like to follow back.
Thank you! I will be aware of you @rikaz87!