Possible cure for Leukemia

[JTsyo]

NYtimes

To perform the treatment, doctors remove millions of the patient’s T-cells — a type of white blood cell — and insert new genes that enable the T-cells to kill cancer cells. The technique employs a disabled form of H.I.V. because it is very good at carrying genetic material into T-cells. The new genes program the T-cells to attack B-cells, a normal part of the immune system that turn malignant in leukemia.

The altered T-cells — called chimeric antigen receptor cells — are then dripped back into the patient’s veins, and if all goes well they multiply and start destroying the cancer.

Ironic that HIV, once a feared disease, is now being used to develop cures for cancers. Great to see progress being made against cancers. :thumbsup:

 

[sixone]

Looks like a lot more testing is needed, which means it'll be years before this can be widely used. I hope they can do it.

 

[Ausm]

That's encouraging news indeed and I hope they do find a cure for Cancer too.

 

[SagaLore]

The altered T-cells — called chimeric antigen receptor cells — are then dripped back into the patient’s veins, and if all goes well they multiply and start destroying the cancer.

Huh, so that is how the zombie apocalypse starts...

 

[Gibsons]

I worry about the long term effects on the patients immune system. As is, it's not specific for tumor cells at all, it targets all B cells. One of the titles:

Sustained Functional T Cell Persistence and B Cell Aplasia Following CD19-Targeting Adoptive T Cell Immunotherapy for Relapsed, Refractory CD19+ Malignacy

CD19 is present on all B cells.
B cell aplasia = lack of B cells.

 

[Imp]

Isn't Resident Evil's virus something something T-virus?

 

[destrekor]

I worry about the long term effects on the patients immune system. As is, it's not specific for tumor cells at all, it targets all B cells. One of the titles:

CD19 is present on all B cells.
B cell aplasia = lack of B cells.

That's something I found curious.

Once the malignancy is cured, what's next? The new T cells are set to target ALL B cells... will there actually be a specific method to target only malignant B cells once they get more developed with this? Still sounds like that won't be the case.

So, do they retain an ability to deploy a new treatment that then destroys, removes, or otherwise renders the new T cells inert, so that healthy B cells can then regenerate?


Is B cell aplasia something "easier" to treat than cancer? Perhaps they are thinking "kill the harder thing, then leave them with something less difficult to treat with better life expectancy."

 

[SunnyD]

Let's see..

#1 - take one of the virii with the highest mortality rates that just so happens to have a remarkable ability to mutate into new strains over short periods of time, and give it the ability to reprogram the immune system to outright ATTACK the immune system. What could possibly go wrong?

#2 - take that virus and introduce it into an already compromised system to fight cancer with potentially cancer-aids. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[bignateyk]

Let's see..

#1 - take one of the virii with the highest mortality rates that just so happens to have a remarkable ability to mutate into new strains over short periods of time, and give it the ability to reprogram the immune system to outright ATTACK the immune system. What could possibly go wrong?

#2 - take that virus and introduce it into an already compromised system to fight cancer with potentially cancer-aids. What could possibly go wrong?

They're just using the HIV "shell" as a vessel. They aren't actually giving you aids in this treatment.

 

[Vdubchaos]

This is great news and hope it will help a lot of people.

But I still think our society is not focusing on the CORE issue. We are using WAY too many chemicals and have VERY little knowledge of the harm they do to us (and create these sort of issues in the process).

This is NOT changing and only getting worse.

 

[Gibsons]

That's something I found curious.

Once the malignancy is cured, what's next? The new T cells are set to target ALL B cells... will there actually be a specific method to target only malignant B cells once they get more developed with this? Still sounds like that won't be the case.

The 'tumor specific antigen' is a holy grail of oncology. for most cancers they probably don't exist. If they knew of one for these cancers, I think they would have targeted it instead.

So, do they retain an ability to deploy a new treatment that then destroys, removes, or otherwise renders the new T cells inert, so that healthy B cells can then regenerate?

In theory that isn't too hard, put a TK marker on your vector, then treat after the cancer is apparently gone for some time. Several other ways to go about it. Not sure why they didn't include this from the start.... one step at a time, maybe.

Is B cell aplasia something "easier" to treat than cancer? Perhaps they are thinking "kill the harder thing, then leave them with something less difficult to treat with better life expectancy."

Right now they're just giving them serum (antibodies) from someone else. Each treatment is probably good for a week or two (?). But they'll still be unable to develop a B cell response to a new infection. Their T cells should work sort of okay, mostly. Might see some problems on the helper side with a lack of B cells to promote them.

 

[JTsyo]

They're just using the HIV "shell" as a vessel. They aren't actually giving you aids in this treatment.

that and they are not injecting the HIV into teh patients but using them to modify the T-cell. The modified T-cell is what is placed back in. I'm not sure if it is still carrying the HIV at that point.

 

[JTsyo]

That's something I found curious.

Once the malignancy is cured, what's next? The new T cells are set to target ALL B cells... will there actually be a specific method to target only malignant B cells once they get more developed with this? Still sounds like that won't be the case.

So, do they retain an ability to deploy a new treatment that then destroys, removes, or otherwise renders the new T cells inert, so that healthy B cells can then regenerate?


Is B cell aplasia something "easier" to treat than cancer? Perhaps they are thinking "kill the harder thing, then leave them with something less difficult to treat with better life expectancy."

They address that at the end:

The cells do have a drawback: they destroy healthy B-cells as well as cancerous ones, leaving patients vulnerable to certain types of infections, so Emma and the other patients need regular treatments with immune globulins to prevent illness.

 

[Gibsons]

that and they are not injecting the HIV into teh patients but using them to modify the T-cell. The modified T-cell is what is placed back in. I'm not sure if it is still carrying the HIV at that point.

AFAICT, this is the vector they used
http://www.addgene.org/12252/

It's missing most HIV genes. Possible problems include some interaction with endogenous retroviruses to produce something new (not likely, but scary stuff), and an insertional event that causes cancer in the recipient T cell.

 

[blackangst1]

Relevant pic:

 

[OlafSicky]

Relevant pic:

:thumbsup::thumbsup: That is how it all started and this is how it's going to end

 

[Jeff7]

Ah, finally. Firmware updates. 😀

 

[kache]

Ah, finally. Firmware updates. 😀

:thumbsup:

Hope they aren't bugged. 😀

 

[DCal430]

This isn't a cure for Leukemia, this is a potential cure only for this specific leukemia, there are many different leukemia each affecting different cells.

Though fact this may work on B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, means their is a good chance that will also work on B-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

Interesting enough WHO no longer believes that blood cancers should be distinguished as Leukemia, Lymphoma, or Myaloma, but instead by the Cells they affect. In fact it considers many Leukemias and Lymphomas to be one and the same cancer.

 

[darkxshade]

But what if you catch the AIDS? It still would be a good trade if it worked. 😛

 

[Anonemous]

Huh, so that is how the zombie apocalypse starts...

Well the plot for I Am Legend was that they made a vaccine for cancer (which people are currently making)... this one they just mutated the person's cells to target Leukemia.

 

[Gibsons]

This isn't a cure for Leukemia, this is a potential cure only for this specific leukemia, there are many different leukemia each affecting different cells.

Should work for any B cell cancer.

The general method is adaptable for most kinds of cancer, you just change the targeting molecule. But as I mentioned above, you probably have to deal with targeting normal cells as well. Not an option for say, liver cancer.

Though fact this may work on B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, means their is a good chance that will also work on B-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.

They've tested it on B CLL and B ALL, seems to work for both. Should work equally well (with the same side effects) on HCL, DLCBCL, etc.

Interesting enough WHO no longer believes that blood cancers should be distinguished as Leukemia, Lymphoma, or Myaloma, but instead by the Cells they affect. In fact it considers many Leukemias and Lymphomas to be one and the same cancer.

wat. Has WHO lost its collective mind or is something getting lost in translation?

 

[SagaLore]

They address that at the end:

So they really are trading cancer for aids. Since it self replicates, it can be spread to other people just like traditional hiv can.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I worry about the long term effects on the patients immune system. As is, it's not specific for tumor cells at all, it targets all B cells. One of the titles:

CD19 is present on all B cells.
B cell aplasia = lack of B cells.

I suspect patients considered the long term effects worth it over the alternative short term effect of death.

 

[CottonRabbit]

wat. Has WHO lost its collective mind or is something getting lost in translation?

A distinction isn't useful since prognosis and therapy doesn't change. It's more useful to group them by histology and immunologic markers than site of occurrence.

People have been trying to use viral vectors to target cancer (among other things) for decades. It never seems to pan out in the end. I'd be skeptical.