Researchers Say They Can Cure Cancer In Mice

POSTED: 4:41 pm EDT May 8, 2006
UPDATED: 9:46 pm EDT May 8, 2006
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Monday night brought stunning news about the battle against cancer.

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine said they have found a cure for cancer -- in mice, that is.

However, they are hoping that what they have learned will someday be applied to human treatments.

Three years ago, Wake Forest researchers discovered a mouse that could not get cancer no matter how hard they tried to give it the disease.

Now, they said white blood cells from that mouse's descendants were injected into ordinary mice with cancer and their disease was completely wiped out.

The treatment worked with a variety of cancers, including those similar to end-stage human cancers.

“This is a really remarkable recovery from a very aggressive tumor,” Wake Forest cancer researcher Dr. Zheng Cui said.

The mice did not suffer any side effects from the treatment. They had no problems with rejection.

The goal now is to find a human treatment that could avoid the rejection problem by using a patient's own cells.

White cells from a cancer patient would be combined in a test tube with the specific anti-cancer gene and then given back to the same patient.

“The hope would be that those activated white blood cells would be able to treat that person's cancer successfully,” Wake Forest Pathologist Dr. Mark Willingham said.

In mice, the white blood cells were able to find the cancers no matter where they were located in the body, suggesting that the cancer cells produce some kind of signal that the killer cells can detect.

The treatment also worked with naturally occurring cancers.

Next steps include trying to determine exactly how the cancer-fighting mechanism works, and Wake Forest researchers are working on a specific test that can indicate cancer resistance in humans.

A cure is still a long way off, but they believe that, like mice, there are humans out there with genes to fight cancer.

For example, out of all people who smoke, only a small percentage get cancer. What keeps them safe is still unknown.


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hello thar

Amazing! Lets hope they find the human link.

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"When I die, I want to be buried under the dancefloor"- Frankie Madgenta

I don't know. I'm always skeptical about the way the media over simplifies scientific research as finding a "cure" for cancer. Cancer is a much more complicated disease than it is portrayed, with an OBSCENE amount of causes. And finding a "silver bullet" so to speak, doesn't sound just right. I'm not saying that the find of these scientists is utter crap, just that I think there's more to it than just white blood cells "homing" in on cancer cells, especially since the immune system doesn't necessarily react to the cancer cells since they "look" like regular cells.

But who knows, maybe there's more to their research than this article portrays. Anyone got the names of the scientists?

Edit: it's always good to find a positive in this case mind you.

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"When your spirit is floating down that tunnel towards the light, you know what's behind the light? It's not God, it's me. And im gonna kick your poncey soul all the way back down the tunnel till you choke on your own fucked up ribs. NOW, wake the fuck up!"

quote:

Originally posted by Mako I don't know. I'm always skeptical about the way the media over simplifies scientific research as finding a "cure" for cancer. Cancer is a much more complicated disease than it is portrayed, with an OBSCENE amount of causes. And finding a "silver bullet" so to speak, doesn't sound just right. I'm not saying that the find of these scientists is utter crap, just that I think there's more to it than just white blood cells "homing" in on cancer cells, especially since the immune system doesn't necessarily react to the cancer cells since they "look" like regular cells. But who knows, maybe there's more to their research than this article portrays. Anyone got the names of the scientists? Edit: it's always good to find a positive in this case mind you.

who knows.. maybe they are able to find someone (human) with super cancer fighting white blood cells, then use those to help those in need....

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hello thar

good news
hopefully by the time we're old there will be a cure

This article is great news, however it is bad news for TA that there are only 5 posts in this thread while some dumber threads gets hundreds of replies. it's sad really that the good stuff gets no attention on TA.

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Originally posted by Lightshow i wear sunglasses for the same reason everybody wears them in a club. 1: people look cool in sunglasses 2: it gets awefully bright as the night progresses

*nusty does not wear sunglasses at night, they make it hard to see and you could trip

Wow...great article and an amazing breakthrough. Let's hope it helps them to find the cure for humans!

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Sounds a little too simple. Why is only a local market reporting on it if they just cured cancer?

that is very good news indeed!

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"But your-your songs are sad."
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"I-I knew that. Once."

Certainly a step in the right direction! At least they know that this gene does exist, and it can be used in different mice to cure cancer. Let's hope they can find this gene for humans and harverst/apply it correctly.

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Targeted Virus Compels Cancer Cells To Eat Themselves Article Date: 06 May 2006 - 7:00am (PDT) An engineered virus tracks down and infects the most common and deadly form of brain cancer and then kills tumor cells by forcing them to devour themselves, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The modified adenovirus homed in on malignant glioma cells in mice and induced enough self-cannibalization among the cancer cells -- a process called autophagy -- to reduce tumor size and extend survival, says senior author Seiji Kondo, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at M. D. Anderson.

Source

At the university of texas they have been able to engineer a virus to seek out and kill forms of brain cancer in mice. So as a few of you have stated this is all good news. With all these strides being made it shouldn't be too too long before even more big advancess like this made. And, I don't think that it'll take a lifetime before their able to find and test this on humans.

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Originally posted by Hantu Source At the university of texas they have been able to engineer a virus to seek out and kill forms of brain cancer in mice. So as a few of you have stated this is all good news. With all these strides being made it shouldn't be too too long before even more big advancess like this made. And, I don't think that it'll take a lifetime before their able to find and test this on humans.

lol. The adenoviral or retroviral treatment of cancer has been around for years. No breakthrough to be honest. Viral vectors are very useful, but the idea of it being given to people MIGHT be a bit risky since the virus has small chances of bring back its destructive attributes.

There are lipid vectors which are also much safer and easier to use.

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Originally posted by DarkWater Sounds a little too simple. Why is only a local market reporting on it if they just cured cancer?

The article is too simple. They are blowing up the facts, making it look like it's some sort of discovery of a "silver bullet" treatment.

___________________
"When your spirit is floating down that tunnel towards the light, you know what's behind the light? It's not God, it's me. And im gonna kick your poncey soul all the way back down the tunnel till you choke on your own fucked up ribs. NOW, wake the fuck up!"