H.I.V. cures cancer? Maybe...

[billc]

http://americablog.com/2013/06/hiv-being-used-to-cure-cancer-leukemia.html

Researchers at Penn had developed a technique to modify the patients’ own T-cells to turn them into what they called “serial killer” cells. These serial killer T-cells could each kill approximately 1000 tumor cells that had the CD-19 antigen on them. This antigen is found on the malignant lymphocytes in these leukemia patients.
To produce the serial killers, researchers needed to modify the patients’ own T-cells by genetically engineering them to produce an antibody-like protein that would sic them on the tumor cells. To do that, the researchers needed to get at the T-cells’ genes. They found that the best way to get this process to work was to use HIV.

They let the HIV inject and modify the cells, removed them and infused them into the patients. The results? The modified T-cells were very effective. In one case, the modified T-cells destroyed an estimated two POUNDS of tumor.

 

[arnisador]

Sounds great!

 

[Big Don]

Sounds great!

Almost sounds like curing a headache with a 45 slug to the temple

 

[arnisador]

Headaches are rather less lethal than cancer.

 

[Big Don]

Headaches are rather less lethal than cancer.

 

[billc]

From what the article says, these poor patients had no other option to save their lives.

 

[Drasken]

When given a choice between living a decently long life with HIV or not living thanks to cancer, I think many would choose to live with HIV. Also, the fact is that research on HIV has yielded some very promising treatments and talk of possible cures. I would also imagine that the HIV used in this way could feasably be modified on the genetic level in the foreseeable future, and likely would before seeing widespread use.

All in all, I would accept this rather promising treatment if it were the difference between life or death. There are, and likely always will be some issues with radical treatments like this. However Chemo therapy destroys your body as well as tumors. Radiation is painful and does the same. Though lately we have made improvements to both methods to make them more effective and less damaging. This seems no different in all honesty.

I for one am happy to hear this, and hopeful that this will be improved upon or lead to new, safer and more effective treatments.

 

[Sukerkin]

Having seen what the current cancer treatments do to the patient (and don't really work all that well whilst they are doing it either) any advance in the direction of a less medieval treatment is welcome.