The “Smart Bomb” of Tomorrow – Eradicating Cancer (multiplying T cells)

[Rich66]

http://brainblogger.com/2008/07/08/t...b-of-tomorrow/

A 52 year-old man with stage IV malignant melanoma, a very aggressive and potentially lethal form of skin cancer, donated blood to the scientists who have developed a technique to isolate specific CD4+ T cells and clone them in vitro.
In our bodies, our immune system is responsible for attacking all cells that may pose a threat to our well-being, whether they be bacteria, viruses, foreign bodies, or even cancerous cells. Each T cell is responsible for recognizing a specific cell line which is potentially threatening, then targeting (where the “T” comes from) those cells for destruction by the production of antibodies, and large vacuum cleaner-type cells called macrophages. The trouble with cancer is that the cells are multiplying very rapidly, and there are only a few circulating T cells which are specific to that cancerous cell line. Therefore the cancerous cells overwhelm our ability to tag them fast enough, and the cancer grows and spreads.
What the scientists in this study have done is isolate the T cells which are targeted towards the malignant melanoma. Then they used a chemical and biological process to multiply those T cells several thousands of times over. Finally, they injected those thousands of T cells back into the patient, and let them go to work. Now there were so many T cells compared to cancerous cells, that tagging them was easy and the body was naturally able to break down the cancer using its own immune system. The man went into complete remission and has stayed there for the past two years.