Leukemia treatment breakthroughs bring hope to patients

2018/4/3 10:21:17

Leukemia is very challenging to treat. But with two new discoveries, it can now be screened and managed at an earlier time.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Suzanne Mitchell for Born2Invest, Apr 2, 2018

 

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CD22 discovery

 

One of the latest developments in leukemia treatments is the discovery of a new molecule called CD22. It is an adhesion molecule which functions as a sticker cancer cells can bind with. Therefore, it can be easily detected during the early stages of cancer.

 

With this discovery, researchers can modify the cells targeted by chemotherapy, align them with CD22 and create a more powerful approach, specifically tailored to both mature and immature cancer cells. In effect, the medicine will kill fields of cancer cells for as long as they are “labeled” with CD22, unlike the former method which kills all cells, regardless.

 

This kind of treatment is still in need of more trials, and it must be applied together with other treatments, just like the medicinal “cocktails” as part of treating HIV and the chemotherapy procedure in treating cancer, in order to prevent relapses in patients.

The researchers from the cancer institute of the Stanford University School of Medicine would not be able to achieve this finding if it were not for two cancer treatments: Novartis’ Kymriah and Kite Pharma’s Yescarta. The former was developed for leukemia, while the latter was for lymphoma.

 

The two treatments involve the enhancement of T-cells via genetic engineering after being removed from the patient’s body. Once the engineering process has concluded, the cells are then placed back to work their magic and save the patient’s life. They have already helped some patients in extending their lives.

 

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https://born2invest.com/articles/leuke ... t-breakthroughs-patients/

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