A new approach to fighting cancer is hitting the medical field as scientists in the study are positively gaining ground in the war against the dreaded disease. Scientists are using its new allies to eliminate cancer cells growing in tumors inside the human body. Killer T cells deployment to directly affected cancer tumors showed rapid shrinking of the cancerous mass.
Medical scientists and researchers applied the old method through infusion when treating blood cancers. The method is by extracting T-cells via apheresis, the removal of blood from the body and extraction of blood components such as platelets, plasma or white blood cells.
The T-cells are sent to the laboratory for genetic engineering and produce Killer Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR} T-cells. CARS are proteins that detect antigens on cancerous tumor cells. In the lab, the killer CAR T-cells are multiplied until the volume requirement is sufficient for treating the patient back at the hospital. The CAR T-cells stand guard against any recurrence of any cancer cell in the body, reports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
But Dr. Mattias Stephan, an immuno- bioengineer at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center leading the study, has another approach to address the solid tumors have. Dr, Thompson aims at the treatment of cancerous solid tumors such as the pancreatic and breast cancers for his new treatment.
The approach is to fully load a dissolvable scaffold with Killer CAR T-cells, implant them as close as possible to the cancerous tumor. The scaffolds then slowly melt for the first wave of attack. A special ingredient of microspheres activates the release of the second wave. The second dose will overwhelm the cancer tumor cells. Present immunotherapy treatments rely on single target tumor mass by the immune system and could slip by the attack if receptors have other targets in tow, reports the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
But by applying Dr. Matthias approach in directly deploying via a dissolving scaffold filled with Killer CAR T-cells as close as possible to cancer tumors, the T-cell attack is very much effective against solid tumors packed with millions and millions of cancer cells. A concentrated attack is needed for the closely lumped disease. A new hope for cancer patients.
