'Seek-and-destroy' cancer gene therapy result hailed

[Hum]

Scientists believe they may have made a "breakthrough" in using gene therapy to treat cancer tumours.

Researchers at Strathclyde University in Glasgow have identified a technique for delivering genes to hard-to-reach tumours without harming healthy tissue.

The team is now investigating the technique's effectiveness at treating different forms of the disease.

At present, most gene therapies cannot be delivered to tumours without harming surrounding healthy tissue.

The Strathclyde-led team investigated ways of doing so with the use of the plasma protein transferrin, which carries iron through the blood.

During initial tests on skin cancer cells, it was found that the treatment led to a rapid and sustained regression of the tumours over one month, without any apparent signs of toxicity.

In 90% of cases, the tumours disappeared altogether. :)

full article

[Boz]

WOW.. let's hope this is the way to treat cancer.. I hope the pharmas and those with vested interest in not finding cure for cancer don't kill this like they've done so far with any attempt that had promising results.

I hope nobody loses their family members due to cancer. My mom died and every time I hear news like this it makes me happy and hopeful that someone out there won't have to lose their family member due to this horrible illness.

[boogerjones]

WOW.. let's hope this is the way to treat cancer..

I've been involved in cancer research since I started medical school and I can tell you that this kind of report is common and easy to duplicate in hundreds of test models, especially in animals (mice with injected human skin tumors were used in this particular study). I can point you to 1000 studies that show %100 tumor reduction in mouse models; it's super easy to do. Furthermore, the Journal of Controlled Release is one that I've never even heard of, which means it's probably a poor-quality journal. Unfortunately, there's just nothing terribly impressive in this research paper outside of the delivery approach, which itself has been duplicated in other forms with everything from antibodies to surface proteins to gene guns to radioactive delivery systems.

I hope the pharmas and those with vested interest in not finding cure for cancer don't kill this like they've done so far with any attempt that had promising results.

I hope you don't really feel that way because it's so far off base I wouldn't know where to start my rebuttal.