A Cure for Cancer?

Throughout our lifetime, the primary treatment for cancer was chemotherapy, which not only kills cancer cells, it also simultaneously kills the good cells. Many patients reported the side effects of chemotherapy were as bad as, or even worse than the cancer.  But the 21^st century brought new advances in computer technology which enabled scientists to understand DNA and the body’s genetic system. I know very little about the science, but the results of that research helped foster a very different approach, immunotherapy. With this technique, finding ways to get the body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells, has brought a level of excitement never before seen in cancer treatment.

Here are 2 different approaches which I think illustrate why the research scientists are so excited about the near term future of cancer treatment.

60 Minutes did a fascinating report on how the Duke University medical school was using the polio virus to treat a certain type of brain tumor, which almost always resulted in death. The initial study and treatment was very encouraging as some patients, who would have died, survived, and are living a normal life.

The following comes from a June 26, 2018 story on CNN’s website. “An engineered version of poliovirus improved the overall survival rate of patients with a lethal form of brain cancer, according to results from a phase one clinical trial. Among 61 patients with recurrent glioblastoma who received the experimental therapy, 21% will survive for three years or longer, compared with just 4% of patients treated with multiple sessions of chemotherapy, the current standard therapy. “This is only the first step, and it’s opening the door to multiple new trials,” said Dr. Matthias Gromeier, a co-author of the study and a professor of neurosurgery at the Duke University School of Medicine.

I don’t know much about this Israeli team and/or the validity of their claims, but there was a fascinating story in the NY Post on January 29, 2019.

“A team of Israeli scientists claim they will likely develop a cure for cancer in the next year, The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday.  The new treatment is being developed by Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies under the leadership of CEO Dr. Ilan Morad, according to the report.

“We believe we will offer in a year’s time a complete cure for cancer,” said Dan Aridor, chairman of the company’s board. “Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market.” The treatment, called MuTaTo, will use a combination of cancer-targeting peptides and a toxin that will specifically kill cancer cells.”