Gene therapy SAVES two men stricken with aggressive, fatal cancer!

[Bluebear]

U.S scientists have saved two men dying of an aggressive and fatal form of skin cancer by genetically altering the men's own white blood cells to attack their tumors.

The work at the National Cancer Institute in the United States, published Thursday in the September issue of the journal Science, is considered the first major success in battling cancer with gene therapy.

The breakthrough is important because it provides a potential therapy to fight cancer's worst stage, when it has spread throughout the body. The men had aggressive, incurable melanomas that had not responded to other treatments. They were expected to live only three to six months.

Almost two years after the treatment, they are still melanoma free.

"It is, I think quite a breakthrough, certainly with the clinical data with responses in two of the 17 patients," Dr. Don Morris of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary told CTV Newsnet.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060831/cancer_treatment_060831/20060831?hub=Canada

[DeSwiss]

1. Oh Wow!!

This is wonderful news. :D

[aquart]

2. Ditto.

[skipos]

3. Kick!

:kick:

[Bluebear]

6. .

[bluethruandthru]

4. Make sure Dumbya doesn't hear about this!

Once he finds out there's science involved...he'll shut it down!

[Bluebear]

5. The Talibornagains will have something to say about it!

Stem cells stop a beating heart! No, wait, genes stop a beating heart! No that isn't it....well, SOMETHING must be bad about it!