Cancer Cure in Mice to be Tested in Humans

Cancer Cure in Mice to be Tested in Humans

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ScienceDaily (June 28, 2008) — Scientists at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are about to embark on a human trial to test whether a new cancer treatment will be as effective at eradicating cancer in humans as it has proven to be in mice.

The treatment will involve transfusing specific white blood cells, called granulocytes, from select donors, into patients with advanced forms of cancer. A similar treatment using white blood cells from cancer-resistant mice has previously been highly successful, curing 100 percent of lab mice afflicted with advanced malignancies.

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This is a very promising treatment that has been 100% effective in mice. No chemotherapy, no drugs, just an injection of powerful white blood cells.

"In mice, we've been able to eradicate even highly aggressive forms of malignancy with extremely large tumors," Cui said. "Hopefully, we will see the same results in humans. Our laboratory studies indicate that this cancer-fighting ability is even stronger in healthy humans."

The team has tested human cancer-fighting cells from healthy donors against human cervical, prostate and breast cancer cells in the laboratory -- with surprisingly good results. The scientists say the anti-tumor response primarily involves granulocytes of the innate immune system, a system known for fighting off infections.

If this pans out, it's amazing that the cure could be this simple. Almost makes you wonder if the search had been steered in the wrong direction for so many years.

Zheng Cui, Ph.D., lead researcher and associate professor of pathology is a Canadian working in the US. Yay, Canada!

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