Cancer.
When you are done shuddering, let’s consider the changes in the therapeutic choices. Up until recently, it was radiation and/or chemotherapy.
But, since we sequenced the human gene (the Human Genome Project, back in 2008), it seems that we can compare our normal gene makeup with the DNA of the tumor. These comparison studies provided us the knowledge that there are at least hundreds, if not thousands, of mutations that differentiate the tumors from our normal cells; many of these mutations are specific to a specific type of tumor.
And, that means we can customize our therapy to the tumor- which also means this treatment will only attack the tumor. Moreover, any stray cancerous cells (not incorporated in the tumor) would be subject to attack by our bodies’ immune system. That’s vastly different from what happens when we treat cancers with the conventional therapy of radiation or chemotherapy. Those treatments attack all of our cells in the target regions; hopefully, these therapies leave the cancerous tumor in a worse situation than our normal somatic cells.)
Which is exactly what BioNTech is attempting to do. Their data indicate they can marshal our body’s immune system, producing T cells that are ready to seek, attack, and destroy the cancerous cells.
And, as you can see, they have a few modalities already in phase II trials.
This just may be what the doctor ordered- but couldn’t get until now.
I hope this works, I lost my 41 year old son-in-law in 2014 from colon, liver and lung cancer. I know way too may people who are fighting or have lost the battle to cancer.
You are right, Martha. We need such therapies- now. Hopefully, this will augur in a slew of such vaccines.
These medical researchers are some of our true heroes. We can’t have the day of truly effective treatments for all cancers come soon enough.
I’m with you, Alana. We need some effective treatment!