Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States accounting for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths. Lung cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer. According to the
American Cancer Society, it is estimated that in 2014 alone about 585,720 Americans are expected to die of cancer, a rate of almost 1,600 people per day. Of these people, lung cancer is estimated to account for about 27% of all cancer expected. The point of these statistics is not to scare you, it is to show the prevalence of cancer in our nation. As a biologist, one has a duty to use their knowledge and contribute to research in order to answer some of the many unsolved questions in science today, such as how to cure cancer. Fortunately, a new study published in the
Cancer Immunology Research journal showed that a
tecemotide vaccine designed to boost the immune system decreased the amount of lung tumors in mice versus ones who received only the conventional treatment.
The tecemotide vaccine used in the study targets the protein MUC1. This protein
typically binds pathogens before they can infect the cell with the help of killer
T-lymphocytes. The vaccine helps to lower the defenses of tumor cells and boost the immune system's natural process of stopping tumor formation. When cancer tumors form, cells proliferate at an uncontrolled pace. The cells become mutated causing proteins to be over-expressed and normal tumor defense mechanisms (such as apoptosis) are absent. Cancer cells can then be immune to chemotherapy drugs and the body's natural defense mechanisms. The vaccine aimed to change this.
The conventional treatment options for lung cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted drugs. Surgery is usually the treatment of choice, but once the lung cancer reaches
stage III, surgery on the tumor can no longer be performed. Even those who detect the cancer during the first stage, chances are only 49% will survive. Also, treatments like chemotherapy weaken the immune system. Therefore, normal treatment in conjunction with this promising new tecemotide vaccine can possibly reduce the number of tumors than with traditional treatment alone.
The longterm goal for researching cancer is to find a cure, not just treatments. The closer we get through new and innovative ways of prevention and treatment, the more clues biologists obtain in order to answer the many mysteries of oncological science. Since the dawn of cellular and oncological research, improvements in survival rates have been significant. The 5-year relative survival rate for all cancer diagnosed from 2003-2009 was recorded at 68% - a 19% increase in about 30 years. This improvement is a direct result of gaining knowledge from research in treatment as well as early detection. The more we know, the better off all people are. Therefore, keep asking questions, keep researching, and we can find a cure. "
Because everyone deserves a lifetime."
Original Article:
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/lung-cancer-vaccine-development-regains-hope
Posted by: Nicole Boisvert (7)
Interesting post! That would be great if this vaccine could be implemented and be effective. Would this vaccine be effective if given before any signs of cancer, kind of like a typical vaccine as a preventative measure or would it only be used in conjunction with normal treatment measures?
ReplyDeletePosted by Morgan Matuszko
In my opinion, I don't think it would be considerably effective until the first signs of cancer have been detected. The vaccine is used to replace the immune system's normal functioning, therefore if the tumor cells aren't ruining the immune system, then it would be somewhat redundant to have received the vaccine.
Delete-Nicole B
Very Interesting post! I feel like we are getting closer and closer stemming the flow of people getting cancer and maybe the 5-year survival rates skyrocketing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great news! Do you know what stage of the cancer the vaccine will have the best successful rate to cure cancer? And will this vaccine be able to apply on different types of cancer cells?
ReplyDelete-Yim Hui
The earlier the cancer is detected, the higher the chance you have to beat it. In stage 0, the exact cancer cell that started the tumor can be removed. In stage I, the cancerous mass is only localized in one are of the body. Up to stage I, the whole tumor can be removed if it's small enough. So I would hypothesize that the vaccine would be most successful on those who have stages 0 or I.
DeleteThe protein that the drug targets, MUC-1 becomes overexpressed in specific cancers including lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer (see 'tecemotide'). It destroys the cells where MUC-1 is mutated and can't undergo apoptosis. Therefore I think it would apply to all of these cancers that have this mutation which is good news.
MUC-1 is over expressed on many cancers such as lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. Tecemotide is thought to work by stimulating the body's immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells expressing MUC-1.
-NB
Great post, this was exciting to read about. Do you think a similar approach can be used to treat other types of cancer, possibly with the use of different proteins?
ReplyDeletePosted by Kristen Whitehead
Yes, they can target the MUC-1 in other types of cancer as well as use this research to identify new, similarly functioning mutations in proteins of other types.
Delete-NB
Pretty awesome findings. Do you know where this vaccine is being implemented, or is it still just in the testing stages?
ReplyDelete-Samuel Ustayev
This research is pretty new stuff since it was accepted into the cancer immunology research journal only a month ago. Therefore, trials aren't being done on humans yet, but the preliminary results on mice shows promise.
ReplyDelete-NB
ReplyDeleteJournal of Immunology Research and Therapy is an international peer reviewed journal that covers the studies of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms.Immunology Research and Therapy