Cells melt mouse tumors.Studies suggesting that the naturally occurring substance interleukin-2 boosts the immune system's response to cancer prompted a research team to engineer cells to fight tumors in mice. Robert E. Sobol of the San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. Regional Cancer Center and his colleagues hoped that by inserting the gene that codes for interleukin-2 into mouse cells, they could produce cells that would secrete secrete /se·crete/ (se-kret´) to elaborate and release a secretion. se·crete v. To generate and separate a substance from cells or bodily fluids. interleukin-2. These cells would then spur the immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. to destroy malignant tumors in the animals. To test this theory, the team engineered interleukin-2-producing mouse cells, put the altered cells and some tumor cells in a solution and injected the mixture into 10 mice. They gave another group of 10 mice injections of tumor cells and unaltered cells. The scientists knew that tumor cells by themselves would spur an immune response immune response n. An integrated bodily response to an antigen, especially one mediated by lymphocytes and involving recognition of antigens by specific antibodies or previously sensitized lymphocytes. , but they wanted to compare it with the immune rally sparked by interleukin-2. Seven control mice got injections of saline solution saline solution n. A solution of any salt, usually an isotonic sodium chloride solution. Also called salt solution. Saline solution A solution of sterile water and salt used in a variety of medical procedures. . Two weeks later, the San Diego team implanted a small tumor just under the skin of each mouse in the study. Twentyeight days after implanting the tumors, the scientists discovered that six of the 10 mice that had received the engineered cells showed no sign of cancer. The ten mice that received injections of unaltered and tumor cells showed a weak anti-tumor response - most had tumors that shrank in size. In contrast, all seven mice given only saline injections had tumors that got larger during the same period. Sobol reported his team's data last week at the American Association for Cancer Research Wikipedia is not the place for advertisement or self-advertising. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is an organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that focuses on all aspects of cancer research including basic, clinical and translational meeting held in San Diego. The team wants to try the same approach with human cancer patients. |
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