Protein vaccine slows leukemia. (Cancer).By injecting leukemia patients with part of a protein found in greater abundance on cancerous cells than on healthy ones, researchers have been able to induce some patients' immune systems to fight this blood cancer. Jeffrey J. Molldrem of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and his colleagues fashioned the cancer vaccine The term cancer vaccine is often used to describe a process whereby a person's immune system is coaxed into recognizing and destroying malignant cells without harming normal cells. from a piece of proteinase proteinase /pro·tein·ase/ (pro´ten-as?) endopeptidase. pro·tein·ase n. A protease that begins the hydrolytic breakdown of proteins usually by splitting them into polypeptide chains. 3, a compound overproduced by malignant blood cells blood cells, n.pl the formed elements of the blood, including red cells (erythrocytes), white cells (leukocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes). blood cells See erythrocyte and leukocyte. Platelets are classed separately. in leukemia patients. Earlier research suggested that the piece, called PRI PRI: see Institutional Revolutionary party. (Primary Rate Interface) An ISDN service that provides 23 64 Kbps B (Bearer) channels and one 64 Kbps D (Data) channel (23B+D), which is equivalent to the 24 channels of a T1 line. , stimulates production of immune system T cells T cells A type of white blood cell produced in the thymus gland. T cells are an important part of the immune system. Infants born with an underdeveloped or absent thymus do not have a normal level of T cells in their blood. that specifically target proteinase 3. Molldrem's group identified 15 patients with leukemia that had resisted other treatment. Each patient received three PRI injections, each separated by 3 weeks. In five people, the leukemia went into remission and their T cells showed a strong attraction to the leukemia cells. Three other patients in the group showed partial responses. Molldrem and his colleagues are now testing the vaccine in 60 more leukemia patients.--N.S. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion