Targeted immunotherapy may help treat lymphoma.Byline: ANI Washington, Oct 31 (ANI): A new study has revealed that targeted immunotherapy has been found effective in treating lymphoma associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-lymphoma) in patients who have received a hematopoietic stem cell Hematopoietic stem cell A cell that can develop into any type of specialized blood cell. Mentioned in: Umbilical Cord Blood Banking transplant (HSCT). Lymphoma is a cancer of white blood cells White blood cells A group of several cell types that occur in the bloodstream and are essential for a properly functioning immune system. Mentioned in: Abscess Incision & Drainage, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Complement Deficiencies called lymphocytes that are largely responsible for maintaining the body's immunity, and EBV EBV Epstein-Barr virus. EBV abbr. Epstein-Barr virus Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) A virus in the herpes family that causes mononucleosis. is one of the most common human viruses that can have a long-lasting impact on the body's immune system. The researchers suggest that immune-compromised patients who receive HSCT, especially from mismatched donors or matched but unrelated donors might be at higher risk of developing EBV-lymphoma than other patients. And previous studies have shown that EBV-lymphoma occurs most often in the first few months post-transplant. The researchers hypothesized that aggressive EBV-lymphomas may be responsive to control or eradication with EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte cytotoxic T lymphocyte CTL, cytotoxic T cell Immunology A subset of T cells with a CD8 receptor on the surface that recognizes and lyses malignant or virally-infected self cells bearing self, ie 'haplotype restricted', class I MHC molecules. (CTL) treatment. CTLs are highly specialized white blood cells that build the body's defenses against disease. During the study, they infused EBV-specific CTL lines into two groups of patients: those who were undergoing HSCT and were at high risk of developing EBV-lymphoma, and patients who had already developed lymphoma. The found that CTL treatment successfully prevented the development of EBV-lymphoma in all 101 patients in the at-risk group. "Therapy with EBV-specific CTLs was effective for these severely immunocompromised patients," said lead study author Dr Helen Heslop, of the Centre for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine Baylor College of Medicine is a private medical school located in Houston, Texas, USA on the grounds of the Texas Medical Center. It has been consistently rated the top medical school in Texas and among the best in the United States. , The Methodist Hospital, and Texas Children's Hospital Texas Children's Hospital is an internationally recognized pediatric hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. With 639 licensed beds and 465 beds in operation, Texas Children's is the largest children's hospital in the United States. . "The CTLs successfully reached tumors, multiplied, and were able to kill the tumor cells. "It's important to note that this promising therapy is not only effective, but it is also a cost-effective option for high-risk patients," she added. The study appears online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion