A cancer patient has made a full recovery after being injected with billions of his own immune cells in the first case of its kind, doctors have disclosed.
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The 52-year-old, who was suffering from advanced skin cancer, was free from tumours within eight weeks of undergoing the procedure.
Doctor's use patient's own immune cells to beat cancer
The case could be a landmark in cancer treatment
After two years he is still free from the disease which had spread to his lymph nodes and one of his lungs.
Doctors took cells from the man's own defence system that were found to attack the cancer cells best, cloned them and injected back into his body, in a process known as "immunotherapy". After two years he is still free from the disease which had spread to his lymph nodes and one of his lungs.
Experts said that the case could mark a landmark in the treatment of cancer.
It raises hopes of a possible new way of fighting the disease, which claims 150,000 lives in Britain every year.
Ed Yong, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "It's very exciting to see a cancer patient being successfully treated using immune cells cloned from his own body. While it's always good news when anyone with cancer gets the all clear, this treatment will need to be tested in large clinical trials to work out how widely it could be used."
However, the treatment could prove extremely expensive and scientists say that more research is needed to prove its effectiveness.
Genetically altered white blood cells have been used before to treat cancer patients but this is the first study to show that simply growing vast numbers of the few immune cells in the body to attack a cancer can be safe and effective.
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Normally there are too few of the cells in a patient's body to effectively fight cancer.
Dr Cassian Yee, who led the team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, said: "For this patient we were successful, but we would need to confirm the effectiveness of therapy in a larger study."
The work raises hopes that this approach could not only offer a more effective treatment for skin cancer, or melanoma, which kills around 2,000 people in Britain alone, but be applied to other cancers too.
The patient was one of nine with metastatic melanoma, that is skin cancer that has spread, who were being treated in a recently completed clinical trial to test bigger and bigger doses of their own white blood cells.
Larger, more elaborate, trials are now under way.
Almost 9,000 new cases of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, are diagnosed every year in Britain, and nearly 2,000 patients die from the disease.
Prof Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, said: "This is another interesting demonstration of the huge power of the immune system to fight some types of cancer.
"Although the technique is complex and difficult to use for all but a few patients, the principle that someone's own immune cells can be expanded and made to work in this way is very encouraging for the work that Cancer Research UK and others are carrying out."
Immunotherapy, in which a patients own immune cells are used to treat cancer, is a growing area of research that aims to develop less-toxic treatments than standard chemotherapy and radiation.
Because cancer occurs when the body's own cells grow out of control, the immune system only responds weakly.
The ability of the body's own defences to tackle cancer in this case is all the more remarkable because most deadly feature of the disease is its ability to colonise other parts of the body, when it becomes much more difficult to treat.
A dramatic example of immunotherapy was reported two years ago by one pioneer of the field, Dr Steven Rosenberg of the US National Cancer Institute, who eradicated cancer from two dying men using genetically modified versions of their own cells.
Both Mark Origer and "Thomas M" were suffering from advanced melanoma but the hope is that such methods could be customised to attack other common cancers, notably breast, colon and lung.
Dr Rosenberg told The Daily Telegraph the new work is an "interesting study that helps to confirm the effectiveness of cell transfer immunotherapy for treating cancer patients. We have now treated 93 patients with metastatic melanoma using their own anti-tumour cells with response rates up to 72 per cent. Mark Origer remains disease free now over three years after treatment."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
FDA: Possible Risk From Dental Fillings
Washington - The FDA has issued a warning of dental fillings with mercury. The amalgams may pose health risk to those with weakened immune system.
Mercury is known to cause numerous serious diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, brain and kidney damage. Most of teeth fillings currently available are mercury based. Previously FDA did not have any reasonable basis that the amalgams are posing health risk, but several consumer advocacy groups, such as Moms Against Mercury, urged FDA to issue the warning.
Finally, FDA warned the public of health complications that mercury can cause. It is known that mercury especially affects those with weakened immune system. FDA doesn’t recommend that those who already have the filling should remove them, but the agency urges that pregnant women, children, and those with diseases should consult a dentist before choosing a tooth filling type. In July 2009 FDA will issue new rules for mercury based amalgams.
Mercury is known to cause numerous serious diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, brain and kidney damage. Most of teeth fillings currently available are mercury based. Previously FDA did not have any reasonable basis that the amalgams are posing health risk, but several consumer advocacy groups, such as Moms Against Mercury, urged FDA to issue the warning.
Finally, FDA warned the public of health complications that mercury can cause. It is known that mercury especially affects those with weakened immune system. FDA doesn’t recommend that those who already have the filling should remove them, but the agency urges that pregnant women, children, and those with diseases should consult a dentist before choosing a tooth filling type. In July 2009 FDA will issue new rules for mercury based amalgams.
Baby Born Twice
Macie Hope McCartney was born twice, once at six months gestation when she was brought out for surgery, and again at eight months. An ultrasound showed that Keri McCartney’s baby had a tumor the size of a grapefruit, benign but still deadly. The only hope was immediate surgery, although the pregnancy wasn’t far enough along to ensure survival. Fetal surgeon Dr. Darrell Cass explained the operation:
“It required that Mrs. McCartney went under a very, very deep anesthesia, about seven times deeper than the average operation,” he said. “That’s necessary in order to have the uterus very, very relaxed.”
He and two other surgeons opened Keri’s abdomen and brought her uterus entirely outside her body. “We had to find an area of the uterus that we could open safely so that we didn’t disturb the placenta,” he explained.
When they found such a place, they opened the relaxed womb and extracted about 80 percent of Macie Hope’s body — which weighed no more than a quarter of a pound — leaving just the head and upper body in the womb. Exposing the fetus to the air carried the danger that she would go into cardiac arrest, and the surgeons worked quickly to remove the tumor and return Macie to the safety of the womb.
That part of the four-hour procedure took about 20 minutes. The surgeons then had to carefully close up the uterus so that it would be watertight, to keep the amniotic fluid from leaking out.
“Then we had to hope that the pregnancy was going to last,” Cass added.
It lasted another ten weeks. Macie Hope was delivered on May 3 perfectly healthy.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Expect new drugs to treat aging, researchers say
Resveratrol, substance found in red wine, benefits health
By DAVID HO
Cox News Service
Published on: 06/03/08
NEW YORK — Is 90 the new 50?
Not yet, aging researchers say, but medical breakthroughs to significantly extend life and ease the ailments of getting older are closer than many people think.
Entertainer Eartha Kitt is one notable figure who still is active in her senior year. Click the image to see other celebrities.
* Photos: Sexy senior celebrities
Related health stories:
* Woodstock residents lose big as part of mayor's challenge
* Expect new drugs to treat aging, researchers say
* Breast cancer treatment uneven racially in Ga., study says
* Medical data in hand or online poses dilemma
* Atlanta Jazz musician Earl Klugh tunes with Pilates
* Back to Health news
"The general public has no idea what's coming," said David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School professor who has made headlines with research into the health benefits of a substance found in red wine called resveratrol.
Speaking on a panel of aging experts, Sinclair had the boldest predictions. He said scientists can greatly increase longevity and improve health in lab animals like mice, and that drugs to benefit people are on the way.
"It's not an if, but a when," said Sinclair, who co-founded Sirtris Pharmaceuticals to pursue such drugs. The company, which is testing medicine in people with Type 2 diabetes, was recently bought for $720 million by GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second-largest drug maker.
Sinclair said treatments could be a few years or a decade away, but they're "really close. It's not something (from) science fiction and it's not something for the next generation."
The discussion of aging was a closing event of the first World Science Festival, a five-day celebration of science for the public that brought together researchers ranging from biologists to quantum physicists. Participants included Nobel laureates, business leaders and philosophers.
At the longevity event, hundreds of people young and old packed a sold-out New York University hall, including actress Jane Fonda, who turned 70 in December.
Aging, particularly aging well and staying healthy, is increasingly a hot topic as the population grays, people live longer and tens of millions of baby-boomers enter or approach their 60s.
The experts here Sunday night said aging research, once a backwater of science, is experiencing an explosion of interest and optimism.
The session began not with talk but with song, as jazz legend Marilyn Maye strode the stage and belted out "Celebration" and "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News."
Maye said that most of her life she's been coy about revealing her age, but this year she admitted that she turned 80 in April.
Maye, who sat on the panel, said the biggest aging myth is that "cosmetic surgery makes you younger. I think attitude is the thing that keeps you young. And energy and activity and just keep moving."
Robert Butler, a pioneer of aging research who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for the book "Why Survive? Being Old in America," agreed that "people live longer and better by having a sense of purpose." He said that while medicine and biology are important for longevity, having friendships and close relationships also have a big impact.
Butler said a revolution in longevity has already arrived, noting that in the last century life spans increased 30 years, more than in the previous 5,000 years of human history.
Given the latest research, he said, more resources must be devoted to understanding the biology of aging, since "with one pill, we might be able to do a lot for many different conditions."
Some of that research comes from Richard Weindruch, a professor at the University of Wisconsin and director of LifeGen Technologies who studies how extremely low-calorie diets affect aging.
Weindruch said his research, which began by showing how consuming little food could greatly increase the life spans of mice, moved on in 1989 to a long-term study on monkeys that can live up to 40 years.
"Just now we're starting to see statistically significant improvements in survival and resistance to disease and favorable effects on brain aging," he said. He said his team hopes to publish these results soon.
Sinclair said that based on Weindruch's work, he set out a decade ago to find the genes involved in caloric restriction and find a pill that can provide the benefits "without you feeling hungry all the time."
He described how his research found that mice given large doses of resveratrol "live longer, they're almost immune to the effects of obesity. They don't get diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's as frequently. We delay the diseases of aging."
Sinclair showed video of mice on resveratrol running on a treadmill far more vigorously than those who didn't get the substance. He called them "our Lance Armstrong mice."
A large dose meant the equivalent of a human drinking about 1,000 bottles of red wine daily, he said.
While the implications of the 2006 study for humans was uncertain, the news set off a surge in sales of dietary supplements containing resveratrol. Some scientists warned of its unproven effects and raised safety concerns.
Sinclair has said that he has taken resveratrol supplements, but at the longevity event he cautioned that right now there is no proven magic pill to extend life.
His suggestion? Exercise.
By DAVID HO
Cox News Service
Published on: 06/03/08
NEW YORK — Is 90 the new 50?
Not yet, aging researchers say, but medical breakthroughs to significantly extend life and ease the ailments of getting older are closer than many people think.
Entertainer Eartha Kitt is one notable figure who still is active in her senior year. Click the image to see other celebrities.
* Photos: Sexy senior celebrities
Related health stories:
* Woodstock residents lose big as part of mayor's challenge
* Expect new drugs to treat aging, researchers say
* Breast cancer treatment uneven racially in Ga., study says
* Medical data in hand or online poses dilemma
* Atlanta Jazz musician Earl Klugh tunes with Pilates
* Back to Health news
"The general public has no idea what's coming," said David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School professor who has made headlines with research into the health benefits of a substance found in red wine called resveratrol.
Speaking on a panel of aging experts, Sinclair had the boldest predictions. He said scientists can greatly increase longevity and improve health in lab animals like mice, and that drugs to benefit people are on the way.
"It's not an if, but a when," said Sinclair, who co-founded Sirtris Pharmaceuticals to pursue such drugs. The company, which is testing medicine in people with Type 2 diabetes, was recently bought for $720 million by GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second-largest drug maker.
Sinclair said treatments could be a few years or a decade away, but they're "really close. It's not something (from) science fiction and it's not something for the next generation."
The discussion of aging was a closing event of the first World Science Festival, a five-day celebration of science for the public that brought together researchers ranging from biologists to quantum physicists. Participants included Nobel laureates, business leaders and philosophers.
At the longevity event, hundreds of people young and old packed a sold-out New York University hall, including actress Jane Fonda, who turned 70 in December.
Aging, particularly aging well and staying healthy, is increasingly a hot topic as the population grays, people live longer and tens of millions of baby-boomers enter or approach their 60s.
The experts here Sunday night said aging research, once a backwater of science, is experiencing an explosion of interest and optimism.
The session began not with talk but with song, as jazz legend Marilyn Maye strode the stage and belted out "Celebration" and "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News."
Maye said that most of her life she's been coy about revealing her age, but this year she admitted that she turned 80 in April.
Maye, who sat on the panel, said the biggest aging myth is that "cosmetic surgery makes you younger. I think attitude is the thing that keeps you young. And energy and activity and just keep moving."
Robert Butler, a pioneer of aging research who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for the book "Why Survive? Being Old in America," agreed that "people live longer and better by having a sense of purpose." He said that while medicine and biology are important for longevity, having friendships and close relationships also have a big impact.
Butler said a revolution in longevity has already arrived, noting that in the last century life spans increased 30 years, more than in the previous 5,000 years of human history.
Given the latest research, he said, more resources must be devoted to understanding the biology of aging, since "with one pill, we might be able to do a lot for many different conditions."
Some of that research comes from Richard Weindruch, a professor at the University of Wisconsin and director of LifeGen Technologies who studies how extremely low-calorie diets affect aging.
Weindruch said his research, which began by showing how consuming little food could greatly increase the life spans of mice, moved on in 1989 to a long-term study on monkeys that can live up to 40 years.
"Just now we're starting to see statistically significant improvements in survival and resistance to disease and favorable effects on brain aging," he said. He said his team hopes to publish these results soon.
Sinclair said that based on Weindruch's work, he set out a decade ago to find the genes involved in caloric restriction and find a pill that can provide the benefits "without you feeling hungry all the time."
He described how his research found that mice given large doses of resveratrol "live longer, they're almost immune to the effects of obesity. They don't get diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's as frequently. We delay the diseases of aging."
Sinclair showed video of mice on resveratrol running on a treadmill far more vigorously than those who didn't get the substance. He called them "our Lance Armstrong mice."
A large dose meant the equivalent of a human drinking about 1,000 bottles of red wine daily, he said.
While the implications of the 2006 study for humans was uncertain, the news set off a surge in sales of dietary supplements containing resveratrol. Some scientists warned of its unproven effects and raised safety concerns.
Sinclair has said that he has taken resveratrol supplements, but at the longevity event he cautioned that right now there is no proven magic pill to extend life.
His suggestion? Exercise.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Teenage cannabis smokers face bigger risk of full-blown mental illness in later life
Teenage cannabis users are more likely to suffer psychotic symptoms that raise the risk of full-blown mental illness in later life, claim researchers.
Adolescent drug takers interviewed for the largest study of its kind reported experiencing at least three symptoms indicating a risk of psychosis.
These included feeling like something strange or inexplicable was taking place, suspecting they were being influenced or followed and difficulty in controlling the speed of thoughts.
Frequent drug users were more at risk but even youngsters dabbling at an early stage were vulnerable.
The researchers also found taking cannabis in adolescence creates a greater risk of developing schizophrenia than using it when older.
Their findings will bolster the Government's decision last month to restore cannabis to the harsher Class B status against the advice of its own scientists.
But it will also increase dismay that the change makes no difference to the way under-18s caught with cannabis are dealt with by the police. They still only face prosecution if caught with the drug three times.
British psychiatrists have consistently expressed concerns that the drug appears to accelerate the onset of full-blown mental illness, raising fears of an epidemic of mental health problems among users in their 20s and 30s.
More than 6,000 youngsters aged 15 and 16 were involved in the research in Finland, published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Experts assessed which were potentially at risk of developing a psychotic disorder.
More than 5 per cent of the teenagers reported that they had used cannabis once or more; and one in 100 had used cannabis more than five times. Girls were more likely to take the drug than boys.
It was found that those who had used cannabis had a higher average number of symptoms indicating a risk of psychosis.
Dr Jouko Miettunen, who led the research at the University of Oulu in Finland, said the findings were significant because they demonstrated a link with psychosis at a very early stage of cannabis use.
He said: 'These teenagers are likely to be vulnerable to the mental effects, which means they are probably vulnerable to developing psychosis at some point.'
Dr Miettunen said psychotic symptoms were much more common than actual cases of diagnosed mental illness but the number being reported was a cause for concern.
Campaigner Debra Bell, who formed the group Talking About Cannabis after her son William started taking cannabis at 14 and ended up stealing from his parents to feed his habit, said the research was more proof of the dangers.
She said 'All parents of children who smoke cannabis know the drug can cause serious mental disturbances. This study from Finland is very interesting but why aren't we doing this research here or doing something about the findings?
'It shows the problems begin at a very early age yet teenagers tell their parents it's a safe drug. Unfortunately, like my son, they can turn around and say it won't do them any harm because the Government downgraded it, despite the evidence showing we are storing up huge problems for the future.'
Adolescent drug takers interviewed for the largest study of its kind reported experiencing at least three symptoms indicating a risk of psychosis.
These included feeling like something strange or inexplicable was taking place, suspecting they were being influenced or followed and difficulty in controlling the speed of thoughts.
Frequent drug users were more at risk but even youngsters dabbling at an early stage were vulnerable.
The researchers also found taking cannabis in adolescence creates a greater risk of developing schizophrenia than using it when older.
Their findings will bolster the Government's decision last month to restore cannabis to the harsher Class B status against the advice of its own scientists.
But it will also increase dismay that the change makes no difference to the way under-18s caught with cannabis are dealt with by the police. They still only face prosecution if caught with the drug three times.
British psychiatrists have consistently expressed concerns that the drug appears to accelerate the onset of full-blown mental illness, raising fears of an epidemic of mental health problems among users in their 20s and 30s.
More than 6,000 youngsters aged 15 and 16 were involved in the research in Finland, published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Experts assessed which were potentially at risk of developing a psychotic disorder.
More than 5 per cent of the teenagers reported that they had used cannabis once or more; and one in 100 had used cannabis more than five times. Girls were more likely to take the drug than boys.
It was found that those who had used cannabis had a higher average number of symptoms indicating a risk of psychosis.
Dr Jouko Miettunen, who led the research at the University of Oulu in Finland, said the findings were significant because they demonstrated a link with psychosis at a very early stage of cannabis use.
He said: 'These teenagers are likely to be vulnerable to the mental effects, which means they are probably vulnerable to developing psychosis at some point.'
Dr Miettunen said psychotic symptoms were much more common than actual cases of diagnosed mental illness but the number being reported was a cause for concern.
Campaigner Debra Bell, who formed the group Talking About Cannabis after her son William started taking cannabis at 14 and ended up stealing from his parents to feed his habit, said the research was more proof of the dangers.
She said 'All parents of children who smoke cannabis know the drug can cause serious mental disturbances. This study from Finland is very interesting but why aren't we doing this research here or doing something about the findings?
'It shows the problems begin at a very early age yet teenagers tell their parents it's a safe drug. Unfortunately, like my son, they can turn around and say it won't do them any harm because the Government downgraded it, despite the evidence showing we are storing up huge problems for the future.'
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Scientists reveal dangers of older fathers
Children are almost twice as likely to die before adulthood if they have a father over 45, research has shown.
A mass study found that deaths of children fathered by over-45s occurred at almost twice the rate of those fathered by men aged between 25 and 30.
Scientists believe that children of older fathers are more likely to suffer particular congenital defects as well as autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy. The study was the first of its kind of such magnitude in the West, and researchers believe the findings are linked to the declining quality of sperm as men age.
A total of 100,000 children born between 1980 and 1996 were examined, of whom 830 have so far died before they reached 18, the majority when they were less than a year old.
Article continues
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The deaths of many of the children of the older fathers were related to congenital defects such as problems of the heart and spine, which increase the risk of infant mortality. But there were also higher rates of accidental death, which the researchers believe might be explained by the increased likelihood of suffering from autism, epilepsy or schizophrenia.
Most research into older parents has, until now, focused on the risks passed on by older mothers. But the new study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, was adjusted to take account of maternal age and socio-economic differences.
The research also found higher death rates among children of the youngest fathers, especially those below the age of 19. However, the study said these differences were explained by the risks of teenage motherhood and poorer diet and lifestyle.
Previous research using the same data found that older men were four times as likely to father a child with Down's syndrome, while other studies have found that the genetic quality of sperm deteriorates as men age.
More than 75,000 babies in Britain are born to fathers aged 40 and over each year, or more than one in 10 of all births. This includes more than 6,000 born to fathers aged 50 or over. The average age of fathering a child in this country is 32.
Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology – the medical specialty dealing with male reproduction – at the University of Sheffield, said: "A lot of people know that there are risks for the child that come from having an older mother, but children of older fathers also carry an increased risk. These sorts of results provide another good reason to have children early, when possible."
Dr Pacey, who is secretary of the British Fertility Society, said scientists were unsure exactly what impact the ageing process had on the quality of sperm, making it impossible to detect defects before conception.
Dr Jin Liang Zhu, from the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, which carried out the research, said: "The risks of older fatherhood can be very profound, and it is not something that people are always aware of."
The mother's age still has the bigger impact on child health, however. About one in 900 babies born to women under 30 have Down's syndrome – a figure which reaches one in 100 by the age of 40. The number of over-40s giving birth in Britain each year has doubled in the past decade to 16,000. The risk of miscarriage rises sharply with age.
A mass study found that deaths of children fathered by over-45s occurred at almost twice the rate of those fathered by men aged between 25 and 30.
Scientists believe that children of older fathers are more likely to suffer particular congenital defects as well as autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy. The study was the first of its kind of such magnitude in the West, and researchers believe the findings are linked to the declining quality of sperm as men age.
A total of 100,000 children born between 1980 and 1996 were examined, of whom 830 have so far died before they reached 18, the majority when they were less than a year old.
Article continues
advertisement
The deaths of many of the children of the older fathers were related to congenital defects such as problems of the heart and spine, which increase the risk of infant mortality. But there were also higher rates of accidental death, which the researchers believe might be explained by the increased likelihood of suffering from autism, epilepsy or schizophrenia.
Most research into older parents has, until now, focused on the risks passed on by older mothers. But the new study, published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, was adjusted to take account of maternal age and socio-economic differences.
The research also found higher death rates among children of the youngest fathers, especially those below the age of 19. However, the study said these differences were explained by the risks of teenage motherhood and poorer diet and lifestyle.
Previous research using the same data found that older men were four times as likely to father a child with Down's syndrome, while other studies have found that the genetic quality of sperm deteriorates as men age.
More than 75,000 babies in Britain are born to fathers aged 40 and over each year, or more than one in 10 of all births. This includes more than 6,000 born to fathers aged 50 or over. The average age of fathering a child in this country is 32.
Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology – the medical specialty dealing with male reproduction – at the University of Sheffield, said: "A lot of people know that there are risks for the child that come from having an older mother, but children of older fathers also carry an increased risk. These sorts of results provide another good reason to have children early, when possible."
Dr Pacey, who is secretary of the British Fertility Society, said scientists were unsure exactly what impact the ageing process had on the quality of sperm, making it impossible to detect defects before conception.
Dr Jin Liang Zhu, from the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, which carried out the research, said: "The risks of older fatherhood can be very profound, and it is not something that people are always aware of."
The mother's age still has the bigger impact on child health, however. About one in 900 babies born to women under 30 have Down's syndrome – a figure which reaches one in 100 by the age of 40. The number of over-40s giving birth in Britain each year has doubled in the past decade to 16,000. The risk of miscarriage rises sharply with age.
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