Attacking cancer stem cells …a way to treat Mesothelioma
A new cancer treatment is on the horizon since scientists made a breakthrough discovery in the understanding of how tumor cells grow. The basis of the treatment is that a tiny portion of cancer cells, which have been named cancer stem cells, is the cause of the malignant nature of tumors. “We think it’s going to be very possible to develop safe and effective agents targeting cancer stem cells, based on the work we’ve already achieved to date,” said John Lewicke, Oncomed’s vice president of research and development.If the theory behind Oncomed’s products is correct, these researchers may be on the verge of ending cancer as we know it. Currently, most cancer is treated by attempting to kill the great mass of cells in a tumor, and hope that this will stop its spread. If it is only cancer stem cells that drive the growth of tumors, then if these cells are targeted the cancer will be destroyed.”I think cancer stem cells are a new burgeoning field,” Nora Disis, a professor of oncology at the University of Washington and deputy editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. “People are studying them in multiple ways, not only pluripotent stem cells as the cause of cancer, but looking at them as they cause chemo resistance.”
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