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| Science & Technology |
| Researchers discover 'kill switch' that causes cancer cells to self-destruct in possible medical breakthrough |
| 2023-11-13 |
| [BLAZE] In a possible medical breakthrough, researchers say they have discovered a kill switch that triggers the death of cancer cells. Researchers at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center believe they have identified a protein on a receptor that can "program" cancer cells to die. The press release from UC Davis states: "CD95 receptors, also known as Fas, are called death receptors. These protein receptors reside on cell membranes. When activated, they release a signal that causes the cells to self-destruct." The Daily Mail reported that CAR T-cell therapy "involves collecting and making changes to a cancer patient's T cells, which are responsible for fighting off infection and disease but can struggle to spot cancer cells." |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #12 Skid, KBK, and our other RB'ers suffering and recovering: my best and prayers for all of you! But not ACA JOE |
| Posted by: Frank G 2023-11-13 18:39 |
| #11 Have a friend, mid-50's who had the bone marrow transplant for blood cancer. Did the transfusions until they were no longer effective. His younger biker brother in Colorado turned out to be a perfect match and quickly volunteered. He's doing well now, 3 years later (literally brought back from the jaws of death). Tease him now and then; asking him if he's bought that new Harley yet. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-11-13 15:50 |
| #10 I love this story. I walked away from RCHOP in Dallas when I found my 'diffuse large B cell lymphoma' was a zombie white blood cell disease affecting multiple organs. "What are you going to cut out?" I asked. "Uhm, well the tumors." "You told me the disease was at 'stage 4' with tumors in lungs, liver, intestines and various lymph nodes. How are you going to get all of that without leaving me disabled and unsightly(very important)?" "Yeah, we might save some lung and just resect the bowel. We'll only take one lobe of your liver. We gotta get that one in your throat, or give you a trach. Here is the surgery schedule." "What are you going to irradiate?" I asked. "Well, the tumors." "Aren't the tumors a result of the disease rather than the cause?" "Let's talk about your payment schedule." Two weeks later I was 305 miles away at MD Anderson in Houston. No radiation, no cutting. Chemo 1 week, commute, recover at home two weeks, rinse&repeat. 4 months. It wasn't pretty. At night I shambled two miles up and down the hospital corridors dragging my infusion pump and christmas tree. No morphine, no demerol. I had some attitude. They had puke buckets in the hallways. I lived on soda crackers, gatorade and popsicles. Killed the tumors and the bone marrow creating the zombie WBCs. They rebuilt the marrow with my own stem cells in month 5. The guts are scarred, the lungs still have cavities from the tumors, the liver is a marvelous healing organ. After two weeks of treatment the lymph nodes returned to normal. Know your choices KBK. It's rare that an oncologist will say, "That didn't work. Let's try something else." |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-11-13 15:42 |
| #9 Thank you for your kindness! I beat melanoma 45 years ago, and I'm now being cared for by the most amazing group of medical professionals at MGH. The test, imagery, and chemo adjuncts these days are astonishing compared to my previous experience. |
| Posted by: KBK 2023-11-13 13:15 |
| #8 /\ Stopping my shop work and sending up a word for you hermano. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-11-13 13:04 |
| #7 I'm in the middle of chemo for B cell lymphoma - using Rituximab as part of the RCHOP therapy, which has been quite effective so far. |
| Posted by: KBK 2023-11-13 12:28 |
| #6 Rituximab's patent expired in 2015, so anyone can produce it. Unfortunately that moves the drug into the 'very little profit' column. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2023-11-13 09:56 |
| #5 The monoclonal antibody vaccines (mabs) are among the most successful creations of modern pharma. Several of them are life changing for the sufferers of the diseases they treat. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-11-13 08:34 |
| #4 12 years ago I was dosed with Rituximab. "Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20, which is primarily found on the surface of immune system B cells.[19] When it binds to this protein it triggers cell death.[12]" It worked. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-11-13 08:25 |
| #3 About the same time as cold fusion. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2023-11-13 08:18 |
| #2 Honestly, D2D expecting to click and read Pfizer had developed already a Vaccine. Was I wrong? Quoting Nature Medicine Com Nov. 6th, 2023 "A new approach that combines CAR T cells with serial mRNA vaccine injections facilitates robust anti-neoplastic activity in patients with genitourinary cancers, which will pave the way for a promising new targeted treatment strategy." |
| Posted by: NN2N1 2023-11-13 08:05 |
| #1 And they discover this kill switch once per decade. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-11-13 05:55 |