Gene Therapy - Recombinant Immune Cells Beat Back Cancer

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Gene Therapy - Recombinant Immune Cells Beat Back Cancer
Scientific American

Cancer results from cells gone wild. Proliferating out of control, the cells spawn malignant growths that can travel throughout the human body, spreading the disease.

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Human Gene Therapy
Immunization of Cancer Patients Using Autologous Cancer Cells Modified by Insertion of the Gene for Interleukin-2 (National Institutes of Health)

Specific stem cells are thought to be the origin of many, if not all, cancers and although there are several drugs in clinical trials, only small companies are currently conducting research in the area.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to be the origin of at least eight different tumour types, according to Dr John Bates, who has recently penned a BioPharm report called 'Cancer Stem Cells: Emerging Therapeutic, Diagnostic and Market Opportunities'.

There are seventeen different companies and commercially focussed research groups that the report identified as developing molecules that either do, or could potentially, target CSCs. However, of those, only Genentech has the financial muscle to carry out a development programme to completion.