15 May 2012
Appeared
in BioNews 656
Stem
cells transplanted into the brain may offer
protection against the side effects of chemotherapy, say US researchers.
A study involving three patients with glioblastoma,
an aggressive form of brain cancer, isolated stem cells extracted from the
patients' bone marrow. Using a virus, a gene was inserted into
the stem cells' DNA
which protected the cells against
the side effects of a chemotherapy drug. The cells were then put back into the
patient.
The three
patients survived an average of 22 months - the average survival for
patients with the type of glioblastoma is just one year.
'We found that patients were able to tolerate
the chemotherapy better and without negative side effects after transplantation
of the gene-modified stem cells', said Professor Hans-Peter Kiem at
the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, which carried out the
study. 'This compares with patients in previous studies who received the same
type of chemotherapy without a transplant of gene-modified stem cells'.
Many types of glioblastoma are resistant to a
chemotherapy agent, temozolomide, because they possess a gene called MGMT that
repairs the damaged cancer cells. Patients are given benzylguanine to block
this gene, but the side-effect is that the drug also makes healthy bone marrow
cells sensitive to damage. 'Without those cells, patients become very
susceptible to infections', explained Professor Kiem. 'Then they can't get the
appropriate amount of chemotherapy because they have to stop treatment'.
By reintroducing the patients' bone marrow
cells with a modified version of MGMT, called P140K, the cells are protected
from both benzylguanine and the effects of chemotherapy. 'P140K can repair the
damage caused by chemotherapy and is impervious to the effects of
benzylguanine', said Professor Kiem.
Professor Susan Short of Cancer Research UK
said: 'This is a very interesting study and a completely new approach to
protecting normal cells during cancer treatment'.
'It needs to be tested in more patients but
it may mean that we can use temozolomide for more brain tumour patients than we
previously thought', Professor Short continued. 'This approach could also be a
model for other situations where the bone marrow is affected by cancer
treatment'.
P/S
: Kimoterapi diatas hanya mampu panjangkan usia pesakit selama setahun. jika
pakai stem cell, boleh upaya panjangkan selama 1 tahun lagi. Sudah sampai
masanya untuk kita mengkaji secara terperinci kekuatan dan keistimewaan yang
ada pada tumbuh tumbuhan bagi memanjangkan umur pesakit kanser melebihi 22
bulan seperti dipapar dalam kajian diatas!!!
Tiada ulasan:
Catat Ulasan
Nota: Hanya ahli blog ini sahaja yang boleh mencatat ulasan.