Research by Israeli Scientists Offers Hope That Victory Over Cancer Is Near
American scientists have confirmed the effectiveness of a method developed by an Israeli scientist.
Israeli professor of medicine Zelig Ashchar published an article in 1989 in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," where he proposed a revolutionary idea for a new way to fight cancer. The professor discovered that T-cells of the immune system could be programmed to fight atypical cells in the body, namely cancer cells. The scientist was recognized 26 years later, in 2015, for his contributions to research on modified T-cells, receiving the prestigious Israeli Prize.
Recently, the leukemia treatment method proposed by Israeli professor Zelig Ashchar received confirmation of its effectiveness from American colleagues.
Advanced Forms of Leukemia Can Be Cured
New research by American scientists, described in the journal Science Translational Medicine, confirms the effectiveness of using genetically modified T-cells in the treatment of leukemia. Researchers from the Abramson University in Pennsylvania and the Perelman School of Medicine described the results of treatment using genetically modified T-cells. The results are striking: twenty-seven out of twenty-nine patients (94%) suffering from advanced stages of leukemia either completely recovered or their condition entered a stable remission phase.
Similar studies were conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle (USA): modified molecules were introduced into T-cells. The introduction of modified T-cells yielded good results in combating cancer cells, especially in the treatment of lymphoblastic leukemia.
Professor Ashchar commented to the "Times of Israel" that this news did not surprise him, as he has long been conducting relevant experiments in his laboratory. He believes that research can now reach a new level, particularly requiring the study of the effects of modified immune cells on other types of cancer. And although there is still much meticulous work ahead, Professor Ashchar is confident that targeting cancer tumors at the cellular level will be able to cure most types of cancer in the future.
"The problem is that for each type of cancer, a specific T-cell needs to be developed,"– says Zelig Ashchar, – "therefore, we still have a lot of work ahead. I believe that we will be able to create an effective and safe method for treating cancer and blood diseases."