Gene therapy involves a patients own tumor cell alteration genetically or alteration of lymphocytes - immune system cells (some that might attack cancer cells).
Immune active substances or genes that promote production of messenger chemicals can be transferred to patient’s body cells.
Gene therapy is on an experimental treatment level and has not yet been proved a superior treatment compared to the other standard treatments of cancer. In Vancouver, the first gene trials have started on a very small number of patients with special type of cancer. These patients are being treated since 1995.
Various scientists are in the process of discovering to eliminate the genes that drive cancer growth and make the body’s defense mechanism strong enough to fight against cancer.
Genetic change in one minute cell can trigger cancer. There are around 100 human inherited or dormant genes that can be responsible to cause malignancy. The dormant genes can become active with triggers like smoking, environmental factors, virus or even a high-fat diet.
To turn a healthy cell in to a cancerous cell, a cell undergoes various mutations in a particular sequence. If our body’s own defense mechanism fails to identify and fight these changes, then the healthy cell will become a cancerous cell and form a tumor in no time. With the help of body’s lymph system these cells sends out daughter cells with the damage genes which in turn grow in to new tumor.
The ultimate goal of gene therapy is to eliminate cancer cells before it spreads through out the body and grows in to a tumor.
Gene therapy and prevention
World – renowned scientists are involved in genetic research and cancer. Their main aim is to –
Identifying the anti-cancer drugs with best effectiveness for individual patients.
Identifying the exact genetic mechanism for preventing cancerous cells.
Identifying individuals with high risk of cancer by devising genetic screens.
Developing viral messengers or vaccines to induce in the body that will make antibodies at a much early stage against the cancer cells.
Creating highly specialized radiation techniques and developing drugs to target cancer growth at early stages and prevent its growth.
There are remarkable results with the much proved and effective treatments and cure for many forms of cancer like chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery. But with the help of these treatments the survival rate of half of the cancer patients is five years or less.
With gene therapy scientists are finding more important, innovative and standard approaches to solve the puzzle of cancer.
