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Journalism of Courage
In a ray of hope for leukaemia patients,scientists have claimed that a life-saving treatment which uses the body’s own immune system to heal itself,could be available within 10 years.
The treatment,known as TCR gene therapy,works by injecting white blood cells with an infection-fighting gene that recognises cancer cells; the white blood cells which make up the body’s immune system,then destroy leukaemia cells,say the scientists.
Trials of the procedure,which could help those with end-stage leukaemia,are about to start at University College London in the UK,the ‘Daily Express’ reported.
However,experts feared the white blood cells would attack other healthy cells causing a condition called graft versus host disease (GVHD).
But,a team,led by British scientist Dr Gavin Bendle at The Netherlands Cancer Institute,has found a way to overcome GVHD after a series of experiments supported by blood cancer charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
Dr Bendle said: “It’s an important breakthrough. TCR gene therapy is likely to be an important part of treatment for those patients with leukaemia who cannot be cured with standard therapies.”
Dr Bendle added the treatment could be available for both adults and children,with initial clinical trials at University College London already recruiting for participants to pave the way for leukaemia cure.
The findings have been published in the latest edition of the ‘Nature Medicine’ journal.
