Sunday, November 21, 2010

Gene Therapy in mice produced remission of metastatic melanoma

At the Indiana University School of Medicine, mice have been used in an experiment that has led to the breakthrough in gene therapy. One of the scientists working on this project has said “We believe this type of translational model opens new doors for patients with melanoma and potentially other cancers by taking advantage of the potent regenerative capacity of hematopoietic stem cells and new advances in gene therapy.”  They have taken a lentvirus and modified it in order to introduce an anti melanoma T cell receptor gene into the hematopoietic stem cell of mice. The hematopoietic cells are bone marrow cells that are also stem cells that produce all blood and immune system cells. The T cell gene is one that recognizes a specific cell protein and is found on the surface of melanoma cells. The T cells were isolated from a mouse with melanoma and then gene modified cells were transplanted back into the infected mice. It was found that they eliminated metastatic melanoma cancer cells for the rest of the mice’s life. It was found that the transplantation of gene modified hematopoietic stem cells resulted in a new host immune system which then eliminated the tumor completely. This gene therapy in mice is helpful in understanding how gene therapy can be used in humans.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101118124206.htm

2 comments:

  1. [...] Read the original: Punnett's Square » Gene Therapy in mice produced remission of … [...]

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  2. Since current treatments for metastic melanoma have been largely unsuccessful, it is promising to see these new advances in gene therapy. Hopefully reseachers will soon find successful ways to use gene therapy in humans, benfeting patients who are diagnosed with metastic melanoma.

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