Normal immune cells that were genetically altered to recognize and destroy cancer cells have successfully shrunk large tumors, scientists say.
Two of 17 people with advanced melanoma—a deadly form of skin cancer—who underwent experimental treatment with the engineered immune cells saw their tumors shrivel.
A year and a half after therapy began, the two patients were declared free of the disease.
"This is the first example of an effective gene therapy that works in cancer patients," said Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and leader of the research team.
The therapy has so far been applied only to melanoma patients. But the researchers are optimistic that their treatment can be used for many other types of cancer.
The team has already engineered similar immune cells for more common tumors, such as breast, lung, and liver cancers.
The research appears in tomorrow's issue of the journal Science.
Engineered to Kill
Scientists have long been looking for ways to boost the body's immune system against cancer. (Related: "Dogs Smell Cancer in Patients' Breath, Study Shows" [January 2006].)
"There's been a lot of hype about gene therapy for many years, hoping that by genetically manipulating cells we can do good things," Rosenberg said.
His team focused on T (thymus) cells, a type of specialized immune cell that can learn to recognize and attack specific "foreign" objects, such as the cancer cells that make up tumors.
In the new study, researchers created tumor-fighting cells by harvesting normal T cells from melanoma patients and genetically engineering these cells to carry receptor proteins on their surfaces that recognize cancer markers.
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