A method for protecting healthy cells in chemotherapy has been developed
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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American scientists have come up with a method of protecting healthy human cells in chemotherapy of malignant tumors. Testing the latest technology was conducted by a team of scientists led by Jennifer Edair from the Center for Cancer Research Fred Hutchinson (Seattle, Washington, USA). The research report is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
For chemotherapy of malignant tumors, all kinds of substances are used that directly cause cell death or trigger apoptosis (programmed death) processes. At the same time, such medicines have a high toxicity not only for cancer cells.
In particular, the bone marrow, which fulfills the hematopoietic function, is particularly susceptible to their effects. Damage to the bone marrow by antitumour agents is fraught with a decrease in the number of leukocytes that provide an immune response, and besides erythrocytes, which can cause the development of anemia.
To participate in this study were selected 3 patients with the most common brain tumor - glioblastoma. Researchers took samples of bone marrow stem cells from patients. Applying the viral vector, they modified the hereditary information of these cells, making them insensitive to the effects of temozolomide, which is used for the purpose of chemotherapy with glioblast. The modified stem cells were transplanted back to the patients.
According to the results of the study, patients better tolerated treatment with chemotherapy, they had fewer adverse reactions to therapy than in normal conditions. All three patients managed to exceed the average survival time for this disease, which is 12 months. The authors of the study noted that one of the participants in the study did not progress to the disease within the last 34 months after the therapy.
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