A Victoria man had 53 different tumours scattered all over his body, but after just weeks of treatment he not only started to feel better but his tumours started to disappear before he went into complete remission.
Those results, for patients who just two decades ago would have been considered incurable, are thanks to advancements in immunotherapy, according to Dr. Brad Nelson.
He91裸聊视频檚 the director of the Deeley Research Centre at Victoria91裸聊视频檚 Royal Jubilee Hospital, which is celebrating 20 years of innovation that91裸聊视频檚 given hope to those who have no other cancer treatments to turn to. The centre advances various fronts 91裸聊视频� all centred around harnessing the power of the immune system to find new therapies and treatments for hard-to-cure cancers.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e taking on some of the biggest challenges, the toughest science that humanity faces,91裸聊视频� Nelson said while walking through the centre91裸聊视频檚 various labs on Aug. 23.
91裸聊视频淲hen that immune system kicks in and starts attacking cancer, patients do better and so with immunotherapy what we91裸聊视频檙e trying to do is just make that happen more often, and stronger.91裸聊视频�
The Victoria centre is running a clinical trial on genetically engineered CAR-T cells, which are hardwired to find and destroy cancer. The immunotherapy lab develops the CAR-T cells by introducing genes to T-cells derived from a patient91裸聊视频檚 blood over a 12-day process. When that91裸聊视频檚 complete, the millions of new cells provide a supercharged fleet of cancer fighters that is put back into a patient91裸聊视频檚 bloodstream so they can travel to cancerous sites all over the body.
91裸聊视频淎 patient might have let91裸聊视频檚 say a million T-cells fighting their cancer, in this way we can engineer it so they91裸聊视频檝e got a billion T-cells fighting,91裸聊视频� Nelson said. 91裸聊视频淚f there are more cancer cells than T-cells, you91裸聊视频檙e going to lose that battle, in this way though, we can really tilt things in favour of the T-cells.91裸聊视频�
The treatment has proved phenomenally successful for those with conditions like leukemia and lymphoma and has usually produced fewer side effects. As the trial91裸聊视频檚 first phase established the treatment91裸聊视频檚 feasibility and safety, it91裸聊视频檚 set to grow to around 100 patients from the current 70. A study on an earlier cohort showed fabulous results, Nelson said, with many patients91裸聊视频� cancer completely disappearing after standard treatments weren91裸聊视频檛 working for them.
91裸聊视频淭hey really needed a new option and because of the support of the community and this work, we91裸聊视频檝e been able to provide that,91裸聊视频� he said.
Immunotherapy marks the hottest area in cancer research, Nelson said, and in just the last decade it91裸聊视频檚 had numerous breakthroughs on a wide spectrum of cancers. While the Deeley centre91裸聊视频檚 work helps spur those solutions, it91裸聊视频檚 also growing the next generation of researchers taking on cancer.
High schoolers and university students are a fixture at the research lab every summer, and some who were plugging away on Aug. 23 said working at the centre offers a unique shot at being immersed in cancer research.
91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 super exciting,91裸聊视频� said UVic co-op student Bridget Mateyko, adding that it91裸聊视频檚 interesting they get to contribute a small amount to the lab91裸聊视频檚 histology research. 91裸聊视频淏eing a part of big studies is very interesting.91裸聊视频�
Research assistant Breeze Gladwin was also working away in the lab as her team tries to figure out the role of B-cells and how the antibody creators can be leveraged into potential therapies.
91裸聊视频淓veryone here is so committed to what we do and everyone here cares so much about the reason why we do it,91裸聊视频� she said.
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