[SCIENCE!] Modified AIDs Virus Used to Cure Child's Leukemia

[Shyria Dracnoir]

New York Times article (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/10/health/a-breakthrough-against-leukemia-using-altered-t-cells.html?hp&_r=0)

It is hard to believe, but last spring Emma, then 6, was near death from leukemia. She had relapsed twice after chemotherapy, and doctors had run out of options.

Desperate to save her, her parents sought an experimental treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one that had never before been tried in a child, or in anyone with the type of leukemia Emma had. The experiment, in April, used a disabled form of the virus that causes AIDS to reprogram Emma’s immune system genetically to kill cancer cells.

The treatment very nearly killed her. But she emerged from it cancer-free, and about seven months later is still in complete remission. She is the first child and one of the first humans ever in whom new techniques have achieved a long-sought goal — giving a patient’s own immune system the lasting ability to fight cancer.

To perform the treatment, doctors remove millions of the patient’s T-cells — a type of white blood cell — and insert new genes that enable the T-cells to kill cancer cells. The technique employs a disabled form of H.I.V. because it is very good at carrying genetic material into T-cells. The new genes program the T-cells to attack B-cells, a normal part of the immune system that turn malignant in leukemia.

The altered T-cells — called chimeric antigen receptor cells — are then dripped back into the patient’s veins, and if all goes well they multiply and start destroying the cancer.

The T-cells home in on a protein called CD-19 that is found on the surface of most B-cells, whether they are healthy or malignant.

A sign that the treatment is working is that the patient becomes terribly ill, with raging fevers and chills — a reaction that oncologists call “shake and bake,” Dr. June said. Its medical name is cytokine-release syndrome, or cytokine storm, referring to the natural chemicals that pour out of cells in the immune system as they are being activated, causing fevers and other symptoms. The storm can also flood the lungs and cause perilous drops in blood pressure — effects that nearly killed Emma.

Obviously this isn't going to be a regular fixture in cancer treatment any time soon, and it requires a lot of follow-up treatment and monitoring, but this is still an interesting development.

[Aerozord]

oh yea I heard about this. Makes you wonder if 20 or 30 years from now we will have the ability to use similar techniques to alter our genome.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

This is very interesting. I didn't know a disable AIDs virus could be used in such a way.

[stefan]

Forgive me for invoking the cliche, but isn't this literally the backstory to every "serious" zombie movie in the last 20 years.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Forgive me for invoking the cliche, but isn't this literally the backstory to every "serious" zombie movie in the last 20 years.

You crazy, Stefan. Nothing bad could possibly happen from altering Viral Strands to do our bidding and cure stuff.

[Seil]

pmPdQfHor-Y

[Kyanbu The Legend]

lol you guys are so crazy.

[Locke cole]

This sounds like something a bunch of bilogists would come up with while drunk.

"No, man, I g- I got it. We'll use AIDS to cure cancer."
"I love you, man."

[Krylo]

I feel the tagline for this thread is lacking something.

I'd, personally, have gone with, "Scientists Turn Child into Cancer Killing Super Mutant."

[Aldurin]

First impression is that this is a medical application so haphazard that even the TF2 Medic would hesitate.

Though the fact that they pulled it off is pretty awesome.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I feel the tagline for this thread is lacking something.

I'd, personally, have gone with, "Scientists Turn Child into Cancer Killing Super Mutant."

I would have gone with Philadelphia Experiment 2: This time its cancer.

[Sithdarth]

The idea of using a virus to alter genetic material is a relatively old one. Seems now someone had the brilliant idea of combining the techniques of vaccination using disabled infections with what is probably the very best virus at swapping genes in T-cells that we've ever known.

The real question is can we use HIV to cure HIV. The basic idea is that there are a whole list of proteins known to interfere with HIV (and actually many other viruses) sometimes to the point of immunity some of which are produced directly by T-cells. If we can use disable HIV to program someone's T-cells to create these proteins we could in theory cure HIV with HIV and perhaps make people more resistant to viral diseases in general.

The obvious risk is of course a zombie apocalypse but that's already been pointed out.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

So long as it's produced by a company that's not Umbrella Corp. We should be just fine.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Clearly the financial backer to this venture isn't Umbrella Corp. But instead it is their rival company Parasol Industries! DUN DUN DUNNNN!

On a serious note, i do hope this keeps rolling forward without bogus trumped up 'counter-research' intended to undermine it. Y'know, that whole ain't no money in curing things these days shindig.

[Magus]

I actually know some of the Whiteheads, though not this girl, they'd be cousins. Everybody's pretty glad this happened on just a personal level, let alone what it means for curing cancer nationwide.

[Aldurin]

Now the question is can we harness cancer to cure AIDS?

[Magus]

It seems like something like this should allow them to use AIDS to cure AIDS, frankly.

[tacticslion]

It seems like something like this should allow them to use AIDS to cure AIDS, frankly.

Which is pretty much exactly what Sithdarth was saying, I think.

This is seriously amazing and super-awesome news! As a member of a family that contains two very difficult cancer survivors (one extremely young), I'm all for this having been so successful.

Also, Seil, why was that clipped backwards?

[Magus]

Which is pretty much exactly what Sithdarth was saying, I think.

This is seriously amazing and super-awesome news! As a member of a family that contains two very difficult cancer survivors (one extremely young), I'm all for this having been so successful.

Also, Seil, why was that clipped backwards?

Whoever put it up on Youtube probably used a pirated stream to make the video or something. A lot of those are reversed for some reason.

Anyway, it's too bad they only use this on last-ditch cases, although I suppose that is understandable. Maybe they can experiment on animals to see if it could go towards clinical human trials, though.

[Locke cole]

The reason being that companies sort of do searches for copyrighted videos. Mirroring the footage helps to fool the stuff they use to detect their own footage.

[Aerozord]

Well it sounds stupidly unsafe to even try this, until you think of it logically

"ok now you have cancer, the cancer will kill you. We could give you something that might give you AIDs, but it also might cure your cancer. If it cures your cancer you live. If it gives you AIDs the cancer will kill you before you have time to care."

Worst case you are back to where you started. Though I dont know if this becoming standard will happen any time soon. Not only is this AIDs we are talking about but I doubt any serious use of genome modification wont be met with lots of resistance.

Keep in mind how many people refuse to eat food thats been modified, let alone doing it to themselves.

Incidentally. Is this a "cure all cancer" thing or a "cure a type of cancer" thing?


The reason being that companies sort of do searches for copyrighted videos. Mirroring the footage helps to fool the stuff they use to detect their own footage.

I know an old internet myth is that if you reverse the footage its suddenly "legal" to post, but I dont know if their software detects it. To my knowledge their software detects audio, not images. Atleast at the moment. Video thats detected seems to be mostly due to being reported than their automated system.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

You mean like how "I'm going to cut you open and fiddle around a bit" sounds stupidly unsafe?

[Locke cole]

Even in the context of modern science, the idea of intentionally infecting someone with a variant of AIDS sounds insanely risky. Hopefully, this can develop to a treatment that doesn't have to be one of last resort.

[Aerozord]

You mean like how "I'm going to cut you open and fiddle around a bit" sounds stupidly unsafe?

exactly, even now the idea of surgery is treated more as a method of last resort. Not many people hear "we want to operate" and react "ok sure". While true its more lingering stigma (and the fact there is always a chance of a surgery going bad) than people resisting the idea that is after a century of development.

A more direct example, people are still paranoid about ordinary vaccinations for things like the flu. Imagine how these people reacted to hearing "they injected him with AIDs"

[Bells]

"ok now you have cancer, the cancer will kill you. We could give you something that might give you AIDs, but it also might cure your cancer. If it cures your cancer you live. If it gives you AIDs the cancer will kill you before you have time to care."

Man i love that House MD episode...

[Aerozord]

Did that actually happen on the show?

[Aerozord]

an update (http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34857/title/Immune-System-Kills-Cancer/)

Seems its proving affective in adults as well and they are going to conduct a larger trial. If things continue to go smoothly we might have a viable treatment in only a few more years