Microspheres a Possible Cure for Cancer?

     This article discusses the possibility of using the human body’s immune system to combat cancer cells. This idea of boosting the body’s immune system to aid in curing cancer has been around for years in the form of cytokines which stimulate the immune response in the body. The problem with the current method is cancerous cells have mastered the art of disguising themselves, so the activated T-cells pass over them. The method purposed in this article uses similar immune-boosting microcapsules, but instead of just multiplying T-cells, they would also give a specific desired target for T-cells to destroy. This is achieved by using cell sized plastic spheres made from poly(lactide-co-glycolide), a biodegradable material commonly used in medical sutures, that  have anti-gens attached to the outside that activate T-cells in the immune system. The antigens also alert the T-cells to what they should be attacking. These microcapsules will not only boost the T-cell count, but also giving a designated target for the new immune system army. 

     This article caught my attention because the possibility of there being a cure for cancer that would not require the current procedures is truly amazing. Cancer is a very serious illness that no one is safe from. In some cases it’s found quick enough that there are treatment methods available, but the patient goes through hell and back before they can see a light at the end of the tunnel. While on the other hand those who discovered the cancer too late can only be made as comfortable as humanly possible for the time they have left. If this new treatment method is successful cancer could be a thing of the past, treatments would no longer require hospital visits, but rather an over the counter medication that can be taken at home. In addition these spheres are not only applicable to cancer, there are a broad range of diseases that this method could be applied to by simply changing the antigens used. I believe there will be huge breakthroughs in the medical field resulting from this research.  

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111875&org=NSF