Did experts discover some new cancer treatments? Let’s find out!
We’ve always heard that cancer can come in many forms when you least expect it. We also heard that it can run in the family and can be prevented by adopting an active lifestyle and a clean and green diet, but we never heard about a cure.
Experts have always said that they’re looking for ways to beat this deadly disease and eliminate it from our lives, but it’s been a while, and we still have no idea when the cure will be in hospitals and science labs.
The good news is that scientists didn’t lose their patience, and they came up with some ideas regarding new cancer treatments. Speaking of that, these new approaches to helping the immune system fight against this health condition are getting us closer to a future where we can proudly say that we have a cure.
As we already said, finding an effective and strong cure for cancer is surely one of the biggest challenges of this century, but the good news is that our knowledge has improved a lot in the last few years.
Experts who laid the basis for these new cancer treatments said that there isn’t going to be a single cure because each patient is different and the infection could differ from one case to another.
This means that each patient should receive a personalized treatment plan so that everything could go according to the professionals’ plan, but for this fantastic idea to become a reality, we need a wide range of therapies that can cover the entire spectrum of cancer.
But let’s not keep this intro any longer because we have to say more about all of these potential new cancer treatments. So if this is something of interest to you, let’s start our short and impressive medical journey!
1. CAR-T-cell therapy
The first type of these new cancer treatments we’re going to talk about in today’s article is CAR-T-cell therapy. In 2018, we saw the first approval of this, which consists of removing and genetically altering immune cells, which are called T cells, from people diagnosed with cancer.
What happens is that these altered cells produce some essential proteins called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), which recognize and get rid of cancer cells.
But different researchers who developed this type of new treatment, CAR-T, can change the way this deadly disease is treated. They also added that their main objective is to develop a precise and effective form of treatment that not only destroys the cancerous cells but also spares healthy tissue.
It’s true that CAR-T clinical trials have shown some incredible results in patients who relapsed and tried plenty of other treatment options, but sometimes these new cancer treatments, including this one, could have severe side effects.
Some experts say that CAR-T is incredibly strong, so the medical staff that performs the surgery has to be sure that the target antigen is not dispatched on normal tissue because it could cause even more significant harm. For instance, a missed step could wipe out organs and severely injure or even kill the cancer patient.
Even though CAR-T seems like one of the most incredible new cancer treatments, the technology is not available for all types of cancer, but researchers are working on that, and let’s hope that they’ll find a way to succeed in all of their clinical trials and actually come up with a way of treating this disease that everyone is afraid of.
2. Team up with the microbiome
In the last few years, researchers have discovered a couple of new cancer treatments that could change the way we see these deadly health concerns. For instance, they discovered that the human microbiome, which represents the total microorganisms that live inside your body, is very important for your overall health, including cancer.
Experts who came up with the new cancer treatments we talked about in this article say that these elements of the microbiome play a key role in masking an overactive immune system in cases of inflammatory diseases as well as in boosting a suppressed immune system in cancer.
These new cancer treatments are based on the new discoveries and knowledge available, and when it comes to working with the microbiome in the patient’s favor, researchers are aware of the fact that tumor cells are sometimes invisible to the immune system.
Moreover, they also know that the microbiome contains peptides that mimic antigens on the surface of tumors. These can be used to make the tumor visible again to the immune system, and that means a potential cancer cure.
What do you think about these new cancer treatments? Do you think they’ll be effective?
3. Personalized cancer vaccines
Have you ever thought that new cancer treatments could involve vaccines? As you already know, this deadly health concern is caused by genetic mutations that transform healthy cells into tumor cells, causing dangerous and potentially lethal infections in your body. Experts say that these mutations are sometimes at the center of new cancer treatments, and they can differ from one individual to another.
Even though many patients could suffer from cancer, the mutations are totally random, and scientists can’t spot any similarities between them. Knowing that each patient has their own problems, researchers thought about creating vaccines that are personalized.
They compare the DNA progressions of the healthy cells and of the tumor, and then the companies that are responsible for this cancer treatment, BioNTech and Genentech, are able to spot multiple cancer mutations and only select the ones that can provoke a dangerous reaction from the immune system.
These vaccines are given to patients in the form of messenger RNA, a molecule that instructs cells to create a specific protein, and, in the case of these new cancer treatments, there’s a cancer antigen that protects the immune system against the tumor.
If you’re scared that these cancer treatments will affect your DNA, there’s no need to be, because they just provide the message and won’t change anything else in your body. Another great thing about this is that the production of messenger RNA is more budget-friendly compared to other new cancer treatments, such as cell therapy.
Do you think that personalized vaccines could help cancer patients get healthy? If you think that diet plays an important role in managing cancer symptoms and keeping them at bay, then you should check out this ebook, because it contains many healthy and delicious recipes that keep you healthy and strong!
4. Artificial intelligence
We know that artificial intelligence is getting closer and closer to us every day, but experts have taken it to the next level and are thinking about using AI to develop cancer treatments. In India, different scientists started using emerging technologies, such as AI and machine learning, to completely transform cancer care.
For instance, they started working on AI-based risk profiling, which can help screen for more common forms of cancer, including breast cancer, which will then lead to early diagnoses and potential care options.
Another thing AI technology could do in the case of these new cancer treatments is analyze X-rays to identify tumors. Researchers hope that they’ll spot new ways to help patients get better, and we can only hope that their efforts and hard work will eventually pay off.
5. Precision oncology
When they thought about new cancer treatments, experts also came up with the idea of precision oncology, which might become one of the most effective ways to defeat this deadly health concern.
This technique involves studying the molecular characteristics of cancer tumors and the genetic makeup of different patients. Then, this new method can spot changes in cells that might be responsible for the growth and spread of cancer. When these two steps are completed, personalized treatments can be developed and applied to patients.
What’s great about precision oncology is the fact that these treatments are targeted and adaptable to each patient and their needs, which is different from general treatments such as chemotherapy. Moreover, it can also cause less harm to healthy cells and have fewer side effects, and that’s always a plus.
What do you think about these ideas regarding new cancer treatments? I think they’re smart, and I can’t wait to read about the researchers’ progress! If you’re curious about this topic, leave a comment down below if you’d like to read Part II! And if you want to discover something else from Science in The World, click here, because you won’t regret it: 7 Body Parts Humans Don’t Actually Need…This Will Shock You!
