Stanford scientists have learned how to treat a complex form of leukemia

A group of scientists from Stanford medical University have discovered a new method by which you can win over the most aggressive forms of leukemia. Amazing, first of all, the fact that this technique was discovered by researchers quite by accident. Scientists have found a way to wrap one of the most dangerous diseases against himself.

Despite the fact that the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia over the past decade has increased to 85% because of the treatment using stem cells, in the light of the constant mutations of the gene of the Philadelphia General picture of this disease remains very disappointing. But Dr. Scott McClellan of Stanford team believes that they managed to find a rather unusual and effective way of dealing with the disease.

Research work started in the day when McClellan during some of his experiments, noticed that a number of cells called lymphoblasts suddenly turned into Mature macrophages. Macrophages – a type of immune cells, whose main job is the absorption of the decay products of other cells, a variety of pathogens that enter the body and fight cancer cells. Macrophages derived from the lymphoblasts that start to fight leukemia with dual power, which is especially important in the case of the disease.

In normal lymphoblasts are immature white blood cells, also called lymphocytes. But in leukemia, these cells freeze in its development and thereby reduce the number of red blood cells in human blood. Such diseases as acute lymphoblastic leukemia leads to death within five years in 20% of cases.

Scientists were able to figure out how to turn lymphoblasts in macrophages with the help of special proteins. Adding these proteins to the medium containing diseased cells, those preprogramming some genes in lymphoblasts, after which they begin to actively fight leukemia. In other words, the disease begins to defeat itself with its own forces. This contributes to the overall nature of the origin of cells: due to this, the macrophages quickly and efficiently find the affected cells and absorb them.

The method, developed at Stanford, not only allows you to beat one of the most severe forms of leukemia, but also helps to quickly activate the entire immune system of man, to teach her how to recognize the slightest mutation of the disease and easy to deal with him later. After its discovery, scientists started to develop a drug that will allow patients with leukemia, quickly and effectively overcome your ailment.published

Source: hi-news.ru