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.
He含羞草研究社檚 the director of the Deeley Research Centre at Victoria含羞草研究社檚 Royal Jubilee Hospital, which is celebrating 20 years of innovation that含羞草研究社檚 given hope to those who have no other cancer treatments to turn to. The centre advances various fronts 含羞草研究社� all centred around harnessing the power of the immune system to find new therapies and treatments for hard-to-cure cancers.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e taking on some of the biggest challenges, the toughest science that humanity faces,含羞草研究社� Nelson said while walking through the centre含羞草研究社檚 various labs on Aug. 23.
含羞草研究社淲hen that immune system kicks in and starts attacking cancer, patients do better and so with immunotherapy what we含羞草研究社檙e trying to do is just make that happen more often, and stronger.含羞草研究社�
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 patient含羞草研究社檚 blood over a 12-day process. When that含羞草研究社檚 complete, the millions of new cells provide a supercharged fleet of cancer fighters that is put back into a patient含羞草研究社檚 bloodstream so they can travel to cancerous sites all over the body.
含羞草研究社淎 patient might have let含羞草研究社檚 say a million T-cells fighting their cancer, in this way we can engineer it so they含羞草研究社檝e got a billion T-cells fighting,含羞草研究社� Nelson said. 含羞草研究社淚f there are more cancer cells than T-cells, you含羞草研究社檙e going to lose that battle, in this way though, we can really tilt things in favour of the T-cells.含羞草研究社�
The treatment has proved phenomenally successful for those with conditions like leukemia and lymphoma and has usually produced fewer side effects. As the trial含羞草研究社檚 first phase established the treatment含羞草研究社檚 feasibility and safety, it含羞草研究社檚 set to grow to around 100 patients from the current 70. A study on an earlier cohort showed fabulous results, Nelson said, with many patients含羞草研究社� cancer completely disappearing after standard treatments weren含羞草研究社檛 working for them.
含羞草研究社淭hey really needed a new option and because of the support of the community and this work, we含羞草研究社檝e been able to provide that,含羞草研究社� he said.
Immunotherapy marks the hottest area in cancer research, Nelson said, and in just the last decade it含羞草研究社檚 had numerous breakthroughs on a wide spectrum of cancers. While the Deeley centre含羞草研究社檚 work helps spur those solutions, it含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淚 think it含羞草研究社檚 super exciting,含羞草研究社� said UVic co-op student Bridget Mateyko, adding that it含羞草研究社檚 interesting they get to contribute a small amount to the lab含羞草研究社檚 histology research. 含羞草研究社淏eing a part of big studies is very interesting.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淓veryone here is so committed to what we do and everyone here cares so much about the reason why we do it,含羞草研究社� she said.
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