Cancer ‘vaccine’ eliminates tumors in mice
Writing this from a squeaky recliner set beside my wife’s bed in the oncology department of a local research hospital.<p>Three weeks ago she had a radical hysterectomy and partial lymphadenectomy to treat stage IIIc ovarian cancer, and we’re back to try to aid her in her recovery to prepare for chemotherapy.  Chemo should start next week, but we are hoping to also participate in a clinical trial for atezolizumab.  This is a drug that essentially blocks the cancer cell’s immunosuppressive mechanism (expression of PD-L1) and allows the body’s natural immune response to do work on the disease.<p>Suddenly inspired to learn more of the nitty gritty around how cancer and the associated therapies work, I’m shocked at how sophisticated the battle is.   At least in this case, the unregulated reproduction of cells is just the beginning, and my lay mind can’t grasp how simple mutation is responsible for it.  If someone told me cancer was sentient with a will to thrive, I’m now much less inclined to laugh them off.<p>Therapies that arm our own immune syatem in the fight against this monster really seem like the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel.