Gene Therapy Successful Against Tumors  August 31, 2006
National Geographic reports the good news:  Two of 17 people
with advanced melanoma—a deadly form of skin cancer—who
underwent experimental treatment with the engineered immune
cells saw their tumors shrivel.  A year and a half after therapy
began, the two patients were declared free of the disease.
“This is the first example of an effective gene therapy that
works in cancer patients,” said Steven Rosenberg, chief of
surgery at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland,
and leader of the research team.  The therapy has so far been
applied only to melanoma patients. But the researchers are
optimistic that their treatment can be used for many other types
of cancer.  The team has already engineered similar immune cells
for more common tumors, such as breast, lung, and liver cancers.
The research appears in tomorrow’s issue of the journal Science.
Granted, there’s a lot to be skeptical about, and I don’t think
that this partial success is much