Gene Therapy Breakthrough

(CBS/AP)  U.S. government scientists saved two men dying of melanoma by genetically altering the men's own white blood cells to attack their tumors — deemed the first major success in battling cancer with gene therapy.

While the men appear disease-free almost two years after the experimental therapy, it wasn't a panacea. Just two of the 17 treated victims are disease-free; 15 other melanoma victims were not cured. So the National Cancer Institute is trying to strengthen the shots.

Still, specialists proclaimed the work, published Thursday by the journal Science, as an important advance — gene therapy with the potential to fight cancer's worst stage, when it has spread through the body. And the cancer institute hopes to begin testing it soon against cancers more common than melanoma, such as advanced breast or colon cancer.

Doctors can't predict how the two men will fare long-term. Melanoma, the most aggressive skin cancer and killer of almost 8,000 Americans annually, is notorious for returning years after patients think they've subdued it.

"I'm cured for now," is how a grateful Mark Origer, 53, of Wisconsin put it after a checkup from NCI doctors this week.

"I had what they call stage 4 of the disease," Origer told CBS News. "Prognosis was approximately about one year."

As a last resort, Origer enrolled in a clinical trial testing a new technique to help the body's own immune system kill the cancer," CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports.

Oringer, who thought his advanced melanoma would kill him, believed he'd never walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. But after the experimental treatment, hea was able to do so.

"I've been given my life back," Oringer said.

The approach remains highly experimental, requiring years of additional research.

"Clearly this is a first step," cautioned Dr. Len Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society. "We have to be very cautious about not raising hopes too much."

But, "it is exciting," he added. "It certainly is a proof of concept that this approach will work."

"It's one of the first documented, effective cases of cancer gene therapy working," added Dr. Patrick Hwu, melanoma chairman at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, who once worked with the NCI team.

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[ronniehm]

DAhart, the Anderson Center studied her results and they disagree with you. They also studied this therapy. Now don't you think they would have mentioned something if they were looking at the same thing they already studied? You want to know who would be better to verify her results besides her? I say ANYBODY. Even Hwang Woo-suk would be better. You remember him. He's the scientist who bragged about how successful his cloning research was. It wasn't.

[lochlan-2009]

I sure hope this is a path that actually leads somewhere. With so many people sick with this disease, it's sad when they keep giving hope of a cure and than you hear nothing about it ever again than they come out with another idea that fades to nothing. It does sound plausible, though.

[dahart1]

RonnieHM

There were NO legit studies ever done on the Livingston-Wheeler protocol! Anyway, who better to evaluate her work than her own records? I have studied her for many years and my conclusion was she was falsely villified as a quack. She was considered a respected researcher for years until she started treating cancer. What you are reading and refering to were hatchet jobs/opinions done by the various competing institutes and other medical powers that could not fathom that cancer could be caused by a microbe. I don't want to debate the cancer/microbe link here, but medicine is finding that microbe link more and more plausible every day. Ever hear of the current "new" cervix vaccine? The bottom line is that by the use of this current genetic manipulation, these researchers are causing the body to attack the tumor. Livingston-Wheeler did the same thing via vacination and the strengthening of the immune system years earlier.

[iamkywoman]

My brother has just been diagnosed with esophagus cancer which has spread to liver, will this ever be something that could be used towards this type of cancer?? From all sources so far we are finding out that there if just not a whole lot of hope with this type cancer. He has been given approx. 8-9 months to live, of course no one can guessimate such thing but I pray something like this could come along for patients in this same boat. Thanks :)

[katia327]

"And the cancer institute hopes to begin testing it soon against cancers more common than melanoma, such as advanced breast or colon cancer."

My father passed away just recently from lung cancer. All you EVER hear on the news is breast cancer...breast cancer..breast cancer. I would like to hear more about tests for lung cancer, and the success they might be having. I would like to see more PUBLICITY and fighting, and people raising money for more research, for people who have lung cancer. Even though it is too late for my Dad, it is NOT too late for others.
I would ALSO like to see ribbons/pins, people can buy and wear, for every OTHER type of cancer. All you see out there are pink ribbons. For BREAST cancer. It is NOT the only cancer out there.

[ronniehm]

DAhart, every study done of Livingston-Wheeler's therapy showed absolutely no increase in survival rates for her patients. The only one that showed success was the study she did herself.

[rlkingebpa]

I am a current patient of Dr. Rosenberg's and this story does not begin to tell the story of this man's dedication and desire to find a cure for melanoma. I was one of the 15 whose treatment was not fully successful but have repeated the protocol with a slighly modified approach. So far we have experienced a positive response. I feel fortunate to have Dr. Rosenberg and his team of physicians and researchers in my corner!

[dahart1]

Oh, one more thing! I might add Dr. Wheeler had a much more impressive cure rate than these scientists's 2 in 17.

[dahart1]

Have they never heard of Virginia Livingston-Wheeler, MD. This woman did the same thing back in the 1970s, 80s, until her clinic was shut down by the California Health Department as quackery in 1990. The only thing different from today's "new development" was she used good old fashion and simple vaccination procedures to do the same thing these scientists are doing with expensive gene therapy. Her form of genetically engineering white blood cells was simple, cheap and more effective. Can you imagine the price tag on genetically engineering each white blood cell as projected in today's story? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I cannot believe how absolutely dumb the Government medical establishment can be.

[willie0691]

My father heard this on the new today and we were wondering if this could be something (gene altering)that is used for Mantle cell lymphoma? That is what he has. Thanks