Scientists making progress in less toxic cancer treatment called immunotherapy

BOSTON - Scientists are making progress in using less toxic immunotherapy instead of traditional chemotherapy to fight cancer.

Chemotherapy is very effective at treating a variety of cancers, but it not only attacks cancer cells, it kills healthy cells as well, causing serious side effects.  

For decades, scientists have been searching for less toxic options. One approach is immunotherapy, which uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer cells, including cytokines.  

Cytokines are small protein molecules that can act as messengers between immune cells. Ordinarily, if cytokines are injected into the body, they can jump-start immune cells in tumors to kill cancer cells, but like chemo, they can also harm healthy cells.  

Now, researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a way to keep these cytokines in the tumors and away from healthy cells.  

They're hoping this new approach can be used along with already FDA-approved therapies to improve the effectiveness and safety of cancer treatments.

In:
• cancer research
• Cancer

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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