An experimental therapy uses a person's weak immune system to fight deadly blood cancers.
一种实验疗法利用人体虚弱的免疫系统对抗致命的白血病。
Stanley Riddell is a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the U.S. state of Washington. He and his colleagues added molecules to immune cells that attack cancer cells. They put the modified cells back in the patient, where they multiply and fight cancer.
斯坦利·里德尔(Stanley Riddell)是美国华盛顿州弗雷德哈钦森癌症研究中心的一名研究员。他和他的同事向免疫细胞中添加了攻击癌症细胞的分子,然后把这种基因修饰细胞注入病人体内,这些细胞在病人体内繁殖并对抗癌症。
"So, that's the one interesting thing about this. It doesn't require repeated treatments or repetitive cycles of chemotherapy," said Riddell.
里德尔表示,“所以这是最有趣的一点,它不需要再三治疗或反复化疗。”
"That's what I think in the future may be most important for patients – that it's a single treatment instead of many months of treatment."
“我认为未来对病人来说这是最重要的一点,它是一次性治疗,而不是持续数月的治疗。”
It has shown great promise in small trials with patients. In one study of 35 patients with a type of leukemia, 94 percent experienced a complete remission. Fifty percent to 80 percent of patients with other blood cancers also saw a reduction in symptoms.
在同病人的小型试验中这种疗法已经显示出了巨大潜力。在一项包含35位患有某种白血病的病人的研究中,94%患者的病情完全缓解。50%到80%患有其它类型白血病的患者的症状也有所减轻。
Riddell said, "This is encouraging because these are all patients who have failed all conventional therapies, including many kinds of bone marrow and stem cell transplants."
里德尔表示,“这令人鼓舞,因为这些病人在所有常规疗法上都失败了,其中包括多种类型的骨髓和干细胞移植。”
Getting these very high rates of remission is "obviously very exciting for us," he added. These patients do not have any other treatment options that are likely to work.
他补充说,获得这么高比例的缓解显然让我们非常兴奋。这些患者不具备其它可能有效的治疗方案。
Immune system cells usually fight invading viruses and bacteria. They can also combat cancer. But they are soon overwhelmed by the disease.
免疫系统细胞通常会对抗入侵的病毒和细菌。它们还可以对抗癌症。但是它们很快被这种疾病所击败。
The work by Hutchinson researchers increases this natural cancer-fighting ability.
哈钦森癌症研究中心的研究人员提高了这种天然的对抗癌症的能力。
Using the immune system has also shown promise against skin cancer and some lung cancers. But for other cancers, immunotherapy is considered a last resort.
利用免疫系统还显示出了对抗皮肤癌和某些类型肺癌的潜力。但是对于其它癌症,免疫系统被认为是没有办法时的最后一招。
Riddell said he thinks that may change. In some cases, it may be better than chemotherapy or even replace it, he said.
里德尔表示,他认为这可能会发生改变。他说,在某些情况下,它可能优于化疗,甚至能取代化疗。
I'm Mary Gotschall.
我是玛丽·歌切尔。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利,未经授权请勿转载,违者必究!)
By Mary Gotschall07 March, 2016
An experimental therapy uses a person's weak immune system to fight deadly blood cancers.
Stanley Riddell is a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the U.S. state of Washington. He and his colleagues added molecules to immune cells that attack cancer cells. They put the modified cells back in the patient, where they multiply and fight cancer.
"So, that's the one interesting thing about this. It doesn't require repeated treatments or repetitive cycles of chemotherapy," said Riddell.
"That's what I think in the future may be most important for patients – that it's a single treatment instead of many months of treatment."
It has shown great promise in small trials with patients. In one study of 35 patients with a type of leukemia, 94 percent experienced a complete remission. Fifty percent to 80 percent of patients with other blood cancers also saw a reduction in symptoms.
John Ryan of Aldie, Virginia, diagnosed with incurable lung cancer two years ago, was randomly assigned to receive the immunotherapy drug Opdivo in a study two years ago. Three months later, his tumor had been reduced by 65 percent. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Riddell said, "This is encouraging because these are all patients who have failed all conventional therapies, including many kinds of bone marrow and stem cell transplants."
Getting these very high rates of remission is "obviously very exciting for us," he added. These patients do not have any other treatment options that are likely to work.
Immune system cells usually fight invading viruses and bacteria. They can also combat cancer. But they are soon overwhelmed by the disease.
The work by Hutchinson researchers increases this natural cancer-fighting ability.
Using the immune system has also shown promise against skin cancer and some lung cancers. But for other cancers, immunotherapy is considered a last resort.
Riddell said he thinks that may change. In some cases, it may be better than chemotherapy or even replace it, he said.
I'm Mary Gotschall.
Jessica Berman reported on this story for VOANews. Mary Gotschall adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.
Do you have an opinion about this topic? Let us know what you think in the Comments section below, or on 51VOA.COM.
Words in This Story
therapy – n. the treatment of physical or mental disorders
immune system – noun phrase the body's natural defenses for fighting disease
leukemia – n. a serious disease in which the body forms too many white blood cells
remission – n. a period of time during a serious infection when the patient's health improves
conventional – adj. of a kind that has been around for a long time and is considered to be usual
marrow – n. a soft substance that fills the bones of people and animals
immunotherapy – n. a treatment that uses your body's own natural defenses to help fight cancer (source: www.cancer.org)