CURE FOR CANCER

mmunotherapies have emerged as an effective way to treat cancer. Scientists are very hopeful about these new treatments, which use the body's own defense system to shut down cancer. Several kinds of immunotherapies are already being used to treat certain types of cancer, and ongoing research, including at the University of Chicago, may reveal more possibilities. What is immunotherapy? Immunotherapy is a treatment that strengthens the ability of the patient’s own immune system to detect and destroy cancer. The immune system’s job is to protect a person’s body from illnesses by fighting infection and other diseases. It consists of white blood cells and the organs and tissues of the lymphatic system, such as the thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, lymph vessels and bone marrow. Cancer cells often have mutations that allow them to escape the immune system. Immunotherapy drugs are designed to boost the cancer-fighting powers of immune cells in order to give the immune system the upper hand. Although the principles of immunotherapy have been around for a long time, the field has gained momentum during the past decade due to scientific advancements. Based on the overwhelmingly successful results of a number of clinical trials, Science named cancer immunotherapy the “Scientific Breakthrough of the Year” in 2014. It is normal for cells to grow and divide, but there are processes within cells that tell them to stop growing. When these processes fail, cell growth can go haywire. These abnormal cells can develop into cancer and overtake healthy organs and tissues, eventually spreading outside the immediate area to other parts of the body. Under normal circumstances, the immune system detects and destroys abnormal cells and keeps the growth of potential cancer cells in check. However, cancer cells sometimes acquire clever ways of avoiding destruction by the immune system. Because cancer cells originate as normal cells, the immune system doesn’t always recognize them as foreign. Also, they can take advantage of genetic changes that make them invisible to the immune system; they can contain proteins that “turn off” immune cells; or they can alter how the immune system responds. To overcome this, researchers have found ways to help the immune system detect and attack cancer cells, just as it would viruses, bacteria or other foreign invade