Read the text below.
British researchers believe that injecting neutrophil cells into patients is the next breakthrough in cancer treatment.
Neutrophil cells are part of the body’s innate defense against infection, also known as the immune system. Researchers from LIfT BioSciences, a UK-based drug manufacturer, and King’s College London extract these cells from the blood of the healthiest donors. Afterward, they multiply these cells into millions and modify them to become more potent to kill cancer cells.
After several tests on mice, the researchers are now preparing for trials on actual cancer patients next year. Initially, they will focus on treating pancreatic cancer, a fatal type of the disease.
According to the researchers, neutrophil cells produce cancer-killing substances and work together with other immune system cells to attack and destroy cancer cells.
However, there are debates about whether or not neutrophil cells can really fight cancer. Evidence suggests that neutrophil cells may sometimes not recognize cancer cells as harmful. However, neutrophil cells can kill clumps of cancer cells in just 24 hours after recognizing them.
Despite today’s variety of treatments, cancer remains to be one of the world’s hardest diseases to cure. According to the National Cancer Institute, a US agency dedicated to cancer research, the scientists’ major challenge in finding a cure is the uniqueness of every individual’s genes. This makes it hard to find a general treatment for cancer.
However, Professor Karol Sikora, former head of the World Health Organization cancer program, is optimistic that there will be a cure for cancer within ten years. He claims that the latest drug advancements will make it possible for doctors to prescribe drugs for a specific kind of cancer.