It's the dreaded word that no patient wants to hear: cancer. For many years, it simply meant there was no hope but doctors have continued to struggle with new and improving ways to treat this deadly disease. Now, a medical break-through may be on the horizon. For the past few years, scientists have hinted that some solid forming tumors may be linked back to particular cells that cause their growth. These cancer "stem cells" are sometimes left behind when treating a tumor and patients experience regrowth. Proof was lacking, however, that such cells really existed.
Now, three separate teams of scientists, all working on independent studies, have found proof that these stem cells do exist. This could mark a major turn in how doctors treat tumors in their patients. Previous treatments all aimed at removing the tumor itself but now doctors may begin aiming at these stem cells to prevent the tumor from growing larger. Once it is removed, killing the stem cells would also mean no relapses. There is some concern that the cancer stem cells appear very similar to normal stem cells responsible for regenerating healthy tissue in the body. This means targeting them may risk damaging the healthy stem cells as well. For now, research is on-going with emphasis being placed on providing distinction between healthy and cancerous stem cells as well as how to target only the malignant kind.
The discovery and proof of the cancer stem cells is still a major step in the right direction according to Prof Hugo Snippert of the University Medical Centre in Utrecht. "Cancer stem cells change the paradigm. The goal of shrinking tumours may well turn out to be less important than targeting the cancer cells in that tumour," he stated, "Many argued that these cells did not exist. But we have shown for the first time there is such a thing as a cancer stem cell and that tumours are maintained by them."
stem cell are very basic cell and can be transform in a any kind of cell such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell so we can use it to treat in diseases like Stage 4 cancer etc.
ReplyDeleteAccording to new studies, there may be some types of stem cells that also create cancer tumors. Certainly, healthy stem cells used for regeneration would be useful in treating diseases too, it's just a matter of scientists being able to differentiate between them in a meaningful way so the good cells can stay and the bad ones can be removed. :) Let's hope they can find a way to target just the malignant ones.
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